Located this school on Yelp and very grateful to have found exactly what I was looking for. A poker dealing school where the instructor shows how to deal poker the correct way. I attended another dealing school for a month and did not learn much about dealing poker. I started this school and learned more my first day than I did in the entire month at the other school. I highly recommend this school if dealing poker the right way is what you're looking for. read more

WCDS is well worth the investment! Anyone looking to become a poker dealer or refine their dealing skills before a big event / audition, this is the school for you. The facility is in a really clean, consistent building. Plenty of parking spaces, restrooms, break rooms. The actual room itself fits about 6-7 casino grade tables. Chris is one of the best teachers I've ever came across. He is a very meticulous, well educated instructor. The depth of knowledge to be soaked up is infinite. Overall, he can teach many people, however one of his greatest strengths is not teaching everyone the exact same way. He adapts and works around the students based off their skill level and needs. Fixing individual mistakes and weaknesses. Turning novices into well qualified dealers and pushing recreational dealers/players into further horizons! My 1st week alone, it payed off the enrollment fee. Joining as a recreational poker player, with over 300 hours of live and online cash/tournament play that year alone. I learned that I didn't know much about poker. The game has so much deph and different aspects that gets drastically overlooked. Since joining, my win rate in both cash & tournaments have drastically improved. I can even spot dealers making mistakes on standard procedures through my live plays so much more now, helping me save and make money. The abundance of rules/ procedures I've learned has been added to my arsenal to play and deal. Understanding all the betting structures, reopening the bets, rake, promos, any protocol for weird scenarios. Being at the school is the closest possible way to put yourself in the dealer position before handling the real thing. The atmosphere is so unique compared to any other dealing school. You're in a school with like minded individuals. The students always help each other out and push one another to become a better dealer. You'll meet students of all skill and age groups, each with their own unique background. There will always be a mix of beginners, intermediate, advanced and vets(former students). All of which will bring a different perspective. I've networked with many former students that moved on to deal for many big casinos around Vegas, major events like the WSOP, and even some that end up becoming pro/ semi pro poker players Many dealing schools will try to force you out with the bare minimum. This school looks for excellence. Another fantastic perk is the lifetime access to the facility even after graduating. You will always have access to the tools/equipment and knowledge. read more

The owner is condescending I paid for a course there close to Covid times and the world of Vegas starting to open up. I wanted to learn the rules of poker inside out so I felt by going to school it would help. I had never met Chris at the time and my instructor was Genti. He was caring, helpful, and most importantly patient. When you pay for the class they tell you you're always welcomed back many people come to learn or touch up on things. Also, previous students that are dealing come and help you and guide you by telling you what you were doing wrong etc. I ran into Chris met him for the first time at a casino with Genti let them know I wanted to come back. I had made it to the 4th test and there were only 5 at the time. Well when Genti left apparently the compassion, understanding, and a persons word left too. I emailed Chris he gave me some random BS and then offered to "give me a deal" to offer me to pay more money since I haven't been there for a while. Mind you when I started Chris was in Texas. He never taught me one class. It is more about principle than it is money. I would not recommend this school unless Genti is teaching. Basically I got a big book and some cheap playing cards. Go somewhere else and make sure the rules are clear. I was never under the impression of what he claimed. Nor did he take in consideration people supporting his business during middle to end of the pandemic. read more

WCDS is the perfect place to become a professional poker dealer. Chris is extremely detailed and knowledgeable on all game rules. Ge is equally competent. Because of the training I received at WCDS, I felt confident in dealing the WSOP in 2022. Great experience! WCDS assisted me in obtaining my current poker dealing position at the Venetian. Highly recommend WCDS! Shuffle up an Deal! read more

West Coast Dealing School - That's me. - Specialty Schools Near Me - Las Vegas, Nevada

Chris, the instructor/owner is passionate about the game as well as teaching his students. He's said several times that he doesn't have a life. He doesn't have a life because his students ARE his life. Students who have been with him from years past to recent grads still drop by the school to either help new students or freshen up come poker tournament time or when auditioning for a new job. read more

