When I attended the unveiling of the Golden Nugget Live Dealer platform on August 11, 2016, I had a candid conversation with Dennis Gallagher, Director of Customer Service for Online Gaming at Golden Nugget Atlantic City. I told him that I knew how popular Live Dealer games were with foreign online casino players and complimented Golden Nugget on being the first NJ online gambling site to offer these games. However, I was also wondering whether Golden Nugget took the time to find the best Live Dealers possible and inquired about what sort of training, if any, was required to be hired as one at Golden Nugget. This was his response.
Live Dealers Are Picked for Their Eye Candy, Not for Their Casino Training and Experience
He told me in so many words that first and foremost, they were looking for “good eye candy.” I wasn’t altogether surprised because most of the dealers in Atlantic City are also very easy on the eyes. I think, when given a choice, most players would be more inclined to take a seat at a table with a dealer who is physically attractive than one who isn’t. However, the handful of young women dealing the Live Dealer games that day were far more than passably attractive. They were downright gorgeous! Any one of them would have gotten my vote in a Miss USA pageant, that’s how strikingly beautiful they were.
Of course, I expressed concern about whether the dealers were knowledgeable about the games and had previous casino experience. That concern only mounted upon being told that prior knowledge of the games and casino experience were not a prerequisite.
I was somewhat reassured, though, after being told and being able to observe that the dealer is actually able to see which players won their last bet and how much they should be paid. I wouldn’t say that payout mistakes are impossible, but they are probably extremely rare. Also, I would imagine that after dealing the same games day in and day out, even dealers with the most rudimentary casino game knowledge would improve in proficiency. At least I would certainly hope so.
Dealers Differ in Other Ways, Too, and the Best Live Dealers Can Help You Win
Playing blackjack, roulette, baccarat, or casino hold’em with a real live dealer is a lot different than playing electronically dealt table games. Even when you are playing online rather than in a real casino, not just the dealer’s familiarity with the game, but also her personality and attitude are inevitably manifested. All of these factors can have an important bearing on both your enjoyment of your playing session and your likelihood of winning.
Lucky and Unlucky Dealers
Have you ever wondered why there are some dealers you almost always seem to win with, while there are other dealers, you always lose with no matter what you do? Do you ever find yourself playing and winning with a dealer you like, when all of the sudden, a new dealer shows up, and your gut tells you get up from the table immediately?
No, you’re not being superstitious. While some people might argue that a dealer is a dealer and they have no control over what cards you’re dealt or what number shows up on the roulette wheel, there is a lot more going on. The dealer sets the mood for the table and plays a big role in the positive or negative mindset you bring to the game. If the dealer isn’t friendly and supportive or acts in any way you find annoying, even if it’s not intentional, you will not be playing at your best.
When you play the Live Dealer games at Golden Nugget and Betfair Online Casinos, don’t just sit down at the first available table and hope for the best. Your best bet is to bet only on games that are dealt by the best Live Dealers. Here are the qualities that set the best Live Dealers apart from the rest. They are the dealers you should look for every time you play.
The best Live Dealers are friendly and engaging.
Avoid a Live Dealer who acts like a robot. As soon as you sit down, your dealer should greet you by name and welcome you to the table.
Then, during the course of the game, there is a lot more your dealer can do to keep the mood light and the conversation flowing. The live chat option isn’t just there for the players; it’s for the dealer, too, and the best live dealers actively participate in the conversation.
On the other hand, any personal issues must be checked at the door. Players want to have a good time and, hopefully, win. So the Live Dealer table is definitely not the place for a dealer to vent or talk about personal problems.
Another no-no is a dealer who is constantly fidgeting or looking at her watch. It gives the impression that for her, break time or quitting time can’t come fast enough. Your response when you see that type of behavior should be to leave the table immediately.
Lastly, when you decide to leave the table, the best Live Dealers will respond in a way that will make you want to return soon. A cheerful “I hope you enjoyed playing today, __. It was nice having you at my table. Hope to see you again soon” would be very nice.
The best Live Dealers know how to make newcomers feel welcome.
