[jr42]

How good are the openings for blackjack/poker dealers in LV? How difficult is it to get a job dealing, with no experience? Thanks

[Daddys///M3]

Not gonna happen.

[BobKovacs]

If you've got no experience, you'd need to go to one of the schools. Once you graduate, you'd audition for a job. In 99% of the cases, you'd start at a crappy hotel like the El Cortez, making $4/hour plus $30/night in tips. Over time, you could then move up to other casinos and increase your earnings.

My ex got lucky when she did it 14 years ago- she was really good, and her instructor was an ex pit boss at Sams Town. Sam's was about to open their big expansion, and the instructor got her an audition there. She started out 2 steps ahead of anyone else in the class, and a few years later moved to Sunset Station where she learned to deal Pai Gow and Baccarat. She's now at the Venetian making very good money, but it took a long time to get there.

[Kalbo]

BobKovacs got it right you will need to start at the lower end casinos and work your way up which takes time, and having some luck of being in the right place at the right time.

[LV_James]

Generally, I agree with the replies above. With no experience, a good dealer's school is a must. If you do the whole route (all the games) it will be expensive. If you specialize (I suggest poker), it will be less.

If you are very good (meaning you work your tail off and do more than you have to), and if you can get a good recommendation from the school, and if you manage a great audition, you might bypass some of the lesser casinos.

Last Fall, my wife, who had no experience, managed to start at one of the better places as an on-call temp after a couple of months at a top school. After six months, she was permanent on-call. She now makes excellent money and has good benefits.

Next stop, with luck, is a full-time permanent position. Like anything else worth working for, it takes time and patience.

Some of it was luck, some was just plain hard work. In her mid 40s, she took things much more seriously than some of her younger counterparts, and I suspect that made the difference.

Of course, she still pounded the pavement, and applied at many different casinos, and went for a bunch of interviews and auditions, but it paid off in the end.

The fact that she loves poker and loves dealing made a difference, too. It ain't easy work, if you don't enjoy it.

Just wanted you to know, it can be done.

Hope that helps.