BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER)- It is back to school for many students, but some Eastern maine Community College students are trading in their pencils and notebooks for a deck of cards and poker chips. Eastern Maine Community College has teamed up with Hollywood Casino once again to offer a course on dealing table games.
Benjamin Johnson completed the course and now deals at all four gaming tables. Before starting the class he had never played any of the games.
"It was all a new learning experience for me and my instructors made it very very fun and exciting all the way through," said Johnson.
The five week course teaches students the proper procedures and tactics for dealing in any gaming institution.
Chelsi Leach, one of the students turned blackjack dealer, said the four hour classes were tough, but worth it, "We sit around like a table like this and deal. We take turns dealing to each other and we have an instructor kind of correcting us."
One of the instructors and employee, Abad Chowdhoury, said even he enjoys the training process, "It's a fun place, put it that way. It's not like a typical school. "
The classes are in high demand and interested students need to pass a mandatory math and background check. Nearly one hundred students have successfully completed the course, but that does not guarantee you a position at Hollywood Casino.
The General Manager, John Osborne, has said the casino benefits from the course by allowing them to add more table games and hire local workers qualified for the job.
The classes start September fourth and are held at Eastern Maine Community College's Rangley Hall.