A croupier is the casino employee who runs a table game, taking bets, spinning the roulette wheel or dealing the cards, and paying out winners. In Britain the word covers almost any table dealer, and it also describes the presenters at live casino tables streamed online. A croupier carries out the rules but can't change your odds.
A croupier runs a table game: takes bets, produces the result and settles bets.
In Britain "croupier" and "dealer" are used almost interchangeably.
Live casino studios employ croupiers alongside camera operators, an IT manager and a pit boss.
The game's rules and payouts fix the house edge; the croupier has no say in it.
Meaning
Casino employee who runs a table game
Origin
French
Main games
Roulette, baccarat, blackjack, poker games
Live studio supervisor
Pit boss settles disputes
Effect on odds
None: rules set the edge
What a croupier is
The croupier is the person in charge of a gaming table. They accept bets, call the end of betting, spin the wheel or deal the cards, announce the result, collect losing stakes and pay winning ones. The word is French and arrived with roulette and baccarat. In American usage "dealer" is more common, especially at blackjack; in UK casinos croupier is the everyday job title for both.
This glossary entry looks at the role itself: what croupiers do at each game, how live casino croupiers work, and the myths about croupiers controlling results. Our separate dealer entry covers the house hand in card games.
What a croupier does at each game
Croupier duties by game
Game
Main duties
Roulette
Takes bets, calls no more bets, spins wheel and ball, marks the winning number, clears losing chips and pays winners
Baccarat (punto banco)
Directs play under the fixed drawing rules, deals or supervises the deal, collects the 5% Banker commission
Blackjack
Deals from a shoe, plays the house hand by fixed rules, settles each hand
Casino poker games
Deals, checks whether the dealer hand qualifies, pays from the pay table
Craps
Several staff run the table, handle the dice and pay the many bet types
The Wikipedia baccarat article (opens in a new tab) describes a punto banco table staffed by a croupier who directs play, with the shoe sometimes passed between players who deal on the croupier's instructions according to the drawing rules. No choices are involved: the third card rule decides every draw.
How a croupier pays roulette bets: a worked example
Speed and accuracy with payouts is a core croupier skill. A single-zero roulette spin lands on 17, and a player has £2 straight up on 17, £2 on the 17/20 split and £5 on odd. The croupier settles it in this order:
Mark the winning number with the dolly so nobody can add or remove chips.
Clear all losing chips from the layout.
Pay the straight-up bet at 35 to 1: £70, with the £2 stake left in play or returned.
Pay the split at 17 to 1: £34.
Pay the even-money bet on odd: £5.
Remove the dolly and open betting for the next spin.
That's £109 in winnings on £9 of bets. The payouts fall just short of the true odds (a straight-up bet wins 1 time in 37 but pays 35 to 1), which is where the 2.70% house edge comes from. Our roulette payouts page lists every bet, and the dolly entry explains the marker.
Live casino croupiers
Live dealer games are streamed in real time from a studio or a land-based casino, and the results come from real wheels and cards handled by a croupier. A typical live studio employs one or more camera operators, several croupiers, an IT manager and a pit boss who settles disputes between players and croupiers. Evolution's live casino range (opens in a new tab) shows the main game families.
Not every live game has a croupier. Evolution's Auto Roulette uses an automated wheel with no live dealer. Our pages on live dealers and how live casino works cover studios in more depth, and live chat etiquette explains how to talk to presenters.
Croupier myths: can a croupier control the result?
A popular roulette myth says experienced croupiers can aim the ball at a section of the wheel, sometimes called a dealer signature. Even if a spin had some consistency, the ball's bounce off the frets and deflectors scatters it, and the payouts and the 2.70% edge stay the same whatever the croupier does. Card dealers likewise follow fixed rules with no choices. Our answer on whether you can predict roulette numbers and the wheel bias entry look at the evidence.
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Frequently asked questions
What does a croupier do?
A croupier runs a casino table game. They take bets, close betting, spin the wheel or deal the cards, announce the result, collect losing stakes and pay winners. At roulette they also mark the winning number and keep the layout tidy. Our how to play roulette guide shows a full round from the player's side.
Is a croupier the same as a dealer?
Mostly, yes. In Britain croupier is the usual job title for anyone running a table, while dealer is the common word in America and at blackjack. In card games, dealer also means the house hand, which follows fixed drawing rules. Our dealer entry covers that second meaning.
Are live casino croupiers real people?
Yes, at live dealer tables the croupier is a real person in a studio or casino, using real wheels and cards on camera. Studios also have camera operators, IT staff and a pit boss who settles disputes. A few games, such as Auto Roulette, use an automated wheel instead. See are live dealers real people.
Can a croupier influence where the ball lands?
Not in any way that helps you or the casino. The ball bounces off frets and deflectors before it settles, and the payout on every bet is fixed, so the 2.70% single-zero edge holds whoever spins. No pattern in a croupier's spins changes the odds. Our roulette myths page covers this and other common beliefs.
Should I tip the croupier?
It's optional. In land-based casinos, tips are often called tokes and may be pooled among staff, depending on the venue's policy. Nobody is obliged to tip, and a tip has no effect on the game or your odds. If you do, count it as part of your session budget like any other spend. Our toke entry explains how tipping works.
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