Intro to the Ultimate Masterclass

Ready to become a master at dealing roulette? In this comprehensive guide, we'll take you through every essential step – from understanding the rules and perfecting the buy-in process, to mastering the art of spinning the ball and safeguarding against cheaters. Learn how to handle chips with precision, manage bets, and ensure a smooth game. Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this video is packed with insider tips and professional techniques. Elevate your dealing game and impress both players and supervisors alike. Let's roll into the world of roulette dealing excellence!

The first step to learning how to deal roulette is to learn how to play the game. Click here to watch our video on how to play roulette, as that information will not be covered in the following videos on how to deal the game. Please keep in mind that every casino is different, so make sure you know your house rules.

Buying In

When buying in, never take money directly from the player’s hand. Always have the player place the cash on the table and then pick up the money from there. The player must always place the money on the table before the dealer can pick it up. On the same note, the dealer should never directly hand the player money or chips, specifically from the dealer’s hand to the player’s hand. The dealer will always place the chips on the table for the player to pick up.

After the player picks up the cash off the table, they will place it on the apron, which is the area of the table with no markings on it, located next to the bank. Do not count down the money on the roulette numbers or the inside of the roulette table. If the player tosses cash on the layout with no intention of betting, call out “No Bet” and bring the money in to make change for the player. If the player wishes to bet with cash only, they may do so on the outside bets only. Spread the cash, so that the stack of money is not folded, and the eye-in-the-sky can see it clearly. Call out “Money Plays” loud enough that the floor supervisor can hear you. If the player tries to bet cash on any of the inside numbers, tell them “No bet” as Money Plays is not allowed on inside bets. Change the cash for chips, so the player can wager on inside bets.

Slide out the stacks of chips equal to the amount of money received and call out “Change”, loud enough for the floor supervisor to hear. Never turn away from your game when calling out change, as the dealer must keep their game in view at all times.

Each player will get a specific-colored chip that only that player will use. This helps the dealer know which chips belong to which player when completing the take-and-pay procedure. One player can use only one color at a time. No more than one person can play the same color. If the player asks for multiple colors, politely inform them that they can only play with one color. During the original buy-in, a player must purchase one full stack of 20 chips. Afterwards, the player is allowed to purchase short stacks as long as their play is continual.

The casino prefers it if the player uses roulette chips instead of dollar value cheques, however if the player wants to play dollar value cheques on the table, they are allowed to do so. This includes red $5 cheques, green $25 cheques, black $100 cheques, and so on. If more than one player is betting the same color cheque, one of those players must exchange their cheques for colored roulette chips. The dealer will mark up a colored roulette chip with the dollar value of the cheque the player wants to play. This will avoid any confusion during the take-and-pay procedure. Most roulette chips have the value of $1, however some casinos may offer $0.25 or $0.50 chips.

Roulette chips will typically have the roulette table number on them, so if the dealer is dealing on RO-05, there will be a “05” marked in the center of that table’s roulette chips. This tells the dealer and management what table those roulette chips belong to, in case a player walks off with them, they can be returned to their respective table in the future. We will discuss marking cheque value in detail in a later video.

When giving players their chips, the dealer will push their stacks of chips to the player using specific chip and hand placements.

You can find a guide for how to push chips on our website. If you would like some hands-on practice, during your break you can go to a dead roulette game and ask the floor supervisor if you can practice pushing cheques. More than likely, the floor supervisor will agree to this, unless they are busy with a difficult player or a high roller. In fact, the casino expects dealers to practice this skill, to develop their muscle memory.

Casing the Layout

As the players finish making their bets, the dealer will case the layout before each spin, making sure that all bets are positioned correctly and can be seen clearly. Straighten up bets and clarify the value of the chips being played. Be aware of every bet and who is placing those bets on your game. The dealer will verify there are no bets over or under the table limits, there are no bets that can be misinterpreted, and there is no high value cheques placed anywhere in the betting area. If the table minimum is $5, that means the player must play $5 on each of the outside bets as well as five $1 chips on the inside of the layout. The player cannot play $3 on red and $2 inside and call it good. That is not an acceptable bet. They must play $5 on red and five $1 chips on the inside, where the numbers are. If a player bets $100 black chips inside, notify the floor supervisor by calling out “Cheques Play”. Always keep your bank in view and never turn your back on your bank. Cheaters will try to distract the dealer with a spilled drink, causing the dealer to have tunnel vision where their bank or parts of their table are no longer in view.

The Columns and the 3rd Dozen are the most vulnerable sections and should be watched more closely because of it. Always keep your eyes on the layout. The outside bets are closest to the player and more easily obtainable if a player decides to cheat. The dealer should also take note of which bets are placed where and how much there is. For example, the dealer will find it odd that a $30 bet just turned into a $105 bet on the 1st Column and that will alert the dealer that the player may be cheating. This technique will help the dealer in the future if someone tries to pinch or past post their bet.

Pinching is when the player takes money off of their bet, while past posting is when the player adds more money to their wager. Pinching and past posting typically happen after the outcome has been determined and the cheater can either cut their losses or increase their wins. The term past posting originates from horse racing where a sound indicates a “call to post” meaning no more bets can be taken. Any bets made after or past this time are considered past post. We will discuss this in detail in a future video.