When you walk into West Coast Dealing School (WCDS) one of the first things you'll notice is the tables. They aren't cheap, wobbly, folding tournament tables. They're hardwood and carefully crafted, a solid base on which to learn. It wasn't until later that I found out that these handsome physical tables were in fact handmade by the owner and lead instructor, Chris Tidmarsh. That kind of quality is the perfect metaphor for the school: the loving attention to detail is present everywhere from the tables to the chips to play money to the instruction. Nothing is rushed and no corners are cut. If you choose to start your journey as a poker dealer at West Coast Dealing School, the foundation of your education will be solid. I started school here as an arrogant poker player, thinking that the transition to dealer would be no big deal. How wrong I was. There is just so much more to dealing than I knew. It's not something that can be learned in a weekend or a week. I count 22 different games that I learned how to deal at WCDS and that doesn't include the 4 betting structure variants that could apply to many of them. This brings me to another point in the school's favor: they aren't trying to rush you through. You can learn at your own pace on your own time. Some students go full time for a month. Some come in for 9 hours a week over six months. Some schools try to get you through the program and then it's over. WCDS is kind of like a gym with a lifetime membership. Every week dealers will come through who graduated years ago but just want to brush up on their skills or just enjoy the community and help the students out. There is one dealer, Katie, who came back a few weeks ago. Katie graduated a while ago and works professionally as a dealer, but her Poker Room scheduled her to deal a H.O.R.S.E. tournament and she felt rusty on her 7 card stud so she stopped by the school and we all dealt H.O.R.S.E. for a few hours. Katie got to use the facilities and her and all the students practiced up on our H.O.R.S.E. games. This sort of thing just isn't possible at a lot of schools. You graduate, but a year later you need to brush up? Tough. Not at WCDS. This continued availability of the facilities is indicative of the attitude and the vibe of the school. It's about education and community, not about money. Never once have I regretted or even thought about the tuition fee; you get so much education and support for your money that the value is beyond question. Whether you are being taught by Chris or Genti (Mr. G ), you'll be in excellent hands. G is an excellent teacher: patient, laid back, preaches staying calm and acting rationally in the box and has an attitude that encourages that. He's a gentle, calming influence and that's a good thing. He's also very generous with his time. If you miss something or need something explained, he is happy to do so, even if he had just presented a full lecture on it 20 minutes earlier and you missed it because you arrived late. I don't think I've ever seen him frustrated. Chris is a fountain of knowledge with an eye for detail. He literally built the tables and the whole educational experience from the ground up. He can be tough sometimes but sometimes you need someone to be tough. Auditioning for a poker room is a nerve racking experience and only by replicating that experience at the school can you truly prepare for it. Chris is also quite entertaining; he seems like he would be a fun guy to have a pint of Guinness with. If you're looking to deal the World Series of Poker and you graduate from West Coast Dealing School, Chris will setup an audition for you with the WSOP without you having to apply first. This is possible because the hiring managers at the WSOP respect the caliber of dealers that WCDS turns out. Learning to be a poker dealer can change your life. I found myself without any skills or a 4 year college degree and wanting a career change. What are my options? A job for $15 an hour? With 4-6 weeks of hard training, you could be a poker dealer and make $30-$45 an hour. That's a huge, very obtainable quality of life difference without too much investment. Plus the poker world is fun and the people are great. I can't recommend West Coast Dealing School enough. read more

If you want to be an "okay" poker dealer you should probably try other schools. If you want to be a "great"poker dealer you have to sign up at this school. I was a complete newbie without any experience in playing poker. I had no idea that there were so many different poker games and betting structures. I was shocked and overwhelmed to say the least. Chris was such a great instructor with limitless patience. Not only did he give me all the tools to get out there and deal a game but he is always there for continuing support. Honestly, I don't know any other school that would do this. I looked at other schools but West Coast Dealing School felt like the right choice to me. I was right!!! read more

Was looking to change careers and checked out the school. Signed up and was amazed at how quickly I was able to learn all the games. The instructors do an amazing job of teaching every aspect of the art of dealing poker. And it is an art! They are attentive, knowledgeable professional. I would suggest West Coast Dealing School to anyone looking to start a new career. They will literally have you dealing 30+ varieties of poker and ready for a job in a short amount of time. read more

West coast dealing school is great school. I learned alot from the school on how to deal cards properly and run the games. If you want to learn how to deal poker then this is the school for you. I would recommend to anyone trying to get into the gaming industry as a poker dealer. I can deal all the games not just Texas holdem, or Omaha poker. You will learn how to run the game and how to handle every aspect of poker. Which will give you an edge on other dealers. read more

This is actually best Poker School. In only short period of time you will get all the training you need to start your carrer. Very frendly and knowledgable instructor will train you the correct procidures and rules of the various poker games that are played in Las Vegas. I am Gratefull that not only I had the comprehencive training ,Instructor Mr G. has helped me with my application and with such a great training I got the job On my First audition. Thank You West Coast Dealing School You Deserve 100 X 5 STARS read more