If you are relatively new to Live Dealer games or to online table games in general, until you get the hang of them, they can be quite intimidating. Since you have to bet with real money from the get-go, the last thing you need in a Live Dealer game is an impatient, condescending dealer. Then you’ll really feel like a fish out of water.
The best Live Dealers are patient, respond to players who might need or welcome a little extra help, and are willing to take a moment to answer a player’s reasonable questions. Even though game knowledge is presumably not a formal prerequisite for dealing Live Dealer games, the best Live Dealers have sufficient basic game knowledge to answer frequently asked questions. For example, a roulette dealer should be familiar with terms like column bet and corner bet. She should also be able to tell a player who wants to know, which numbers have been “hot.” A blackjack dealer should be familiar with basic strategy and be willing to offer guidance if a player asks for it.
Above all, the Best Live Dealers know how to make any newcomer to the game feel welcome.
The Best Live Dealers know how to go with the flow. They also know when enough is enough.
The best Live Dealers always go with the flow and adapt appropriately to the skill and mood of the players.
Different players prefer playing at a different pace
The speed of the game should vary depending on the skill of the players. In general, higher stakes players like to play at a rapid pace. At a table full of beginners betting low stakes, the game needs to be slowed down accordingly, so everyone feels comfortable. However, many low stakes players happen to be very good players and actually prefer a faster paced game. A dealer should never assume that just because a player is making minimum bets, that he or she is a novice.
Dealers should act like they sincerely want a player to win
Whether players are winning or losing is another important factor to which a dealer needs to be sensitive. Naturally, a player’s mood will be more upbeat when he or she is winning, in which case the dealer can sustain that mood by rooting players on and making positive comments like “Way to go! Keep it up” when a player gets a lucky card or has a big win.
Conversely, there will inevitably be times when the dealer is hot and players lose bet after bet. When that happens, the best Live Dealers will be supportive, but never to the point of being condescending and rubbing it in that the player is losing. An appropriate response might be a quick and simple “Sorry about that. Let’s see if we can do better next time.”
Notice I used the word “we.” That is very important because it lets players feel that the dealer is on their side.
A true experience
I will never forget one time I was playing high stakes blackjack in Las Vegas. I was doing fine until all of the sudden, a new dealer I had never seen before with flame red hair and a name tag that read “Genie” appeared seemingly out of the ceiling. Against my better judgment, I continued to play.
On my very first hand with her, she dealt herself a multi-card 21. Par for the course, except for the completely unnecessary “Oh shoot!” and profuse apology on her part that immediately followed. Then I played two more hands, with exactly the same result. The odds of that happening by chance notwithstanding, what stood out most was that each time, the “Oh shoot” got louder and the apology got increasingly profuse and long-winded. By then, the message had finally sunk in. I pretended to look at my watch, said “Oh shoot, I was supposed to meet my friend 10 minutes ago,” pocketed my dwindling stack of chips and left.
The best Live Dealers remain calm, cool, and collected at all times, no matter what.
Hopefully, you can control your own casino behavior, even when luck is not going your way, but the same can’t be said for every player. We have all seen players whose behavior gets out of hand. Maybe they have had too much to drink, maybe they had a major argument with their spouse or partner, or maybe, more than anything else, a steady losing streak has them in a tizzy. Whenever a player’s behavior becomes out of control, whatever the reason, it is the dealer’s responsibility to restore control. There should be zero tolerance for inappropriate or abusive language. In a live dealer game, just as in a regular casino, offending players who persist in that behavior after being warned should not be allowed to continue to play.
Short of behavior that is in blatant violation of casino rules, there will be other times when constant complaining by losing players can make the atmosphere at a gaming table very unpleasant. Under those circumstances, the best Live Dealers know how to alleviate the negativity and shift the conversation to a another topic.
Summary
As you can see, what the dealer does or does not do during the course of your play can have a significant impact, either positive or negative, on your overall Live Dealer playing experience. In order to maximize your enjoyment playing these games and maximize your chances of winning, play only with the best Live Dealers.
