Dealer not to blame for negative result

By Alan Vaughn

There are lots of things to blame when a player loses his or her money at the blackjack table: poor play, insufficient funds, bad luck, horrible timing, etc. One thing that a player cannot blame is the dealer.

Dealers make their living by taking cards one at a time out of a shoe and delivering them based on the desires of the player. They are not allowed to make any decisions, and in the state of Colorado they aren’t even allowed to give players advice. I don’t say this to suggest that dealers have an easy job, but to point out how ridiculous it is to blame them for taking your money.

The dealers don’t force you to visit the casino, they don’t force you to sit down, they don’t choose when you play, how you play, how much you wager, and in most cases they don’t even shuffle the cards.

So what exactly can the dealer do that affects the outcome of the game? Believe it or not, dealers don’t possess magical powers that control the cards, and they have absolutely no interest in giving your money to the casinos.

One common misconception is that dealers “work for” the casino and try to give as much of your money as possible to the house. This could not be further from the truth. Dealers work for tips and therefore want the players to win as much as possible. This conflict of interest works nicely for the casinos because it gives the players someone who can be sympathetic while taking their money. In reality, if the dealers had any control over the cards, the players would win every time. Unfortunately when you are losing money, it’s hard to think through things clearly, and it seems that some people don’t think at all.

Most players, whether they blame the dealer or not, can control themselves enough during a losing streak that they don’t make a scene, but every once in a while there is a player that insists on verbally abusing the dealer. In these situations the dealer not only has to deal cards with no hope of receiving a tip, but he or she is also forced to bear the brunt of this person’s ill-conceived tirade. It’s unfortunate that casino properties do not reprimand these players for their out-of-control behavior, as it both inconveniences other players and creates a negative work environment for their employees.

A player that is honest with him or herself knows that the dealer isn’t the problem, it’s the man face in the mirror. Losing money can be hard, but if it affects you enough that you are going to be rude and insulting you have three options: improve your game, become more disciplined, or stop playing altogether. Taking your frustration out on the dealer is a cowardly tactic that only serves to make you look like a fool.

Alan Vaughn has played high stakes blackjack for several years in casinos all across the U.S. He recently moved to Denver where he teaches blackjack to players of all skill levels. For questions, comments, or information on lessons please email denver21school@yahoo.com.