A poker dealer is in charge of running a poker table and keeping track of the cards, poker chips, and other game elements. He or she will shuffle the cards, deal them out, collect them at the end of the hand, and distribute or collect chips as needed. The poker dealer is also in charge of dealing with all of the players at the table; he or she must deal with difficult or abusive players, keep an eye out for cheating, and ensure that all of the game’s rules are adhered to.
A candidate for the position of professional poker dealer must often complete a training course that can last several weeks. The poker dealer will learn how to deal cards properly, how to shuffle cards, casino rules that may apply to a specific casino, and other rules and regulations that they must know in order to be a successful dealer during the course. To handle the high traffic at casinos, casinos hire a large number of dealers at once, and the poker dealer is required to work late hours, holidays, and odd shifts. The casino will often pay minimum wage, but the poker dealer will also receive tips from players, which can make up a significant portion of the dealer’s pay.
The two most important aspects of a dealer’s job are shuffling and dealing. To keep the game running smoothly and properly, he or she must execute these practices flawlessly. The method of shuffle differs from casino to casino, but in most cases, a dealer must shuffle the cards at least three times before cutting the deck. A player at the table usually makes the cut placing a blank, colored card anywhere in the deck. The dealer then stacks the top half of the deck on top of the bottom half.
Dealing rules vary location, but the basic principle is that the dealer must distribute the correct number of cards to the players at the table. The number of cards dealt is determined the poker style being played. Regardless of the type of poker being played, the dealer must make sure that the cards are dealt face down to the player so that other players cannot see them. The dealer must deal cards quickly and accurately without revealing the cards that have already been dealt or those that are still in the deck. Dealers typically deal holding the deck in one hand and pulling one card from the top of the deck at a time. After that, the card is thrown across the table toward the player.