Differences Between Dealing in Russia vs the USA feat. Jinn Touransky
Learn about the similarities and differences between dealing in a Russian casino versus an American casino.
Heather: Welcome to Vegas Aces videos or livestreams, depending on the day. My name is Heather Ferris and I will be your host for today. In this video we are going to be discussing the differences between the US and Russia as far as dealing and casino table games. I am really looking forward to this. We have a special guest today. Now of course if you have questions, comments or suggestions, put them in the comments section below and I will get to them shortly.
If this is your first time here, Vegas Aces was created as a way to help people learn how to play and deal casino table games. As a way to give back to our community, we offer free dealing trade school where we help place dealers at no cost. Vegas Aces has evolved into a marketing business that helps game inventors bring their ideas to fruition and assist placing their new games in a casino. Now on with the show.
So I am joined with a special guest today. I am really excited to introduce him. Jinn, welcome to the show. Thank you so, so much for being on. Really do appreciate this.
Jinn: Thank you!
Heather: Now would you please tell our audience a little more about you? What you do. Your histories. That type of a thing?
Jinn: So my name is Jin Touransky, I have been working in casino since 1999. I was a dealer for five years since 1999 until 2004, then I was a pit boss, then I was a manager of a casino. Now I consult at a lot of casinos in Russia, in Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, and other countries.
Heather: Okay really cool. So you have had a lot of history with this. How many years did you say you were in the business?
Jinn: 22 years.
Heather: Nice, very very nice. Thank you again so much for being on the show. Now today we are going to be discussing the differences between dealing in the US versus Russia. The first thing I want to start off with is the hiring/training process. So what is it like in Russia if you want to be a casino dealer? Go for it.
Jinn: The big difference between now and for example 10 years ago or 20 years ago. Now if you want to be a casino dealer you just need to fill the form for every casino. If you go to the dealer school, there is a 100% that you will get the job. But when I went to casino we were about 1300 applicants. And from the applicants, we stayed about 20 people. So about 20 people and 1300 people. It was very difficult.
Heather: So people could either go to a training school. So they actually had businesses or companies that trained people how to deal casino games and then they helped those dealers get into the casinos? Being placed in casinos?
Jinn: Every casino has their own dealer schools.
Heather: Oh Okay.
Jinn: But the schools are the same, mostly.
Heather: Okay. So casinos when they hire, do they hire on personality and then they teach you the training that you need to be the dealer?
Jinn: Don’t understand?
Heather: So in America we have some casinos that offer training schools as well. Here what they do is they hire you based on your personality. They want someone very friendly and nice and kind because they want people to stay on the table. So they hire you based on your personality and they teach you the game. So they will teach you how to deal blackjack. They will teach you how to deal roulette. And then that training is free as long as you work in that casino for a certain length of time. Is that the same in Russia?
Jinn: Well at first I should say in Russia is a very strange situation with gambling. The casinos were closed in 2009 year. So 12 years ago all casinos in Russia were closed. Twelve years ago there were a lot of casinos. They had a different dealer schools. But now we have only four areas in Russia. In Russia we only have four areas in which we can work. In some countries near Russia, such as Georgia or Armenia they want only girls from 18- 25 years. It doesn’t matter how you can count, how you can play, how you deal. You must be just a girl. But in Russia now, for example in Sochi where I live, and in central Russia you can do anything. You can have any skills.
Heather: Okay. So when dealers want to do this training school, you said four casinos to choose from in Russia? So do all four casinos have training schools that you can go and learn from?
Jinn: Every dealing school --
Heather: I guess what I am asking is are they all the same? Or is every casino different?
Jinn: Based on procedures, they are the same in all the casinos in Russia and other countries. But every casino has their own specific procedures. But it is a little different.
Heather: Okay.
Jinn: Also the dealer schools are free by the way.
Heather: All the dealer schools are free.
Jinn: Yes.
Heather: Do they tell people they have to work in the casinos for a certain length of time and if they don’t they have to pay the training schools back? Because in America that is typical of what casinos would do.
Jinn: No. In Russia, as I said, not much casinos. We now have only two casinos in Sochi, one casino in Siberia, two casinos in the East and one casino in the West. So, all the casinos have similar --
Heather: Are they owned by the same people?
Jinn: What?
Heather: Are the casinos all owned by the same people? The same company or corporation?
Jinn: No. Every area is separated from other.
Heather: Sporadic?
Jinn: Different companies.
Heather: Different companies. Okay. When people get hired, how long does the training go for? What is typical for blackjack? Let's say for learning blackjack. How long is that training?
Jinn: The dealing school last about three months but in Russia we don’t have special blackjack dealer or special roulette dealer. Russia we have universal dealers. So when the dealer first time came to the school, the first thing that she knows is roulette. You first need to know roulette the number of the wheels, payout of roulette. In the same time you need to learn some kinds of shuffling. When on blackjack, when on poker and after three months every dealer can deal roulette, blackjack and poker.
