I quickly realized that the mechanics taught to me were clearly a step above the students from the other schools.

The fundamentals and mechanics taught at this school are exceptional. I recently graduated and went on an audition comprised of applicants from other dealer schools and people who were mainly $1/$2 no limit dealers in Vegas. I quickly realized that the mechanics taught to me were clearly a step above the students from the other schools. Chris, the owner and teacher, spends quite a bit of time helping each student with their individual needs and prepares you for real life scenarios. The fact that the course also teaches both Tournament and Cash, as well as all the various forms of Poker, makes this course well worth the price. Great School.

From world class equipment, to the attention given to every detail.

I cannot praise Chris and The West Coast Dealing School enough. From world class equipment, to the attention given to every detail in teaching the various styles of poker in order to be a success as a true professional Poker Dealer. Thank you Chris, for giving me all the tools needed for success, and for going so far as to even assist in applying for auditions. It's obvious that you truly care, and it shows in the success of your students. The fact that your door stays open to brush up and stay sharp are key as well. The only place to learn the game properly in Las Vegas!!

It was the best investment we could make in ourselves.

Chris is one of the best instructors I have had the pleasure of working with, in any capacity. He was very accommodating to our needs and revised his curriculum to suite our timeline. Each day he met us with great enthusiasm, had a detailed plan of what to accomplish, and stayed as long as needed to complete. The location and room set up was perfect. He has 4 tables, plenty of room to stretch out, comfy chairs, high quality chips/cards, a small break area and its located in a nice part of town. Chris has tremendous patience with all students but maintains a high level of requisition to ensure you are ready for the "real world" once you complete the course. I could not be happier with the training myself and team received, it was the best investment we could make in ourselves. Well worth the money, the experience and education vastly exceeded all of my expectations heading in.

I wanted a school that could provide the best training.

Since I decided to learn poker dealing as a career I wanted a school that could provide the best training. Fortunately Chris is here. During 30 days Chris taught not only over 20 games but also skills of handling all kinds of situations. New students joined from time to time and we practiced to learn together. Even some guys who already dealt WSOP came back to have a talk… Now I have graduated and received several interview offers. I am quite confident to get a job. Thank you Chris! Best wishes to you and your dealing school!

You need to learn all the games in both cash and tournament formats.

If you want to be the best poker dealer you can be, then you need to learn all the games in both cash and tournament formats. Therefore, you need to go to the best school, with the best teacher. West Coast Dealing School is the best school. Chris Tidmarsh is the best teacher. He not only is a poker dealer, he plays the game. This allows him to give you a unique perspective on what it takes to exceed as a poker dealer and Chris will help you to exceed.

Cash and Tournament style.

West Coast Dealing School is one of the elite poker dealing schools in the country. The school prepares you to deal all of the games dealt at the World Series of Poker and prepares you to manage all facets of the game of poker, cash and tournament style. The owner, Chris Tidmarsh, has many years of poker dealing experience and knows how to convey the game to even the most novice dealer or player. The environment is friendly and professional. When you leave West Coast Dealing School as a professional dealer, I guarantee that you will be prepared, as I was, to deal in the biggest and best rooms in the world. I highly recommend this school for anyone wanting to be a "professional" poker dealer.

Friendly and we have a lot of fun.

This is the best school ever. The instructor is very knowledgable, friendly and we have a lot of fun. The atmosphere at the school is very comfortable, clean and professional. The equipment is of a high standard, new and authentic chips, cards and tables. It feels like a real poker room. This course is very detailed and there is a lot of information to learn. I never realized how many poker games there were. It is easy to learn here because the instructor always explains why the procedures are important and so it makes it easy to remember. Oh, and free coffee!
If you are looking to be a professional poker dealer I would recommend West Coast Dealing School.

I feel that I can honestly say this is the only school that prepares it's students to deal ALL of the 20+ games required at the WSOP.

