Live dealer blackjack is most likely the most popular casino card game in the world. Moreover, since it is so famous every casino in the world no matter if it is land-based or online has at least a couple of variations of that game. Most of you probably have tried the game at least once. However, it is completely different when you play as the dealer. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about blackjack dealers rules and everything you need to know on how to be a blackjack dealer.
The dealers make the game possible and are both loved and hated by the players. It may seem very exciting to be paid just to deal cards. However, it has some disadvantages as well. We have pictured what it is like to be a dealer so if you are interested in trying this guide will teach you the basics.
The Basics of Blackjack Dealers Rules
The blackjack dealers rules are really simple. The players are trying to go to 21 without going over. In poker, the players compete against each other, but here each player is competing against the dealer. When you are the dealer, the core blackjack dealers rules are the same. The cards from 2 to 10 are worth their value, the jack, queen, and kind each same ten points and the Ace can be either 1 or 11 points depending on the use in your hand.
However, in the advanced blackjack dealers rules, there are differences. Since the black jack dealer has to pay out the bets, he cannot take insurance. There are other things they cannot do as well such as split their hand, double down and surrender for half the bet. Additionally, there are some extra blackjack dealers rules that limit your actions.
For example, in some casinos, if you are the blackjack dealer you will have to hit on hands that are less than 17 points. However, if the hand is anywhere from 17 to 21, you cannot hit and have to stand. These are the only differences between blackjack dealers rules as well as the fact that the blackjack dealer must play his hand after the player.
What It is like to be a Dealer
You are probably wondering how to be a blackjack dealer and how does a typical day for one go? Our Team went straight to the source. We found an experienced black jack dealer who was glad to share parts of her life and career. However, we cannot use her real name in order not to violate her personal agreement with the casino so let us call her Jane. She will tell us about how to be a blackjack dealers rules in the casino she works in.
She works in Bossier City, Louisiana in a casino called Horseshoe. Since it is a prestigious casino, it only hires the best personnel. Jane started working there with a lot of experience, and now she has been working there for over twelve years. Since she has the most experience, she works the hardest shifts which are nights and weekends.
When Jane goes to work, the first thing she does is store her personal items in a locker. While she passes the security, she has to put on the uniform the casino requires her to wear. This is mandatory for all dealers, and it serves a particular purpose. It is easier for the security guards watching the CCTV camera footage to identify her as a dealer. Once she is changed, she meets with her supervisor with the rest of the dealers.
There she will find out who will give out the shifts, which table she has to deal at and any other specifics. Once the meeting ends, Jane and the other dealers go to the live dealer blackjack zone to start their shift.
She goes to find her table, steps behind the dealer who is already there and taps them. This signals that their shift is over and that Jane takes responsibility for that table. She claps her hands, which shows that they are empty and continues to deal the next hand. The shifts last between 8 and 12 hours. There are all sorts of people she has to deal, these usually include loud, quiet, friendly, drunk and annoying ones. No matter what types of people she has to communicate, it is mandatory that she smile and ensures that the game is going smoothly.
She explained that her feet often hurt a lot from standing in one position for such extended amounts of time. She has to tolerate the insults of the players when they lose and the praises of others when they win. It may sound weird, but Jane prefers when they players win because they are nicer and tip her. Tips are usually a huge part of her blackjack dealer salary. Once every hour the dealers swap tables, and every few hours they get a break. This continues until someone taps her on the shoulder to indicate that her shift is over.
She takes the box containing her tips and leaves the pit. Afterwards, she does the paperwork, which needs to be approved by a supervisor. Then she can cash in the chips that were given to her as tips. Then she can change into her regular clothes and a person from the security staff accompanies her to her car to assure her safety. She goes home tired, however, happy with the money she earned and rested up for tomorrow when it begins all over again.
Jane’s story represents the life of blackjack dealers everywhere, of course, there may be some exceptions. It is a quite tiring job that may be thankless most of the time. Most of the dealers do it because they love their work and their blackjack dealer salary.
How to Become a Dealer
Before you become an actual casino dealer, you have to go through professional training. During that you will learn everything there is to know about the game. The newbies will learn the blackjack dealers rules, how the live dealer blackjack pit works and of course how to spot someone who counts cards.
