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ARIA Dealer Patches Should Not Lose His Job Over One Incident
If you play a lot of live poker, you will see almost everything. Unfortunately, one thing you will see often is dealer abuse. Dealer abuse comes in various forms and can make for a hostile work environment for a dealer.
Today, we will talk about a situation that recently happened in Las Vegas where a dealer got into a fight with a player. Odds are that the dealer will lose his license due to the provocation of a player.
Aria Poker Dealer Gets Into Fight With Player
Poker players who have played at the ARIA in Las Vegas know Patches. He is a long-time dealer and well-beloved by many poker players. Many call him a consummate professional and one of the most chill guys you’ve ever met.
As such, a surprising video was uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday that shows Patches getting into a fight with a player in a poker cash game.
While it is a bit surprising to see this happen, it appears that Patches was provoked. Farah Galfond tweeted the following regarding the incident:
If you’ve played poker at Aria, you’ve had the total pleasure of being dealt by the legend that is “Patches”. This sweet man was recently berated & attacked (beer thrown on him) & he did what we all would have done. He snapped. His license will be lost. https://t.co/phlZtlkCmc
— Farah Galfond (@Farah_Galfond) December 10, 2020
Sadly, the fact that Patches defended himself and went after the player will likely result in his losing his license. A GoFundMe page has been set up for Patches’ benefit and has raised around $6,000 at the time of this writing. However, that will not replace his license.
Dealer Abuse is a Real Problem in Poker
Sadly, dealer abuse is a real problem in poker. It is not as bad as it once was, but the problem still exists. One former dealer commented on the Patches situation spoke on the 10 percent of players out there that make dealer’s lives a living hell.
I quit dealing bc of the way dealers are treated. Yes, 90% of the players are respectful, 5% borderline, but that last 5% are horrible. Dealers can’t do much to defend themselves, so it’s up to the floor or even other players to call out “bad actors”. This really pisses me off.
— Rob G (@robgamble01) December 11, 2020
I have been around poker long enough to where I have seen a wide array of dealer abuse take place at the table. A lot of times, the abuse takes the form of name-calling or blaming the dealer for the outcome of a hand. Other times, dealers will be physically assaulted.
In my early days of live poker, I played a bit with the late John Bonetti. I got along with John and liked him as a person in general. However, I despised his treatment of dealers at the table. Most old school dealers know what I am talking about.
I almost witnessed a similar situation as what happened with Patches between John and another dealer in an Omaha Hi-Lo tournament. John had berated a particular guy constantly and even told the dealer he would see him outside. Immediately, the dealer said, “Ok asshole, let’s go.” He then stood up ready to fight.
The guy was all of 6 ft 6 ” and about 250 lbs. I wish I had a picture of the look on John’s face. It was priceless. He quickly backed down and walked away. However, that only stopped him from bothering that one dealer. He continued his abuse of other dealers and got 86’d for the day.
Dealers Are Human Too
In the case involving Patches, it seems a bit extreme to revoke his gaming license over the fight with a player. If the player had not assaulted Patches, then I could see them taking this type of action. I am not saying that Patches is completely blameless, but regulators need to take all the facts into consideration and look at Patches’ body of work. One incident should not ruin his career.
If ARIA wanted to suspend Patches for short time or dock his pay, I could see that being a much more reasonable punishment. While some will argue he shouldn’t be punished at all, there is something to be said about having security or the floor staff handle the situation. If Patches would have kept his cool, security could have removed the player.
Ultimately, I hope that some type of agreement can be made to save Patches’ license. It would be a shame to see such a talented dealer lose his job over one bad decision.
