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!!

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 the WSOP audition, which in turn, will qualify one for any other major poker room and tournament series.

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!

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.

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 so 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.

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

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.

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