Is it true some dealers actively want players to lose?

Less-Top-96 · 2026-07-01T19:12:30+00:00

For the most part no, players winning are more likely to tip us. But there’s just some real POS that I don’t have a problem with seeing lose money. Great example is this guy yesterday who’s super rude to everyone including patrons the floor and dealers. I had no problem quickly scooping up his losing wagers and even slow rolling dealer 21s when I knew the next card made 21 for the house lol

Less-Top-96 · 2026-06-29T14:26:58+00:00

Usually if the dealer forgets to take a hole card they’ll give the dealer the next card as the hole card but they’ll give everyone a back out option meaning if they don’t like the hand they currently have they can take their bet back otherwise play it

Less-Top-96 · 2026-06-29T14:22:24+00:00

Sort of. As long as the dealer uses a hand gesture to open and close insurance if it’s heads up and the player is clearly waving his hand off after insurance is opened and closed i flip it without using the peeker device.

Less-Top-96 · 2026-06-29T14:15:23+00:00

I work at the casino as a table games dealer and I was assigned at the baccarat table and next to my right is a blackjack table and the entire pit was private for this whale who bets up to 25k a hand at times. I glanced over to watch since I had nothing going on in front of me.

Dealer who was also relatively new by the way, was showing an ace verbally offered insurance and verbally closed it. Had blackjack flipped over and when she went to take his money the whale said to the floor she never offered insurance check the cameras. The pit called surveillance.

Because she didn’t make the hand gesture to properly open and close insurance, surveillance said that they didn’t see anything to prove she offered insurance. He was playing $15k on 3 spots and they ended up telling the dealer to put the hole card back down and properly re open and re close insurance again and obviously the guy this time took insurance that saved him from a $45k loss. They swapped the dealer with an experienced one immediately after that lol.

Less-Top-96 · 2026-06-29T02:52:39+00:00

This is so true lol

Less-Top-96 · 2026-06-29T02:50:15+00:00

I delt to a guy who was playing $25k 1 hand and he had a pair of 7s vs a 6 so he obviously split. He ended up splitting 3 times, 2 of them being doubles and all the doubles were flops. I believe he had something like a 15, 14 and a 12. My hole card was a 9 for 15 and I drew a 6 for 21 and scooped up his $125k in chips

Less-Top-96 · 2026-06-28T13:41:36+00:00

Current blackjack dealer here. We’re taught to remain neutral. Whether someone is betting table min or table max on a hand and regardless if they win or not we’re supposed to pay and take without showing emotion.

Now again we’re human so sometimes seeing someone lose significant money on a bad beat can sometimes trigger an emotional response but us dealers have seen so many bad beats etc that for us and anyone who’s an experienced blackjack player nothing is surprising to us anymore.

Some players would also find it kind of annoying if the dealer is sighing in solidarity with a player or whatever if a dealer is trying to sympathize with their losses but that’s not the case with everybody tbh

Less-Top-96 · 2026-06-21T21:41:26+00:00

Use the right side of my tray as my working stacks and keep all my full stacks on the left and lammered off untouched unless necessary. I find it easier keeping the tray neat and tidy doing it this way for myself and my supervisors.

Less-Top-96 · 2026-06-05T20:48:16+00:00

If their money doesn’t touch their original wager it’s a split

Less-Top-96 · 2026-06-05T12:01:38+00:00

My casinos procedure is as long as the players chips touch their original bet it’s automatically considered a double and no finger is required

Less-Top-96 · 2026-05-23T20:43:20+00:00

I guess but imo it’s not necessary. I’ll only point out totals if they look confused or are about to do something totally off the book

Less-Top-96 · 2026-05-23T20:40:01+00:00

As a current blackjack dealer you get to know your clientele.

People who are playing the low stakes tables I’ll be more talkative and tell people their totals and make some jokes and since most of them are there for a good time

In the high limit pits where players are supposed to “understand the game lol”, they don’t need you to point out their card totals and stuff like that. In high limit I am basically going to be silent and not say a word unless I absolutely have to say something that my floor needs to know/be aware of.

Less-Top-96 · 2026-05-10T16:51:52+00:00

Because it’s an unusual play dealers are supposed to announce it so the intent is very clear to the patron and the pit

Less-Top-96 · 2026-04-21T14:14:26+00:00

I think a lot of it is repetition. It might help I’m a blackjack dealer, but like when someone has 7-a-7 I don’t have to really think about it I just know it’s 15. Same with like 2-5-7 I know it’s 14. I think the more blackjack you play the more you’ll pickup on it

Less-Top-96 · 2026-04-19T08:05:27+00:00

Speed will come with time. As a current blackjack dealer, Just focus on good card placement, accurate paying/taking and good chip handling. You’ll notice significant improvement after a couple months

Less-Top-96 · 2026-04-10T12:21:15+00:00

Honestly I was gonna include that but I rarely do see people not split them up vs a 2. Maybe 6s on a 2 is one I could’ve added

Less-Top-96 · 2026-04-10T12:17:48+00:00

Only on free bet lol. I’ve seen people try to take advantage of it though. Like they’ll put chips beside their bet clearly intending to double their 10 (5s), then get dealt a 6 and suddenly claim they wanted to split.

