These last few weeks, we have introduced the various player-facing departments, the people that contribute to the overall poker experience offered by Playground. There was, of course, no other choice than our team of dealers to close this Essential Guide to the WPT Montreal.
Dealers are the front line of Playground, the staff members closest to the players and the game itself. They are the ones who collect the most comments from players, and the great majority of them being players themselves, they do add their own comments and appreciation in the mix. The flow of information, in both directions, is facilitated by our dealer meetings (portrayed above), set before every single tournament. This is how Playground stays on the edge of the industry: with eyes and ears on the felt.
“Passionate about poker, as a player and a dealer, I constantly strive to provide the poker experience that Playground delivers across the board.” -Alain
“Voted less likely to misdeal by Cosmo for 3 years running!” -Anthony
“Be willing to take a chance, because you never know how perfect something could turn out to be.” -Rachel
All of our dealers undergo extensive training before they deal their first hand at Playground. At the Playground school, they learn the ins and outs of the job with our training staff, including card manipulation, chip manipulation, and mathematical tricks and shortcuts. Knowledge of poker and the rules of poker are pretty much a hiring requirement, but the school also makes sure that our staff members are on the same page when it comes to the application of these rules. How effective is our school? Let’s hear what Mike Sexton had to say to our dealers on his last visit:
“I’ve traveled the globe playing poker and I can promise you that without a doubt, the dealers here at Playground Poker Club are the best poker dealers in the world.” -Mike
Thanks for the feedback, sir!
“Love yourself first and everything else falls into place…not the cards though, we place those (don’t touch the cards).” -Anthony
“One visit is all you need confirm that Playground is the best poker club. It will be my absolute pleasure to deal here as long as I’m needed!” -Patrick
“After 7 years at Playground, you think you’ve seen it all, but players keep surprising me! I am still waiting for a boring day.” -Caroline
The moment they hit the floor, our dealers are monitored by our evaluation staff. The evaluators make sure that the acquired techniques are properly carried over to the floor. After that, each dealer gets evaluated twice a year to ensure that Playground standards are continuously met.
“First, I heard about Playground. Then, I visited Playground. That’s when I thought: I HAVE TO WORK HERE!” -Mélanie
“Being part of the Playground family is downright amazing!” -Benoit
At Playground, the army of permanent dealers is about 150-strong. A battalion of 30 more come for support during the festivals, mostly made up of experienced dealers that chose to pursue other avenues. Despite their help, our body of dealers put in a lot of extra hours. They take to heart the success of our festivals and display great teamwork on every turn.
“It is quite an honour to work in the best poker club in North America” -Nader
“Playground poker, where the action never stops and neither do I!” -Cole
Our dealers are the pride of Playground. They are the shiny link between management and players. They put down the cards that write history. Enjoy their work!