I would highly recommend West Coast Dealing School to anyone wanting to learn how to deal poker. In my opinion, there are three main factors which set it apart from/above the other schools around town. First, the facility and equipment are top notch, there are multiple tables in pristine condition designed to be exactly the same as you would see in a casino poker room, even with the drop box built in for collecting rake. Secondly, the curriculum. After going to several auditions (and passing all) over the summer I feel that I can honestly say this is the only school that prepares it's students to deal ALL of the 20+ games required at the WSOP. The last (but definitely not least) factor is Chris, the owner/instructor. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable about all forms of poker, but just as importantly to me he is still active in the poker scene; he is a member of the TDA and still recently dealing, not one of those instructors who last dealt poker 15 years ago. In addition he is a very patient, genuine, and approachable person who develops a good rapport with all his students and goes the extra mile to see them succeed.

Chris always gave me encouragement and praised me, so I felt confident.

The West Coast Dealing School taught me how to understand how to deal poker games and all the rules I needed to know.
I cannot speak English very well. I am originally from South Korea. So I was worried that I would not understand, but Chris is so good at explaining he made it so I can understand and it was so much fun. Chris always gave me encouragement and praised me, so I felt confident. I was afraid that I would not receive the Graduation Certificate, but I completed the whole course and was then confident. I passed the auditions with the WSOP and the Planet Hollywood Goliath events and became a professional dealer in 2017. It has become a precious experience for me. He is the best teacher. I recommend West Coast Dealing School to anyone.

Great Instructor.

Great Instructor - will teach you everything you need to know about poker!

The environment is friendly and very professional.

I couldnt have picked a better school. The instructor is extremely knowledgeable and teaches every aspect of all poker games...the environment is friendly and very professional...I was well prepared for all my auditions and got hired on my first audition. Without the tools taught to me at this class i would of had no chance. I highly recommend this class to anyone looking to deal specifically poker.

Will not allow you to fail.

To future students who would like to become poker dealers and learn all the rules and regulations of the game, I totally recommend West Coast Dealing school. Under the tutelage of Chris Tidmarsh, you'll learn everything about poker. He is highly knowledgeable, intelligent, patient, and above all he will not allow you to fail. He tells you straight and answers any questions, even ones not about poker. Thanks Chris for everything.

Something to think about all the time.

I had the opportunity to learn to deal poker. And I must say that it was a great stay. You can see immediately that Chris is dedicated to his students and he gives you something to think about all the time. All this is something you have to know at Audition and more. And again thx you Chris.

Pays attention to the needs of each of his students.

Chris is a wonderful and patient teacher that pays attention to the needs of each of his students. He puts in the effort to make sure each graduate is as good a dealer a they can become.

I was determined to pick the school that would best prepare me for the WSOP.

I wanted to deal at the World Series of Poker as a "life experience" rather than pursue a full time job as a dealer. Nonetheless, I was determined to pick the school that would best prepare me for the WSOP. I visited three other poker dealer schools in Vegas and quickly came to the conclusion that West Coast had the most comprehensive program of instruction and truly superior physical facilities. Chris Tidmarsh, the owner/operator of West Coast is an excellent mentor and teacher...he has an in depth understanding of poker, what is required to succeed as a dealer at the highest levels of the profession, and is able to imbue students with the skills needed to rise above the rest of the pack. At my World Series audition, I was pitted against nine other dealers who had years of experience, yet I received the second highest score at the table. West Coast Dealing School may charge a bit more than other schools, but I consider the cost to be an amazing bargain compared to the alternatives.

A sincere Thank you Chris for your patience, kind heart and help building the foundation of my own dealing career, I am forever thankful.

By FAR the best poker dealing school in Vegas, if not the entire US. An easy-going, yet very informative program designed to be completed at one's own pace. Very realistic to the real world of poker dealing and uses the highest quality materials. Chris Tidmarsh, the owner and instructor, is incredibly gifted at his teaching capabilities and knowledge on all games of poker. If you are debating on other Dealing Schools, know that this one IS the best. Look no further. -- a sincere Thank you Chris for your patience, kind heart and help building the foundation of my own dealing career, I am forever thankful.

