A tribute to the best henchmen

Whether they are short, tall, slim or well built, the Partouche Poker Tour croupiers all have one thing in common: they are all good - even excellent! They show a great knowledge of the game and fantastic stamina during the tournaments. As we are half way through the Tour, it is only right to pay homage to them.

There are 60 croupiers per Super Satellite at the Partouche Poker Tour who come from all over France simply for the love of Texas hold’em. From Saint-Amand to Lyon, the Partouche Poker Tour croupiers have all worked hard during the different stops, with hardly any mishaps. Ten or so million hands were dealt and millions of flops laid out by the real experts. There are many people who envy these “made in Partouche” henchmen. Each week the croupiers come around the PPT tables to please the players with their love for poker, constant smiles and reliable hands. Well done again ladies and gentlemen and see you soon in Nice!

Aurélien Gallen: “Show stamina!”

Trained croupier, Aurélien Gallen is today head of the game. That is to say he watches the tables and sorts out conflicts between the players. A perfect master of Texas hold’em is therefore required so that “everything works like clockwork”. We met him during the last Super Satellite at Lyon Vert where he spoke about the difficulties but also the beauty of being a croupier.

Hello Aurélien, what qualities are needed to be a good croupier?
One must have stamina above all else! To work at a tournament until 5.30am, concentrate with the PPT the next day, work at a second side tournament and then have a meeting on the Monday, one needs to be very tough. All the croupiers must therefore be congratulated for this work which demands a lot of effort. A good knowledge of the game is also obviously crucial.

All the croupiers present here are all obviously able to deal with such a job…
Of course, the PPT croupiers are carefully chosen. They are all capable of working at such an event and of handling the stress and the amount of work. A croupier can deal between 300 and 500 hands during one tournament. That requires a lot of concentration and a certain physical condition.

I assume participating in the Partouche Poker Tour must be a great achievement…
It is very special given that the Super Satellites are such great events. Not all the croupiers in France get a chance to participate in such a tournament. That is why we are happy to come back each month. It is also an opportunity to meet up with colleagues. Relationships are made. But aside from that, it is always a real pleasure to do a good job and see people happy and pleased with us.

A little word about the players?
The majority of the players are very polite, but some, particularly in cash games, can be rude. If a croupier has the misfortune to deal one hand badly out of 200, some players will not hesitate to throw their cards in his face. This is not very nice behaviour to watch, but even worse to endure. I think a good poker player must stay dignified whatever the situation.