Learning how to deal blackjack is not that difficult but you do need to remember very specific rules when you deal. Begin to deal with the player on your left. Give them a card that is face up. Deal to the next person on the right and continue around the table until you get a card. Your card goes face down. Deal one more round of cards in the same manner so each player has two cards. Yours are both face down, one on top of the other. Put the cards down and flip your bottom card over to reveal the face.
If your bottom card shows an ace when you flip it, ask if anyone would like insurance. The insurance bet is half the amount of the original bet. If the dealer has a blackjack, it pays two to one and protects the bet. Peak underneath and if it’s a blackjack pay off the insurance bets first, then collect the losing wagers of the players. If a player has a blackjack you have an ace, then you need to ask the player if they want even money. This means that they bought insurance, pushed and get the payment of 1 to 1 for their blackjack instead of 3 to 1 like normal.
If your card is a face card you also need to peak at the other card that is turned over. If you have a blackjack, all players lose, except someone with a blackjack. They push which means they don’t win but they don’t lose their wager.
The players now see your cards and decide whether they want to take a hit or pass. An ace can count as one or ten. You start again to your left and if the player waves an open hand over the cards or says pass, you move to the next person. If the player taps the table, points to the table or says, “Hit me” you give them a card.
If the total of the cards is over twenty-one the player busts. Then you take the cards, put them in a discard pile, and take the chips.
Some games offer the option of surrender. This means the player doesn’t think they can beat your hand and ask for it. They lose only half the bet.
Another opportunity for a player decision is a double down. Usually this occurs when a player has two cards that total 10 or 11. The player moves a stack equal to or less next to the original. If he doubles for less he indicates that also. The player only receives one card and can’t take another after he doubled down. Depending on the table rules, some allow doubling regardless of how much the first two cards total.
If a player has two like cards, they can split. When a player wants to split, they put the exact amount down as the original bet and motion for a split with putting their first two fingers flat on the table. Deal to the hand on the left first. If the player gets an amount that he feels appropriate for a double down, he can double for less or put the exact number of chips next to that stack indicating a double.
After the player busts or stays on the first hand move to the second. If another like card is in the first two of either split, the player can split again. There can be as many as four hands in front of the player if they split three times. Players can’t split more than three times. If the player has two aces, they may split but each ace only gets one card. Some tables allow for resplitting aces but it’s rare.
When each player receives the number of cards they want, you flip your second card over. If your hand shows less than 17 then you must take a hit. In some cases, table rules require that the dealer take another card when they have a soft 17, that’s an ace and a six. If you bust, everyone left with a bet wins. If you get 17 through 21, you pay those with a higher amount showing and take the wager of the hands that are lower. If your score matches a player’s it’s a push and they keep their wager but don’t win.
This article has reprint rights as long as the resource box is intact: This article was brought to you by Jason Szova – http://ProsOfGambling.com – If you would like more info on how to profit with your passion for gambling, visit http://www.ProsOfGambling.com