You will learn how to deal all the various WSOP tournament and cash games.

West Coast Dealing School is by far the best Poker dealing school out there.
The owner/instructor Chris Tidmarsh is an expert in every aspect of the game, from dealing and protection, to etiquette and anything you can name, and he takes pride in making his students top notch professionals. You will learn how to deal all the various WSOP tournament and cash games by one on one personal training to dealing in live mock poker tournament and cash games. The course comes with a comprehensive easy to read poker dealing manual written by the owner that is probably the best in the business and should become your lifelong poker dealing bible. I suggest that you go visit the school and see for yourself. By the way, I am currently attending West Coast Dealing School and I believe the course is Priceless!

This course is detailed and prepares you to deal both cash and tournament style in 25+ games.

100% recommend West Coast Dealing School.
Yes, you will spend a little extra upfront but this investment in your future is well worth it! Chris (owner-instructor) is very competent and experienced in all aspects of poker and will have you prepared for a new career in poker. This course is detailed and prepares you to deal both cash and tournament style in 25+ games. (I couldn't believe there were that many poker games either). Chris has a first class set up and classroom with both cash and tournament poker tables. Since my graduation, I have participated in auditions and seen first-hand the great preparation of West Coast Dealing vs. bare minimum of other dealer schools. West Coast will give you, just like it did me, a head start in poker.
In short, you will be cheating yourself if don't spend a little more upfront at West Coast for your successful career in poker.

Instruction was given on all games of poker currently being played.

After looking over several choices I chose West Coast Dealing School and what an outstanding choice. The owner/instructor Chris Tidmarsh knows the game of poker inside and out. Instruction was given on all games of poker currently being played as well as betting structures, rules, and etiquette of the game. Chris is a hands on teacher making certain your skills and understanding of the game is complete. I have played poker for decades and never appreciated the skills of poker dealers. If you're looking for a quality poker dealing school this is the absolute best choice you can make.

I felt competent and confident that I could pass any poker room dealer audition, including the WSOP's.

The poker dealer training provided by Chris is first rate. Among the course's many qualities are its primary focus on passing the WSOP audition mix, learning how to deal cash, which is a required skill at nearly all poker rooms but is infrequently tested, and a pleasant, professional environment in which to learn. As WCDS is at present a poker-only dealing school, Chris provides training for skills from fundamental (e.g. delivering a quiet shuffle to the thumb & finger technique in delivering flops) to nuanced. Chris uses a basic and understandable framework under which he teaches the different games in the WSOP audition mix. From this training, a dealer from WCDS will know how to competently deal the prime forms of Hold’em, Omaha, Stud, Draw and other variants such as Pineapple and Chinese Open-Face.

A training manual accompanies the course and is an invaluable asset for learning and reviewing concepts at home. A major value of the course is the ability to come in at the opening of the facility and to use any open poker table to practice shuffling, putting out flops, reading hands, organizing chip racks and wells, and chatting with other students. Depending on the attendance for a particular day and the skill levels of the students, Chris will lead demonstrations about various games or techniques and then have the students practice these skills immediately. Frequent repetition and exposure over the duration of the course help reinforce concepts.

There are a series of on-paper assessments about the dealing process, given when the student is deemed ready, and at the end there is a mock dealing audition involving other students as passive players. At the end, I felt competent and confident that I could pass any poker room dealer audition, including the WSOP's.

A strategic benefit of the course is Chris's experience and broad connections in the Vegas poker community. He has the respect of the directors of the major rooms and has placed students throughout the poker world. All good students present and past have gotten Chris's help with connections and information. Past students coming back to the room have reported how WCDS training has given them the edge in getting and passing auditions and performing well. As a student, I enjoyed hearing this feedback from alumni as they verify the quality of the training and share insights about the various rooms and tournament series. Alums are welcomed back if they want to brush up on skills ahead of audition season or practice dealing specialty poker games.

