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Pokeramic: World Series of Dealers

Tags: 2008-wsop, dealers

Photo(s) by Danm

Now if I just had about 8 more LCD’s… this would make a hell of a multi-monitor wallpaper. Let us know if any of you guys want the 9.4mb Hi-Res version.

Posted by Karridy on August 13, 2008 at 1:08 pm

10 Comments to “Pokeramic: World Series of Dealers”

California Jen Says:
August 13th, 2008 at 2:03 pm

Very cool shot!
BJ Nemeth Says:
August 13th, 2008 at 2:09 pm

How’d you take it, Dan? Hand-held or tripod? How many individual shots were composited into the final panorama? Photographers want to know!

Rob Gracie has a fantastic time-lapse movie (made with stills from a digital SLR) that starts with a mostly-empty Amazon Room and continues until it’s packed with players for the first full day of the WSOP. Last I heard, he was offering it to ESPN to use in their coverage.
DanM Says:
August 13th, 2008 at 3:31 pm

Indeed, sweet stuff, Karridy.

This shot was taken while players were on break during the main event. I actually talked to Rob about it his time-lapse shot and this panoramic one. He loved the idea and asked if he could steal the idea, which I was fine with, since I stole the original idea from Karridy (who since patched together all the photos).

Basically I shot a couple hundred pics, of which I suspect Karridy used about 8 of them. Stood at Nolan’s perch and worked my way around the room doing 25 percent overlap. Then I did the same thing with the camera vertical. Then I did the same thing with players in the room. Then I did it from a different spot on the floor …

All handheld with my Fuji Finepix S5100 set on “auto”.
Poker Shrink Says:
August 13th, 2008 at 6:25 pm

Speaking of dealers and attempting to hijack the thread.

I heard last week that WSOP dealers were paid less per down this year than anytime since the boom began.
Kevin Mathers Says:
August 13th, 2008 at 6:29 pm

How much less, and has the Main Event been counted in that figure? I assume with the Nov. 9 delay, it could be a factor for the decrease.
DanM Says:
August 13th, 2008 at 10:41 pm

Dealers are always going to complain, especially when they’re running bad at the blackjack tables and video poker bars. But at the same time, I know a handful of dealers were making too much money in the low-stakes Rio “upstairs” poker room — meaning the one all the way at the other end of the casino — to wanna work the Amazon room. And at the other same time, everything must’ve been a bit better this year, as they only lost 100 dealers (out of 700, I believe) after the first pay period. I’m pretty sure that’s the smallest turnover since Harrah’s took over in 2005.
Karridy Says:
August 14th, 2008 at 8:48 am

If you notice the time differences on the screens in the pictures, you can see how slow and anal Dan was being as he pivoted and snapped.
Poker Shrink Says:
August 14th, 2008 at 1:08 pm

Just because “Dealers are always going to complain” does not mean they do not have legitimate grievances. I would point out that poker media are always the ones calling out the problems with WSOP, EPT, WPT etc. operations and unless the media can be legitimately categorized as “always going to complain” the argument is just lazy. Right Dan?

The dealers I have spoken with, are the same dealers I spoke with last summer after the ‘07 Series and in two cases after the ‘06 WSOP. They got paid less this year and there was no arrangement made for them to share in whatever “tips” might come from the final table in November. Since the WSOP took in more money this year and the same 3% was taken out for staff and dealers….. someone got more money; money that at least in the player disclosure documents would seem to be earmarked for the dealers.
Kevin Mathers Says:
August 14th, 2008 at 2:32 pm

Wasn’t the first question asked in the announcement of the November 9 conference call asking if dealers would be sharing in the tips from those 9? IIRC, the answer was that all dealers would be sharing those tips.
Ryan Weatherman Says:
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:15 pm

I am a WSOP dealer and have been since 2006. We made less this year than we did even in 2006 when we pooled our tips! The difference now is that we do not have a representative on the Harrah’s count team and therefore have no way to see if our monetary interests are being honored and protected. I know we took in more money this year and I am positive that someone took a great deal of money out of our hardworking hands this year. As for the final 9 in November, I will bet my bankroll that I dont see a dime for any gratuities that may be given after that event as I am not one of the 4-6 dealers dealing that event. I deserve as much as anyone as do all my fellow dealers. We work hard and just arent getting proper compensation. As a very skillful and professional dealer, I stand to do better than most. However,because of the current trend of less money every year, inevitably, the quality of dealers in future events will get worse, thus making said events less smooth and elite as in past years. Harrah’s is digging this grave and soon they will lie in it. Bad pay equals bad dealers. Something has gotta change or the prestige that the WSOP has come to know will be ruined by subpar dealers ruining it for all the players.