5 Tips and Tricks to Being a Better Floor Supervisor

In this interview, I speak with Kris, a Las Vegas Strip Floor Supervisor about the five tips and tricks that will advance you to the next level of being a casino floor supervisor. If you want to be a better floor supervisor then this video is for you.

Heather: Welcome to Vegas Aces. My name is Heather Feris and today we are joined with Kris...

Kris: Kris

Heather: Now Kris, you are -- again everything is anonymous here, you are a floor supervisor on the Las Vegas strip. You have been doing that for a pretty good amount of time. Thank you so so much for being on the show. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and thank you for basically helping people who are watching and who want to be floor supervisors. And answering any questions they typically ask. So first of all, what is it like to be a floor supervisor in Las Vegas?

Kris: Well, yes it has been many years and I have dealt at a number of casinos and been a floor supervisor at two, over the years. There's a difference based on the size of the casino. The dollar amount in play and of course whether they’re local players a majority of the time versus people that are on holiday. Those several different aspects make a large change in, maybe your customer service level. So think for a moment if you were to get into an industry and you were to start in a small casino or small plant or manufacturing, your skill set would be small. The broader you can get to your skillset might encourage you to move to a larger casino. Or bigger or better job. Think of things like not graduating college or two year degrees vs a four and then a masters degree. So the equivalent to probably where I am now in a very large casino, seeing very high dollar amounts and the number of years in, probably close to a masters. Because that availability means I can go probably to any other property on the strip or away from Las Vegas.

Heather: Yeah. So it really matters where you work. Like if you were in a certain casino that is very, well known in Las Vegas or in America. If you are in something like let’s say...let’s give an example the Winn. Then you could pretty much work anywhere in America or pretty much anywhere in Las Vegas really.

Kris: Yes. A minimum requirements are established for whichever position and with 8,000 to 10,000 employees in several of the big ones. In the top 3, top 5 whatever your personal perspective is, you get in a one, two years three years dealing position, or 5 years or 10 years in and then you go get in 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 5 years into a floor position, those attributes definitely stack up to the resume to wherever you might want to go. And I think a majority of jobs nowadays are... What is the business portfolio or plan for you? What shift will work best for you and your family or children or your single life? Or you want to work two part-time jobs. Because that benefits you better for 7 days a week as opposed to… “Well I have to work morning this one and night this one.” Well I can always say on the same hours, and then the vacation time accrues.

Your financial goals, 401Ks, those benefits are very useful. Tax benefits for -- there’s some solid pluses for working inside a major business. The top 500 S&P company. Stocks, dividends, returns. Sometimes you are like yeah, well maybe it’s a desk job, you know, just because you have to clock in and clock out, but it’s more of a customer service.

By all means if you’re lacking being an extrovert, keeping it simple might just be dealing. If you’re going for a floor position or senior management assistant shift or shift manager to run the 40 to 400 employees during a swing shift on a busy casino night, you're going to need a serious skill set. And it’s probably going to require a minimum 2-4 year college degree to get you there.

But the people skills and being able to adjust to circumstances that may be out of your control. Obviously, if you were in a bank and someone hit the fire alarm you might just lock your money drawer and run out. But safety first, right? But in the casino when we have had emergencies and unfortunate circumstances it is, get the customer to a safe spot, we will worry about putting a lid on the -- or locking --not even just put the lid on and get everybody out safely. It’s really your concern more with people. You’re concerned more with keeping a positive atmosphere and attitude towards everyone having a good time. Obviously there’s insurance for -- if the building were to burn down but you can’t maybe get back an employee that needs assistance out or things like that. It’s -- there's a very conscious awareness of what’s going on around you that is probably a high level requirement. They might just say I’ll pay attention, but it’s a bit more than just paying attention.

Heather: And that’s really difficult to do especially nowadays the floor supervisors are tasked with watching and I swear I don’t know how you guys do this. Six games, eight games, you know, depending on the situation, nine games. I mean it is just incredible what you have to keep track of and what you have to pay attention to.

Kris: It does varry. Yes.

Heather: Yeah.

Kris: From dollar amount. The reference is a smaller casino. If the table minimum is $5 - $10 and the maximum is $500. There’s a high likelihood I’ve watched 8, 9, 10 games and/or scheduled a 10 or 12 hour shift. For all those who party for New Year’s thanks for coming! But by the way we do like 10 or 12 hours 3 days in a row. The 30th, 31st, 1st.

Heather: Which are blackout days, by the way. And you can not call in sick.