This is the best school ever. The instructor is very knowledgable, friendly and we have a lot of fun. The atmosphere at the school is very comfortable, clean and professional. The equipment is of a high standard, new and authentic chips, cards and tables. It feels like a real poker room. This course is very detailed and there is a lot of information to learn. I never realized how many poker games there were. It is easy to learn here because the instructor always explains why the procedures are important and so it makes it easy to remember. Oh, and free coffee! If you are looking to be a professional poker dealer i would recommend West Coast Dealing School. read more

Everything about this school is world class from the instructor to the tables to the atmosphere everything was great. The instructors are very passionate and knowledgeable about what they are teaching and it shows. You will learn all the different forms of poker here from tournament to cash games. This school provided me with the knowledge and confidence to become a great dealer and I made many friends throughout the course. Highly recommend this school!! read more

As you walk into a room you feel the setting of either being in the right place or not. If you are looking to be one of the quality dealers in Vegas. You have reach your destination with Chris. Don't shy away and invest in your future with West Coast Dealing School. Giovani Trujillo read more

Great school! I knew next to nothing (or less) about Poker and dealing Poker when I started this class. I now know more about poker and dealing poker than some of my seasoned poker dealer friends and players. The instructor is great, he makes the class enjoyable and fun to attend. Other students are great as well. Everyone supports the learning process and it is a very friendly environment. There are no stupid questions in this class, everyone is very respectful and no matter what my question has ever been, there was always a friendly and comprehendable answer to follow. I've attended other dealing schools to learn other games. I like WCDS because it is exclusively poker dealing that is being taught. Super nice classroom. Clean and neat. New and state of the art tables, chips and cards. Easy and covered parking. 10 stars if it were possible! read more

I strongly recommend going with somewhere that specializes in poker like WCDS. When I decided I wanted to explore being a poker dealer after playing poker for many years. I embarked on a search for a school and looked at every one I could find in Las Vegas and theres more than a few. I found that they mostly lacked quality equipment and some seemed to lack focus, meaning they had table games as well and offered poker because they felt they had to but weren't committed to poker. This is a huge distraction, theres a ton involved in being a poker dealer and the distraction of all the table games around isnt helpful when learning. When I finally got to West Coast I was greeted by Chris Tidmarsh, the owner and I was immediately impressed with the equipment, he has 4 beautiful handmade poker tables, 2 fully set up for cash (watch your knees on the gator, lol) and 2 set up for tournaments. Its just not all about shiny equipment though, Chris is one of the most knowledgeable people on the subject of poker I have come across, and I dont just mean holdem. In my time at WCDS I have learned every game spread at the WSOP, and been given the skills to excel as a dealer in all forms of poker, boards games (holdem, omaha, etc), stud games (stud, stud hi-lo, razz, etc), and draw games (A-5, 2-7, 5 card draw and more) in both cash and tournament formats. I went on to deal the WSOP this year and was able to enjoy myself and this was because I was prepared to do the job of being a poker dealer thanks to Chris. I watched people go from not knowing a flush beats a straight to dealing the WSOP and doing a really good job of it. If you are motivated and willing to put in the work you will become a dealer. Dont think this is easy theres work involved but put in the work and Chris will help you succeed. One important thing is Chris allows you to come back to refresh any time you want in the future so if you need to brush up because you only deal WSOP once yearly or you only deal no limit holdem all year and need to brush up on the rest before WSOP, he is there for you, this was not something I found anywhere else and a HUGE selling point over every other school I found to me. Another bonus is I now know people in just about every poker room in Vegas and elsewhere since many of my fellow graduates are either touring the circuit dealing events or dealing here in Vegas. This is very helpful in a business that relies on personal connections. I made some friends in the industry and really am happy with my choice of WCDS, Ive said it to anyone that will listen its the best $995 I have spent since I moved to Vegas in 2017. read more

There are a lot of poker dealing schools to choose from and from what I've seen from dealers that have come out of other schools there's no comparison to West Coast Dealing School. Chris, the proprietor and main teacher, is expert, fun, nice and will get you prepared 100% to be the best possible poker dealer you can possibly be. I could not recommend this place more! if you choose anywhere else you're making a huge mistake read more

