How much do poker dealers make in Las Vegas

In Las Vegas, Nevada, poker is king and sex is queen. Together they make the lights and excitement that everyone loves in this incredible city. If you live there, you are offered unique opportunities that are not available anywhere else in the United States of America. This includes the opportunity to train and work as a poker dealer at some of the largest most incredible casinos. You also have the opportunity to touch fame, as major celebrities often frequent the city and the poker tables. If you train well, and perform well you may just be invited to become a dealer at a private poker game or even a major poker event. During either of these potential invitations, you could find yourself across the felt from some unbelievable faces. That’s not the only benefit you receive while working the casinos as a poker dealer.

When you finish your training as a poker dealer you then begin work at a local small time casino. This break house as it is often called, helps you learn to put your skills to good use. You will begin at minimum wage, which is now $7.25 an hour. From here you will find that you are going to be tipped for every game, hand, and often pots brought in. So what does that generally add up to? Based on the experiences of others who have worked the poker tables, at the break house it will average between 12 and 18 dollars an hour. A normal shift is 8 hours with 20 minutes break time for every hour dealing. Not too shabby for someone just starting in the industry. Because of that, the better part of your pay is in cash, not a weekly pay check.

The bigger the casino, the more you can earn

Should you learn your trade well and chose to move onto a larger casino, there is more money. Again the casino will still only pay you the minimum wage, but the tips increase significantly. Typically working for a large hotel and casino a poker dealer earns between 20 and 25 dollars an hour. This is in addition to paid time off, which can be accrued by some as one day off for every two weeks worked. Health benefits, dental coverage, retirement plans and other perks also come with the poker dealer position at the larger establishments. Again, the better portion of your income will be cash in hand. Like a waitress, the better you do your job, the better you will be paid.

If the casino you are working has a live poker event, you have the opportunity to serve there too. Tournaments often pay the dealers a portion of the overall take, in addition to pay. This makes gaining experience in various poker games, such as Hold’em Limit or No Limit, 5 or 7 card stud, and Draw variations. Those are the most popular poker games both in the industry and in Las Vegas. This makes each one crucial for a poker dealer to learn, and doing so extends their marketability, and chances of dealing a major poker event.