Kris: If you do, yes there is a significant ramification towards 10, 12, 14 points to getting fired. Yeah the strenuous level of activity at that point in time is really requesting you to be on your best for an extremely long amount of time. So the focused amount of time you might be going 2 -3 hours and then getting maby a 30 minute break. So by all means when the dollar amounts are smaller up to $500 it’s probably much easier for me to attend to paying attention to the games. But as in -- if I’m in a much higher dollar amount situation where we payout over a $100,000 in less than 60 seconds. Whether it’s in a salon room, in the back, somewhere, you know $10,000, $20,000, $30,000, $50,000 a hand or on a roulette game single 0 maybe betting $100,000 on one spin. You know, you are watching one game.

Heather: Yeah in fact not only that if someone is on the high limit table and they are betting a lot you have 3 or 4 people watching that one game.

Kris: Yeah, on the floor for sure! Which is -- it’s a little something tidbit that’s ironic or a good time so to say. It wasn’t my table, the section next to me and single 0 section. There happened to be quite a large crowd 20-30- 50 people some -- they kept getting closer and closer and I’m like, I’m going to go around the table to help the other floormen watching the game. Just kind of adjusting the chairs, scoot the people back just a little. By all means the better law says public open area you can watch, you can cheer, you can be encouraging. So I went around the table and the minute I got just by the wheel head, hit 14. We paid him $129,000. On one spin. So I’m like well -- but we gave him a little room and I could ID anyone that appeared to be under 21, you know. Space like that. Just a few minutes, 3-5-8 minutes something like that. Oh gosh these guys are crushing it. I’m like I’ve got to go around the table again and give them some room. Went around the table, hit 14 again, made him $144,000 on one spin. And the foreman is like DUDE you are the most unlucky person ever, like what is the deal? He’s like -- Ok I’m unlucky!

Heather: Like okay just stay on this side of the table. Don’t walk anywhere.

Kris: Right. So it was a little bit of an awkward situation. But when you start throwing thousand dollar chips all over the place. Yes you are going to really watch one game as a primary and yeah surveillance can be on any game on any casino floor at some point in time.

Heather: They are always watching.

Kris: Well. Or we would like to tell you they are. I mean --

Heather: Shhhhhh

Kris: Yeah. There’s so many cameras but they’re really not watching. Your betting $5 a hand they are not -- they are watching somebody bet a lot of money somewhere or they are watching somebody that might be doing something dishonest. Whether it is an employee or a guest. And yes they are interested in protecting the best interest of the company corporation. By all means they don’t want to rain down and ruin somebody’s parade or someone's fun.

Heather: Yeah.

Kris: And that’s what the bonus part for supervisor is there is a discretionary dollar amount. So if there was an intentional, or unintentional move by a player. Intentional or unintentional move by a dealer. To take an extra card or not to, or -- The discretionary dollar is much higher. In a better casino.

Heather: Okay.

Kris: So better meaning higher dollar amount and probably more luxurious.

Heather: Okay.

Kris: So that helps the floor person and is vital to them. If you are on the floor watching this, I would encourage you to know what that dollar amount is. If it's $50 in a small casino or $100 in just a little bit bigger one. Don’t hesitate! Don’t hesitate to try and interpret what the intention of the player was. So by all means, you want to come very cautious, very gentle to hear everyone out. Because it is not always about what the result is. It’s about how you made that person feel. So if the players offended, regardless of whether you actually gave him his money back or called the hand dead. Then there’s a betterness that’s not sweet and they don’t want to play there or don’t want to be with that dealer or who would be more happy to play somewhere else. You don’t want to lose business for what an $80 or $280 payout? Look it’s not about the money.

Heather: Right.

Kris: It’s about trying to resolve the issue, what the player would have naturally intended. How they’ve naturally tried to play. Whether they are all, “I wanted the car!” Well there’s a good chance this person is drinking, and/or loosing, or loosing and/or drinking. Vice Versa. Or they might be doing one more than the other. And it might affect their attitude. So that discretionary dollar amount, helps solve issues. So if I can try to determine what your intent was, like a hand last night -- happened to be watching a ultimate holdem table. And the player had queen, eight and the player was not normally going to go following basic strategy on that hand of going four times. Basic strategy part is important for each and every game by the way.

If you're going to be good at being a floor supervisor, it does matter knowing how to give the player the correct play if they ask. You don’t have to, but if they ask. It builds bond of encouragement. Bond of encouragement is, yeah I’m going to encourage you to hit that, or stand, or double, or split, or go four times. So in this circumstance it was going four times. Basic strategy is every Ace or better, King 5 or better queen, 8 or better. But that player was like, no no I want to play a little different, or play a little more concertive. They would not. The answer was is that we had exposed the entire hand. The player had thought that she gave the players cards. The player didn’t even have the two cards and she flipped the flop, and they are like -- and moved his hand like I don’t have my card and she flipped the turn the player doesn’t even have his two cards and I’m like -- when he put his money down he intended to play the hand. I’m going to therefore give him his two cards and it’s fully exposed. It’s like a blackjack hand where the dealer gave the two cards and then just flipped their hand. Well we have what we have. Seventeen or twenty.