Heather: Awesome. I guess that is a great segway into our next segment.
So let us move on to the second topic is, how are things different once the dealer gets in the casino. We can do different subjects too. We can do them clocking in, the procedures, tokes, breaks. Let’s start with a fun one, how about breaks. How are breaks different? How do they do breaks?
Jinn: As I said before every dealer in Russia knows at least three games. Usually it means 1 hour and 20 minutes and 1 hour and 14 minutes every dealer spends in the -- on the floor. Every dealer stays 20 minutes on one table, 20 minutes on another table, and 20 minutes on another table. Most the casino make it that it doesn’t matter who are your dealer, inspector you can deal, you can inspect the game. So you spend about 1 hour and 20 minutes on the floor then you have a 20 minute break. At one hour and 20 minutes you can be 20 minutes a blackjack dealer, then you can be 20 minutes a roulette inspector, then you can be 20 minutes a poker inspector, 20 minutes as a poker dealer.
Heather: Oh wow. Okay. So you guys blend the poker rooms together. So poker is the same as table games? In America we actually separate the two so they are two different departments.
Jinn: When I say poker I mean the casino poker. I think it is main difference between Russia and USA and between Russia and Uro. In Russia very popular some kinds of casino pokers. For example, Russian poker as we say it, is very popular. You can change any number of cards. You can buy six cards for as a difference.
Heather: Okay.
Jinn: And for you understand, in the such a casino where I work now we have a main floor, we have six roulette tables, and about 15 cards tables in which every player can play any card games. Blackjack or poker.
Heather: Awesome. Now are there any other dealing procedures that are different in Russia versus in America?
Jinn: One -- I can say one difference in the model of the casinos, the casinos have a layout on the cards table has a universal layout. So you can play poker, you can play blackjack, you can play baccarat on one table. You don't need to change the layout.
Heather: Oh wow that’s really interesting. What other dealing procedures could you think of that would possibly be different?
Jinn: Well I’m -- I saw your stream with Stirling from England and I can say we in Russia are doing the same procedures as in England/UK. Because some times ago it was 1999 the first people who came in Russia and taught us to make business in casino. They were from Germany and England. So we have English school.
Heather: Okay. So how are the tokes there handled with dealers? Are the tokes pulled together in the 24 hour period and then split evenly amongst all the dealers or do the dealers keep their own tokes?
Jinn: Most of the casino that I know used to pay toke two times a month. First day of the month and the 15th or 16th day of the month. Some of the casinos don’t use tokes anyways. If a customer give you tokes it goes for investors.
Heather: Really?
Jinn: Yes, but they pay some kind of extra, extra salary for each.
Heather: So the dealers don’t get tips but if anyone does get a tip the tip goes to the inspector which is the same as a floor supervisor.
Jinn: Some casinos, yes. Not a lot of them.
Heather: Otherwise dealers don’t get tipped or tokes and they are just paid a salary? Is that correct?
Jinn:- Yes. Most of the casinos, most of the dealers have a salary. Salary usually about -- if saying dollars it will be I think $5 an hour. But with tokes it will be $10 an hour.
Heather: So they are making a decent wage. Is that correct?
Jinn: Yes.
Heather: Okay. What about clocking in? Because in America it is typical that a dealer would go to the casino, minimum 20 minutes before their shift. So if we have an 8:00 start time we would have to be there at 7:40. Technically our start time would be 7:40 because that would be the time we would have to be there. And then we would have to clock in, I think it is 10 minutes before we are supposed to be on the table. And then we are supposed to be on the table five minutes before the 8:00 hour of the shift change. Or whenever the shift change is. What is it like to clock in in Russia?
Jinn: Yes absolutely the same. In Russia need to be about 20 or 15 minutes before. And you can go from your work, your manager --
Heather: Everything the same?
Jinn: Everything the same.
Heather: Cool. Is there any other procedures or anything else you wanted to talk about as far as the differences go before we move on to the next section?
Jinn: No. Let’s go to another section.
Hather: Next section?
Jinn: Yes.
Heather: Next section it is. Here we go. We are going to be talking in our third and final section. The differences between games. So let’s start off with roulette. First off, do you have American roulette or do you use European roulette?
Jinn: That is a very interesting thing because we have only one kind of roulette. In Russia we call it American roulette. But I know that American roulette has two or more zeros. We have roulette with only one zero. The order of numbers is zero, 32, 15 and ect. But we call it American roulette. I don’t know why.
Heather: Okay. Just for my curiosity, do you offer La Partage or the En prison bets on there?
Jinn: I - Do you only maybe two casinos so where there was --when the zero wins --
Heather: So if zero is hit all of the even money bets will only lose half their wager?
Jinn: Yes.
Heather: And then players can take the money back but En prison they have to keep the money up there for one more spin.
Jinn: Yes even chance is lost only half of the amount. It was one casino in Russia and it was not in one. It was in two casinos in Billa Russia and it was maybe two or three casinos in Russia. But now all of the casinos don’t use it.
