The Worlds Best Paid Poker Dealer Jobs

Poker is one of the most exciting games available anywhere, and one of the richest too. It's not uncommon to hear about modern day poker combatants such as Tom Dwan or Phil Ivey clearing pots worth literally hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But what about the guys running the scene? What about the faceless dealers that you always overlook at the top tables? This post looks at where some of the top earning dealer jobs in the poker industry are.

# VIP rooms at top casinos

Only card dealers of a particular calibre can expect to get a crack at top assignments like these, but those who make it into the private rooms at massive, exclusive casinos such as the Bellagio can expect to earn incredible money.

And its not simply because of the excellent salary the top dealers can expect to earn, but because of the insanely high tips that the high rollers toss out. Remember the movie Casino Royale? After winning the crucial hand in the pivotal scene, Bond casually flips the dealer a $100,000 chip as a thank you.

This isn't as fictional as you might think; big winners flipping their dealers handsome tips is actually a regular occurrence at the top poker rooms of the world – it's actually got to the point where it's considered good manners.

# Cruise Liners

Not the most obvious opportunity to spring to mind, but card dealers on cruise liners rake it in. There are several reasons for this.

Partly it's the clientele. People who have deep enough pockets to afford luxury cruise liners with onboard casinos tend to be high rolling big spenders. As such, they expect only the best, and they get it.

The dealers who make it onto cruise liners have to be some of the world's top card flippers in order to guarantee a smooth experience for the elite card players who frequent these venues. There is an etiquette of dealer tipping in games like these that sweeten the breadline over and above what they're being paid to be there.

Secondly it's the lifestyle. Since cruises run for fixed periods, these aren't salaried positions: they're all fixed term contracts at fat rates. But consider that since you're onboard ship with nowhere to go and all your living expenses covered by the company, every penny arrives in your bank balance and stays there.

# Private croupiers to the rich and famous

Salaried dealer jobs provide security and a regular pay check, but they're not where the real money is being made. A dealer with connections to a few high rolling celebrities and a reputation for discretion can see serious income from dealing private games in the homes of the glitterati.

This industry is all about reputation, connections and word of mouth referrals, and it can take years to develop the contacts necessary to be successful, but once you're in the door, and you maintain a high level of quality and professionalism, you're set for a long, highly lucrative career in freelance dealing.