You choose to do what you need to do to beat the hand or win. So he had queen/8 and I said do you want to go four times? And he’s like no, and I said well my intent is would you have gone 4 times from the beginning? If I was playing, I would have. Because basic strategy entails to do that. Go four times. So $15 bet, let’s say $60 is an example. The flop came a pair of twos and a King, so that didn’t add up to him wanting to go 2 times and make a bet. He hadn’t made a pair or showed top card so then the turn a river came and he hit a pair so he’s go two pairs. Well with that playing at one time, I’ll give you that action. So giving the player that action based on what their natural normal intent would be is something very simple. The hand plays out and you know we pay or take appropriately, and that’s fine.

So having the years of experience in dealing and/or a very strong encouragement for anyone getting into a floor position in a small casino, or going to a big one, duo rate position, is knowing as many games as you can. If you can know 8, 10, 12 games everything from Pai Gow to single Zero, everywhere in between.

Heather: Yeah.

Kris: Those are some encouragements. If you can further note what strategy should be used on those games, that’s going to seriously help your skill set, but it’s going to help the players have a good time. It will help them have a memorable experience and then want to come back and see you and do business with you and your property again.

Heather: Yeah. So what is the normal and life of a floor supervisor? Just what’s a typical day for you?

Kris: Well you try to blow all your check daily, your chips daily. You try to get drunk as hell. Just stumble back into work and drink a cup of coffee, rub the dirt out of your eyes, and be like, Wow! I made it. I’m not fired yet. Give me another 6 - 8 hours let’s get out of here and start drinking again. Oh wait, that's the good old days back like 30-40 years ago.

Heather: Although some of them still do that.

Kris: Yeah. Be like, wait it’s my break time, you run out of beep or some other casino downtown as an example. Not to say that casino was the case, but you would run out of one, run into the one next door, give me a shot and a beer and smoke two cigarettes on your 20 minute break and then run back to the table to deal blackjack.

Heather: Yep!

Kris: So you know. The many many years ago stories. But you will still see several floor people or dealers in the casino industry, you know still have a life. Oh well it’s somebody's birthday, or somebody's retirement party, as we watch the baby boomers continue to move on. It helps the younger ones like us more up a little bit. You know there are good times to be had. You don’t want to show up to work hungover because then your lack of attention or your lack of patience or focus can come back and bite you. Obviously you can’t be 100% every day, but there’s a bonus, you have points 10, 12, 14 points depending on which casino you are in to use at your discretion. They don’t ask where you were or what you were doing. But side note as we were chatting before we go on the camera, you don’t have to post that you are at a party on social media website that helps encourage you to get written up or fired.

Heather: Yeah, don’t do that.

Kris: Yes live your life for sure, but don’t jeopardize your ability.

Heather: Especially if you are in Facebook and your friends with your boss, your friends with the assistant manager, the casino manager. Yeah don’t do that!

Kris: I think as much as the locals, been there a long time. Once the locals liked to enjoy a good meal being on the strip or away from it. Enjoy a beverage or two or something and have some good times. Now that marijuana is legal, obviously that is a discretion for yourself. As well --

Heather: Real quick, now that you brought that up. Have you ever had someone on your table just light up? I have and it was 10 -- no 15 -- about 15 years ago and I was -- oh I can’t say the name of the casino, but I was at a casino working as a dealer and they just lit up at my table and I am like dude it’s illegal what are you doing? And they said, “Oh it’s fine.”

Kris: Yeah. Even now so it’s illegal to light up on the table in the casino area because it definitely still affects other people. There are people that have an allergic reactions, or start coughing severely. I don’t do well with smelling marijuana around tables. And there are people walking through on a regular basis or in front of the tables -- there’s a very strong aroma. And I have seen dealers start coughing and not handling the situation well. There are laws that follow in Nevada and those are in the privacy of your own home or taking in those things. Feel free to Google it. Don’t exactly use my reference. But it’s more of a courtesy than I’m saying, please consider other people around you.

Heather: Plus the gaming control board -- the casinos will lose their license if they allow any kind of marijuana use any where the tables. The Nevada gaming control board completely forbids it.

