Brian's new poker job
 

So here is the latest development in my life planning on moving to Vegas and attending poker dealing school. Gonna cost me $699.00 which isnt a problem. Gonna have to move to Vegas now that a problem, see my wife really hates change and is scared of it so her moving with me and taking a chance is gonna be ruff to get by her. I have a decent job now but I find day after day its getting harder and harder to get to work and I find im really not happy now adays. I want to be happy. The purpose this thread is really want to know if you guys have taken any real big chances and want to see how they worked out. The way I figure it is if I dont take this chance am I gonna wonder my whole life.

im not sure that becoming a dealer is the best move. i am sure that you enjoy poker, but as a dealer you dont actually play. in general, you just get to hang around with a bunch of assholes that abuse you. the actions of many players are just completely unacceptable, and they are usually taken out on a dealer. are you ready to have cards thrown in your face, and just sit there and take it?

im not sure that i would make a move to vegas based upon this principle. if you live near any type of card room now, i would reccomend that you try that first, but i would be wary of becoming a dealer when what you probably want is to play poker yourself. there is a big difference

hey
 

Ive dealt in customer service for many years so pissed off people dont bother me in the least. Actully ive dealt a couple times and I enjoy it as much as playing and the money is much much better then what im getting paid now im getting sick or relying on others to help me when I get in a jam with bills or whatever. I feel the time in my life has come when I got to do something for my family. I appritiate your comments though thanks.

yeah eddo is right, u cant make much of a career through dealing, and you will have to deal with some MAJOR bullshit. isnt worth it unless you love to watch poker played in front of you.. im sure u could really improve ur reads a lot, but i would probably get sick of poker if i could just watch and not play for hours and hours.

-jB

hey
 

alot of the pro's started of dealing but im not doing it for that reason the job pays very well and I dont mind watching it. Mainly doing it for family, need a new carrer this one is just not cutting it.

How much does a dealer get paid in vegas? Taking into consideration the insane amount of rake that B&M's take in ... and the tips, which the dealers apparently split ... and the costs of running a casino ... I can't imagining it being super high, otherwise more people would end up working as dealers ... but I hear they get great benefits though

Pay itself tends to be on the low end, but tokes generally make up for that, especially at higher limit tables. Its kind of like a waiters job: Shitty pay, but good tips make up for it.

Defendant

hey
 

tokes average about 50k a year which is double my salary now.

$700 to become a dealer? I would be all over that... ALOT of pros started out as dealers... Gavin, Fischman, Awada... I dunno what you would do for living expenses till you get going since Im sure living in LV is expensive. Im a college student and if that doesnt work out for some reason I know what my next goal in life would be... dealing what else. Anyways I say go for it if you can, you will get to see so many hands... and if you can make 50K a yr, thats good too lol.

Remember the golden rule, always leave yourself outs. You dont want to be driving Knish's truck! lol.

hey thanks
 

thanks for encouragement, im sure I wont make 50k to start, im sure ill have to start in the less busy casino but if I even make half of that I make what im making now the house we are looking at is 185k which really isnt that bad if we sell this one and we split it with my mom which we have to we will have about 50k to spend on it which is fine. Oh yea and you forgot fishman in your dealers that are now doing good :)

Good luck to you, whatever you decide.

Reading this thread makes me respect you not wanting to be paid for posting here even more, btw.... sounds like you could use the money.

Recently I took a similar chance and moved to another city in hopes of a better opportunity. While everything hasn't gone exactly as I'd planned I feel like I made the right decision. If this is what you want to do, go do it. You will always have others trying to talk you out of anything you want to do, but if this is what you want, give it a try. There's nothing to lose, but everything to gain. I think by relocating it's made me a stronger person and I've been able to enjoy different things in a new city. I have a better attitude because I don't feel like I'm "trapped" and/or wasting my time somewhere I don't want to be. If things don't work out, you've got 2 choices. You can go back to the miserable spot you came from with your tail between your legs, or you can make some sacrifices and do what you really want, where you want. It might not be easy, but in the end it'll be well worth the struggle. Everyone needs to take a chance sometimes and that's what can make all the difference. Good luck.

If your not happy now then what do you honestly have to lose? You want to wait around until you ARE stuck in that job you have now? I remember people from my past who I considered a little lower on the scale than me, never really kept a steady job, moves around when the rent caught up to them etc... and while I can't say I would be comfortable getting to that point in life I seem to remember they were never as miserable as some of the people I work with, even some who make more than me. Yea they got their nice big house and 3 cars and all that stuff you see on TV, but they are putting in 50 hours+ a week just to pay the friggin finance charge on what they owe, how can they possibly be happier than my old friends who seemingly had nothing? Obviously finding somewhere in the middle of those two extremes is much better, but you get my point. In another thread in the general forurm I discussed where my wife gave up a 25k a year job to be a stay at home mom, we sure miss that money like hell, but we are much happier than we could possibly have been if she stayed working. Do what you can to be responsible but not a slave to the grind.