Looking back on my experience, I remain impressed that the mission of WCDS is to train not only competent, excellent dealers, but to have them conduct a gentle, quiet style of dealing - i.e. quiet riffles, no fist thumping to signal the burn/flop, no unnecessary verbal declarations - that allows players to enjoy a professional, unobtrusive environment which in turn helps the poker rooms' business. In teaching, Chris is patient, resilient, and persistent in helping student achieve a lesson objective. He is never cross but always guides you towards discarding bad habits and tics and adopting a better standard. Chris's students are fast becoming a new generation of professional dealers who are implementing a new standard of professionalism.

I dedicated an entire month to come out to Vegas from the east coast to undertake Chris's training. I thoroughly enjoyed the instruction, the overarching philosophy, and the student/alum community he has catalyzed. I heartily recommend Chris's course to anyone wanting to learn and to pass the WSOP audition, which in turn, will qualify one for any other major poker room and tournament series.

Chris explains things very well so everything is easy to understand.

The instruction here is fantastic. Walking in the first day I was thinking, "What could possibly take 100 hours to teach?" Walking out that same day, I understood. I play poker but there was soooo much I didn't know.

Chris explains things very well so everything is easy to understand. The learning process is well structured so you build on what you have learned. This was a great experience and I looked forward to going to school every day. I can't think of anyway he could make this class better. I've never had a better teacher/instructor! I learned 25 games to be able to deal at the 2017 WSOP.

I would recommend this school to anyone looking to be a GREAT poker dealer!

The owner Chris is an aficionado of poker dealing! He spent countless hours beyond the requirements to train and fine tune my skills, for me to gain the confidence to go into any poker audition. His knowledge, expertise and most of all patience, and the others who assist, make this course well worth the cost. I would recommend this school to anyone looking to be a GREAT poker dealer!

Supreme education in dealing all variants and learning every rule of poker.

After a few short weeks I was able to get hired at Planet Hollywood's summer Goliath Phamous Poker series without an audition.

The instructor, Chris Tidmarsh, knows poker inside and out. He teaches all the games you need to know to be a professional dealer. He has a great feel for people, and knows when to push the throttle or slow things down for you. There are dozens of little details and nuances that he'll teach you to make your job as a dealer easier, as well as impress when you audition for work.

After a few short weeks I was able to get hired at Planet Hollywood's summer Goliath Phamous Poker series without an audition. Amazing, right? I highly recommend the school. Great location, beautiful tables/classroom, with an instructor that wants nothing more than you to succeed as a dealer.

You will get an abundance of time 'in the box' (i.e. the dealer's seat).

Chris Tidmarsh, the instructor at West Coast Dealing School, is a very knowledgeable man when it comes to the myriad of details & intricacies of the varieties of poker games that exist. He is very patient and continuously pushes you in the right direction to understand the nuances behind why every rule or technique is valid and important.

The overall facility is extremely clean, the training environment is quite expansive, there are always complimentary refreshments available on hand, but most importantly, you will get an abundance of time 'in the box' (i.e., the dealer's seat) which, in of itself in my opinion, earns West Coast Dealing School this five-star rating.

I highly recommend WCDS to all future poker dealing professionals who are dead set on learning to deal these fun games of cards the right way, the first time. It was truly an amazing experience learning there.

Chris's curriculum will expertly and efficiently take you through all facets of being a professional dealer.

I have known Chris for a number of years and can say with full confidence that he is a wise choice to start you on your journey to being a professional poker dealer. Chris's keen eye for detail along with the knowledge he has accrued over the years from both sides of the table will stand you in great stead to learn all aspects of being a professional poker dealer. Chris's curriculum will expertly and efficiently take you through all facets of being a professional dealer. Rather uniquely, Chris will teach not only how to deal tournament poker but also live action poker. After successfully completing the poker course at West Coast Dealing School you will be not only on your way to being a professional poker dealer but also one that can have full confidence in their ability.

