How to Deal Blackjack

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how to deal blackjack

Blackjack is the ultimate casino card game. It’s the perfect blend of strategy, luck, and excitement.

It’s straightforward to play, but how to deal blackjack is an often overlooked skill.

A world class dealer can make a huge difference to a game of blackjack, transforming it from a simple gamble to an evening of entertainment.

Croupiers at top blackjack casinos make dealing look easy. In fact, it takes years of hard work and practice to silence a riffle, shuffle several decks of cards at the same time, and understand the mechanics of the game.

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How to Deal Blackjack

If you thought a shuffle is just a shuffle, then head to the dancefloor.

At the blackjack table, the shuffle is a complex set of moves that must be exactly the same, every time. There are different routines, depending on the number of decks and the casino’s house style

The shuffle consists of multiple elements, including:

  • Washing
  • Riffling
  • Stripping
  • Boxing
  • Cutting
  • Burning

Washing

At the beginning of the shuffle routine, the croupier washes the cards. The entire deck is spread out on the table and washed before they are squared up and shuffled.

Riffling

When you riffle a deck, you split it into two halves and use your thumb to flick through each half, interweaving the cards. Casino professionals swear a good riffle is a silent riffle. It’s a popular way to shuffle cards because the deck sits low on the table.

Stripping

Stripping the deck is when you swap chunks of cards on top of each other. It’s usually done in combination with a riffle as part of the overall shuffle.

Boxing

Boxing is where you take the bottom third of the deck of cards, rotate it by 180 degrees, and put it back on top of the deck. Once again: part of the shuffle ballet routine.

Cutting

When the shuffle routine is complete, you cut the deck. This is either done by a player at the table or the dealer.

If the dealer is cutting the cards, he or she has to get permission from the floor and announce ‘dealer’s cut’. The person cutting the cards must change every time; removing the possibility of collusion.

Burning

At the end of the shuffle, after the cards have been cut and put in the shoe, the first thing a blackjack dealer must do is burn a card.

When are Cards Shuffled in Blackjack?

Shuffling is key to a game of blackjack. There’s always an excuse to get shuffling and it ruins a card counter’s strategy.

Blackjack dealers must shuffle the cards when:

  • There is a new blackjack dealer
  • A new player approaches a dead game
  • When the cut card appears in the shoe
  • When a new deck is introduced
  • Whenever the floor requests it
  • When everyone leaves the table

A good blackjack dealer will know the procedure for shuffling up to 8 decks.

The Basics

If there is one word that underpins the role of a blackjack dealer it is procedure.

Although the fundamentals of dealing a blackjack game are basically the same, every casino has its own tried and tested procedures.

how to deal blackjack - basic rules
Image: Pixabay

These hard-wired routines are critical because they underpin security and protect the casino’s house edge . When a croupier acts out of turn, it raises the alarm.

Croupiers must understand the game of blackjack before they learn to deal. Every movement should be clean, open, and visible.

All the action must take place in the correct place: wagers within the betting circle, insurance bets on the line, and drinks, ashtrays, and player chips at the front of the table, on the apron.

House Rules

It’s not just procedure and process that come with their own unique house rules. There are lots of different variations of the game rules. The dealer needs to know them all.

These include:

  • Hitting on soft 17
  • Surrender Options
  • Insurance
  • Re-split Options
  • Double options
  • Double after split
  • Number of decks in play
  • Blackjack pays 6 to 5

All of these tweaks apply to the basic blackjack game. There are also many different versions of blackjack. In some games, blackjack pays even money but there is a extra jackpot added to the game.

You can rest assured that nearly all of these variants will have a bigger house edge. Perfect blackjack strategy is always the key to a good game.

Some of the classic game variants include:

  • Spanish 21
  • Pontoon
  • Progressive Jackpot Blackjack
  • Double Exposure
  • Perfect Pairs
  • Blackjack Switch

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Bet Management

From the dealer’s perspective, bet management is all about clarity, procedure, process, and the mastery of chip/cheque handling. A ‘cheque’ is the term used by croupiers for a chip with a monetary value.

A good dealer will spend most of their time at the blackjack table handling chips. They will need to be able to cut them and quickly size a bet.

When players split, double down and win, they need to keep track of all bets and pay the stack of winning chips exactly. It has to be done clearly, in the open, for both the cameras and for the floor.

It’s important that a dealer knows the exact value of a stack of 20 chips, whatever the individual value of the chip. The 20-stack rule applies to make it easy to verify how much is being paid and what money is in play.

