Meet Adam McDonald, the man with the cards
Adam McDonald has dealt roulette and blackjack for nine years, and began as a teenage magician at the craft fairs. We asked him a few questions and he answered most of them.
From the magic table to the long room
Adam grew up near Deloraine and spent his school holidays performing a magic act at the craft fairs. He was good, he says, but not good enough to avoid ending up in the long room. What he took from magic was a love of cards, a steady hand and an appreciation of timing.
He trained as a dealer at a school on the mainland, worked in several rooms and came home when the Lounge opened. He's still the first person in every afternoon, and he tests every wheel by hand.
Adam in his own words
On teaching
“The best compliment is when someone says they weren't nervous. Everyone's nervous for about four minutes, and my job's to make that four minutes feel like twenty seconds.”
On the long room
“It's the only room I've worked where the ceiling makes people speak more softly. I think the roses are listening, which is why I keep my cards close.”
On the regulars
“They keep me honest. Anyone who's been coming for a year can spot a sloppy shuffle across the room, and they'll tell you about it gently, over a cup of tea.”
On what he does at home
He grows tomatoes and practises coin tricks on his dog. Both, he reports, are going well. The dog is unimpressed but loyal, and the tomatoes are excellent, for which we are all grateful.
If you'd like a lesson from Adam, come on a Tuesday evening, when he runs a free roulette session in the middle of the evening. Tell him you're a beginner and he'll be delighted.
If you ask Adam for a card trick, he'll politely decline and then do one anyway, while you're looking at something else. It's become a bit of a tradition on Tuesdays. Nobody's ever worked out how he does the last one, and he's not telling.