Kris: So you know, it’s a strong encouragement to help people have a good time. Even the locals. It’s encouraged. Use your vacation time. Schedule some getaways. Some priorities for your family and friends because it’s scientifically proven -- a therapist will say, look if you want to be more successful in your time working, be more successful scheduling your time away from work. So you are getting your rest, your getting your family time, your getting your vacation time. Oh love being in the Bahamas, and you know. White sand and blue water and the oceans. Those things are very encouraging to helping your success level at whatever casino level you’re at. And I’ve gone back and seen people that I have worked with 12-15 years ago, whatever, that are still in the same casino and still in the same dealing position. And they are satisfied with their days on and their days off.

Heather: Yep.

Kris: With their medical, dental, vision, 401K program with being the breadwinner a husband or the wife and she makes more than he does or vice versa and they are satisfied. There’s nothing wrong with having some contentment and some joy in life.

Whatever really helps you not be at that higher stress level or experiencing new things that disrupt your right brain. Which is awkward situations, so how your brain functionally works. You know what it’s going to be different to try to deal with somebody going, give me a $19,000 nine, when you like oh I’ve seen maybe $40 on the nine and I know what it pays. Well hello! You’re going to get just chewed up and spit out in a quick manner that other peers, that dealers or floor persons -- floor person could be more encouraging than another dealer who might come down on you rather hard, rather quickly.

Because there is a skill set that I have seen over the years that determines what players want to play with what -- staff, what dealer. So if I’m very familiar with what every single payout is for $1 to $100 on the roulette table and I happen to throw up $57 on a number and it takes the dealer 20 seconds to a minute to two minutes to come up with what that payout is, it’s going to either be comforting, or it’s going to be annoying. So the newer player is going to go, you know what? I’m comforted by their chit chat and make conversation, they are explaining to me why they are paying me the $25 pays this, the $50 total pays this. The extra 7 pays this. And then the breakdown on how and why. And they are like, “Oh well this is encouraging.” And they have a good attitude. And the experienced player that came up with the payout is before the dealer came up with what the payout is, is either going to look around and go what other tables are available? Where can I go where there might be a better, higher quality, more experienced in form suiting me so my hands per hour can be fulfilled for my level of a good time?

Heather: Yeah.

Kris: I don’t know if you have see that very often? But that also it is what determined whether someone will play at a table that has a $25 maximum straight up. Where a $500 maximum straight up, a $1000 maximum straight up and if you got a million two five, $50,000,000 line of credit. $2000 straight up and every weighted number you’re going to start figuring out -- once you get into serious high limits, oh well that the -- the payout on this table was 1.1 million on the last spin. There’s very few, very few.

Heather: Yeah.

Kris: They’ve been 10, 20, 30, 40 years on the same table in the same casino, as long as -- or they have moved only to a new one when it opened. You know. Very high end.

Heather: That is a very good point. And also too, if the dealers are burnt out, if they lack sleep. Again what you were saying before it is really important for self-care. If you don’t do that, if you don’t take care of yourself, that’s going to cause mistakes. I mean stupid mistakes. Like you know the information but still -- because of the lack of sleep. Because you are burnt, because you are not taking care of yourself. I completely agree with that.

What other tips and tricks do you have for floor supervisors or want to be floor supervisors out there. Or dual rates.

Kris: Yeah, the dual rates are a good way to go for sure. So depending on the size of the casino, they might give you one or two days to start putting a jacket on. That’s probably one of my strongest encouragements is one, know and or learn as many games as you can. And then get a qualified skill set for each of those games. Depending on which casino you are in they might give you a one or two page test or exam sort of say in proficiency. If you can pass that in a certain time frame, 60 seconds or 5 minutes, depending on how difficult it is. Those professency skills sets let your immediate shift manager, casino manager, know that you still need work or you are good to go to get more experience on that next level and next game.

Those are strong encouragements. And then, one, two, three years in at each game seeing high dollar amounts day in and day out. And being prepared, mentally, emotionally to deal with an irate loss or irate mistake and how you handle those is going to come through as a representative of your personality. Because it’s really represents the casino. Like they take it as this is the casinos point of view. Instead oh we are going to look at the camera. “I want to see the -- I don’t know how many times -- just heads up, I don’t know how many times they say well go to the camera. Sir! Mam! I am not going to the camera. What? Grumble. No! What I am going to hear your perspective and I am going to say gentleman, I would love to hear what you thought you saw or thought you heard or what your dollar amount was or what the hand was. More than happy to hear it. Just give me a moment. And then I am more than happy to hear what the dealer might have said. And/or if there’s 3 or 4 other people at the table. Hey what do you think occurred? Okay. Great well do you know what? I’m going to solve this right now.

