The busier the action on the gaming floor, the happier Jason Wu usually is.

Jason, a pit manager, has been working table games at Turning Stone Resort Casino for a decade, and said he’s most comfortable when cards are flying, guests are cheering, and chips are moving across the felt. 

Put simply, he is one of the many reasons for Turning Stone’s recent Casino Player magazine awards for table games, including #1 Best Table Game Tournaments and #1 Favorite Casino Resort to Vacation At.

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved the atmosphere of the casino,” he said. “I love playing cards. I’m also a very social person, so I like to see all the people who come in. I like to watch them and see what they do, and take the time to talk and find out interesting things about them. And in this job, that’s basically what I get to do, all day long.”

After years of playing blackjack in Atlantic City and elsewhere, Jason’s career on the other side of the felt began at age 28, back in 2013.

He signed up for Turning Stone’s dealer school and quickly graduated to dealing blackjack. After two years of dealing, he was promoted to floor supervisor, and was assigned to “floor” the same pit where he once dealt.

Three years later, he put in for a promotion to pit manager. And he got the job.

“It turns out all those years of experience as a player actually helped me do better in my job on the floor,” Jason said.

He doesn’t play blackjack anymore, but poker remains a huge part of his life outside of work. He participated in the 2017 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas and cashed in the only event he entered (an early-tournament Texas Hold ‘Em game). He also still plays in some home games. At last check, Jason was even engaged to a poker dealer.

You can always tell when Jason’s working by his accent—he grew up in Elmhurst and still sounds like a kid from the streets of Queens. He’s also a die-hard basketball junkie and Knicks fan, despite years of futility from New York’s NBA team.

Jason said he’s thankful for the opportunities he has had at Turning Stone over the years.

“I can’t imagine working anywhere else,” he said. “The way Turning Stone takes care of us, the way we interact with the guests, it’s a dream job and I feel lucky to be here.”