There will be times when a player will ask you to place a bet on a number that cannot be reached. If they do so, the dealer will place the chips given to them on that number. This usually happens when the player is on one end of the table and. They can't reach the number on the other end of the table. When doing so the dealer will always clear their hands first and repeat what the player says. This is known as “Booking your Bet”. Announce all actions that you are completing in a loud and clear voice for all to hear.

Spinning the Ball

After the dealer has cased their layout, it is time to spin the ball. The wheel should be spinning at a reasonable speed, not so fast that it’s difficult to read the numbers as they pass by, but not too slow either. When spinning the ball, the dealer will snap their fingers while keeping their wrist straight. Try not to fling the ball, or spin the ball incorrectly, as this can cause carpal tunnel or a cyst to grow either in a finger or the wrist. These cysts are painful and will need surgery to be taken out. That is why it is important to spin the ball correctly. Also make sure that the ball is snapped in the right direction. The ball should spin in the opposite direction that the wheel is spinning. Never snap the ball in the same direction that the wheel is spinning.

The dealer should never look at the wheel when they spin the ball. This is to prevent the dealer from trying to hit a certain number, or a certain part of the wheel, as this is considered cheating. It is the dealer’s job to deal a fair and honest game. Instead, look at the layout when snapping the ball, and never avert your eyes from the layout for the entire time the ball is spinning.

Once the ball is spinning, do not obstruct or stop the rotation of the ball. The only exception to this is if you know the ball will not make its full 3 rotations around the wheel. The ball must go around the wheel a minimum of 3 times for it to qualify as a valid spin. If the ball cannot make its 3 rotations, call out “No spin”, take the ball out of the wheel, wait a second and then spin the ball again. The ball must make 3 full rotations around the wheel to be a valid spin. Usually, the dealer can tell right away if the ball will get 3 valid spins as soon as they snap the ball. However, the dealer will know for sure that the ball has gone around the wheel three times by either listening to it, or by taking a few steps back so they can watch both the wheel and the layout at the same time.

While the ball is spinning in the wheel, the dealer will watch the layout. Adjust any misplaced bets, uncertain bets, or bets over or under the table limit. The dealer will listen to the ball spinning and when it starts to slow down, the dealer will wave off the table. Practice and experience will enable the dealer to know when the ball is about to drop. A second or two before the ball drops; the dealer will sweep their hand over the table and announce, “No more bets.” No transactions should be made during this time.

Any bets made after this time will be returned to the player. By announcing “No more bets”, this will make it easier for the dealer to see if a player tries to past post. If the player requests change while the ball is spinning, let them know you will do so after this spin. Then wait until after the take-and-pay procedure before making change for the player. If the relief dealer taps you out for break, when the ball is spinning, you must complete this spin, including the take-and-pay procedure, before clapping out to go to break. You are not allowed to go to break while the ball is spinning before you have taken or paid any bets.

As the ball drops, the dealer will take a few steps back and angle themselves, so they are square with the game. The dealer needs to continue watching the layout as this is a vulnerable time for the game. Be particularly alert of the Columns, Dozens, or any of the Outside bets. If there is any doubt, call over the floor supervisor. The dealer’s body should always be aligned squarely with the game. By taking a few steps back, the dealer can see both the layout and the wheel at the same time. This alignment allows you to see the entire table layout at all times. If the dealer turns their body, they won’t be able to see parts of the table. The dealer should never have any part of the table blocked from view. The dealer should never turn their back on the game, even when calling for the floor, calling change, or during a dead game.

After the ball has dropped, the dealer will glance at the wheel; however, do not turn your head and stare at the wheel, as this will cause tunnel vision. The dealer never wants to take their eyes off the layout. In order for the dealer to look and see what number was hit while avoiding turning their head, the dealer should take several steps back so that way they can see both the wheel and the table at the exact same time. Always keep the full table in sight, especially when quickly glancing at the wheel. As soon as the dealer sees which number was hit, they will glance back at the layout. This will also make it easier to spot Past Posters.

Timing is of the utmost importance when dealing roulette. The dealer should time the spin of the ball to the table play. The pace of the game is a vitally important factor when dealing, as speed is critical to the casino’s bottom line. Keep the game at an even tempo, giving players enough time to make their bets but not too long to slow down the pace of the game. On roulette, the normal pace of the game is 60 spins-per-hour.

When snapping the ball, sometimes the ball will fly out of the wheel. There is no need to be embarrassed as this is normal and happens to the best of us. The more the dealer practices, the less this will happen. Muscle memory is key. The best way to practice is, when you are on your break, go to the floorman who is supervising a dead roulette game and ask them if you can practice snapping the ball during your break. More than likely they will say yes. A dead game is the perfect time to practice pushing chips or spinning the roulette ball.

If you are on a dead game, and you don’t intent to practice snapping the ball, then take the ball out of the wheel and place it on top of the wheel head. There is a small indention at the very top of the wheel that the ball can be placed in. Some casinos will request that the ball be taken out of the wheel and placed in a certain spot on the layout, typically near the bank or in between the stacks of roulette chips.

If you are dealing on a normal game with players at the table, and the ball flies out of the wheel, then the floor supervisor must inspect the ball before it can go back into play. That spin is void and the dealer will spin the ball again. Under no circumstances is the ball to be used if it has been touched or handled by a player or another person. Any ball that has flown out of the wheel and touched by a player must be given to the floor supervisor to be checked before being returned to the game. This is to prevent the ball from being switched with another ball that might have been altered in some way.