Lakewood : Poker Dealers School OKd

Lakewood residents interested in learning how to deal a deck of cards like a professional will not have to look far, thanks to a Planning Commission decision this week authorizing establishment of a poker dealer’s school.

Jeffrey Jefferson, 46, of Long Beach will start the as-yet-unnamed poker dealers school by mid-summer at Westlake Plaza, on the corner of Paramount Boulevard and Candlewood Street.

Jefferson, a professional dealer who has worked at many Southern California casinos, said prospective dealers will learn by handling cards during class sessions. The four- to six-week training sessions will cost from $650 to $850, depending on the number of games learned.

City officials issued the operating permit after limiting the number of students per class to 14 and receiving guarantees that gambling will not be conducted on school premises. Gambling is illegal in Lakewood.