Standing in the center of a crowded casino, effortlessly shuffling cards and calculating complex payouts, is a highly skilled profession.

If you have excellent manual dexterity and can handle high-pressure social situations, it can be an incredibly lucrative career path.

The First Step: Dealing School

The journey begins by enrolling in a dedicated, state-licensed casino dealing academy or trade school.

Students spend hundreds of hours practicing chip handling, mastering the 'riffle' shuffle, and memorizing payout tables.

• Some massive casino resorts offer free, in-house dealing schools, but you must pass an intense audition to be hired afterward
• Tuition for an independent dealing school can range from $500 to $2,000, depending on how many games you want to learn
• Craps is universally considered the hardest game to learn, but Craps dealers are always in high demand and make the best tips

Working Conditions and Earning Potential

Once hired, new dealers usually start on the 'graveyard shift' (2 AM to 10 AM) or are placed in the lowest-limit pit areas.

However, the financial compensation can make the stress incredibly worthwhile, as dealers make the vast majority of their income through tips (tokes).

Becoming a professional dealer is a fantastic, non-traditional career that offers excellent benefits and incredible people-watching opportunities.