Desert Bluffs News

It started with a simple goal: make poker better in the Tri-Cities. When we opened there were only 5 total tables. Only one room was running tournaments.

That idea became Desert Bluffs (We almost called it Lucky Johnson’s, the name of our parent company). Since we opened poker has grown!

• 13 licensed tables + 2 bars running great games.
• At least 3 tournaments every day, sometimes more.
• Hold’em, Omaha, Tahoe, mixed, and big guarantees are spread throughout the city.

It’s time to finish what we started and build a full casino operation. We’re hiring a leadership team to do it right. We have the busiest poker room in town (and we still made sure that we didn’t disrupt the business of the other rooms—because poker is about community).

We’re building systems to get players, keep players, get feedback and we need a whole team of folks to join us in May when we anticipate opening.

So we’re starting the search for leaders.

Now a quick word: nobody rides a desk. Every position is customer facing, and everyone will have to think on your feed, uphold our values and build a culture that keeps people coming back to our house.

General Manager:
You set direction and hold the whole operation together. You oversee every department, hire and develop leadership, manage budgets, and make final calls when it counts. You’re accountable for compliance, customer experience, and profitability, and you work closely with ownership to execute long-term plans without drama.
Total compensation $120-150k annually depending on experience and scope. Bonuses uncapped.

Operations Manager: You’re the one that owns compliance, and you handle the day to day operations and work with the department heads to run their schedules. You’ll be able to floor, deal and push.

Total compensation in the six figures.

Casino Lead:
The casino lead runs the room whenever needed. From standing in for a dealer to making sure games are run fairly and smoothly, casino leads are the backbone of our operation. You’re calm, trusted, and capable of stepping in anywhere when it matters.

$35+ an hour, and some roles will include tip outs.

Cage Lead:
You control the money. Chips, cash, paperwork, and accuracy all flow through you. You balance drawers, manage buy-ins and payouts, and make sure nothing gets sloppy. Detail-oriented, unflappable, and trusted with responsibility. Will not self-audit.

Total compensation will be $40/hour or more including wage + tips + bonuses.

F&B Manager:
You run the bar and kitchen like a welcoming business, not a hobby. Inventory, staffing, margins, cleanliness, and guest experience all land on your desk. You work closely with operations to keep service tight on busy nights.

$27-35 hour depending on experience or salary + bonus.

Security:
You own safety and order in the room. You set the tone for security staff, handle incidents calmly, and work closely with management to de-escalate situations before they become problems, and problems before they become issues. Presence, judgment, and professionalism matter more than muscle.

$22-30 hour.

How to Work At Desert Bluffs

1. Application: Candidates apply on our website or Indeed.
2. Phone Screens An initial screening call, followed by a second conversation with ownership and/or operations leadership to assess fit, experience, and expectations.
3. Evaluation & Group Screen Candidates are evaluated using our internal scorecard. Top candidates will participate in a group discussion, typically via Zoom.
4. Reference Check References are contacted for finalists, when we are serious about them
5. In-Room (Paid) Trial Weekend Finalists work alongside the team for a weekend (or a couple of days). Required licensure is initiated or completed at this stage.
6. Offer & Final Details An offer is made, with final terms discussed and agreed upon…then you join us.

All positions include:

• Truly Competitive pay
  • Solid base salary
  • Realistic, uncapped, incentive pay available.
• Live in Tri-Cities WA, where we have about 300 sunny days and very mild winters, but you can drive just a few hours to ski (or surf). We’re not vegas.
• Paid Federal Holidays  + your spouse’s birthday off.
• 401(k) match, Health Insurance available. 
• Time off:  15 days flexible PTO per year for management roles.
• Personal career development training & mentorship

In early November in the Pacific Northwest, the whole Northwest poker community gathers in Pendleton, Oregon, to play the Fall Poker Roundup. This year, they have moved their start times to 11 O’Clock and added a little bit of play in the middle levels to make the event more fun for everyone.

