06/08/2024 15:00
Croupier, what is it and what is their job
Many roles are needed to keep a casino running but one of the most prominent roles is that one of the croupier. You’ve probably seen them in movies or already experienced their services yourself. The job of a croupier is simply essential for the operation of casino games. This blog will explain who they are, what they do, and the skills required to excel in this profession.
After reading this blog, you will know everything about the following topics:
The function and importance of a croupier
The required skills and abilities
Their role and responsibilities
The historical background of croupiers
What is a croupier?
The croupier, or the dealer, is defined as the person in charge of dealing the cards in different casino games and making sure rules are followed in games that require their presence. This person is considered an essential part of the functioning and development of the games played in live casinos.
The organization and management of the game is one of their primary tasks and thus is extremely important in physical casinos. However, he also plays a fundamental role in online casinos.
Do you need a special skill to become a croupier?
The job of a croupier is not just about knowing the rules of the game, ensuring everything is in order, and organizing or distributing the games. Of course, this is something fundamental, but their function goes a step further, and therefore a series of skills are required. They are required to be very agile due to the complexity of their duties, although many people do not believe this.
That’s why a person who takes on the role of croupier or dealer, must have and fulfill some requirements, to perform their job well and correctly.
Here are some of the requirements or special skills that are needed to be a croupier:
Be a good communicator: Communication is a very important factor in every game, and the dealer must maintain a high level of interaction at the table. Their communication skills should help to attract the players and keep them motivated and comfortable in the games.
Quick decision-making ability: The croupier must make quick, well-analyzed decisions to resolve any situation that arises fairly quickly and without the need to resort to other instances or persons (as long as the situation does not require it and it is within their resolution capabilities).
Be able to resolve conflicts: When money is involved, the atmosphere is usually quite tense. Therefore, it is possible that players get angry, euphoric, start complaining, and so on. These situations must be dealt with efficiently by the dealer in charge.
Physical stamina: The croupier must be present during the games, and these can sometimes last up to several hours. Imagine finding yourself all day or all night in front of the table, without being able to rest, for this reason, it is required that the croupier is a person with a very good physical condition that can withstand the time and tension of the game.
Mastering several languages: Regardless of the location of the casino, being fluent in a foreign language is essential for a croupier. We must remember that one of its main functions is to engage in conversations that may arise with the players, and these may be tourists or people who do not know the language where the casino is located.
Having a good presence: Presence is a must for anyone working in customer service. A dealer with a good presence will be able to attract more players to their table and to the casino.
Have an agile mind: It's not just about responding quickly, it's also about being agile, so the dealer will be able to spot winning bets and hands swiftly.
Manual dexterity: Perhaps one of the most necessary skills. Without manual dexterity, a croupier will not be able to have a good handling of the decks, the dice, the roulette wheel, or any instrument that’s involved in the game. It should be noted that if the dealer has very good manual dexterity, he’s able to easily learn to perform tricks when shuffling and dealing the cards which attracts a lot of players, and gives him a greater touch of professionalism.
Being good with numbers: The ability to perform quick calculations is crucial for distributing winnings and accepting bets efficiently. A dealer who needs tools such as calculators or other instruments to determine what to deal with is not to be trusted.
Calm and serene: As we mentioned, the atmosphere is most of the time very entertaining but can also be quite tense sometimes. Maintaining composure is thus vital.
Flexible availability: We all know that casinos tend to be much busier at night than during the day, so you need staff who can work as a dealer including nights. So your schedule should not be an obstacle to your day-to-day life
Be a good observer: The dealer should be constantly alert while the game is in progress so that they can be aware of players' non-compliance with the rules, or "not honorable" situations that require the need to be communicated to the relevant staff within the casino.
What is the role of the croupier?
The croupier’s main role is to control and direct the game. They also have other responsibilities, which include:
Welcoming players to join the table regardless of whether they are at a land-based or an online casino.
Once the game has started, they must maintain courteous interactions with the player. In addition, they must comply with all the casino’s protocols.
Controlling and directing the game, as well as opening the betting round. To open the betting round, they must indicate it with the phrase "place your bets". To close the betting round, they must say the phrase "no more bets".
The croupier must ensure that the bets placed by the players are correct.
In roulette, the croupier is also responsible for throwing the ball in the roulette wheel, calling and marking the winning number, and of course, paying out the winning bets.
Finally, they must clear the table of any bets that have been lost in the game.
History of the croupier
To understand the history of the croupier, it is necessary to know what the name means. The origin of the word is French and comes directly from the word ‘croupier’, which is based on the word "croupe" meaning a horse's rump. It therefore refers to the person who stood behind a player in the casino, as he gave the impression of riding on the horse's rump while advising him on the game.
It all came about when the first gambling competitions began to take place in the Middle Ages, a time when the rules of the game lacked complexity. The owners of the halls intended for entertainment of this kind did not understand the need for an external person to enforce what the player needed.
However, similar roles appeared in lotteries, especially in China, and in card games where the croupier was necessary to manage the bank. And over time, the need for a croupier to assist and manage games became evident.
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