Dealer Training
Dealer Training
You are about to embark on a fun and exciting job!
At Pop's Poker, we take pride in knowing that ALL of our dealers have gone through a thorough training process and are ready to be professional dealers by the time they get in the box. Our expectations for each of our new dealers is held to the highest industry standards.
The entire process takes time to complete. For some, it may take a few weeks, for others, a few months. You will need to be patient and dedicated to this process in order to pass an audition and begin dealing for Pop's.
Prior experience dealing professionally is not required, however, you must have a good working knowledge of the game in order to begin this process. The following materials are available for you to take advantage of, in order to begin this process and begin your journey towards being a professional dealer.
- Watch the first six (6) videos (for free) of “True Poker Dealer” on YouTube, videos by Marc Shumsker, which include pitching cards, shuffling cards, and cutting chips. You should watch these videos BEFORE coming to the workshop. This includes learning how to hand shuffle, cut and handle chips, and pitching cards. Click here to begin viewing the videos.
- Sign up for the True Poker Dealer online videos (at $50 per month). This is the best way to get all of the training on your own. Everything you would ever need to know about to deal Texas Hold'em is contained within this online training course. The videos are organized in such a way as to allow you to follow your own pace of learning. Click here to sign up for True Poker Dealer.
- Attend the workshops at Pop's Poker. You will be notified of upcoming workshops and they will be posted here on this page in the future.
- You will need to know and understand all of the poker rules as defined in the Tournament Directors Association (TDA) rules. The currently published rules are from 2024. Click here to download a PDF of the current 2024 TDA Rules.
- You will need to know all of the local and house rules as well. This will be communicated at the workshops as part of the training.
- You must pass an audition to be offered a position at Pop’s.
- There is a 90 day trial period when you first start.
According to the new regulations and rules, there are NO TIPS ALLOWED, so dealers will be paid on an hourly rate.
I hope that you enjoy this journey of embarking on this new potential career and exciting opportunity!
Questions? Email rich@popspoker.com
Dealer Auditions
Things that you should focus on, to be ready for an audition:
- Hand Shuffling: You will be responsible for executing a standard casino shuffle which is, riffle, riffle box, riffle.
- Pitching: Use your finger flicks and wrists, not your arms. Focus on accuracy before speed, but you will need to be able to shuffle, cut, and deliver 2 cards to 9 players within 25 seconds total.
- Follow Betting: You will need to announce bets and raises clearly to the table and understand the rules regarding the 50% rule, out of turn action, minimum raise amounts, oversized chip rule, players available actions, all ins and how they affect raise amounts, re-opening betting, misdeals etc.
- Split Pots: For multi-way all ins, you will be responsible for properly handling each pot, knowing who is able to win each pot, and making it clear to all players which pots they are playing for, and doing all of this accurately and efficiently.
- Finishing the Hand: You will be responsible for recognizing and framing the winning hand, mucking hands that do not win, awarding the pot to the winning player(s), dropping the rake (for training only), moving the button, and resetting the board for the next hand.
- Customer Service: You will also be evaluated on your demeanor, professionalism and ability to run the table properly. Customer services should always be on display and your ability to handle tough situations with players will also be evaluated.
- Rules: You will be responsible for ALL rules in the TDA (Tournament Directors Association) rulebook. Click here to download a PDF of the current 2024 TDA Rules
- Calling the Floor: You will be responsible for knowing when to call the floor and when you should be able to handle the issue yourself. In general, you will need to call the floor when there is a discrepancy with a player that is not able to be resolved, or an unusual action that a player makes that you are unsure of where you need the authority of the floor to provide a ruling.
If you are in contact with us, regarding either training or employment, we will schedule an audition as time and resources allow, once we determine that you are ready for an audition.
Questions? Email rich@popspoker.com