I shouldn’t ever be amazed by what I see in poker room employees, because wouldn’t cha just think I’d seen it all by now? I suppose I pretty much have seen it all, but my mouth still falls open every now and then. I’ve never minded blasting a poker player, name and all, for bad behavior and I have to admit that I’ve sometimes shied away from blasting someone I work with simply because I’m embarrassed that these people have no greater work ethic or professionalism than they do. I also know that with the flood of poker, coming into everyone’s living room, and with every casino in the US adding a poker room to their establishment, that dealers are hired as fast as they apply and most of them have no idea what it’s like to work in an established room, nor the protocol of dealing, nor what it takes to be a professional dealer.
I’m also awarethat there are some people that justreach a spot in mental development and they can’t go past that…they learn by repetition but just can’t wing it on their own. Before you go thinking that I think I’m a brainiac, I am in a lot of common knowledge, wisdom related things…so STUFF IT! But there are people that just can’t progress. How in the hell they end up long term in some jobs is really beyond me. A question that always comes to mind, for me anyway, is these people must know they are not suited for the job and they do get a lot of heat from customers (I’ve seen it happen repeatedly) so why does any establishment keep them in that particular job and/or why does the employee continue to stay in thatjob and not transfer to another job in the company that they can handle? Or just quit because they are tired of the noise? This particular type of personality is someone I work with – his name is Dave. Dave is a very nice guy, he’s just in the wrong job. He has a great personality and never misses a day of work, he’s just in the wrong job. Of course I already said that…it’s true…he’s just in the wrong job.
He was our high 7 card stud brush when we first opened. It was horrible. Dealing and listening to players complain about him and some of them were blatantly rude to him…well hell…they’ve been blatantly rude to me and every one else so they might as well tag Dave also, but it was ugly at times. It was also horrible when trying to get seats filled in must move stud games and getting the list called…it still is. Dave was finally moved to the low limit brush, handling $1-5 7 card stud, $4-8 and 8-16 limit holdem. He still had/has his share of abuse from players but low limit is never as bad as high limit. Dave can’t remember anyone’s name, his mind just doesn’t retain information. He used to carry a small notebook around with him that he wrote down certain things that he felt he must remember, at times that notebook carried names of people that he put on lists.
I’ve had my share of times where I want to rip my hair out when I’m dealing a game and Dave’s the brush for that game. A particular incident happened a few weeks ago when I was dealing a $2-5 NLH game. As I stood waiting to push into the box, one seat was open in the game, and I yelled, “DAVE!” I yelled to get his attention over the noise. When he looked at me, I pointed to the empty seat and said, “One seat open.”
He drew the hand across the neck thingey, (symbolizing death or something like that), and loudly said, “No list!”
Brian Zembic was in the 1s and we exchanged ‘hellos’ as I pushed into the box and started dealing. A few minutes later a young man came up to talk to the 10s and noticed the seat was open. He queried if the seat was open and I said it was his. He said he’d get chips and be back. He returned within a few minutes with a rack of red and Dave walked up with anew guyand put that new guy in the empty seat.
I was totally startled. “Dave, I already gave that seat away. He’s right there with his chips,” as I motioned towards the guy I gave the seat to.
Dave, “I have a list.”
The whole table groaned. They had heard Dave tell me there was no list. Dave stood behind the 5 and 6s, looking at me as if my third eye was showing.
I replied, “Dave, I asked you if there was a list before I sat down. I told this player he could have the seat because you told me there was no list.”
Dave looked more angry than baffled, “YOU are trying to cut the list,” as he glared at me.
“Dave, you told me there was no list.”
Dave got stony faced and his words were clipped, “Why don’t you do your job and I’ll do mine!”
I shrugged, “That’s kind of what I hand in mind…”
He stomped off withouta chance of figuring it out. I apologized to the man I’d sent for chips. He was cool with it and said it wasn’t a problem. The whole table was going whacko because they couldn’t believe what an idiot Dave was and how many times they had to put up with him.
The funny part of it is that the following night when I came in to work, Dave wouldn’t even look at me. It was almost as if he was pouting or I’d done something personally to him. The following night though, we were buddies again. He showed me his new home in the Ozark Mountains, where he’s going when he retires in the next few months. Whew! Have a great life, Dave, I sincerely wish you the best.
The worst of it is that we never know if a replacement will be better or worse…I’ve worked with worse.
I’m assuming you feel fairly certain Dave isn’t competent enough to find your website?
I have given Dave my card, with the website address, and my email printed glaringly on it. I have also sent Dave pictures by email that he wanted me to take of him. He couldn’t retrieve the pictures and doesn’t know how to use his email…not that that’s a short coming in life because a lot of people with computers don’t know how to use them.
When I do stupid bonehead mistakes as a dealer, I’ve written about them here, and I realize that we all make mistakes. But honestly, do you feel that I should just ignore the fact that poker employees are not at their best just because I work with them? When you spend eight years working with someone and the problem never goes away, does that make them ‘above the law’ (to coin a phrase)?
This post isn’t even the tip of the iceberg. There are a zillion more tales that have left me flabbergasted but this one in particular just stuck in my head. I could have left his name out of the post and everyone that has ever had dealings with him, would know exactly who I’m talking about. But since I name players, is it fair that I should allow employees to remain nameless?
And I like Dave. He really is a very friendly, nice guy. HE’S JUST IN THE WRONG JOB!
hey linda,
when my brother came to visit me at the bellagio he had his two kids in tow 4 and 6 years old (shoutout boys, spiderman 3 this summer, lock it up). Dave stopped my brother at the gate and said no kids in the poker room sir. so far no problem. my brother tried to ask him a quick question. dave insisted, sir, please stand behind the line with those kids. my brother looked down at his kids to confirm that it was the cutest two kids on earth he held hands with and not bubbling burlap sacks overflowing with anthrax. nonetheless, he stood behind the line. from the line, my brother asked, “i’m just trying to see if my brother marty is here.” Dave put a hand to his ear and said “what’s that sir, i can’t hear you?”
my brother took a step forward and attempted to repeat his question. Immediately, Dave interrupts “Sir get behind the line!”
i was shocked. my brother, a pacifist, sans kids would have laid him out. i apologized to my brother profusely, but my brother knows i’m not responsible for Dave’s actions. On the other hand, the Bellagio is. It is an embarassment to have him at the face of the poker room. everyday that he is there cheapens the quality of the service that Bellagio boasts. i can take a joke as much as the next guy, but there’s a time and place…
thanks for letting me rant linda. you rock.