By Samantha Williams

A casino dealer or croupier is a casino employee who works at a gambling table by taking and paying out bets. However, extensive training and expertise in the gambling industry sets apart those who have a job and those with an exciting career. 

A License Needed
A casino dealer applies for a gambling license during his initial training. Include in the application is a thorough background and credit rating checks. This is to determine reliability and suitability for a career in gambling. 

Lumpies
Once a croupier has received his gambling license as passed a table test in the game he has been learning, he will be permitted on the gambling floor. There is a definite art form to dealing.  The credo in the industry is “technique first, speed later”. Novice dealers are often called ‘lumpies’ when first dealing the tables. This is because their abilities at shuffling and chip manipulation are choppy and lumpy. They are very deliberate and very slow.  Experienced dealers move seamlessly, but that is the result of their experience. Speed is also an area that is determined by practicing day in and day out. Usually a casino dealer is up to the casino’s standards of technique and speed within 3 months. 

A Progression
The training for croupiers varies from country to countries just as gambling laws are different from country to country. There is a normal progression of training. For instance, a casino dealer in the United States will first learn blackjack because it is a popular and simple game. If a dealer makes an error in blackjack, it won’t bankrupt the casino. In contrast, a croupier in the United Kingdom will first perfect his gaming skills at roulette. Since casino turnover is very high, dealers will learn a second and third game within 12 months of beginning. This allows a casino more options for staffing its tables. Craps is reserved for the most skilled dealers because the payout systems are very complicated. 

Skills A Croupier Needs
A casino dealer becomes a specialist in the game he is dealing. At the basic training, dealers learn the foundation of the art. They learn the different techniques for dealing cards. There are specific techniques used with certain games. For example, a blackjack dealer has to deal how to deal from a single or double deck. He must also know how to operate the shuffling machines that are at many casinos. He also needs to know how to cut cards and how to make payoffs to winner. Most important, a casino dealer at the blackjack table has to know how to control the game. A crap dealer has to be able to deal with the fast pace of the game and be a quick thinker. The craps tables need 4 casino employees to staff a table. The box attendant supervises the game and makes decision on particular rolls, an employee called a stick who pushes the dice toward the player before a roll and two crap dealers. The two crap dealer not only deals the cards. They handle cash payout and provide players with chips.  They also control the table.

By Samantha Williams

You have skillfully mastered the game of blackjack. You know all the tips, tricks and have your strategy in place. Is that really enough though? If you look around you, you will find that most professional blackjack players who are good have adequate knowledge on the tools that help you play as well. Let us take the main component of the game, the table for example. How many players are actually aware of what or how a black jack table ought to be? This knowledge is vital especially of you plan on getting your personal table at home and using it to play instead of making trips to the casino. For those who love black jack, buying a table is a good idea especially since it gives you the chance to enjoy the game with your friends and family in an environment that you are comfortable in. So what is it that you need to look for in these tables?

The components
We will come to the blackjack table in a moment. First however let us take a look at the components that come along with it. For you to actually get the feel of the game, it is equally important that these components too are made from the finest materials. Your poker chips should ideally be made of clay with embossing that is extremely clear and easy to read and your deck of cards should be made of material with a fine texture. In addition to this it is important that the surface of the table is smooth.

Types of tables
As with every other product in the market, blackjack tables too come with choices. The choice of table will primarily depend on whether it is being used in a home or at a casino. Most black jack tables are generally hand crafted for their place of use. Some may have legs made of wood, other might have legs made of metal and there are also some others that might have legs that are made of wood or metal but they are collapsible.

Review your needs
We have already mentioned that blackjack tables come with choices. The fact that these choices are available means that you need to carefully consider your requirements before you make your purchase. The most important thing that you will need to consider is where you plan to put the table. The placement of the table will decide on whether you will buy a folding or a fixed table. If you have the space to keep a black jack table permanently then a fixed table will be your best choice. You will also need to consider some amount of protection for your table. Bumper pads are always a good idea as they protect your table from damage as well as mildew.

Do not be impulsive
The worse mistake that a gambler can make while buying a blackjack table is being impulsive. These tables are never bought on a whim. There is a lot of thought that is required and must be given to avoid making a purchase that you would later regret.