Memories of a Longtime Dealer
Lou has been a part of the gaming industry for over 40 years, the first 20 of which he spent as a dealer in Las Vegas.
"My favorite places were the Flamingo, the Sands, and the Desert Inn. That's when the corporations weren't there. That's when the other folks were in. The mob guys -- I never knew it, but that's what they were. I was just a kid. Bugsy had just gotten killed when I went to work at the Flamingo. The Sands was my very first favorite. That was the hotel of all hotels. They had the very best management team. They took care of their help. Their benefits were better than any union. It was the place.
"Years ago, you had great entertainment. You could go to a lounge and catch better acts than in the showroom. Major stars were in the lounges, or they would come in and sit in with the acts after the showroom closed. Don Rickles: Sinatra would get up with him once in a while. Sinatra gave me my first $100 tip. He was playing blackjack. Then he said, 'Do you want to play it or keep it?' I wanted to be polite, so I said, 'Bet it.' And he lost. In those days when the stars would appear on stage, between shows they would come out into the casinos. Sinatra and Sammy would deal. They would blow money, but the casinos didn't care. It was a fun, fun place.
"The casinos were run the way they were supposed to be run -- for the customer, not so corporate-minded. In those days, you could go to Vegas, get your room very reasonable, your food was practically free, your shows were practically free, you would spend $500 in the casino, but you would come back and be happy because gaming was a form of entertainment. When they ran the casinos, you would have a ball, come home, and be happy. They were very happy if the restaurants and shows lost money -- you still lost that $500. Now it would cost you $100 to stay at a hotel, and food is much more expensive, and to get a ticket to one of these shows is ridiculous. Now you gamble only $150 and you aren't as happy when you come home because you don't feel like you've been treated to anything. It all goes into the same pocket -- what difference does it make? It gives the customer the same hours and more fun. They don't understand that. It's not the same industry as when the mob guys ran it. And it shows."
Lou the Dealer's Gaming Tips -- If you are a craps shooter, just look around at the tables where they have the most chips. Find the guy with the most chips, and do what he does. Follow him along.
For blackjack, everybody will tell you in all your books to try to play single and double decks. I don't agree with that, and I never will. The average player goes in to enjoy himself and to win a few dollars. So he is not a professional card counter. Play a shoe. If that shoe is going bad and you catch a run, you will make a lot more money than with a single deck.
Look at gaming as a form of entertainment. Look at that $100 that you might have spent on dinner or a club, where we laughed and had a few drinks and had a good time. Think of it that way.
If you double your money, quit. Not quit gambling, but quit that table. Go have a sandwich or watch a show. And then come back. The odds aren't that tremendously in favor of the casinos. How they make their money is through greed; gamblers doubling their money then trying to quadruple it and losing it all, and more.
Try to survive. Don't try to win the hotel. Just try to win a few dollars. Then stop and enjoy it.
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