There are two methods of training. The casino itself can train you, or you can join a blackjack dealer school. The latter option is much more expensive for the person who wants to be a dealer. However, it is necessary if you want to make a career out of it. No casino will hire you if you do not have professional training in at least one game.
In that blackjack dealer school, you will learn blackjack dealers rules and some other games. The cost for each game is different, but each of them is around $800. In the long run, it will be better for you to learn at least a couple of games. You will have a higher chance to be hired if you know how to deal with a variety of games. Here is one example of an excellent blackjack dealer school you can attend http://www.learntodeal.com/. You will learn everything you need to know about blackjack dealers rules in there.
Once you learn how to deal, the blackjack dealer school will place you in a relevant casino. The disadvantage is that the only operators who a blackjack dealer school are known as the break in houses. They are those small establishments outside Las Vegas and other regions. Unfortunately, every dealer has to start his career there because prestigious casinos do not hire dealers that have any experience whatsoever. Dealing in the outskirts can be a difficult job. The salaries are small, and the shifts are long, many dealers quit before they have a chance at a bigger casino.
After you finish a blackjack dealer school and join a break in-house, a process of licensing begins. You will have to give your fingerprints and go through a serious background check. If you want to become a dealer, but have been a felon, you can forget about it. Once you receive your license, you will have to renew it every year for your expense to keep dealing cards.
How Dealers Get Paid
You are probably wondering what your blackjack dealer salary would be? Most of the casinos will pay you minimum wage and let you keep all of the tips you earned. You may have heard that most dealers learn more from the tips than from their blackjack dealer salary. That is a fact based truth. In some casinos, it is common for the dealers to share the tips earned on a particular shift. Which means that after every shift, each dealer takes their tips and combines them with the other dealer’s tips. After that, they divide them between each other into equal shares.
You may be wondering if there is a probationary period. Well there is, it is usually about three months. Moreover, after you pass it, most of the bigger casinos will give you extras to your contract. For example, they may provide you with healthcare or some type of profit sharing; they may also increase your blackjack dealer salary. On average, a blackjack dealer earns somewhere around $75000 a year not counting the taxes. In the more prestigious casinos, a dealer who can deal with a variety of games can learn somewhere around $100000 a year also before the taxes.
It may sound like quite the deal. However, you have to consider the expenses that you will spend in the casino games school and the licensing. Also the more hours and longer shifts you are willing to deal, the larger your blackjack dealer salary will be.
The Disadvantages of Being a Dealer
It may seem like a very exciting and glamorous job. Moreover, we agree that it is certainly fun. However, there are some downsides. For example, many players smoke while playing, which leaves the dealer in smoke for hours and that can be really frustrating if you are not a smoker. Some of those players do not care that it is unpleasant for the others around them and blow the smoke in the direction of others.
Some players can be very rude. They blame the dealer for everything that happens. For example, if the waitress does not get them drinks every time they finish theirs, or when they lose, or when they do not know how to play properly, it is always the dealer’s fault.
If you are a young and attractive woman, you may be subjected to unpleasant nicknames and comments and worse. Also, some casinos may give you a uniform containing lingerie and high heels which doesn’t make things easier one bit.
To conclude being a dealer has both its disadvantages and advantages. Those who love what they do, become quite good at it. A successful dealer is usually a person who loves the game and loves dealing with players. The dealers have long careers and their blackjack dealer salaries are huge.
Before You Start Dealing
Don’t be too quick to start dealing. Some things have to be done first. Start with shuffling the cards, and if you are playing with more than one person combine a few decks. After the cards are shuffled, collect all the player’s bets. It has to be done before you start dealing. Afterwards, the players cannot place bets unless they decide to double down or split their hand. Before you start dealing make sure you know and fully understand all of the blackjack dealers rules.
The Pack
Usually a standard pack containing 52 cards is being used, however in most casinos nowadays they use several decks, which get shuffled together to avoid card counting. The most popular game contains six decks or 312 cards. Moreover, the dealer uses a blank card, which never gets dealt, but it is placed somewhere at the bottom part of the deck, to show when it is time to reshuffle. When the dealer uses four decks or more, they are being dealt from the shoe. This is a box that allows the dealer to take cards, without having to hold all of the decks.
Betting
Before the dealing begins, each player must place a bet using chips and the area in front of him that is designated for that. The maximum and minimum betting limits are usually established by the casino, however the general bets range between $2 and $500.
