Schenectady

The cards slid effortlessly off David Vatthanavong's hands while he stood behind the gaming table regaling reporters during a mock game of blackjack.

"I love what I do," said Vatthanavong, a table-games shift manager with Rivers Casino, who said working as a casino dealer is analogous to be being an entertainer. "When you step on stage, you want to be personable, you want to be approachable."

Those hoping to become dealers at the Rivers Casino & Resort under construction along the Mohawk River need to be gregarious and good at basic math, Vatthanavong said.

On Wednesday, he was part of a group of gaming officials and executives who gave reporters a crash course on the basics of table and poker games inside the deal room at Rivers' Erie Boulevard office. The office is across the street from where the $330 million casino is being built.

The gambling hall is scheduled to open in February.

Rosemarie "Rose" Cook, vice president of gaming, said the company wants to hire 300 dealers before the casino opens.

The 10-week dealer school starts in mid-October. Interviews are underway. For information, go to https://riverscasinoandresort.com/

"Our goal is to get people from the community and teach them everything they need to know to deal," Cook said.

Aspiring dealers will learn the proper way to handle chips and cards, roulette and craps. "You just need enthusiasm and desire and we will take it from there."

Prospective dealers will learn how to spot a potential cheater — what's known in the industry as "game protection."

After about 6 months on the job, dealers have the opportunity to advance to supervisor, Cook said.

She said the pay is a base salary plus tips, which are pooled and divided among dealers.

The casino's poker room will have 15 tables, Cook said.

"This is a career for people, it's not just a temporary job," she said. "It provides a great middle-class lifestyle for people."

At a poker table inside the dealer room, Bruce Dixon, poker room manager, said rookie dealers first need to know the correct way to handle, shuffle and pitch the cards as well as recognize the various poker hands, such as straight flush and full house.

The casino is part of a larger $480 million mixed-use building project that includes a marina. The development is a partnership between Galesi Group of Rotterdam and Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming.

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