The basic gist of Wildhorse’s Tournaments:

• They are a blast.
• They are filled with fun players here to have a good time, not the serious hoodie-wearing human-solver dickbags inflicting their daddy-issue misery on everyone around them. So normal people can run deep and sometimes win.
• Wildhorse adds some money to each one of the games.
• The casino is kind to everyone, and everyone is trying hard: the only “family” atmosphere. (Complete with just a teensy bit of homey dysfunction).
• There’s no Vegas-style price gouging: a beer is about $5.00, and you can get good food at their good restaurant starting around $25 bucks an entree.
• The dealers are good throughout (I’m dealing this year, so I’ll be the weak link).
• The live games are juicy and fun.
• The whole property is rapidly improving, so if you tried it before, give it another go-round.

Here’s the way to approach this event and get the most of your time at Wildhorse Resort and Casino

1. For The BEST time, find “Hand-Pay Chuck”: Ask any dealer who “Hand-Pay Chuck” is, and sit at his table. Chuck is THE legend of Wildhorse. Tall, energetic, and with a voice that booms through the entire floor, he will make every table weirder and more fun. Bring earplugs, though, because he does have an amplified voice.
2. Get Your Spring Roundup Hotel The Day They Announce It: You know you’re coming back. So get your hotel while you can. Wildhorse is a great place to stay and play, and it always sells out a month or two before the event. For whatever reason, they don’t really raise rates for their roundup. Wildhorse has some generous policies for changing your registration, and if you decide not to play most of the time, you can easily cancel.
3. Make Ten Friends: This is the friendliest place to play poker. Some great people are here, and you should be able to make ten new friends each time you play. While there are plenty of
4. There Are Never Lines At Movie Theater Restroom: It’s just a few steps away, it has no lines, and it’s always 30% cleaner in the men’s room. Of course, if everyone follows this tip, my secret sanctuary is ruined.
5. Eat Hot Dogs, Save Money: Also, movie theater hot dogs are jumbo Nathan’s Famous hotdogs. Delicious! Big enough to fill you up. You can feast from the roller grill for under $5.00.
6. Rivers: Bet For Value A Little More, Bluff a Little Less: There are a lot of players who are new to poker, or who only play at this event. This means they will call a little more here than they might elsewhere, so you’re less likely to get a river bluff through. You can value bet bigger though, and they’ll call.
7. See A Movie To Get Your Chill Back: Make a bad play or take a bad beat? No problem. See a movie and recover your chill. They have start times all throughout the tournament days. I took a bad beat was in a terrible mood, then I watched AIR, and I came back to get my buy-in back and then some on the no-limit streets.
8. Stack Your $14. coupons for Hanley’s Steakhouse or the Plateau: While you can get lunch at the Wild Roast for your $14, it’s more fun to stack your $14 food vouchers for the nicer places that the Confederated tribes own. I went out to Hamley Steakhouse with my wife and kids and had a marvelous time.
9. Eat Your Feelings: Enjoy Some Tilamook™ Ice Cream: They sell you basically a farm trough full of Ice Cream for about five bucks, and it’s always at the perfect temperature to enjoy. Whether you have ‘em bring it to you or not, it’s a good time to eat your feelings.
10. Use “Champ” or “Boss” instead of Chief for an informal greeting when you don’t know someone’s name: At a tribal casino, you usually won’t want to call anyone “Chief.” It’s a better choice to call people “Champ” or “Boss” or even “Slick” if you’re going for slightly condescending. Ask me how I know.

This is the best fall getaway for poker players and one of the best times you can have playing poker. I have seen it behind the scenes and I know how hard everyone works to put on a spectacular event for all of you to enjoy.

Legends and professional careers have started with a few good runs at Wildhorse’s Poker Round-Up games.

Maybe you’ll add your name to the likes of world-class crushers like Tyler Patterson and Angela Jordison and create a legendary career right here in Oregon.