Lissa Parker

While working at the Prestige Hotel in Cranbrook, Lissa Parker was recruited to become a dealer at the nearby Casino of the Rockies. In a matter of months, she had acquired the necessary technical skills, overcome her initial shyness, and felt comfortable in the job.

It helped that, in Grade 12, Lissa had completed two courses on dealing – a two-week blackjack course and a three-week roulette course. A good dealer, she says, is outgoing, friendly, has a loud voice, talks a lot, has exceptional technical skills and very good people skills.

Lissa enjoys interacting with individual customers and dealing with the public in general. Although the job itself is stimulating, there are opportunities to be creative, and doing things differently from time to time, such as dealing with your left hand instead of your right, which adds to the challenge.  She would highly recommend this job to anyone who likes entertaining people while also selling to them.

She also appreciates the daily variety. The people and the atmosphere in the casino change constantly, and no two days are the same. As a rule, though, Fridays are livelier than Mondays, and bus groups or tour groups add to the excitement.

If you are considering a job as a casino dealer, Lissa advises you to be prepared to be challenged every day by the customers, by the technical aspects of the job and by the many rules to be remembered.  Dealing with people who are losing money can be less than fun, she says, although when they are winning they are on top of the world. “The key” to the job, she says, “is in having fun, and getting the job done.”

Lissa would like to stay in the industry and move as high up the ranks as possible. According to her supervisor, “If you are honest and have a good sense of integrity, like Lissa, you will really shine.”