Because it is under my discretionary dollar amount. And I don’t believe that there was an infraction that was an intentional cheating and I really have to be able to read people and go with intent. The key point there is, a skill set. The next is patience. If you can gain patience, whether you have raised 4 children for the last how many years or none and your patience is very high. And/or you can gain patience in a very short amount of time to help slow the situation down. Characteristic that is more common than not, psychological evaluation of how people are interpreted. You will often find players that are gravitated to a very attractive woman or man. They want to do business, or sit and spend money with somebody that they find desirable to look at, or desirable to have a conversation with. Something soothing or comforting. Maybe someone within 5 or 10 years of their age bracket. So when those things occur, and I step in as a floor person in my 20s or 30s and I happen to have a table full of everyone around 60. They are like, “I don’t want to hear anything, what ever you have to say is like my kid telling me what to do.” And then Grandpa and grandma or mom and dad, they don’t want to hear anything that a -- your the same age as my kid. Look, I apologize but this is the casino's point of view whether you like to accept it or not. These are the rules and we are going to play by them. And those are not offending other people with language or spitting tobacco on the table, smoking weed. There are certain aspects that I have to step in and make judgements. But those skill sets very important --

Heather: Was grandma like calling people names again?

Kris: Yeah right! She had to much of the **** egg nog. So, the answer of course is patience. And people just really want to be heard. Okay. And then I got to recall a number of occasions where I didn’t want to offend the dealer. And the dealer was like, well they totally took a shot. They asked for a card and then I gave it to them, then they bust, and they go no I didn’t want it. And then -- they have always been in 16 or vise versa. “Look, I am certain that if I have the computer system up and running” -- whichever great one you happen to use. At several of the bigger casinos. There could be a player tracker. It could be that this person is notorious for often making plays that would be less than desirable. Fine. And/or intentional cheating. They are like, “I am going to take a shot to try to win a payoff that maybe I didn’t deserve and this is my way to do it.” And you as a floor person please learn those tricks and traits and how and why. I saw a person pull a $500 losing bet off of the roulette table. On the bottom center column.

Heather: Not good.

Kris: When the floor person and the dealer and the mucker missed it.

Heather: Oh Jeez.

Kris: I happened to be on the game behind and I’m like, “Your kidding me right now!” It’s a $500 pulled the bet off the layout, it was a losing bet.

Heather: Was it the Savanna?

Kris: Yeah.

Heather: Oh jeez

Kris: Right! And very few people know that move.

Heather: Yeah.

Kris: But that was -- and yeah! Unbelievable! But so the player tracker point was attached to the name and the player and the ratings. So you have the ability to say, you know was this questionable? Or how often you would type in some notes, or ask your superior to watch the tape and/or consider those things. But really just the positive resolution and dealing with people. They are not going to remember what you said. They are going to remember how they felt. About how you handled the situation. And more often than not, like you know what? What’s it going to cost me? You know what I will let you out of the hand.

By the way circumstance occurred recently, last night or night before, some just like that. Asked for a card. “No I didn’t.” The dealer was like, “He asked for the card.” I understand, maybe it was a physical reaction that was unintended. He made it intentional or unintentional. It was like 5 -- “I wanted to surrender.” Ok surrender, I will give you half your bet back, no problem. This is the next card out and the person goes “well I don’t want that card.” Clearly it is not a miss deal. And I don’t feel like burning the card, so the answer is, if you want out of the hand or you want to surrender. I will let you surrender. And the last guy make a decision. I’m going to take it not take it. Well it’s a big card. I’m going to stick and I want the dealer to flip and probably break. So, it wasn’t the most positive resolution, like I just paid everybody. Oh! Everybody loves you. You know. It’s amazing how people love you when you give them money. But I am not always at liberty to give away the houses money. Disappointing fact.

But yes I want to keep people having a good time. That is valuable to see when the hand is said and done and we throw all the rest of the cards in and give it a reshuffle and make a fresh start. Everybody is fresh starting? Okay good. I give you the option out of the hand. If you play on it’s a win or lose however you so choose. I gave you the opportunity to get you. You lost the hand. Once in a while I will just go, you know what, just give them a push. Which means I gave them an opportunity to win without losing. You just can’t go about that all the time. It’s very limited circumstances. Would I be able to express to my boss. Hey, how or why did this person get this option and was it always a running theme? Well, you know a recovery program, or several different casino’s recovery program might be that you would give them an extra comfort drink or a buffet or something if the situation was out of hand. How I might have to handle this player might not be the same way I would handle another player although the situation seems very similar. How much play a person has, some of what their ratings are, what tier of value customers they might be, how long they have been playing, how many years I may have seen them. Year after year knowing them and how they normally play. Is this something they do often?

