The region’s best croupiers converged on Crown Melbourne in November to compete in the 2023 Australasian Croupier Championship. IAG was there to capture all the excitement.
For more than 20 years now, the Australasian Croupier Championship has been bringing together the most talented croupiers from throughout the Asia-Pacific region to test their skills and, if they’re good enough, stake their claim as the best of an elite bunch.
That tradition lived on in November as 27 croupiers representing 16 casinos across Australia and New Zealand converged on Crown Melbourne to compete for the 2023 title.
This was, surprisingly, the first time Crown Melbourne has ever hosted the Australasian Croupier Championship – after Crown’s Tristan Mitchard took down 2022 honors at The Star Gold Coast – and there was no expense spared in ensuring the 2023 version was a memorable one.
“I think we moved mountains to prepare for such a massive event because we wanted the best for this competition and for the guests to experience everything we can offer,” said Crown Melbourne Assistant Casino Manager, Emma Zhu.
“We started planning about eight months [before the event], in March, and went through all the way to November with a full team who have poured all their passion and all their love into this to create a great event for everyone.”
Asked why it was so important to put on a good show, Zhu explained, “We work in such a large industry and it is fully regulated whereby rules are rules, so when you come down here representing your casino you get to be proud, show off what you do, trade stories and talk about your experiences.
“The Croupier Championship is for different croupiers from different casinos all around Australasia to come together to shine some light on the industry, show off their skills, build new friendships, be proud of where they work and represent their own casino to find out who is the best of the best out here. But mainly it is all about having fun. Make friends, start relationships – that’s the goal of this competition.”
To underline the scope of the Australasian Croupier Championship, the 2023 event comprised participants from Crown Melbourne, Crown Sydney, Crown Perth, The Star Sydney, The Star Gold Coast, Treasury Brisbane, SkyCity Auckland, SkyCity Adelaide, SkyCity Queenstown, SkyCity Hamilton, The Ville in Townsville, Hobart’s Wrest Point, Mindil Beach Casino, Casino Canberra, Christchurch Casino and Grand Casino, plus a team of 16 judges – one from each competing casino.
Sponsor Angel also had three staff on site to oversee proceedings.
Naturally, competition was fierce with participants having already navigated their way through sizeable fields at their respective home casinos just to qualify.
“It’s certainly intense for all of the competitors,” observed Bryan Jenkins, Managing Director of Angel Australasia. “You’re testing your skills as one of the best of the best and not everybody succeeds, but it’s very important everyone feels that the experience is beneficial.
“They make new friends, learn new skills, talk to people about their home casino’s procedures. And this is what it’s like every year.”
Asked about his company’s support of this unique event on the annual calendar, Jenkins explained, “Angel’s business is purely related to table gaming and table gaming products, whether it be cards, chips, shoes, smart table technology, and we continue to invest and develop, so this event to us strikes at the very core of where our market is. The performance of dealers, the feedback of dealers in relation to our product, is very, very important, so there is a lot of value in this event for us. We already have a significant part of the market, but I guess our philosophy is that you never take that for granted because the moment you do that someone will overtake you.
“We have a long history in this business and we know a lot of people. Some of the people here I’ve known for 25 years, and that sort of relationship is important to us.
“It’s a great business. There is no business like it. And if you’re in the business you understand how great it is and why it’s important to be supportive of events like this.”
Under competition rules, each participant in the Australasian Croupier Championship was required to deal three disciplines – American Roulette, Commission Baccarat and Blackjack – over two days of heats where they were judged on chip work, dealing skills and guest service. Scores were then tallied and the top six announced as finalists before returning the following day to compete for overall honors.
It was at this point that IAG sought to discover what sets a great dealer apart from a good one.
“A croupier is not just about dealing cards or spinning a ball,” explained Zhu. “It’s about letting your personality shine through in your dealing style. It’s about showcasing what you’ve learned and how you’ve applied that to your job – how proud you are to work as a croupier. It’s about letting your personality shine through as you work.”
The champion, Zhu added, could therefore be justifiably proud of their achievement, “however it’s also an amazing experience for those who can see what the other casinos are up to and perhaps how they do things that we can learn from too. It’s a massive opportunity for everyone and a great experience for those who come from smaller casinos.”
Winners were announced at a lavish cocktail function held in Crown Melbourne’s Horizon event space, complete with sweeping views across the city of Melbourne.
Outlasting strong competition from the host venue’s Hazel Guilleron and SkyCity Auckland’s Esita Takai, who finished second and third respectively, it was Joanne Lee from The Star Gold Coast who was named Australasia’s best croupier, improving on her third-place finish a year earlier.
Speaking with Inside Asian Gaming shortly after her win, Lee said, “I’m overwhelmed. I started at Crown Melbourne which is where my skills come from, then I moved to the Gold Coast where I’ve had more amazing trainers and managers to help me polish my dealing skills and techniques. But I’m very happy to win this award back where I started at Crown Melbourne.”
Lee’s success means the 2024 Australasian Croupier Championship will return to The Star Gold Coast for the second time in three years.
