[dghughes]

> They saw it as a skill not gambling

The players see it as a skill I don't. It's gambling and I saw the result daily of people who spent too much or were in bad state from addiction. We had counsellors walking the floor there monitoring people, and the casino (Security) would ban people, or they can self-exclude themselves.

I'm not surprised by the comments here I know the type I was around them every day. Even the dealers are like that, it's like a cult. Yes I know a person can make money if they are good at playing but as others commented it's because others are so bad. So to me that means not so much skill as it is being the one who sucks least.

[johnnyanmac]

>I'm not surprised by the comments here I know the type I was around them every day.

I think most of the comments here are acknowledging it as a skill, but that 99.99% of gamblers for those poker type card games aren't skilled. It's not mutually exclusive.

I'm sure it's like how Blackjack can be a skilled game (or used to be) but I doubt most clients are going in 21-style with a plan to count cards and find the hot tables.

[dghughes]

Blackjack is also the most profitable table game in the house (ignoring slots for overall profit). For Texas Hold Em profit is basically just the rake (depends on the pot) and how fast a dealer deals and how fast players will play.

Those card shuffle shoes at the table? Cost $20K each and have be rented I forget the daily rate. The small plastic prism the dealer pushes his cards against to they can see their suit? Leased as well at something like $10/day. If you want to make piles of money invent something a casino needs and lease it to them never sell it!

Just consider the money involved. The table has at least two dealers per shift one on break one dealing. Another reason staff hate card tables high tips to dealers (ignoring all other staff help) and more breaks than any other hourly job. At least one supervisor there at all times. A pit boss who manages overall. The manager of tables or slots (could be both). Security office plus supervisor to deliver chips and take cash boxes away when full and to keep people from getting too crazy which is 99% of the time with table games. Surveillance usually two trained on table games the watch up there overhead via cameras ($20K to $50K each) for one area plus their supervisor and manager. Facilities to clean the area of any food or mess. Servers who server food and drinks.

So it is probably costs $200 - $300/hour to run that blackjack table just on wages alone. Blackjack would make far more per hour in profit.