There is a lot of discretionary decisions that go into your skill set for helping people play. If you consider this person might be gambling away more than what is comfortable for them that particular evening. And you might need to determine, maybe there is an alcohol awareness program that you have to have a TAM card. And you have to help determine when somebody is getting to the point of having to much to drink and making difficult decisions. That’s either some skill set that you have to entertain yourself and make those decisions. And other casinos, they don’t want you to make that decision as a floor person. They want your boss to make that decision. You just inform them, hey I want you to come see this person. Take an eye and look at them. A pit manager, an assistant manager, a shift manager make those determinations so you can remove yourself from that. So knowing your role and what’s acceptable in your casino and encouraged is viable, and knowing not to step on someone else's toes to do that.

Heather: So basically the tips and tricks and just to rephrase what you were saying for people out there. People who are interested and want to go into floor supervising, they need to learn as many games as possible. Preferably dealing. Don’t be a floor supervisor if you only know blackjack. And two they need patience, because you don’t want to punch the players. Not good. I have seen it. Don’t do it. Three, you want to inform yourself or teach yourself about cheating, which we will have more on Vegas Aces, so stay tooned for that. And four would be good customer service because we are a customer service based industry. We are the entertainment industry, we are here to make sure you have a good time. Did I miss anything?

Kris: Those are viable points. They just really are. And there’s only so much you can bring from another level or another field. And it is encouraged that other work experience somewhere along the way. You don’t get into casinos and really on the floor until you are over 21. You know. So, if those first few years you did pruning trees, you since we are in a beautiful environment. Then that’s really quite different than, I made all of my money in sales. As an example. Then, well I have to be able to read people and determine what it is they want and what it is that I can give them. Different extrovert things are better viable to helping you being successful.

Heather: Okay. And on that note, what else makes a good floor supervisor? So we have people out there that are just starting or they are duo rates, but really makes them good?

Kris: I think, just effort. I think effort to me is one of the most desirable things. Whether it is from a co-worker or a partner in life. Effort means quite a bit. So being there day in and day out. And that effort could be shining shoes and being well dressed. There is a crease in your suit pants and jacket and you are really putting in that extra time, to have the proper attitude on top of the outward look. Hey look I am going to wear a smile the majority of the time. I’m going to help other people I have worked with have a good time. And be understanding of what the situation may be.

Someone that is getting a divorce, and they are not the cheeriest of people. But they are at work and you have been working with them for some time. You are like look, I might need to nudge them along and encourage them a little bit. Be helpful to resolving different situations a little bit. What table for what personalities are matching well, and/or maybe not. I might move a table minimum or higher based on who is on the game. That is a skillset you will work towards. But it’s really about the people. Dealing with people and having the attitude. That effort, it goes a long way. You know your boss is going to see it. Are you there all the time or are you the one calling out? Are you missing those peak days of New Years and other times that they really want to count on you. Are you available and are you bringing your best you?

Heather: Also too I want to bring up as an example, I used to work with this floor supervisor who was around during the mafia days. And he was -- he knew how to do it. He had a black book with every single players name, their players number. Like what they like, what they don’t like. What he normally comped them. “Oh Mr. So and So, I know you like Cher! Let me get you Cher tickets.” He was freaking on top of it. Certain players who he knew were big spenders that would come in often, as soon as they came up to the table he would have a free pack of cigarettes ready for them. But this was back in the days where comps were a lot easier to give out. That would be another example of what you were saying.

Kris: Yes that is very important. We have a number of casino host now a days that handle different aspects, rather than the floor person handling those. Someone goes, “Oh how many points do I have on my card?” Well, I’m not at liberty to look that up, even though I can look up your account, and help track your rating, or the length of time that you play and what your average bet is. I would be more than happy to assist you with those things. But you go to the casino host for those things. But I really respect the effort that that person would put in. They were like the night in shining armor to the rest of the crew.

And that lead by example is very important and showing that effort. Your boss will want you to learn anther game. Your boss will want you to more to a floor supervisor. Your boss will want you on that shift. They’ll want you getting your vacation time approved. Maybe more so than someone else's. Because they have more respect for you. They appreciate you more. Someone will, somewhere along the way. And believe me if they don’t, you’ll be more than happy to go somewhere else and maybe make an extra $10,000 a year. And maybe make an extra $10,000 above that. And then another $10,000 above that. Because you know it. And if you don’t get on the aces and check. Because I have done it. I have gone from making $10,000 more in this spot, $10,000 more in this spot. $10,000 more in another spot. Those windows will open. Those opportunities will come, and you just can’t step through those until you possibly get that floor person. So if you are encouraged to do say 1, 2, 3 years in the floor position at a casino where you are, you might move back down to dealing but up to a larger casino. Which is very common.

