I realized a few days ago that I miss saying that very much. I left the croupier job more than one year ago and I am enjoying now the privilege of a normal life, but I am happy I worked in casino and it is always a pleasure to remember those days.
I started working as a casino dealer in 2003 and I stopped five years later. I would have loved to carry on, but I felt the need to have week ends, holidays and to sleep at night, instead of working.
I will try with this post to list the goods and the “bads” of being a croupier, from my experience and point of view.
I was trained and I served for 4 years the best casino in Romania and the biggest one at that time. A place where the professional level was higher than in any other casino, the rules were rules and the games were to be dealt by… professionals. I was never a perfect dealer, as the stress in that environment didn’t have a good effect on me, but I was always serious about my job and did my best. When the level of the stress was too high for me, I decided that it was time for CRUISING! 
The moment you start a career in casino, you can “kiss good bye” your normal life. No more Christmas with your family, no more sleeping at nights, but on the other hand, no routine. What I am trying to say is that, every day is different. The second you enter the floor, anything could happen so, let yourself surprised. The customer who was smiling to you yesterday, might throw an ash tray or something towards you, today!
Yes, I am smiling now, but it wasn’t funny at all at that time. The money and the games are big and the players are not “enjoying” a night out. They come there with one thing in their mind: to get rich! I met so many people that when they first step foot in the casino, they were a delight! Smiling, talking to you, playing a bit and leaving. After, let’s say three months, they lose huge amounts of money, they lose their families, friends and their… minds!
I had some fun and I enjoyed that job a lot. The salary was good also, better than a regular place of work. But I also had chips flying towards me and facing the costumers who were swearing you for “taking their money” was the only “routine” in that job. Just try to imagine: he is talking about “yo’ mama” and you just stand there looking at him. I wouldn’t be able to take that anymore. That is why I am not working in some casino on land at this moment. Because, I changed a lot. And this time, it would be too much for me. Seeing a “low life” swearing me… I would definitely jump over the table and stick my high heels in his behind. That is why I left on the ship in the end. I left while I still loved the job.
If you are a stronger person and you can close your eyes or get used to this kind of environment, you can “spin the ball” forever. Because it is really a beautiful and special job. Every day you get to learn something new and the pleasure of handling the chips, dealing roulette or Black Jack (my favorite! ) is huge. I loved it a lot!
When you go to practice this job on the cruise ships… that is where real life begins! This time, you really enjoy dealing, as the costumers are there for just one week and guess what… they smile! They are on vacation, they really like your company, they know what the word “TIPS” means and they have fun!!! The money that they are playing are smaller and that is why, there is no tension. So, you deal at nights, go to parties after, “hit the beach” in the morning and you are paid for all these. And guess what!!! There are still people that are not satisfied with this! They say that is not a life. One of my coworkers from the ship told me once that he is envious of his brother because that one, although he has credits to pay to the bank, car bought in leasing and lives in a rented apartment… he “lives”. What???!!! If you think that your brother who lives in debt is happy, and you… who are in the Caribbean right now, are sad… I don’t know what to say about you!!!
The idea is that, if you work on the ship, you have to stay there as long as you are happy and satisfied. After you have enjoyed the 4 times better paid job than on land, after you have danced on every party, had the best fun, took all the sun, took photos everywhere… you can go home. Otherwise, if you stay there for years, you might get “stuck” and you will start thinking that your brother, who is barely surviving, is the one that “lives” his life.
The moment comes when you have to be aware of the fact that the older you get, the harder will be to get another type of job. Because, if you come from the “cruise” after you have turned 35 years old, the chances to find a normal job are very small. Unless you want to carry on with the casino life for longer. It is o.k, if you are happy with it. But I was thinking that, if at some point I will have children, I would want to be able to read them a bed time story and be next to them through the night.
So, to be a casino dealer might be the best job in the world! If you know how to enjoy it, to take the best of it and stop at the right time.
I am very happy that I can rest my head on the pillow at night, instead of going to work, like I used to. And I am glad that I had the opportunity to travel and work as a croupier. This job made me a stronger and a better person, brought me the best memories, great friends and the man that I love so much!
“No more bets, thank you!”
keisha9.wordpress.com
Interesting! I always wondered if around the world the croupiers said “les jeux sont faits”, “rien ne va plus” in French as we sometimes hear in the movies, or in their own language.
From your post it seems you were saying it in English! Must have been a nice period of your life, you must have discovered a lot about people and Human way of thinking in general!
You can hear the announcements in French, exactly like you mentioned, only in Morocco or any other French speaking country. Everywhere else should be only English , but the professional level in casinos nowadays goes lower and lower and, although the dealer is surrounded by foreigners sometimes, you can see him screaming in his own language. 4 or 5 years ago, you didn’t have any chance to work in a casino if you didn’t know English. Now… it looks like in the market place sometimes.
super tare!
Mersi, Adina! Ma bucur ca ti-a placut!
Ma bucur sa te ved fericita intr-o tara (desi vecina cu noi) civilizata. Vasele de croaziera iti schimba mentalitatea, te fac mai deschis la nou si mai ales iti schimba viata pentru totdeauna (daca vrei sa ti-o schimbi). Sper sa ma opresc si eu undeva intr-o zi. Bravo tie !!!
Hi Keisha,
Really interesting post – blackjack is my fave to deal as well! Thought you might like my blog, http://www.happycroupiersdontsmile.blogspot.com.
I’m working as a dealer in London at the moment, quite a newbie to the business but loving it! How long did you spend on the ships, if you don’t mind me asking? And what lines did you go with? When I’ve worked in my place for a year I’m going to move on, just thinking now about where to head to!
Thanks
x
Sorry for the late answer, I am changing blog platform and I am busy with reorganizing my “new face”.
I checked your blog and I love it. Once I settle with my new format, please, let’s do some net linking together, I would like to have the link to your blog on my homepage and reccomend such blogs liek yours, to my friends.
It is a stylish, unique, elegant, exciting way of making real money and also travelling. I think one year is enough of working on land. I worked 4 years on land before that one year on the ships. I wish I would have left a lot long before on the ships.
Answering to your question: I spent just one year on the ships, as I fell in love with a nice fun guy and moved to Budapest. I miss the ship very much and the job that you have and I used to have is definetelly the best in the world!!!
So, you in London have some great recruiters that will be happy to “throw” you on a nice ship. I was on CCCL, Carnival, “The Fun Ships” and I reccomend it, if you want less restrictions, more fun and better life. Royal Caribbean are also an option, as they are number 1, but the fun is not the same. Anyway, nowadays, all the companies and all the ships make kind of the same money, so, if you want Carnival or Casinos Austria (which btw has great runs), you won’t make less money than Royal, as it used to be a long time ago. So, if you want to allpy, go to http://www.oceancasinojobs.com/ and head hunters will be waiting for you. I bet you have more recruiters than I had in Romania. Even I had to go for interview in Bulgaria. Also try from time to time http://www.gamingfloor.com/employ/ cause they have some nice offers, but not as good as they used to. Good luck and keep in touch!