Lingo

[SamIAm]

In a few weeks, a buddy of mine is hosting a casino-night for charity. It'll be money-in prizes-out, so there doesn't have to be any rake; the donation comes from just buying chips.

My FIRST thought was that the blackjack game would have absolutely no heat, and I could spread my bets as much as I wanted. I bet I could even beat the house's advantage of moneyrizes ratio, if I can spread 1:50. Then that whole "conscience" thing got in the way, and I volunteered to deal his poker game, instead. (Sigh.)

Here's my question: Is there a good resource for dealer protocol and lingo? I've read Robert's Rules already, and but I'm looking for more of a dealer-handbook. I want the rules on what you say when the punter buys $30 in chips using a $50. I want the rules on pushing cards forward slightly to show the winning hand. Ya know, useless dealer-coolness. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I actually will use a lot of these "skills" in our normal poker-night, too. I often end-up dealing for the night, especially if there are too many people to pass the deck around. I'm good at dealing the flop in one smooth motion, but any extra professionalism would be great.

Thanks.
-Sam

[TenPercenter]

[ QUOTE ]
Here's my question: Is there a good resource for dealer protocol and lingo? I've read Robert's Rules already, and but I'm looking for more of a dealer-handbook. I want the rules on what you say when the punter buys $30 in chips using a $50. I want the rules on pushing cards forward slightly to show the winning hand. Ya know, useless dealer-coolness. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I actually will use a lot of these "skills" in our normal poker-night, too. I often end-up dealing for the night, especially if there are too many people to pass the deck around. I'm good at dealing the flop in one smooth motion, but any extra professionalism would be great.

Thanks.
-Sam

[/ QUOTE ]

Great question Sam. This reply is a "me too" reply. I'd like tips on dealing the cards mainly. Like techniques to pitch a card to a player at the end of the table without the card becoming a flyer saucer and sailing into the kitchen (or flipping over on the table, which is more common).

Ten

[Spooky]

I'll post a response to a simillar question I saw in another forum once.


[ QUOTE ]
When I went through Dealer's school they provided us with "Professional Poker Players Handbook" written by Donna Harris and Mason Malmuth. This is an excellent text that covers stripping the deck to pushing the pot and all those little things in between. The book may be out of production, so if you can not get a copy off the net let me know and I can probably find an extra copy from the school.


Mechanics are the most important. Speed will come over time! The #1 thing that seperates a novice dealer from a pro dealer is their pitch. As most of you know, there should be no wrist movement in tossing the cards, it is a flick of the middle finger that "spins" the card out across the felt. The book does a good job of describing this.

Scott hit a few nails on the head. The dealer should never talk about the board unless he is asked what a certain card is. The players know what a king of clubs looks like, they don't need our help! One other thing I would add, a dealer should not compliment the hand just played, compliments often sound like "tip hawking". 99% of the time a dealer should be seen and not heard.


Step by step a dealers responsibilities are this easy...

1) Scramble
2) Riffle
3) Box
4) Riffle
5) Riffle
6) Cut (with one hand)
7) Ask for blinds
8) Pitch cards to each player
9) Action round
10) Burn
11) Flop
12) Action Round
13) Burn
14) Turn
15) Action Round
16) Burn
16) River
17) Final Round
18) Ask for showdown
19) Kill losing hands
20) Push pot and move the button
21) BACK TO #1

[/ QUOTE ]

Someone asked what "box" meant and this was the response:

[ QUOTE ]
A box and a strip are the same thing (at least in poker terms at least. in other forums watching a stripper is much more appealing than watching a boxer).. I digress.

To strip or box,

1) Hold the entire deck about an inch off the ground in one hand.
2) With the other hand take approximatly 1/4 of the cards off the deck and put them on the table.
3) Then take another ten or so cards off the top of the deck and place them on top of card already on the table.
4) Take another 10 cards from the deck and put them on top of the card on the table.
5) And lastly, take the rest of the cards from the deck and put them on the top..

A few keys to remember. A proper box or strip should have at least 3 "pulls" and no more than 4 "pulls". Do not grab cards from the middle or bottom while stripping, top only..

That pretty much covers it.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Fins]

Pretty basic but this was posted awhile ago... The MCU library link has some helpful information - not necessarily coolness but general rules, procedures etc... (not knowing these can be uncool [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img])

SHUFFLING:
Poster unknown

riffle-riffle-box-riffle-riffle-riffle-box-riffle-box
Riffle:
1. Line them up long edge to long edge.
2. Left hand grips left side of left deck with pinky and ring, while index and middle fingers are on top of the deck and thumb is on the inside, lifting the half of the deck.
3. Right thumb is on the inside of the right deck below the left thumb, lifting the right deck, index finger on top of right deck applying pressure, other 3 fingers stabilizing deck
on right side.
4. Lift inside of both decks with thumbs while applying inward force with all outer fingers
5. Rotate deck 90 degrees to re-cut into two stacks, repeat.

Box:
1. Cut off the top 15 cards or so and place them off to the right as a new stack
2. Cut off another 10-20 cards repeatedly and place atop the new stack until complete.


