WHAT? I can't be a croupier because I'm too short?
You may not know it, but there is a height requirement - 1.58m.
And I'm 5 cm shorter than that.
I was indignant - that's heightism.
I thought height requirements were only for flight attendants.
Air stewardesses have to be at least 1.58m too. That's because they need to reach the plane's overhead compartments.
Then I found out about the height requirement for female croupiers at the Resorts World Sentosa casino. For men, it's 1.65m.
Marina Bay Sands said it does not have height restrictions for their croupiers.
So last week, I trudged to the International Club Games Training Centre at Turf City to see for myself why height matters.
The centre offers casino education.
Tall tales
CEO Ramachandra Siva, who has worked in the casino industry for more than 20 years, said that in the past, casinos generally hired tall men as the 'rowdy crowd' made the jobs 'dangerous'.
They were also good for 'surveillance' because they could see more of what is happening.
Today, the reason is more of a 'technicality', he said.
A croupier who is too short may not be able to reach across the tables to give out cards or collect chips efficiently.
Sensing my disbelief, the 1.65m Mr Ramachandra demonstrated to me how much he had to stretch at the three main table games in casinos - the roulette, blackjack and baccarat.
Then he asked me to try. Eager to prove that height does not matter, I agreed.
It turned out to be quite a stretch. Let's just say that if I was just a little shorter, half my body would have been unglamorously sprawled across the roulette table.
At the blackjack table, the croupier could stand on an 8cm black platform, but Mr Ramachandra said not all casinos have such platforms.
Marina Bay Sands said it provides platforms for croupiers who might need them.
Standing on the platform, I proudly exclaimed: 'I can reach!'
'You have long arms,' said Mr Ramachandra.
Ah, so a short person with long arms has no problem. Height becomes irrelevant then, I argued.
Agreeing, Mr Ramachandra said: 'By right, the person's reach should be measured. But nowadays, some casinos just measure height.'
The baccarat table turned out to a bit more of a problem because I had to be seated. I could reach the chips on the table, but not before stretching over the chips in front of me.
That, Mr Ramachandra pointed out, could be a security problem. If the croupier is too short, he or she will end up leaning over the chips.
Security cameras, usually mounted overhead, will fail to capture a dishonest croupier slipping a chip or two into his vest.
'It is also more elegant to be sitting straight,' Mr Ramachandra added.
Isn't there a stick-like prop the croupier can use to give out cards and reel in the chips? That should minimise the stretch.
Mr Ramachandra looked confused at first. Then he said with a laugh: 'You've been watching too many movies.'
There were two types of sticks, I learnt, and casinos no longer use them.
'In the past, they used the spatula in London clubs and Monaco, for style only. It was used at the larger baccarat tables, which are rarely found in casinos now,' Mr Ramachandra said.
'It also takes a lot of skill to master the use of the rack without making the chips fall.'
He said all students at his school are informed of the requirements of the two casinos here before they sign up. They have had a handful of students who are shorter than the requirement.
In countries like the US and Australia, he noted, height cannot be a requirement 'unless proven a necessity' because of discrimination laws.
What else does the job entail?
Both the integrated resorts require croupiers to have normal colour vision, so that they can differentiate the colours of the chips and cards. Resorts World also asks applicants if they have sweaty palms, though they are not checked for it.
The female advantage
I tried one last time to prove that a croupier's height was irrelevant. If they work at the same tables, why does the requirement for men and women differ?
A Resorts World spokesman explained: 'Women can wear heels. A three-inch heel (adds) about 7cm. Ladies have that option but men don't.'
(I was wearing flats that day.)
The spokesman added: 'It's also harder to find 1.65m-tall (Singaporean) women.'
He said Resorts World prefers to 'cross-train its croupiers as much as possible because of job rotation'. If a croupier is short, he or she can operate only one type of game.
So why doesn't Marina Bay Sands (MBS) have the requirement?
Mr Ken Davie, its senior vice-president of casino operations, said: 'Being an equal-opportunity employer, MBS does not have a stipulated height requirement for our dealers.'
The most important attribute, he added, is a desire for social interaction with a great variety of people.
'Customer service skills are critical and dealers need manual dexterity and basic maths skills,' Mr Davie said.
'As long as candidates have the right attitude for the job, MBS welcomes them and will provide specialised training. As far as physical criteria is concerned, dealers only need to pass a colour vision test.'
Ms Jacye Lim, at 1.56m tall, recently got a job as a croupier at MBS.
The 45-year-old, who took a 50 per cent pay cut from her previous banking job to pursue her 'dream job as a croupier', told The New Paper: 'I don't find my height a handicap. It is not an issue for me. Customer service is more important in this line.'
Does she have problems stretching?
'When you're motivated to do something, you'll go all out to do it,' she said.
Besides, she's got 'long hands', she said.
Well, that makes two of us.
Over 1,000 jobs still up for grabs at Marina Bay Sands
WANTED: Dealers.
After employing 1,500 Singaporeans to work as dealers and dealer inspectors in its Table Games division, Marina Bay Sands (MBS) wants another 1,000-plus employees for its table games.
And MBS hopes to fill these positions at its recruitment drive in Suntec City today and tomorrow at Convention Hall 603.
Job seekers can apply for a job on the spot.
Trainees have to undergo intensive training in a Casino Training School operated by MBS.
The three-month course will be fully paid for, and candidates will receive nationally-recognised certificates upon completion.
The starting pay is $1,800 before tips.
Some can rise to the position of shift manager, earning up to $11,000 a month.
Mr Ken Davie, senior vice-president of casino operations, said; 'Singaporeans have shown that they are perfect for these positions, and we are delighted
with the candidates who will be joining us and would encourage anyone else with an interest to come and apply.'
He told The Straits Times this week that if MBS fails to fill the positions, it will be forced to look to foreign shores.
He also said this is the first time that the Las Vegas-based group has had so much trouble filling gaming positions.
It had no problem at its home base or its Macau outfit.
Besides becoming dealers, 500 Singaporeans have also been successful in getting jobs at MBS as cage and count cashiers, VIP and executive hosts, and slot attendants and technicians.
