Casinos change dealers to ensure they have enough breaks throughout their shift. Moreover, casinos rotate dealers to keep all players happy and to make casino games even more unpredictable.
I’m a casino dealer, and in today’s article I will share the three main reasons dealers get frequent breaks.
There may be other reasons, but these are the three main and most common ones.
The first one is simply a logistical thing…
Casinos change dealers to give them enough breaks
Alright, first of all, changing dealers is required to simply ensure all dealers get enough breaks. No secret psychological tricks or strategies here.
Although some games are relatively easy to deal, especially for experienced dealers, the same isn’t true for all casino games.
For example, running a roulette or craps table can be quite difficult. The payouts can be tricky, too.
Casino dealers must keep the games going, ideally at a fast pace. The faster the game, the happier the customers, the more profit for the casino.
So a dealer who’s tired (because they’ve been at the table for two hours or longer) will naturally slow down a bit, and may struggle to deal the game as efficiently.
By changing dealers often, casinos prevent that from happening. The goal is to make sure all dealers are sharp and awake, which translates to better dealing and also better customer service.
By changing dealers, the games are less predictable
No casino game that involves shuffling the cards or spinning a wheel will ever be 100 percent random.
Pretty close to 100 percent, yes. But not completely random. I’ve talked about this in my article about roulette dealers being able to hit numbers.
When it comes to roulette in particular, some players may be able to detect, or predict, what’s commonly referred to as the dealer’s signature — a dealer who spins the ball the same way over and over again.
I’ve personally seen this as a casino dealer. Many times. So it’s not just some kind of theory found in online forums.
And although it’s basically impossible for the players to actually have an advantage, even if the spins are somehow predictable, casinos avoid potential signatures by simply changing the dealer.
I’ve seen management change dealers before their break simply because the player was on a winning streak, for the same exact reason.
Does it work? Well, unless the (first) dealer does spin the ball the same exact way over and over again, then I’d say it doesn’t make any difference.
Casinos change dealers to keep the players happy
Imagine you’re at the blackjack table and you’re on a losing streak.
You are dealt 19, and the dealer gets 20. Your first two cards add up to 21, and the dealer gets blackjack. And so on.
Although logically all players realize that it’s never the dealer’s fault, what actually happens during their session is a different story.
As a dealer, I’d say most players will subconsciously think that if the casino changes the dealer, then their luck will somehow improve.
And sometimes it does — but only as a coincidence. But the player may believe it actually worked.
The third reason casinos change dealers so often is to keep all players happy and have them believe, at least subconsciously, that even if they’re losing, it can all change as soon as a new dealer comes to the table.
Also, someone may sit at a table and dislike the dealer for whatever reason. But if the casino changes the dealers often, not an issue.
How often do casinos change dealers?
It all depends on the number of dealers available. Here’s an example of what a rota may look like (I just made this up):
Typically, casino dealers will deal for 40 minutes and then have a 20 minute break. Or deal for an hour and a half and have a 15 minute break.
Again, it changes depending on the number of tables and whatever the pit boss decides. But usually that’s more or less how it works.
Although dealing games for a living has many advantages, it can be stressful at times. Especially if you’re dealing for longer than two hours at a time.
Therefore, it’s essential that casinos rotate dealers to ensure they can focus throughout their shift.
It also makes the shift more interesting. Can you imagine dealing the same game, to the same customers, for eight hours straight? Argh.
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