175K for a house in or near Vegas has to be a great deal. I dont know what the prices are for houses in Vegas but I think that has to be good. 50K towards that already sounds good too. Seems like you know what your doing if you decide to make this move.

PS: if you look at my first post again, I did include Fischman on pro players that were dealers.

That's got a post about dealer school and finding a job today...

Hey, If you go make sure that you still post here! It would be really interesting to hear whats goin on in the life of a real dealer!

update
 

well im scheduled to attend class starting on january 31st and my wife suprisenly is backing me 100% which is awsome. She is scarred as shit and frankly so am I (just dont tell her that). Gonna put in for vacation time at current job for 2 weeks so I can get through the classes. Maybe ill deal for some of you and Vegas hehe. Probolly wont see me posting as much next couple weeks need to bear down and crank out the overtime. Hopefully my mom dosent totally freak out, she has helped my wife and I so much. She will be the hardest one to tell. The cost is $699.00 which includes the hotel and he told me after I graduate he will help me find a job which is nice of them. Thanks again for all the encouragment it is much appritiated. Wont be spending any real money on poker next couple weeks also which sucks but its for a good cause.

Wishing you the best …
 

And I don’t want to be negative. But, man, that’s tough decision. Second hand smoke, abusive customers, drawing the graveyard shift three weeks in a row, getting a flat tire on the way home from work when it is 112 degree out.

I love Vegas – maybe too much. I go about four times a year, and spend a whole lot of the rest of the year looking forward to the next trip. But the reason I love it so is my time is divided between poker tables/strip club/night club/Bellagio buffet (in something close to that order). If I was living there, it would be a whole different story. Without enough self-discipline, I could see myself getting in a lot of trouble fast.

Good luck to you – hope you knock ‘em dead, and please keep us posted.

no doubt
 

no doubt i will i love this place and you users are awsome I will probolly get my vacation so ill get my certificate then come back and at least give my job 2 week notice.

wow, you got balls man. that takes a lot of courage to just up and move to vegas (especially if you gamble lol) but all the luck in the world to you.

thanks again
 

thanks alot again... well is should get my certification and come back to work right in time to work my last couple weeks. Not gonna move until im absolutley positive I have a confirmed job either in vegas or atlantic city. Of course id rather have vegas for obvious reasons $$$$ but if I have to ill take AC. Ill post a picture of myself on here eventully so you all can come say hi to me if you see me in vegas and if you all are ever in the neiborhood maybe we could play a ring game or something :)

Really? Hasn't the US gone along with the rest of the world and banned smoking in public places?

Here in Australia, smoking is banned in all casinos, nightclubs, restaurants, bars, pubs, etc.

In a litigious society like the US, isn't allowing smoking in public places opening up a huge can of worms?

CF

hey
 

Most card rooms are non smokeing but the casino itself you can smoke. Only a select number of casinos allow smoking in card rooms.

Smoking
 

True -- most of the nice Vegas rooms are non-smoking now, which I love. My local card room in Seattle WA is awful -- six out of 10 players puffing away, and low ceilings, so it all just hangs the air. I come out just reeking.

hey
 

I smoke but even if my card room was a smokeing one i wouldnt smoke in concideration of the other players.

update
 

Ok so it looks like Ill have to work at a smaller casino for at least a year, harrah and taj and the bigger ones say they want at least 1 year prior experience dealing before you can apply at there casino. Called Harrah to see what kind of documentation a dealer needs to apply and dont need anyone, anyone could apply for the job the only thing the school does is teach you the right way to deal and all the protical in dealing. Yes there is tons of little crappy things I got to get down pat expecially with the sidepots which in Nl can get pretty ridiculas but been playing awhile so think I will be able to get it down. Really looking forward to this I know its almost 2 months to go but still excited. This is gonna sound like im a little boy or imature but really not looking forward to telling my mom about this Sunday its just she has done so much for us and dont want her to think we dont appritiate it by moving now. She is very hard-headed even more then me must run in the family :) well ill post again later in week to let you know how it went with her if you all dont mind me sharing if you do just tell me to shut the hell up you damn baby and get to work :eek:

update
 

ok if anyone cares here is update.... If I can get a job right away which looks like might happen im gonna rent a room and my wife is gonna stay in Maryland so we dont have to pull my son out of school half-way through. Cashe Creek seems to be hiring constantly which is good...keeping my fingers crossed.

