Job Title: Casino host for super high rollers Employers: Casinos Openings: Get into casino marketing and work your way up Salary Cap: High six figures Number of Jobs: 10

As the head of casino hosts at Wynn Las Vegas, Alex Pariente stops at nothing to keep his stable of high rollers happy and loyal to his casino, ordering up a $16,000 customized golf cart for a fairway fanatic, or snagging reservations overnight for the super-hot restaurant El Bulli in Spain, where the wait for a table can be more than three years. It's the personalized touch, he says, that wins clients every time.

When a high-rolling car aficionado decided to celebrate his birthday in Sin City, the Wynn Las Vegas and a competing casino both threw lavish dinners, with the other host giving the man a Ferrari worth more than $200,000. Pariente knew he'd have to go one better to keep the patron, who frequented both casinos, on his client list.

So Pariente arranged to have a piece of the winning Ferrari in that weekend's Italian Grand Prix race signed by seven-time world champion Formula One driver Michael Schumacher for the birthday boy. The gift, obtained through favors and connections, was rushed through customs in time for the Wynn bash the next evening. The Wynn kept the customer.

"Did we spend the same amount of money as our competitor?" says Pariente. "Probably not. But it's a lasting memory that sits in his office and starts conversations with everyone who visits him."

It takes a certain kind of personality to be a casino host—diplomatic and discreet, as well as savvy about financial and world affairs. The best, like Pariente, are able to connect with people on any social level, using their imaginations to offer the kinds of gifts and experiences that keep high rollers intrigued and coming back for more.

Pariente oversees two host teams of 11 people each—one based in Vegas and the other overseas—who are charged with identifying, developing, and retaining gamblers outside the U.S., in addition to Asian, Hispanic, and other ethnic guests within the U.S. for Wynn Las Vegas.

The 200 to 250 customers Pariente personally serves are those who gamble a half-million dollars or more each time they go to Vegas. In gaming parlance, these customers are known as whales, and they generate a large portion of the casinos' revenues.

Being a top casino host, says Pariente, requires developing close bonds by attending family gatherings, facilitating business introductions, and helping out in emergencies.

One time, Pariente helped rescue a client's friend in Indonesia, flying the man out of a typhoon's path with help from colleagues in Macau. And he's taken more than one customer to the hospital when they suffered health problems like heart attacks.

There are, of course, perks that come with the job. Pariente often goes to events like Wimbledon matches or the Super Bowl with clients, and he's played golf and tennis with numerous celebrities. Being a client's friend also means that Pariente may be in London on a business trip when a customer invites him to dinner—and flies him to a chalet in the south of France for the meal.

Born in Buenos Aires, Pariente was working for Kempinski Hotels in Argentina when he was tapped to help market a casino in Uruguay to wealthy Argentineans and Brazilians. He quickly gained a reputation for drawing big spenders, and was recruited by Caesars Palace to go to Vegas in 2001 before moving to the Wynn in 2004.

"You have to have an attitude of service, and be knowledgeable enough to talk about the economy, fine wine, and the toys of our customers," says Pariente—who juggles being a husband and father to two daughters while being available to his clients 24/7—of his job. "I do my job in a world that is not mine."