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Maryland Live! school preps dealers for table games

By WTOP Staff

Michelle Basch, wtop.com

GLEN BURNIE, Md. – A referendum approved by state voters in November means table games are coming soon to the Maryland Live! Casino in Anne Arundel County.

In advance, hundreds of students of all ages are now taking part in a free dealer school offered by Anne Arundel Community College and sponsored by the casino.

About 9,000 people applied for the school, 6,000 were interviewed and 860 were enrolled.

The school is not accepting any more potential students right now.

“A lot of these people have never seen blackjack before. Some of them have never been in a casino before. So it’s all new. So we teach them day one from scratch,” says Neal Sloane, the casino’s vice president of table games.

The classes, which started Jan. 7, are being held at Marley Station Mall in Glen Burnie. Retail space has been transformed into rooms full of blackjack tables, roulette wheels and craps tables.

During the 12-week school, students learn how to deal several different games, but completing the course does not guarantee a job at the casino.

“There’s still an interviewing process, and an audition. After each game we’ll audition them, and we’re looking (for) not just how they deal but their personalities because it’s a service industry, and we need people that are outgoing and customer friendly,” says Sloane.

The casino says the addition of table games and 24-hour gaming will create more than 1,200 new jobs. Dealers have an hourly pay rate, but most of their income comes from tips. Maryland Live! expects dealers to make yearly wages similar to dealers in Charles Town, W.Va., who make about $50,000 to $55,000 a year.

“The biggest difference between dealing in a casino and dealing at home is the regulations. There’s a lot of procedures involved and a lot of regulations that dealers have to be aware of and have to follow, and the procedures are there for game protection. It protects the dealer and it protects the house. Unfortunately, some people do think that they can come and cheat a casino. There’s a lot of cameras in there, so most of the time they can’t,” Sloane says.

Maryland Live! Casino Supervisor and Instructor Agnes Farkas spoke about some of the rules dealers have to follow for security’s sake.

“You always have to clap hands and clearly show it face up to the camera that you’re holding nothing in your palm, and then you can proceed with any procedure that you have to do on the blackjack table: handling money, handling chips, shuffling cards,” she says.

Farkas taught WTOP’s Michelle Basch how to professionally shuffle cards with just her thumbs on the corners so she wouldn’t reveal the cards to players at the blackjack table.

She got the hang of that, but the next lesson was more difficult.

“The most important thing as a dealer you have to learn: cutting checks.” Farkas says.

She means the ability to quickly cut a stack of chips into smaller, equal stacks. For instance, turn a stack of 20 $5 chips worth a total of $100, into five stacks of five chips worth $25 each.

“Generally it takes three months before a blackjack dealer can turn around and say I feel comfortable, I can walk onto this game and deal it and not have to worry about anything. And for a craps dealer, it’s normally about a year before you can go up there and stop the sweating before you step onto the table, because it is nerve racking. You’ve got a lot of people watching you, and you make a mistake and it’s money involved,” says Sloane.

The Maryland Live! Casino plans to add about 150 table games to its offerings.

The plan is to have table games like roulette and blackjack operating by spring, and an entire new room full of poker tables in place by summer.

Follow @mbaschWTOP and @WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2013 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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