Heather: Isn’t it hard, once you are a dealer and then you move to a floor supervisor, isn’t it hard to go back to dealing again?

Kris: Right but you might move to a larger casino. So let’s say you are making $30,000 a year. $40,000 a year, $50,000 a year. Somewhere in the small to medium range that the majority of small to medium casinos on the strip or off the strip. But if you go to a floor position, now you’ve got one year, or two years. Which is now a minimum requirement for you to obtain a floor position. In the next casino, which is a bigger one. And that pay increase could be $10,000 a year, to a $10,000 over that. Once you get into the top three, top five. They are pretty close in floor pay.

But you might go, “I’m going to step back down to a dealer, 1, 2, 3, 5 years to reacquaint yourself with the skill set needed to deal to the higher dollar amount. So dealing to the higher dollar amount your going to be -- how fast can I come up with that. What’s a $57 payout on this game roulette to baccarat to etc. Dice. You're like oh well, it’s an odd dollar amount. Well you're going to get odd dollar amounts. I hate to tell you this. You’re going to have to work your brain. Math is part of it.

Heather: One time I was on roulette and I was dealing roulette and my floor supervisor, he couldn’t come up with the number and he sat there with the calculator trying to figure out the number and I sat there and waited.

Kris: And sometimes you get stuck.

Heather: Yeah, that’s true!

Kris: It’s going to happen. It’s not one of your proudest moments by the way. You kinda get stuck. And/or you do it when you're getting -- I got an interview. One of the jobs that I did land, I got an interview. And it was -- I dealt on the left hand of roulette table which isn’t that common on several places. I had some experience, left and right. Popped the ball off, and I’m like, oh watch this I’m going to hit the zero. Guess what? I hit the zero! And then the last second before the ball drops, three people threw an extra chunk on there and I’m like Damn! I don’t know what this shit pays! Wow! So I mean you're talking better than 10 years ago or something. Yeah, it -- your going to get crushed somewhere along the way but that’s what is going to help build you and and make you better is learning those dollar amounts.

So, if you’re like $25 max and the number. So you might know $1 - $25 on what the payout is on the roulette game. But when that next job comes, in order for you to make that extra $10,000 a year, they are encouraging you to encourage your skill set. And before they determine after 1, 2, 3 -- took me 3 and a half years or something, before I went to taking a management position, or floor position in that casino. And then I left that casino and went to a larger casino, to make an additional $10,000 - $20,000 a year. And I went back to dealing for several years, 3, 4, 5 years and then back up to a floor position again. Because it’s really important to have a higher skill set for the higher dollar amount. And that comment earlier was like, that player or several players are expecting another level of customer service. Another level of wearing the white gloves and treating them properly is encouraged for that person -- that buys the highest end car versus someone who is buying a $5000 a car off a used lot.

Heather: One of my friends says in this business we don’t discriminate by race, we discriminate by monetary amounts. So the players, the $5 players they are the lowest and then anyone who’s higher they get their own privileges, and special -- people treat them all nice and everything. It just depends on how much you bet.

Kris: By all means of respect. Common courtesy respect. It is very important. Very important. And the dollar amount -- yes you give extra treatment. You do things for the higher end player that you wouldn’t necessarily treat the lower end player. But person to person, it is very valuable to see somebody -- a homeless person in front of the casino and your casino is right on Las Vegas Blvd. and the doors open and you -- going in you know what? Can we get that guy some water? Or can we help someone pickup chips that they dropped? Or just common courtesy things go a long way. Whether they are a small player or a high end player.

Yes, I’m probably more likely to comp a cigar, a fine glass of wine, or a Louie the 13th -- you know what I mean? As an example, there's this high end beverage because it’s justifiable for what your dollar amount is that you are betting. You know I got somebody going, “Well I’m betting $50 a hand!” Well back in the day we give you cigarettes and now you're like it’s got to be $50 a hand or $100 a hand or whatever the high rank might determine. There’s definitely less comps given out now than there ever was before, that I can think of. You know premium alcohol. I want the highest brand, or things like that.

