Interactive FUTURE OF CASINO DEALING
Could you briefly describe your dealer training programme in terms of suitable candidates, dura- tion, pass-fail, qualifications and calibre at com- pletion?
ANDRES: The training programme I went through for my first land-based casino was an interview and a numerical test followed by two months of games training, chip work, dealing cards and learning the game. At the end of it I was more than ready to face the players!
OLGA: All candidates go through a serious selec- tion process: phone interview, group/live inter- view and practice interview. In my view a candi- date is ideal if he or she is motivated, able to fol- low direct instructions, be attentive, looks good and works confidently in front of the cameras. They will also need a good level of English. Our standard training programme for Live Roulette and Live Blackjack takes 13 working days. Candidates are able to practise so that they are confident and ready for ‘independent life’ at the live tables. They also have to pass theory and practical exams before they get to do the job for real.
HELEN: As standard, all Evolution dealers undergo approximately three weeks’ initial training at the Evolution Academy. In the Academy they will learn all about the games, the systems and proto- cols – a number of which are unique to Evolution’s operations. Prior to being allowed on the live tables, dealers get used to performing in front of the cameras. All dealers are carefully monitored and their performances viewed to identify areas for improvement. Any weaknesses are addressed with additional support in the Academy. So, their calibre on completion of training is very high. In addition, all our dealers receive refresher and top- up sessions when new products and game enhancements are released.
Some dealers will not complete the full training session and will drop out, while others may not make the grade. However, we endeavour to max- imise our success rates. We have a team devoted specifically to this cause to ensure that we recruit and retain the best dealers.
Is training different for the land-based and online sectors? Are the skills interchangeable?
ANDRES: Yes it’s different for online because there is much more focus on the studio processes and technology required to run the online game and communicate with players.
Many core skills are interchangeable – general presentation and communication skills and knowledge of the games and betting procedures being the obvious examples. Other skills, which are unique to online Live Casino, must be learnt.
OLGA: The training and the skills are different in a number of ways as Andres says. In some ways online dealers have more to think about, in other ways less. For example, online dealers do not have
8 6
“Many core skills are
interchangeable – presentation and communication skills and knowledge of the games and betting procedures being the
obvious examples. Other skills, which are unique to online Live Casino, must be learnt.”
to count payouts – we have machines to do that for us!
HELEN: In general the skills are interchangeable, but some people who have worked in land-based casinos find it a challenge to work online. They miss the human contact and being able to feed off a player sat directly across the table – that feeling of looking straight into the player’s eyes and try- ing to imagine how their mind is working.
But then there are different skills and expertise to be acquired in online Live Casino. To be able to master all the things in our Dealer Training Module and still look natural when performing on screen is an art. For example, play cannot slow down because the dealer is focused on following chat dialogue on the monitor as players are typ- ing; yet prompt verbal responses still need to be made to chat comments. The ability to multi-task
and come across as focused and calm is impera- tive. You also need to remember that the volume of simultaneous players online and active in any one game can be significantly higher than in a land-based casino. Our Live Roulette, Blackjack Bet Behind and Casino Hold’em games all allow an unlimited number of players to place bets.
Are certain types of people more suited to dealing online, and others land-based, or is it all the same?
ANDRES: I think people can easily do both the online and land-based dealer roles, and could easily be suited to both roles. However, it takes different skills to progress in each sector.
Both online and land-based dealing suits the type of person who can handle shift work, has an out- going personality, can communicate well at all levels, has good customer services skills and can handle structured and repetitive work.
In terms of differences, those in land-based deal- ing roles have more scope for interaction with end customers face-to-face, and will need to do more chip work and mental arithmetic. They may also be more exposed to difficult customer situations and will need to know how to handle such situa- tions. Online is more about co-ordinating the dealing role with the system. An online dealer needs to have the strength of character and disci- pline to be charismatic when there are no cus- tomers actually around you, just a chat box of people talking to you.
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