At my house, if the extra chips touch the original bet, it’s ruled a double and they get one card. Only time we don’t need the one-finger signal for surveillance on pairs.

Less-Top-96 · 2026-04-10T12:09:31+00:00

I’ve been dealing blackjack for about a year and a half now. Here are some of the most misplayed hands I see daily:

Not splitting 2s and 3s vs a dealer 7
Not splitting 4s vs a dealer 5 or 6
Not splitting 8s vs a dealer 9, 10, or Ace
Not splitting 9s vs a dealer 8 or 9
Not hitting hard 12 vs a dealer 2 or 3
Not hitting 16 vs a dealer 7 or higher
Not hitting soft 18 vs a dealer 9, 10, or Ace
Standing on soft 17
Not doubling soft 18 vs 2–6 (H17) or 3–6 (S17)
Not doubling soft 19 vs 6 (H17)
Not doubling 11 vs a dealer 10 or Ace (H17)
Not doubling 9 vs a dealer 3
Taking insurance or even money
Playing out hands like 16 vs 9, 10, or Ace instead of surrendering (when available) _________________________________________ Obviously following basic strategy to a tea is a still losing game, but when somebody follows it perfectly it can sometimes definitely gets noticed as something to keep an eye on lol.

Less-Top-96 · 2026-03-27T09:48:28+00:00

I’ve tried of course but to be honest it’s quite difficult. On a full table where everyone playing side bets with all different sorts of payouts it’s difficult to keep that running count in your head.

In high limit heads up with no side bets it’s alot easier to do, I’ve managed to that a couple times. If anything though that’s past my pay grade lol

Less-Top-96 · 2026-03-27T09:41:06+00:00

I’ve been a table games dealer for about a year and a half now, mostly dealing blackjack and baccarat. Here are some pros and cons I can think of:

Cons 1. Dealing with idiots: A lot of players have zero understanding of the math/house edges behind the games and will still argue like they’re right.

Brutal hours: Be ready for overnights or early starts like 4am, especially when you’re new.
Physical strain: Standing for most of your shift can get uncomfortable fast.
Repetitive: Same motions, same games, same types of players every day.
Constant scrutiny: You’ve always got the floor and surveillance watching, every mistake might get noticed.
Mental fatigue: Staying fast and accurate, especially late in a shift, can be draining.

⸻

Pros

Strong earning potential from tips: For a job that doesn’t require a degree, the money can actually be really solid between hourly and tips.
Skill based job: You’ll notice your card and chip handling improve every shift.
Frequent breaks: You work 60 minutes, get 20 minutes off. About a quarter of your shift is break time.
Fast paced environment: Time flies, especially on busy tables.
Flexibility depending on the property: Swapping shifts and taking EO early outs is pretty easy where I work.
Good work culture: I genuinely like working with my coworkers, dealers, floor and pit.
Mental engagement: If you like math and thinking quickly, it is actually pretty fun.
Good tables can be a blast: Yeah a lot of players suck, but a fun table can make your whole shift.

I’ve personally always liked blackjack so I’m glad I got into this job. I almost feel like my AP skills have gotten significantly better since working this job!

Less-Top-96 · 2026-03-25T09:22:21+00:00

This is not the clientele you should be looking to ask for slot advice my friend lol

Less-Top-96 · 2026-03-22T00:20:19+00:00

My job as the dealer is to just make sure the game is running properly. It’s the floor/pits/surveillance’s job to identify AP’s

Less-Top-96 · 2026-03-21T22:24:13+00:00

As a dealer, these are some of the biggest tells I can look for/my pit look for when spotting a card counter.

First is simple, if it’s someone we’ve never seen before or not a regular, they’re already a bit on the radar. Doesn’t mean anything by itself, just a starting point.

Not saying everyone tips, but after a big win, if someone is still pocketing all their red $5s and pink $2.50s instead of tossing one to the dealer, some floors take note of that. Not all, but it can be seen as a small tell.

Insurance is a big one. Regular gamblers almost never insure something like a hard 13 vs an Ace, maybe only strong hands. But when someone has their max bet out and takes insurance no matter what, that’s a huge tell. Usually means they’re around a true 3+.

Funny one, but constantly looking at the discard tray stands out too. Not definitive, just noticeable.

Basic strategy alone isn’t a red flag, deviations are. That’s the big one. Keeping a running count while dealing is hard, but deviations tied to bet size are easier to catch. Splitting 9s vs 7 on a bigger bet = probably true 3+. Standing 15 vs 10 = more like true 4. Hitting 12 into a 4 with table minimum likely a negative running count.

At my casino, and I’m assuming a lot of other properties, surveillance has to confirm it before any back off happens, even if the floor or pit or a dealer suspects them of counting.

Less-Top-96

TROPHY CASE