The Staff at the Baccarat Table
Baccarat “Croupiers” are usually found by looking for the well dressed casino worker standing at the midpoint of the Baccarat table. Croupiers are one part supervisors and one part money handlers. Add in a big helping of people skills with a dash of carnival barker, and you have yourself a Baccarat croupier.
A croupier can technically be an attendant that works at any gambling table. You may find them at Blackjack, Roulette, or Poker. Because of this, the terms dealer and croupier get interchanged. Since we’re talking about Baccarat croupiers, these are the overseers of the two dealers at the Baccarat table. However there are exceptions such as Mini Baccarat with croupiers performing all duties.
Anyway, so what’s the purpose of a Baccarat croupier? Well, first, they welcome you to the table and explain the rules. So a croupier must be a people person and a good communicator. Second, they collect the bets and give out the winnings (easily our favorite part). Being able to calculate winning payouts in their head quickly is very important. Many croupier applicants are given arithmetic tests to ensure they can perform fairly simple math problems.
A croupier will normally be the person shuffling the cards and handing them to a player to cut. Player scores and winners will also be announced by the croupier. Any issues with gameplay will be handled by the croupier. This includes making sure the players are following the rules (as well as fellow employees). So out of all these, which one is the most important duty of a croupier? They all are, really – they are in charge of the entire game.
Lastly, they are also somewhat of a showman (or show-woman). After all, plenty of people can hand out cards, chips, and pay out bets. So most casinos want a croupier who can do that while also adding a little flair to the game. Since the croupier announces the scores of the hands and such, a little extravagance (done in a tasteful way, of course) very much makes the game more fun for everyone. In addition, a croupier also needs superior people skills, as some of the highest rollers in the casino will gravitate to the baccarat room.
Should you wish to thank your croupier for a session of fun, he or she will always accept your gratitude (and tip), but they will usually do so on “behalf of the employees”. This is because in most venues, a croupier shares their tips with the rest of the table staff.
May your next Baccarat croupier announce you a winning hand!