That white glove treatment, it comes down from the bean counters or analysis as well from the bosses down. Going, “Hey look, this person that has our highest cheer level whether it’s anyone of the major casinos, they are going to say that person is worth 792 of the $5/$10 players. Our revenue generated from this particular dollar amount spender is the same revenue that takes nearly 800 regular Joes, or Janes to make. So how much more do we want to give the white glove services to them? Get them the limos, or get them the rooms comped, or the suites. But that skill set, that skill level, that encouragement it reiterated back. There is some joy in the business to saying, “You know what? They came back in town. They remembered my name. They remembered my face. What shift I was on.” They remember this dealer -- And they go you know what this is where we want to be. This is who we want to be doing business with. We are there to encourage them to have a good time. Those are valuable aspects.

Heather: Yeah.

Kris: I mean you are making your casino the highest and best opportunity to make money. Sometimes they are going to win. Sometimes the casino is going to lose. In the long run the casinos going to win the majority of the time. There’s a few, really high skill set players that might overall win.

Heather: But that’s every here and there, you know. So last question then we will end this livestream. So normally for dealers on the Las Vegas Strip. And no names of no casinos. The low end that they can make is about $30,000 - $40,000 and then the high end they can make is about $100,000. What’s the low end and high end the floor supervisor can make on the Las Vegas strip?

Kris: I think I recall a long time ago, like a long time ago, 10 years ago or something it was like $13 an hour at a very small casino to obtain a floor position. Or even above that $140 a day. I think would be a pay in a smaller area. Pushing $320 a day for one property. But obtaining that position is extremely difficult.

Heather: Okay. In other words someone has to die for you to get that position. Right?

Kris: More than that! Not just one person retires or dies or moves on. It’s a guaranteed dollar amount. There is a variance between a small/medium/large casino. You might make more money as a dealer in that particular casino than the floor person. And then you might also watch more or less games. So if you are in a casino that the floor person makes more than the dealer, it’s probably a smaller casino. If you are in a casino where the dealer makes more than the floor, you are probably in one of the largest casinos. Top 5 casinos. It is really a matter of preference. I have six suits and two tuxedos for a reason. Because I would prefer to be on the floor.

Heather: Yeah.

Kris: I prefer to have a different mental challenge to conducting myself and being presentable and having those -- put a smile on, no matter what is going on. Sort things out. Problem solving. Reading people. Making determining factors. Challenging my mind with the mathematical skill set of three different games at the same time. Calculating this payout in this game, while saying okay go ahead to the calculation of the payout on this game. It is different than acting.

Heather: So your wife must really be jealous of your multitasking skills?

Kris: Yeah after I find her. I don’t know where you are baby but you are running late to this party! But when you show up. I will still welcome you with open arms!

Heather: Well thank you so much for being on. Thank you for doing this video! We really, really do appreciate it. Is there anything you want to promote before we go?

Kris: Just with so much information available. Feel free to obviously ask and use resources. There are plenty of websites, plenty of people that have been in this town a long time that know skills, the Aces etc. Asking dealers, asking floor people where you’re at. What would make me better? Who can I get in touch with? Showing that initiative and effort. I want to be encouraging to anyone and everyone the reason I moved to Vegas was because I got laid off. In another part of the United States -- my position was eliminated. I said this is where there’s jobs. This is where there’s money. This is where there’s opportunity. And it’s a lot warmer and I don’t like being cold. So.

Heather: Yeah shoveling snow is not fun.

Kris: Yeah. So it’s my thought is encouragement. I want to encourage somebody. There’s nothing wrong with going for the highest dollar amount. I want to be a dealer and I am really good at this game, and being the best at that game and being recognized. Hey you know what? They are always there. They are on 3 card poker but now they are dealing to the 6 card bonus which has a million dollar payout. And their accuracy to paying out and cards and position. You know. Well, they took the cards off the table. Or how you handle your people. It’s still a very useful skill set. There is now way I’m going to go, that person is not valuable. Just as a floor person one of the things you are really going to realize is...I need all six of these people. I can’t deal six games at once. I mean I need them to do their best. If that is the position that they want to be in and that’s where they flourish. That’s where they are on their stage with their regular customers, then it’s such a joy to see you. You know it’s who I want to be with. These are the people I want to work with. Because they are encouraging to their guest and skill set is very valuable. I am encouraging anybody out there get out there, get in the line of work. Get in the field that works for you. That you enjoy. Yeah there will be some excitement and some high fives. Someone will hit a royal. There will be some tips come your way. There will be some good money to be made. That’s what it’s about. You want to have some enjoyment but I want to get paid.

Heather: Well this is the best way to be anywhere near gambling and know you are going to walk away with a profit. It’s being a dealer or a floor supervisor the best. Thank you again very very much.

Kris: Appreciate it.

Heather: And thank you guys so much for watching. Remember to subscribe...