Ask a Pit Manager

In this episode of the podcast, I talk to a pit manager and he answers some of your questions. We are striving to help him remain anonymous to help us get some more genuine answers to your questions. So, we’ll go with his Reddit username, Yo Eleven. YE broke into the casino business twelve years ago as a pit clerk and has worked his way up to a dealer, then a supervisor, and is now a pit manager. He enjoys the casino business and looks for new opportunities to learn more about it and is happy to discuss the industry with us.

I culled questions from Twitter and he was eager to provide some insight. YE’s answers have been edited for clarity and conciseness for this post. To hear his complete responses, answers to additional questions, and a couple of his fun stories, listen to the full episode above or on iTunes.

Do you miss dealing and having more direct interaction with players?

It’s a give and take. It’s fun to deal to the players and be in the moment with each roll of the dice. But it’s also fun in a management position because I can walk around and see more people. I can walk up to a table for a couple hands and talk and joke. I find that in a management position I get a chance to see and talk to more people.

Is the rating system for players all voodoo?

The easiest way to describe it is it’s very formulaic, except I would love to find a person who actually knows the formula. The basis of most all table ratings are the amount of time you play and your average wager on the game. The dirty truth of it is that a lot of times it’s an educated guess. At places I’ve worked, we’ve been instructed to watch the first three hands they bet and then try to check in every so often.

Those two things go into a computerized system that then spits out a dollar amount which becomes a player’s comp value. What becomes difficult is most systems are not tuned that high. So, a player will play an amount they feel entitles them to a comp, but if I go to the computer, it’s $2 or $3. That’s where the management override comes into play. I can say, “Well, this person has played for five hours and has lost $300. Of course I’m going to give them something.”

What can players do to be great customers?

This is a selfish thing to say, but take our lead. If it’s a slow day and relaxing, we will take it as an opportunity to have more interaction. It’s a time to joke around. It’s a time to talk. If it’s really busy, we would prefer if you weren’t the guy to keep pulling us aside to make the same jokes over and over again. Really, there isn’t a lot. Just don’t be a bad one. Honestly, if you’re not a bad customer, you’re already off to a good start with us. And, it’s true, if you’re a nice person and we are having a good time, I’m much more likely to give you a comp.

Biggest player pet peeves?

Don’t be the person who gets in over your head in terms of how much you drink. Yes, a casino is a place to go and have fun, but not to the point you can barely sit in your chair or start picking a fight with someone.

Be understanding if you ask if you can have two dinner buffets and you don’t have the points for it. Be accepting of that. If I could give everything to everyone, I would. If I could give comps away to everyone, I would, but it’s my job to give them out fairly.

How superstitious is the house?

At times, yes. There have been times at various places I’ve worked where we’ve been, what the industry calls, “sweating the money”. Which is, if this person is winning $20,000 on a high-limit blackjack table, “Hey, uh, let’s go and switch dealers.” Personally, I think that’s ridiculous. I don’t really buy into a hot dealer or a cooler.

I hope you, like me,  found YE’s information illuminating. I warned him, but I’ll absolutely be bothering him again. So, if you have questions you’d like to ask, let me know and I’ll get him back on the show.