Heather: Okay. How about on blackjack? When you deal blackjack, do you deal the dealers cards two at a time? Or do you do what they do in the UK where they deal one card to the dealer and they deal out all of the hands and at the very end of the hand then they deal the second card to the dealer?
Jinn: Only one card. But before we go to blackjack I would like to say about roulette one more, maybe. Okay? Every -- I know not every casino in -- you say have a race track, but in Russia every roulette table has a racetrack and we used to play French bets and call bets.
Heather: Okay cool.
Jinn: A lot of players play on the racetrack and place their bets by their own hands. They don’t give chips and say that I want to place this kind of bet but every player can place their bets on the race tracks.
Heather: Okay. Awesome.
Jinn: So about blackjack.
Heather: Yes about blackjack.
Jinn: As I said in Russia where poker English in schools so the dealer have only one card. But we have a different -- I am sorry for my English. I am trying to remember.
Heather: You are doing much better in English than I would ever do in speaking Russian. So don’t worry about it.
Jinn: So I will tell you our rules and then you can say what is different. So the dealer get only one card. You can do surrender any time you want, but only with your two cards, you can make insurance. And then combination except blackjack, when the dealer has an ace or a 10, customer can take even money. Blackjack pays 3 to 1. Usually we play by shuffle machine. If it is shuffle machine we used to play six decks. If it shoe, so we used six or eight decks. We don’t have one deck blackjack, two deck blackjack or --
Heather: Did I hear you correctly? Did you say that blackjack pays 3 to 1? Did I hear that correctly?
Jinn: Yes. 3 to 1.
Heather: That’s -- what’s your normal house edge on that game?
Jinn: What?
Heather: House edge?
Jinn: 0.16%
Heather: Nice! Wow, okay.
Jinn: Yes, you can double down on any card.
Heather: How does --
Jinn: You can split three times your cards.
Heather: Wow! Wow!
Jinn: Yes. And you can do surrender any time in your turn. So if I play blackjack and there is a dealers card, first player, second player, third player. When they get other cards, I sit and don’t say anything. But when my turn, I can do surrender.
Heather: Let’s move on since we are running out of time. What if any baccarat or pai gow games do you offer in Russia?
Jinn: Yes, there are but not any more. No much casinos play baccarat. We have not much players that likes to play baccarat or pai gow. I don’t know where might be the least but baccarat we only have two or three tables in such a casino. Usually Chinas tourist play this game.
Heather: Do you guys have craps?
Jinn: No. I know that in Moscow 12 years ago there was one or two craps table for all of Moscow, the capital of Russia. There were five tables of craps that were in 12 years ago. In other countries there was one or two craps table, but it was not popular in Russia.
Heather: Okay. And do you guys have any carnival games like 3 Card Poker, Let it Ride, Crazy four Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, High Card Flush, anything like that?
Jinn: Only three card poker. I don’t know if other games in the casino. Three Card Poker yeah. It was popular in the beginning of the century. And the most popular game is Russian poker. Really interesting game. And by the way maybe some I can tell you more about Russian poker.
Heather: Okay sounds good.
Jinn: I can say you some words about this now. As I said, it's kind of casino poker. It was absolutely Russian game. It’s based on the Aussie poker. So the player can play the two books one time. You can change any number of cards. Two, three, four, five cards for one ante. You can buy six cards. You can make insurance. You can change the dealers card. But -- and the payouts are the same as Caribbean poker. But you don’t give the ante. So when the -- in Aussie Poker in casinos poker, you get -- if you have three different kinds. So you get the 3 to 1 and one ante. But in Russian poker you will get only 3 to 1 results ante.
Heather: So is it literally called Russian poker? If I went to go Google it, would I put in Russian poker?
Jinn: Yes, it has been legal since 2001 year. I know that in the USA some people called it Lunar poker. I follow the rules Wizard of Odds with Michael Shackleford site.
Heather: Awesome.
Jinn: It’s called Lunar poker but it’s Russian poker, but there is some differences between Lunar and Russian poker. And as in blackjack, every player can use basic strategy to play blackjack. And in Russian poker there is a basic strategy too. We need to look at the advanced plays on the Russina poker.
Heather: Okay. Is there anything else you want to talk about that maybe we didn’t get to or we didn’t discuss that you do want to talk about before we end the show?
Jinn: If you have question you can ask me anything.
Heather: And you said you did consulting. Do you want to go ahead and plug your consulting and let people know how they can find you and a little more about that?
Jinn: I have my own blog on the internet but it is in Russian language. Russan gambling is a very small niche. If I can say it. So we know each other. Russian casinos know me.
Heather: Sounds good. It’s all about who you know then. Thank you very much for being on. Thank you for being a guest and doing the show. Really do appreciate it.
That does it for today's show. Thank you so much for watching. Please join us on our next livestream or video. We have a video every Thursday at 1 p.m PST. Until then this is Heather Ferris with Vegas Aces reminding you that education can change the world. Have a great day everyone!