Chris has the background to teach the game of poker from the perspective of a dealer and a player.

Having worked with Chris in many different poker rooms, I know that he is a man of strong character who understands the right way to run a poker game. Our many discussions over the years about the game have helped me become a full time poker dealer. He is not only a teacher and professional dealer, he is a successful player too. Chris has the background to teach the game of poker from the perspective of a dealer and a player. He is one of the most honest and trustworthy people you will ever meet and learning from his knowledge of the game will be invaluable in your new dealing career.

Chris was excellent at explaining the rules of each game in a way that was easy to understand.

After dealing Hold 'em for many years and working in Las Vegas as both a dealer and a poker room supervisor, I found myself in a position where I was about to deal at the World Series of Poker. Not knowing how to deal all of the games that the WSOP offers, I turned to Chris for instruction and advice about dealing practice, procedures and rules. I found that Chris was excellent at explaining the rules of each game in a way that was easy to understand. Even Pot Limit! I would definitely reccommend West Coast Dealing School if you are looking for a serious career as a poker dealer. Chris is a fun guy, very knowledgeable and has a great ability to relay information to his students.

Chris is extremely knowledgeable and more importantly very positive and with a unique ability to actually teach.

I have been taught poker twice, once in an established, well renowned Las Vegas dealer school setting and once in private tuition with Chris Tidmarsh. I can say without question that my time with Chris was far more satisfying, enjoyable and successful.

While the school I attended minimally prepared you for a real world audition, you were generally in a crowded class with limited time in the box yourself and training on old, barely usable, beat up equipment. A typical day would consist of several hours of playing while others dealt. When it was your time to deal you were generally stopped when you did something wrong and then told to figure it out which by the time you did, meant dealing just four or five hands during your half hour.

At many schools, the one I went to and a couple that I looked at, it is generally assumed that you fully understand the poker games and play the games on a regular basis. This was not the case for me or a couple of others in my class. An example of this would be figuring out the "pot" in Pot Limit Omaha. This is not a difficult or impossible concept by any means but one that does require some time to apply to be able to do in a mistake free fashion. The instructors were often short on patience and you were asked to figure impossible pots that could theoretically happen in a real game but typically don't. More wasting time rather than getting the repetition and confidence you need to deal a real life game.

I don't believe this would ever happen in a situation taught by Chris. With Chris, I was in a small class that included both neophytes and experienced dealers looking to brush up for the summer WSOP schedule. As an experienced dealer himself, Chris is extremely knowledgeable and more importantly very positive and with a unique ability to actually teach. Your success is 100% his motivation and the classes are positive and fun to be at. Not a grind in the least. I passed an audition after just three brush up days with Chris and dealt every day of one of the other 6 week long poker events that run adjunct to the WSOP.

I have seen Chris' new room and it is very clean, up market and pleasant with brand new state of the art tables and brand new top notch equipment. I am certain that the class and everything about the school will be top notch. I have known Chris for five years and can say with certainty that he is a first class individual and a great teacher. If you choose to attend his school, and I strongly urge that you do, I know that your experience will be a positive one and that if you apply yourself you can't help but be successful in the field.

Dealing is an art form and Chris recognizes that. Your success is his #1 priority.

Chris has years in the poker world, both as a player and a dealer. I have had the pleasure of working with him in a professional setting, and through our conversations, I always find myself learning new approaches to dealing. Dealing is an art form and Chris recognizes that. Learning a new casino game, let alone poker, can be compared to learning a new language, and Chris exemplifies tremendous patience in his teaching methods. Your success is his #1 priority. He will have you fully prepared for any situation you may come across at the poker table. And yes, I can call Chris a very good friend, but he is a professional in every sense of the word. He is a man of tremendous character who will be personally invested in your success.