How to Deal Roulette

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Many roulette players focus on odds and chances, stakes and winning streaks and the game itself. But another side of the game – what the roulette dealer is doing – remains largely unknown. Many players perceive the dealer as a part of the game (and, perhaps, of the whole casino) and normally pay him/her little attention.

Other players, relaxed and amused, curiously take in the very aura of the roulette table, to which the roulette dealer is an important contributor. But even those who go to a land-based casino just to have fun and enjoy the game proceedings hardly know or ponder much about the dealer, which is exactly how it should be. What the dealer does is not meant to raise many questions, much like a referee in a sports game: the less attention he or she attracts, the better it is for the whole show, which is a good criterion for a referee’s qualification.

A good roulette dealer needs to…

Calmly and Confidently Command the Table

This is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about a roulette croupier. It is a very calm person standing by the table, for the most of the time seemingly doing nothing. But the central position the dealer physically takes is a command position from which the calmness and emotion control vibes must be distributed in order to make sure that the game runs smoothly.

A nervous and unconfident person can turn the game into a real mess, because these feelings may be effectively transmitted, and the gamers gathered around the table might quickly become nervous, overexcited or perhaps even aggressive. The dealer should be calm, confident and leave no doubt that he or she commands the area and is in charge of the proceedings.

Be Percipient and Penetrating

The dealer should constantly watch the table, quickly taking in everything going on. A mistake the dealer should avoid is watching the wheel while it is spinning; rather, what really needs the dealer’s attention is the stakes layout. Some players watch the wheel intensely, trying to figure out the most likely ball-landing slot, and then quickly move their bets to the winning number at the very last second.

A good dealer should always know which players are capable of this kind of cheating – or any other improper behavior.

Be Unhurried and Accurate

The dealer is supposed to make haste slowly. The priority is not to do things quickly, but to do them the right way. His/her every movement – indeed, every action – must be highly accurate and precise, but not necessarily quick – this leaves the impression that the dealer knows his p’s and q’s well and the whole game is kept under reliable control. This “going slow to go fast” manner is very good for beginning dealers; they will pick up speed over time. But even experienced dealers know that sometimes it is better to take things a bit slower than they can.

Be Dexterous and Ambidextrous

The dealer’s every movement is important. Confident, precise and accurate dealer’s movements serve the same purpose of conveying the idea that the whole show is properly run. The key element is chip handling. It requires some training. The dealer should develop a clear sensation of how a stack of 20 chips feels in his/her hand and how to quickly separate a stack of 20 by fives. It is also important to quickly pick up the losing chips swept from the stakes layout and to sort them by color.

This chip handling dexterity also has a reverse side – the dealer who has developed the required skills feels confident and finds it much easier to command the table. A nimble-fingered roulette dealer possesses dexterity and speed in both of his/her hands equally, which is just what this job requires.

Be Cognizant of Anything That May Undermine His/Her Authority

Roulette croupiers get tired – dealing a roulette game is quite a demanding and stressful job, in many ways. And here comes the issue of being a professional: players should not notice that the dealer might be tired, bored or looking for a substitute. This would immediately undermine the dealer’s authority and could even influence the game negatively, just like any other improper deviations from the only business for which the person is there – to deal the roulette.

Effectively Cooperate with the Inspector

The usual career track of a casino worker is dealer – inspector – pit boss – manager, which means that every inspector has been a dealer once and knows perfectly well what his/her subordinates are doing. That is why any input from the inspector must be appreciated, even if it might sometimes seem that the inspector makes a mistake. The roulette croupier can talk privately to the inspector later (and this communication is very welcomed), but arguing with the inspector while the game underway guarantees that players will hear every word – and that is totally unacceptable.

The inspectors often have to supervise several tables at once. In this respect, a good roulette dealer would even adjust the timing of his or her actions just to make sure that the inspector has a chance to pay proper attention to this particular table. The inspector’s attention and support is a valuable resource the dealer should appropriately use.

Speak Clearly and Loudly

Everything that is going on in the casino is filmed and recorded – for the obvious reason of possible dispute handling. That is why a roulette croupier should clearly and loudly announce everything: beginning from the call bets and ending with the payouts, making sure that the players and the inspector hear it all in the hustle and bustle of the casino premises.

Be Friendly, but not too Friendly

People come to casinos to play and to have fun, but there is no fun if there is no personal connection. A dealer avoiding eye contact with the players looks strange, at the very least. Instead, the dealer should be sympathetic when a player loses and happy when he/she wins. It has nothing to do with pretending to be a friend and everything to do with building up a friendly atmosphere and some kind of personal connection. After all, people gather here for the same reasons: to have fun and enjoy themselves.

However, this may not be that easy. There are all sorts of customers in the casino; some of them are nice, but others can be really annoying. However, the dealer should treat everyone equally, not going too far with personal connections. The dealer is supposed to be equally polite with and compassionate to everybody regardless of whether this particular customer is irritating or not.

Be Good With the Math

The dealer should perfectly memorize the timetables and know the numbers and multipliers by heart. Being quick and accurate is extremely important, as an ideal dealer instantly knows the payouts for all kinds of stakes!