TM of the Month

Team Member Spotlight (May): Terry

/ Natalie Faulk / 1 Comment

This month’s Team Member Spotlight belongs to Terry, one of our outstanding overnight poker coordinators who is, seriously, a Jack, er Jill, or all trades. Take a look at this wonderful and outgoing woman who, literally, everyone loves.

How long have you been at the Venetian? How about in Las Vegas? Where are you originally from?
Well, I’m originally from St. Louis, MO and have been in Las Vegas for 50 years. I’ve been working at the Venetian for eight years now.

What is your favorite part of your job? What about your least favorite?
I absolutely love providing customer service to all of our guests. I also love having fun with my coworkers and making them and our guests laugh. The casino atmosphere is also enjoyable and thrilling. I also enjoy my boys from security who check on me nightly and make me smile. As for least favorite, staying awake can be difficult working overnight.

What is the most unique/unusual thing about you?
I have a kind heart and am always willing to help others. (Anybody who knows Terry knows that this is absolutely true, and we all love her for that.)

Do you have any hobbies?
I love bowling and throwing parties.

Where do you see yourself in five years? 
I will be retired and hopefully be relaxing on a beach somewhere.

Terry

Team Member Spotlight (April): Pete

/ Natalie Faulk / Leave a comment

Meet Pete, one of our highly skilled full-time dealers who has become a fixture in The Venetian Poker Room since it opened back in 2006. Pete has a heavy eastern accent and is quite amiable and easy to talk to. I caught up with him last month and barraged him with questions that—despite the fact that he doesn’t do social media whatsoever and didn’t even know who I was—he had absolutely no problem answering—and then some.

How long have you worked here at The Venetian?
I was one of the “founders” of the room and have been here since it opened on 23 March 2006.

Where are you from, and what brought you to Las Vegas?
I’m originally from New Jersey and have been in Vegas since 1980, so 39 years. I originally went to the New York School of Gaming, but after graduation, we had to find work in Nevada because that was the only option aside from Atlantic City, and I didn’t want to stay in Jersey. I started dealing craps, but eventually learned all the games and was even a dual rate for a while. Here in Vegas, I worked at the Sundance, Sam’s Town, Barbary Coast, and Caesars Palace and was in management with Caesars for 15 years.

What is the most interesting thing about you?
I actually fell into poker. After getting burned out in management, a friend of mine who worked at Bally’s at the time suggested I learn poker. After I finished poker school here in Vegas, I checked out existing and coming soon poker rooms and really liked the Venetian. I said to myself, “This is the place,” and the rest is history.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I work out a lot and really love my old hard rock and disco music from the 60s-80s. I love Donna Summer!

What is your favorite/least favorite part of your job?
The food is great! I also love my insurance, the atmosphere of the poker room, and my schedule. I also appreciate that your days off are your days off and they handle flex time off really well. As for least favorite, there’s not much that I don’t like.

Dogs or cats?
Oh, I’m definitely a dog guy, but I’ve never really had a cat.

So, next time you are playing some poker during the day, take a few minutes to say hi and get to know this quite interesting and friendly man.

Pete

Team Member Spotlight (March): Jay

/ Natalie Faulk / Leave a comment

Meet Jay, one of our totally awesome dealers. Everyone who’s anyone in The Venetian Poker Room knows Jay. After all, he’s been here since we opened the room in 2006. In fact, if you ask those who know Jay—both poker room staff and guests—say he’s the kindest, most jovial person around.

Jay is from Boston and has the distinctive “pahk the cah” accent. Of course, he made it clear that he was a huge fan of “the World Series champion Red Sox and the Super Bowl champion Patriots.”

Jay doesn’t like to be the center of attention, but I managed to get him to answer a few questions.

So, how long have you been in Las Vegas?
I’ve been here 18 years. 

What is your most favorite part about your job?
The guests. I love the guest interaction, especially with the regulars because I never forget a name.

What is your least favorite part of your job?
That I’m still working five days a week [laughs].

Do you have any hobbies?
I love hiking, and we go to a lot of baseball games. I also volunteer for Camel House, a nonprofit 501(c) men’s sober house. I find it very fulfilling and would rather see these guys in there than on the street.

What is the most unusual or unique thing about you?
Ask Sue. (I did, in fact, and she reiterated that Jay was, in fact, extremely generous and kind. In today’s world, these qualities have become increasingly rare, thus making Jay unique, indeed.)

Jay

Team Member Spotlight (February): Mike

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Meet Mike, one of our awesome Dual Rates. What is a Dual Rate? you might ask. Well, these are highly skilled folks who are both dealers and floor-people. You can’t miss Mike. For one, he is quite tall. Secondly, he always has a smile on his face. Third, he is always having a great hair day.

I caught up with Mike recently and barraged him with questions. Take a look.

How long have you worked here at The Venetian?
Since it opened in 2006, but I didn’t become a Dual Rate until the spring of 2017.

How did you become a poker dealer/dual rate?
I started out as a craps dealer and also played poker.

Which do you prefer: dealing or flooring?
I think flooring; however, dealing is a nice break because I can just relax a bit more and it’s almost second-nature to me at this point.

What is your favorite part of your job?
Honestly, I just enjoy helping people out and just doing something memorable. I want people to never be afraid to ask me a question. I also use humor in every aspect of my life, and love to crack jokes and make people smile.

Do you have any hobbies?
Right now, home renovation (said with a chuckle.)

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
With my toes in the sand.

So, if you are having a down day—or simply want to laugh—find Mike and have him tell you a joke.

Mike

Introducing Our New Team Member Spotlight Feature: Martha

/ Natalie Faulk / 1 Comment

Get to know our awesome poker room staff with our new monthly Team Member Spotlights.

Meet Martha, one of our energetic and enigmatic game attendants who does her best to make sure that players and dealers have ample chips, that the room is neat and clean, and that guests are provided exceptional guest service. Martha has attracted the appreciation of and respect from everybody here in the poker room. Coworkers, supervisors, managers, and guests enjoy her positive demeanor and commitment to her work. For all these reasons, we are pleased to feature her in our very first Team Member Spotlight.

I got her to slow down for a minute, so I could catch up with her and find out a little more about this quite interesting and very friendly woman.

How long have you worked here at The Venetian?
Since February 2018

Where are you from, and what brought you to Las Vegas?
I grew up on a farm in Washington state and have lived in many places. Both my mother and sister live here in Las Vegas, and I have been visiting for years. Vegas is kind of like my backyard, so I moved here.

What is your favorite part of your job?
I love the activity, movement, and energy of the poker room. I also genuinely like the people I work with as well as our guests. I honestly enjoy coming to work every day.

Do you have any hobbies?
I love to read and go to the library and check out tons of books because I don’t want libraries to close. I also enjoy lap swimming, but it’s hard to find a pool where I can do this. I do get great exercise here at work, so I’m okay with that.

What is the most interesting thing about you?
I plan to retire to New York City.

Next time you see Martha out and about the poker room, be sure to say hi. That is, if you can catch her.

Martha (2)