Great facility: professional setting, fun learning environment and top notch instruction. It looked like a good school when I was researching which one to go to. It felt like a great school while I was attending. It wasnt until I finished that I realized what a truly excellent school it is. If it wasnt already apparent from all the five star reviews, you will recognize the quality of the training when you observe the average dealer after completing the course. All the poor habits of dealers that go unnoticed when you're a player are on full display (and hard to miss) in most poker rooms. And if you go to WCDS, this wont be you. Chris has created a great place to learn. Both he and Mr G are excellent teachers. They really care about their students and pride themselves on seeing you succeed. This is evident by Chris' open door policy (whereby former students are always welcome to drop in) that many graduates take advantage of to keep sharp. If you want to learn poker's many games, rules, procedures and intricacies the right way, stop in to see Chris. If this review and others dont have you convinced your making the right decision, talking with him certainly will. You'll learn a lot and have a great time doing it. read more

There is no better school in all of Las Vegas to learn to deal Poker! Chris is the most knowledgeable instructor anyone could ask for. He not only teaches over 20 poker games needed to deal the World Series of Poker but also ensures you are trained in cash and tournament protocols and procedures. He helped place me in several jobs in the Las Vegas area and even over two years later I can call him with questions, come by for additional instructions & tips and he always makes his students feel welcome! Don't bother with schools that promise everything and don't deliver. WCDS is the real deal! read more

West Coast Dealing School is one of the elite poker dealing schools in the country. The school prepares you to deal all of the games dealt at the World Series of Poker and prepares you to manage all facets of the game of poker, cash and tournament style. The owner, Chris Tidmarsh, has many years of poker dealing experience and knows how to convey the game to even the most novice dealer or player. The environment is friendly and professional. When you leave West Coast Dealing School as a professional dealer, I guarantee that you will be prepared, as I was, to deal in the biggest and best rooms in the world. I highly recommend this school for anyone wanting to be a "professional" poker dealer. read more

Hands down the best school in Las Vegas. I was a little overwhelmed walking in to find out that there was as many games to learn to be a dealer in poker. But Chris had a very thorough teaching method that made it easy to understand. His knowledge of the game is unparalleled. After visiting several schools in town and finally talking with Chris, it was clear that I made the right choice. I would highly recommend West Coast Dealer school if you want to learn it right the first time. This was an investment in my future and wasn't taken lightly. I am confident that what I was taught by Chris will make me a competent and professional poker dealer. read more

This school is fantastic. When I made the decision to learn how to deal poker I Searched around different schools and ultimately choose West Coast Dealing School as soon as I came in to see the place. The instructors Chris and G are all wonderful teachers to learn from, they are not only knowledgeable at poker dealing but also are fun person to work with.You'll not only learn How to deal No Limit Texas HoldEm here but also learn well over 30 different poker games. The facilities are amazing with 5 real world feel tables to deal tournaments and cash. If you want to learn from the best, this place will not let you down. read more

I went to this school in October 2018 and I felt like I had an advantage already because I knew poker and I am a No Limit Texas Holdem player and I was overwhelmed by what I learned in this class! Chris the owner/instructor will teach you every game that is dealt at the world famous World Series of Poker so when you graduate you will be able to walk into any poker room in America and audition with confidence! This is not a 3 week crash course so don't think it will be quick and easy but you will be glad you came here because you will learn the proper mechanics in poker dealing, it took me 7 weeks to graduate and most complete the class between 5 and 8 weeks. I do not know of any other professional course that you can take for under $1,000 and in 8 weeks be able to get a job making $50,000 a year or more but this is what is very possible here at WEST COAST Dealing School! Thank you Chris Tidmarsh!!! read more

Moving to Nevada was not easy. Choosing West Coast Dealing School was one of the best decisions my husband and I made. Chris has integrity, knowledge, experience and great equipment. He genuinely wants his students to succeed and this became quickly apparent through his detailed and thorough teaching methods. Upon graduation, all of his students were able to audition for the WSOP. Because of his class, I and many others were well prepared to deal the various poker games in Limit, No-Limit and Pot-Limit formats at the WSOP and as we started our poker dealing careers. Thank you Chris for your integrity, genuineness, for always welcoming us to come back to West Coast Dealing School. Also, thank you to our other instructor G, a graduate of West Coast, who also made this school a great place to learn and apply so that all students become successful poker dealers. And also thank you to previous graduates who came to class to help us out as well. This is what makes West Coast Dealing School the best school ever. It really is like having a second family. read more

The fundamentals and mechanics taught at this school are exceptional. I recently graduated and went on an audition comprised of applicants from other dealer schools and people who were mainly $1/$2 no limit dealers in Vegas. I quickly realized that the mechanics taught to me were clearly a step above the students from the other schools. Chris, the owner and teacher, spends quite a bit of time helping each student with their individual needs and prepares you for real life scenarios. The fact that the course also teaches both Tournament and Cash, as well as all the various forms of Poker, makes this course well worth the price. Great School. read more