TABLE GAMES

WORKING IN ARIZONA GAMING

Everything You Need To Know To Get Started

Finding work in a local Arizona casino can be a wonderful experience. The casinos range from small properties with just a few hundred slot machines to the three largest employers (Gila River Gaming Enterprises, Casino Arizona/ Talking Stick Resort and Desert Diamond Casinos) with multiple properties, hotels, restaurants, slots, poker, and table games. Finding the right one for you should be more than a splitsecond decision. So do your homework and choose wisely.

About Licensing

When I first worked in Nevada casinos, I applied on a Tuesday, had my interview, and was hired on the spot. I was given paperwork to take to the local police station where I got fingerprinted, and I had to bring a money order for the FBI to do my background check. The detailed check took weeks, but I got a Sherriff’s card immediately and had my first paid orientation day on Friday. Yes. Things have changed.

In Arizona, you must apply, get “approved” as a hire, fill out important background check documents, and be approved by both the casino’s Tribal Gaming Office and the Arizona Department of Gaming. Your background check will take time. You won’t work this week. Probably not this month.

Your background paperwork will be different and easier to finish for job seekers beyond the gaming departments (poker, table games, bingo, keno, slots, and sportsbook). And working jobs in other departments can help when in-house gaming positions open!

The Casinos in Arizona

Without steering anyone towards a specific property for employment, 22 federally recognized tribes in Arizona are part of a Tribal-State gaming compact most recently updated and signed into law on April 15, 2021. That’s Tax Day, a bad day for most of us. My first day working in a casino was April Fool’s Day, but that’s probably not significant.

Arizona’s latest compact authorized new table games, including Sic Bo, Baccarat, Pai Gow Tiles, Big Six, Craps, and Roulette. And (drum roll, please) a new maximum wager of $100,000 (up from $1,350). Each casino regulates its table limits, and the 100K number is sky high, but several properties have $2,500 limits every day now. On January 1st, 2022 there were about 550 card

Table Games Dealer (pre-pandemic) At Lone Butte Casino

and table games in the state and 18,000 slot machines. Arizona gaming is growing, and there are jobs!

The addition of Craps and Roulette was long-awaited in Arizona and sparked a feeding frenzy to get qualified dealers and supervisors for the games. Starting wages rose for supervisors, and some properties have bumped up dealer pay based on how many games they deal. You may not have to know all the games to get hired, but it helps improve your chances!

As for pay scales, starting Floor Supervisor and Pit Boss rates are higher in Arizona - at the casinos that have incorporated Craps and Roulette into their gaming mix - than in many comparable casinos in other states and even Las Vegas. And speaking from multiple employment experiences, Arizona casinos are much more relaxed and enjoyable.

As for table game tips, most Arizona casinos are “go for your own” and not “split joints.” Your income depends on the number of players habitually visiting the casino, your shift, and personality. I know dealers who are happy grinding out $50,000 and others who quickly make twice that. It is a “go for your own” job! $

Writer Al Moe has worked in the casino industry for many years. He has lived and worked in Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe. He also attended the University of Nevada, Reno. He is an avid writer and blogger. His book, “Vegas and the Mob," is available online at Amazon.com. He is also the proud father of four beautiful girls.

TIPPING YOUR BLACKJACK DEALER

A $3,000 Tip Will Make Someone’s Day!

You may not know that blackjack dealers are part of the service industry, just like waiters and waitresses, plus so many other employees working jobs inside and outside of casinos. A lot of players don’t realize that blackjack dealers make minimum wage and depend on tips to boost their income. As a result, most dealers want the player to do well and are happy when you win.

When to tip and how to tip seem to baffle most players. Experienced players will tell you that it’s a lot more fun to play with a happy dealer than a grumpy one so they tip early and often.

The decision to tip or not to tip is ultimately up to you, and no one can make that decision for you. If you just lost all your money it’s hard to think about leaving a tip, but just remember the dealer is just dealing the cards.

Tipping a dealer early in the game gets you favorable treatment later in the game. Dealers tend to remember a player’s name if they are a regular tipper and a regular customer.

So how do you tip the dealer? There are several ways. After a hand has ended you can just hand the dealer a chip or chips and say, “This is for you.” That way there is no confusion as to whether you want change or to give the dealer a tip.

Another way to tip is by making a bet for the dealer. You can do this by placing your bet in the betting circle, and then placing what you want to play for the dealer above your bet. If you win your bet the dealer also wins their bet. They are paid just like you. And, if you lose, the dealer picks up both bets.

You can ask a dealer which way they like to be tipped, which usually puts them in a good mood knowing that they will receive some sort of gratitude for their service.

When should you tip? Most players tip after winning a significant hand, or if you have been on a roll you can throw them something every so many hands.

How much should you tip? I go by the dealer. Some really make the game fun and I throw them a little more than normal. It really depends how much you win. While there is no right or wrong amount, if you are playing with $5 chips, a $10 tip is reasonable. If you play with $25 chips and have a nice run, then you should give them a $25 tip.

I was playing at a table where a friend of mine was playing $25 a hand on the Lucky Ladies as well as $25 for the dealer on that bet. The Lucky Ladies (Drawing two Queens, both in Hearts) came up which paid over $3,000 for him and $3,000 for the dealer. The dealer immediately burst into tears because she was so happy.

The point is these tips really can make someone’s day. It’s a real attitude changer and can make a cranky dealer more friendly. And, we all have more fun when everyone is smiling right?

If you decide that card counting is for you and would like to take your game to the next level, I cover card counting in my new book. My system keeps track of all the cards as they are dealt, and has a betting and playing strategy according to the count. By playing this way you have a mathematical advantage over any casino. Then it will be you, not the house, who has the advantage when you sit down to play. My new book “How to Become a Blackjack Jedi,” by TJ Jorgensen, is available in digital and printed versions at Amazon.com. $

Writer TJ Jorgensen has been a professional Blackjack player for over 20 years. He is well known for his tournament play and has beaten some of the top tournament players in the world. He has also won the World Series Of Blackjack. His newest book “How To Become A Blackjack Jedi” is available online at Amazon.com.