The Croupier's Job and You

In order for a casino run smoothly, people are needed to handle the individual tables for each game. These people are called croupiers, or dealers. Often, many people can also refer to these casino employees by the game of the table that they work on. For example, a croupier working at a poker table can be called a poker dealer, or one working at the roulette table is often called a roulette dealer.

These individuals are specially trained to handle particular games or tables on the casino gambling floor. In the United States, croupiers are generally trained in blackjack first, because of the game's popularity and relative simplicity -despite the fact that it is a more skill-based game, on the player's part. The other reason why blackjack is one of the first games that new croupiers learn is because of the relatively small cost that dealing mistakes this game can incur for the casino. In Europe, the first game that most dealers learn is roulette, also because of its simplicity and straightforward betting system. Games that have more complicated payout systems and require a lot of dealer attention are usually assigned to more experienced croupiers, who will know how to handle and balance the many elements that come into play in such games.

Normally, a dealer or croupier is assigned to only one table, and it is the casino that designates what game they will deal, based on how much customer demand there is for that particular game. In the casino industry, staff turnovers are fairly high, and it is not uncommon for a dealer to know and have handled up to three or four different casino games.

In order to ensure that a dealer is competent, knowledgeable, honest, and scrupulous in their work, any croupier is required to apply for a gaming license. Getting a gaming license often includes credit rating checks -to see whether or not they are in debt, and if so, how deeply so- as well as police background checks -to see if they have ever been involved in any sort of criminal activity.

After a croupier has undergone the appropriate training, gotten their gaming license, and passed through a table test of the game they have been assigned, it is only then that they can go on the gaming floor and work on the table that has been assigned to them. First time dealers are often slightly slower than their more experienced counterparts, as training usually requires that they master their technique first, before trying to speed up their dealing.