  • A 20 high stack of $25 value chips = $500
  • A 20 high stack of $100 value chips = $2,000
  • A 20 high stack of $500 value chips = $10,000
  • A 20 high stack of $1,000 value chips = $20,000

Other great chip and cheque management tips include:

Bridging

This is where you place chips across the top of two stacks. The chip should be cleanly placed for the cameras. Never splash chips on the table.

Picking

Directly in front of the dealer is the rack full of house chips. The dealer must elegantly and accurately remove, place, and sort chips here; using just the index finger and thumb.

Sizing

The dealer will have to quickly size and match a winning bet.

Rack Management

With bets of different values, coming and going, it’s important that the dealer keeps the chip rack in good order.

The high value cheques are located in the center of the rack – closer to the dealer. The dealer must be able to quickly sort and arrange chips, whilst keeping a close watch on the players at the table.

Stacking the Bet

The player’s bet must be stacked in the correct order, with the largest denomination at the bottom and the smallest on top.

The chips must also all be in the betting circle. The dealer must ensure this is all in order before he or she starts to deal.

Making Change

It’s no surprise that handling money and high value chips is another very tightly monitored routine, with a clear procedure.

When a player wants to buy chips, the cash money must be placed on the left hand side of the table. The dealer will then separate the notes neatly into the different denominations; placing them bill value facing up for the cameras.

The dealer must announce ‘change’ and then the amount.

He or she should then remove the chips from the rack, place them next to the money, and remove hands to allow the cameras to get a clear shot.

The cash is then picked up with the left hand. The right hand picks up the paddle and pushes the money into the drop box under the table.

If a dealer is changing a high value check for smaller chips, he or she must announce ‘cheque change’ and the value. The stack of chips is given to the player before the high value check is put in the rack.

Blackjack Math and Method

A professional blackjack dealer will need to instantly know the value of each hand. Up to seven people can be playing at the same time. They might be drunk, happy, angry, or argumentative.

It’s the dealer’s job to remain focused, stay in control of the game, and keep the action moving.

The cards must be dealt and placed correctly. Chips and money must be handled clearly and accurately. Bets must be clear and stacked accurately, in position.

Everything must be in order and the table kept clean and clear. The blackjack order of play is critical to ensuring fast and smooth action.

The cards are shuffled, cut, and dealt from left to right. The croupier deals one up card to each player, followed by a down card to the dealer.

This is followed by another up card to each player and an up card to the dealer.

The dealer must now respond to each player hand in turn. Soft hands must be flagged. The player must use hand signals to instruct the croupier. These signals are simple and a key part of learning how to play blackjack.

Working from left to right, the dealer must react to splits, doubles, insurance, hits, and stands; instantly working out the value of every hand, with confidence and clarity.

Double down cards are dealt perpendicular to the last card. Insurance bets, even though taking blackjack insurance is a terrible idea, must be made on the insurance line and the dealer’s card must be turned sideways.

If a player hits and busts, both the chips and the cards are taken immediately.

Breaks, Tokes, and (Even More) Process

By now, you’ve probably realized that you should definitely be giving that blackjack dealer a great tip; especially if you are on a winning streak.

Dealing blackjack is a highly skilled job that takes years to master.

Not only do you have to deal a perfect game, to the house rules, you also have to sign up to a profession that takes no prisoners.

how to deal blackjack - live blackjack game
Image: Isles Yacht Club/Wikimedia Commons

When you start at your first casino, you will be on minimum wage plus tokes (aka tips). You will be expected to deal for an hour, followed by a 20-minute break.

The normal shift is eight hours; noon to 8pm, 8pm to 4am, 4am to noon. When you start, you will have to wear an apron to cover your pockets. Everyone is watching you – all the time. It’s not a job for the paranoid.

Under this extraordinary scrutiny, dealers must be pleasant and engaged with players. You must perform exactly as required and keep a careful eye on anyone that could be cheating them.

If you want to progress, it’s critical to learn as many games as possible and work your way up to the very best casinos, with the big players and the serious tippers. You can also consider working as a dealer for online live games, like the ones found on the best no KYC casinos.

Are you ready to play? Let’s shuffle, cut, burn, and deal.

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Paul Cullen
Casino Industry Expert
Paul Cullen
Casino Industry Expert

Paul Cullen is an industry veteran, with a track record that stretches back to day one. He started his career as a copywriter and creative for the world’s very first online sportsbook: Intertops.com. There was no one else. Since then, he has seen the industry evolve and grow, working at BetonSports, BetWWTS, Absolute Poker, Ultimate Bet, InterCasino, PartyGaming, Mansion, Bodog, Casino Choice, Costa Bingo and Casumo. The evolution of Internet gaming, the arrival of the online casino, the poker revolution, and the bingo boom. He’s got the t-shirt.