The Cut and Shuffle
As the dealer you have to thoroughly shuffle parts of the pack until the cards are combined and mixed. You also have to choose one of the players to cut and place the plastic card in a way to assure that from 60 to 70 cards won’t be used.
Common Basic Strategy Players Use
Winning strategies usually include that the player’s play each hand in the most optimum way. However he will have to take into account what the dealer’s upcard. If the card that the dealer owns is a good one, for example a 7, 8, 9 or any of the 10 cards or an ace, the player has to keep drawing until the total is at least 17. When the dealer’s card is a not so good one such as a 4, 5 or a 6, the player has to stop until the total is at least 12. The strategy is basically to never take a card if there is even the slightest chance of going bust. With this the player will hope that you as the dealer would go over 21. And finally if you have a fair card such as 2 or 3 the player will most likely stop if the total is at least 13.
It’s easy to spot if a player is using this strategy as they will stop, when at least an 18 is reached. So if an ace with a six gets hit (7 or 17) the player most likely won’t stop, but will hit.
The most famous primary strategy for doubling down is, that with a total of 11 the player will always double down. If the total is 10, he will do it, unless the dealer has a 10 value card or an ace. Moreover, with a total of 9, he will double down if you have a fair or poor card (from 2 to 6).
Moreover, the most common basic strategy for splitting, the player will most likely always split a pair of aces or eights. He will not split 5’s or any ten identical cards. 5’s usually aren’t split because they equal 10 when are doubled down and thus are more efficient. The same is with 4’s because 8 is always a good number to draw to. So basically a 2, a 3 and a 7 will be split unless you as the dealer have an 8 a 9 or a 10 value card or of course an ace. Moreover, 6s are almost never split unless you as the dealer have a poor or fair cards such as a 2, a 3, a 4, a 5 or a 6.
Card Dealing for Players
Start dealing the first card for each player with the face down. Begin with the player on your left and continue in that direction for the remaining players. After you do that deal yourself one card, deal another one to each player, this time facing up.
Finally deal yourself one card also facing upwards. If your card is an ace you have to ask each player if they want to purchase insurance. This equals half their bet, you need to take it and flip your first card in order to see if you have a blackjack. If you do, you have to collect all the bets from the players that didn’t get insurance. Those who insured themselves will get their bets back as well as the players that have a live dealer blackjack no matter if they got insurance or not.
The Player’s Turn
If the card that is facing upwards is not an ace, you should continue to play as normal. All the players should start playing their turns from your left. Each of them is allowed to stand, which means that you skip them. They can also hit, which means that you deal them another card that is facing up. If one of the players continues to draw cards after they have exceeded 21 they lose. You have to collect their bet and move to the next one. If they have a live dealer blackjack you must pay back their bet with a bonus of 3:2. Let’s say a player placed a bet of $20, you have to give them $30 and of course their original bet.
A player also can double down before they take any extra cards. In which case after you collect their bet, you have to give them another card facing up. Moreover, players who do that are not allowed to hit anymore and receive only one additional card. If a player has matching hands, he can split them into two. Once they do that and placed their bet, you must deal them a card for each hand, both of which will face downwards. The player then will play the second hand after the first one. Also if a player decides to split a hand that contains two aces, they are only allowed one card per hand. Deal one for each and don’t let the player hit. A split live dealer blackjack pays out 1:1.
The Dealer’s Turn
Once all of the players have gone through their turns, it is yours. Turn over the card that is facing down. If your hand is worth 16 or below, deal cards to yourself until it is at least 17. If it is already at least a 17, don’t deal anymore. If the second card is an ace you should count it as 11 until your hand exceeds 21. After that, it is counted as a 1. If you exceed 21, you lose, and the players that are left win. If it is below, 21 pay out the players that have a higher value than you and collect from the players with a lower one. Also if you tie with anyone, you have to refund them. Once you deal all of the bets, you can collect the cards and continue playing.
Playing and Having Fun
We hope that we helped you learn everything you need to know about how to be a blackjack dealer. Now you know the basics of the blackjack dealers rules; you can host games in your home and have your own games. However, if you want a career as a dealer, you will have to go to a professional casino school, because most casinos require that their dealers are trained. If you do just want to play at home with your friends or colleagues, it might be fun to learn some card tricks after you master your blackjack dealers rules.