I havn't really read through the whole thread so forgive me if I repost stuff, but I think you should really think if this is what you want to do. If living in Vegas and being a poker dealer is something you really want to do I say go for it.

hey
 

yea its like a dream job for me. Its no really about the money even though that dosent hurt at all its more about just waking up in morning and knowing im happy going to work.

new update
 

well it looks like im gonna have to live in sacramento for a year to get my one year expereince dealing. Im thinking about having my wife stay in maryland for that year dont really know if I want my wife and kids living in that area, my mom is totally freaking out about it normal drama for my mother. Not sure if my wife can take the seperation got alot to discuss with her, just really dont want to spend all the money to move to california if I dont plan on making it my final destination. Want to end up in vegas but need that year experience before I can.

Where are the card rooms in Sacramento? I guess it doesn't matter since my parents don't live there anymore...

"Normal drama from my mother..."

Is that normal? Seems like you're giving more consideration to her than to your wife.

I went to watch a tourney this weekend that 2 of my friends were playing in. I came out of there stinking, and i didnt ever play. What about smoking in poker rooms in AC?

only
 

only one room is smoking in AC forgot name but the trop and the taj card rooms are both non-smokeing.

hey
 

I was just trying to be curteous the truth is pretty much layed down the rules for her telling her to stop trying to make problems or we will leave and she will never see me or the kids again. Now I know alot of you are jumping to conclusioins but gotta relieze me and her never have got along she thinks being a good mother is buying her kids not supporting them. Now I know im a big boy and dont need her support but she has never liked any decision I have ever made including marrying my wife. So guess what ill do is finish this school and head up to AC see if I can get a job I have to get a 1-21 licence in AC in order to work in casino there which costs little over $400.00 which is no big deal, but really want to work at Taj there think ill apply there anyway even though it says 1 year expereince maybe I can blow some smoke up there ass's and get a audition never know I might wow them. If worse comes to worse Ill have to work in cali for a year.

foxwoods
 

Just called foxwoods and seems like they are traiing dealers right now so might try to secure a job before I even leave for my classes. I think they would go for that since they are spending the money to train people think they would be happy if I was spending money think ill fly up there this weekend wish me luck. If not ill go there when I get back.

What's wrong with bringing your wife to Sacramento?

hey
 

cost of living to start but I hear the area is bad.

Vegas? Hello? Sin City!

hehe
 

point taken.

i can see why you dont want to uproot your family and such, my dad did the same thing many years back when he was starting a business. he wanted to make sure everything got established, because moving a family to a new city can be a hell of a task to ask of kids and a wife, because it's pretty hectic.

ya
 

the move to atlantic city wouldnt be that bad but to california gonna suck the moving truck alone is gonna be well over a grand.

FYI, I've actually played at Cache Creek during a business trip to Davis, CA.

It was about a 45 minute drive from the Davis area and it is in the middle of nowhere. And I do mean nowhere. It's basically a desert with an Indian reservation on it that has a casino.

The cost of living in surrounding areas is extremely high.

hey
 

cache creek actully hired a bunch of dealers from the school Iam going to I might just have to tough it out for a year we shall see I will be putting in auditions in AC before I go to cali and in foxwoods which is hiring dealers.

I just moved from southeastern CT to MD (although I would have like to have stayed), and although some areas are very expensive, the area overall is very nice. I have lived all over new england, in the Cali desert, in Boise ID, and now in MD. I would recommend you check out foxwoods area. the Norwich area is relatively cheap, although not as nice, it would be a good place to get started. Also, they are supposed ot be re-opening the poker room at Mohegan Sun. And there is a proposal for a huge new casino by Harrahs in RI which is right next door. I am not sure what the status is on that though. If you need any info or advise on that area just let me know.
GL

awsome
 

thats awsome man thanks for the info like i said in another thread if you ever need a ride to AC or foxwoods or whatever let me know my buddie and I try to go once a month if the bills allow and yes im gonna check out foxwoods as soon as I get back from school.

My parents lived in Sacramento for 7 or 8 years and never had any big problems. Of course, there are good parts of town and bad parts, and if you need to live within walking distance of the poker rooms, you might be out of luck...

(And they lived in one place that I really didn't think was a very good part of town - over near Arco Arena. Mom used to tell me they'd find stolen cars dumped in a lot near their house all the time. I walked the dog around the naybo when I would visit for Christmas, and although some of the houses were shabby and a lot of people had meaner dogs than I'd like... seemed ok.)

ok
 

thanks for the info, actully thank you everyone for all the info much appritiated. Im trying to stay on east coasts but if worse come to worse ill live in sacramento. Talked to Foxwoods and there hiring big time probolly take a trip down there later this month.

Sactown vs. New England: hmmm, tough one. Brian go to Foxwoods area. honestly its no contest.

totally agree
 

totally agree the only thing that makes sactown better is easier to get in there so if foxwoods dont work its a fall back job.