On the first day of training, a group of friends were taken to a warehouse to put their poker skills to the test. They were tested on how well they could shuffle, deal and converse with the players around them
Ultimately some made the cut and some did not.
When someone thinks of a typical job for a high schooler, a server or a lifeguard comes to mind. However TOHS Senior, Tin Phan, works in an irregular field that consists of bluffing, gambling and strategy.
Around the holiday season, one of Phan’s “friend’s dad”, Michael Kari, was desperate to find employees for his gambling catering company, which immediately caught Phan’s eye.
A connection was almost instantly established when Phan expressed his interest in the Navy, not knowing his new boss was a Navy Chief several years ago.
Phan has always been the one in the classroom to choose the lowest odds and test his luck, making him the perfect candidate for this job.
“It’s a gambling catering company, so we provide poker tackle, blackjack tables, and craps tables,” Phan said. “Basically, almost anything you can find at a casino we have, besides slot machines. I work as set up, dealer and take down as well.”
Phan is not just a dealer, but also plays poker with his closest friends as well, putting his real skills to the test.
There have been times when he will work a four-hour shift, starting the night off, then when he gets off, goes to a friend’s house to play rather than deal. However, he often finds himself wanting to gamble less when he is surrounded by the fast-paced environment several nights in a row.
As implied by working in this field, Phan is constantly having to work with adults who would not necessarily pass the sobriety test.
“I was dealing in Ojai one night, and there were four or five people teaming up on this one blackjack stand, and the payout was annoying so I kicked out every single one of them,” Phan said. “They were all drunk, so they were frustrated at me.”
According to Phan, Kari actually dislikes the business himself and is trying to pass over or even sell the company over to Phan. But in just a few short months, when Phan graduates and starts trade school, he is leaving and calling off his bluff.
