Croupier: a dream job

Employed in a casino or a private gaming club, or occasionally in events (tournaments), the croupier referees a game table (Poker, Roulette, Blackjack…). You can learn to be a croupier! The training attracts more and more young people, fans of poker and other money games, to find work in a casino.

Job description

In a casino, the croupier works at night. In a casino, the opening hours are longer and the rhythm is more intense, as he has to alternate day and night work, without a fixed schedule. The croupier must be specialised in at least three traditional games (roulette, poker, black jack, etc.).

• He shuffles and deals the cards in a precise and elegant manner.
• He knows the rules of the game and their subtleties perfectly, informs the players if necessary, and above all ensures that they are respected.
• He keeps in mind many calculations, in order to prevent cheating: the approximate winnings of each carpet, the sums he will have to redistribute…
• He watches the tactics of the players to detect any collusion.
• He is responsible for the atmosphere around the gaming table: he can, for example, bring a touch of good humour and lightness to a group of customers who he feels are too tense, or calm down excited players. He represents the casino and must always be polite and respectful.
• He makes commercial choices. The aim is to make the game profitable for the establishment and to keep the players coming back, so he may, for example, mitigate a rule in favour of a player who has just lost a large amount of money and is very upset about it (provided that this does not otherwise disadvantage any of the other players around the table).

The dealer is supervised by a table manager and a game manager. The dealer works standing up, which can lead to back problems. They receive a minimum wage, but most of their salary comes from tips.

Becoming a croupier: qualifications

The croupier must be observant, have a strong capacity of concentration, and great ease with numbers: his job requires to retain many sums and to calculate quickly, from the head, new bets. A calculation error is unthinkable: players obviously expect their winnings to be returned to them to the nearest cent!

A good memory is also essential: in the event of a dispute, the dealer must be able to fully reconstruct a past move (who bet how much, at what time). These qualities are not innate: they are acquired with time and experience until they become automatic. In any case, good stress management is essential, as you have to be able to resist the pressure of some aggressive or nervous players, without ever losing the thread of the game.

In addition, to handle chips and cards, he must show manual dexterity. Finally, human qualities are expected from the croupier: the atmosphere around the gaming table depends on the croupier. Courteous, affable, and discreet, he knows how to make the game lively and pleasant.

Croupier: possibility of evolution

As the job is relatively hard and the hours are restrictive, few croupiers persevere and make a career in this field. Many move on from casinos after a decade of experience. Others will have the chance to become a table manager, then a game manager.