News Press
After playing poker all his life, Angelo Fricchione, 56, of Naples, wanted to sit at the other side of the table, as a dealer. Recently, the retired New York cop landed a job at the Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track in Bonita Springs.
Fricchione said televised poker events that bring the game into people's living rooms and create a buzz for related businesses gave him the idea for a career change.
And he credits Fort Myers-based National Bartenders, Casino Games & Hospitality School's poker-dealer course for giving him the training to deal himself a new career.
Dealer Angelo Fricchione, 56, deals a round of Texas Hold'em with student Mike Ferris during a recent poker-dealing class at the National Bartenders, Casino Games & Hospitality School in Bonita Springs.
The company is cashing in poker's soaring popularity — and so are other businesses, including casino cruise boats.
"Texas Hold'em and World Poker Tour have awakened all kinds of people to poker, big time," Fricchione said.
He attended classes at the school's Bonita Springs location to learn to deal three types of poker: Texas Hold'em — the most popular — Seven-Card Stud and Omaha Hi-Lo.
Fricchione paid $895 for the 65-hour course in which he learned rules, techniques and other skills. He could attend classes at his own pace.
The 33-year law enforcement veteran said even though he's a seasoned player, he needed to learn the technicalities of dealing, and even after graduating, still goes back to the school to brush up on specific skills.
Those skills include "how to handle the chips, present the cards, be aware of all the money on the table, make sure the right change is given," the school's owner, Marilyn Goodman said.
"Everyone thinks if you know how to play, you could deal," she said. They'd be wrong.
"It's not as easy as it looks, but it should be a piece of cake after the people I dealt with," Fricchione said.
Once trained, dealers have plenty of job opportunities in Florida, which has seven Indian casinos, 18 casino day-cruise boats and dozens of full-fledged cruise ships with casinos on board, according to Robin Goodman, the school's vice president.
"Poker is not cooling off. It is hotter than ever," Goodman said.
Currently, five students are enrolled and 15 have graduated since the school started poker classes in September.
They get hands-on training from professional dealers.
And though dealers don't have to be accredited, "employers are looking for a diploma if there is no experience," Robin Goodman said.
Dealers can earn $50,000 a year locally.
Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics data show 78,600 people working as gaming dealers in the United States as of November 2003, said Fatima Hajiha, a statistician. And jobs are growing at a fast pace. They're projected to increase almost 25 percent by 2012.
There are 870 dealer jobs in Florida gaming establishments, where hourly pay averages $10.38, the bureau reports. However, tips push the income higher.
In Florida, dealers can be as young as 18. "We have graduates age 18 now making some serious money," Goodman said.
People are clamoring to play the game. So many that the Leisure Lady, a gambling cruise boat out of Fort Myers Beach, has sign-up sheets for its poker tables, said Mark Roberson, vice-president.
"We have had tremendous interest not only from players but also people wanting to learn to play poker, especially Texas Hold'em," he said.
"Our business has tripled since we started the shuttle" just over a year ago, Roberson said. And while the increase is not all due to poker, "it doesn't hurt," he said.