DEALING:
Poster unknown

For right handers:
- Hold deck in left hand with the front edge slightly downward and push a card to the right with your thumb. You need to be able to get exactly one card. As you practice the card will push off very consistently. Practice sliding it off and back on a few times.
- Now when you slide your card off, pinch it between the right thumb and index finger while laying your middle finger along the right edge.
- In one motion, lift the left thumb and extend the right middle finger without moving your hands. *bing* The card just flew like a frizbee (we hope).

Do this slowly and deliberately at first to practice the push/straighten/release motion. Make sure you keep the "nose" of the deck pointed slightly downward. Do not let your hands change position relative to each other. At first, pitch straight across from yourself. Then, set up your poker table and practice pitching to piles of chips. As you move around the table, "walk" it with your shoulders so you don't have to move your hands/arms
much. Add beers, smokes, ashtrays... whatever is normally there as you get better. Once you can do that you'll be able to entertain yourself and small children by pitching cards across the room into a hat. By this time you'll probably be the dealer for your home games and you'll be sick of it. This is when you should learn how to second and bottom deal. Then show your friends you can do it. Then you don't have to deal any more.

More info...
From The MCU Library:

14.03 THE SHUFFLE AND CUT.
After each hand the dealer shall scramble the cards and shall shuffle them at least three times and box them at least once, in either of the following orders: Shuffle/shuffle/box/shuffle or shuffle/box/shuffle/shuffle, then cut. The shuffle shall never begin or end with a box, always with a riffle, and the dealer shall never box twice in a row. To box the cards, the dealer shall pull about ten cards off the top of the deck and set them on the table, continuing four or five times until the entire deck has been re-arranged, always protecting cards from flashing. After the shuffle/box procedure, the dealer then shall place the deck on the table, clearly and obviously release it, and then cut it onto the cover card with one hand.

Also, might bone up on some hand nicknames and refer to 2's & 3's as deuces & treys.

- Fins

[SugarV]

One thing to add...if you are using a cut card to protect the bottom cards:

Before your final cut, slide the cut card out in front of the deck, cut one half on to the cut card and finish the cut. When doing so, only use one hand.

I used to have about 10 short digital videos of myself teaching how to deal poker. It covered everything from how to shuffle to counting the chips for a large bet. I don't know if I still have them. This is probably going back about 4 or 5 years. I don't even know if I have that computer anymore.

sv

[ILL34GL3]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...ce&s=books
Supposedly this book was developed as a textbook for dealers.

[Fins]

[ QUOTE ]
Supposedly this book was developed as a textbook for dealers.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm pretty sure it was developed to be THE proffesional poker dealer's handbook [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
I bet a lot of the pages could be summed up by "Just shut up & deal the cards".

Do you have this book or have you read it?

- Fins

[SamIAm]

The book came yesterday. It's REALLY fun. My dealing practice would be going a lot better if my bedspread wasn't made of this substandard "cotton". Anybody know where I can find SpeedCloth sheets? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I actually don't mean to say that the book's perfect. You should skip the first 60 or 70 pages, because they explain what this "poker" game is, and how to play it. Then they give great technical discussions, including good descriptions of dealing mechanics, but they don't put in a single picture. It's a little frustrating.

My flop deal was already perfect. (That one's actually functional. You want all the cards to appear at once.) My pitch needs serious work. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
-Sam

[theRealMacoy]

great info guys!

i need some serious help with the mechanics of pitching the cards. anyone know any online little video shots of how to pitch a card? something akin to the chip tricks "how-to" videos.

this whole lack of wrist movement and sending it with the middle finger is just not coming together for me. any help/insight would be appreciated.

cheers,
the Real Macoy

[SamIAm]

Quoted without permission. (However, I'm plugging their book for them pretty hard, so I hope the authors won't mind. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img])

[ QUOTE ]

Mechanical Skill No.3: Shuffle. ...
A. Hold the bottom half of the deck with the thumb and middle finger of your left hasd. Grasp the tp half of the deck with the humb and middle finger of your right hand. Keeping a firm hold on the cards, take off the top half of the deck, set it on the table to the right of the lower half, and slide it to the left until the ends are together. Do this by feel, not by sight. There is no need to place them precisely or to have a "V" between the halves. Just put the ends flush together.

B. Place your hands over the cards, but keep them relaxed. The weight of your arms should be on the heels of your hands. Put the soft part of your thumbs against each half of the deck and your index fingers above the deck but not touching the cards. The rest of your fingers go behind the deck to keep it from sliding away, your finger tips should be on the table rather than gripping the deck. In one motion, tilt the deck up using your thumbs only, slid the halves of the deck inward, and continue the upward thumb motion to release the cards through the thumbs with no pressure on the cards. The shuffle should be nearly silent since you are not bending the cards. Think of it as allowing the cards to shuffle; you are only guiding them.
...

[/ QUOTE ]There's a bit before "A" and there's a "C" and a "D". This is the interesting part, though, and I didn't want to quote the WHOLE book.

Does ANYBODY shuffle this way? I shuffle longedge-on-longedge, but i still lift the cards and let them fall in a riffle. I'm not bending the cards too much, but I'm certainly not pushing from BELOW and letting them riffle themselves. (I guess the lifting is to be avoided, lest you flash a card.)

Any pointers?
-Sam