Blackjack Etiquette in a Casino
If you have never played blackjack at a land based casino before, you might be wondering how you should act and what the proper etiquette is for such popular card game.
To ensure you understand blackjack etiquette we’re going to look at how land based tables work and what you should avoid doing when you play.
Before you sit Down
The first and perhaps the most important rule when playing blackjack is to understand the game before you sit down. If you do not know the rules of the game, go online and play for free until you have mastered the basics. This way you won’t annoy the other players at a table by your lack of knowledge. Another thing to remember is not to ask advice from the table. The players next to you want to focus on their own game and don’t want to be disturbed.
Know Your Chips and Colours
When you buy chips, have a keen understanding of what colour the chips are and what denomination they represent. This makes it easier to bet and saves time when you are playing. When you sit down to play, always buy-in or cash-out between hands. If you want to start, or you are ready to leave, have the patience to wait until other players have finished the hand before you get the dealers attention.
How to Handle Your Cash
When you bet or buy in, never hand the dealer your chips. All transactions should be done flat on the table and players should place their own bets. Similarly when you pick up your cards, always use one hand. This is another security feature that eliminates card replacements and ensures that everyone feels the game is fair.
Hand Signals and Up-facing Cards
If a card is dealt face up, don’t touch the card, only pick up cards that are face down and only with one hand. When the first card is drawn, don’t touch your bet. Wait until the hand is finished to touch your chips. When it comes to hitting or betting, always use the hand signals. This is so that the security cameras can keep track on what is going on at all times. Make sure that you understand all the hand signals before you sit down to play. If you understand all the rules before sitting down, you can enjoy the game without creating a spectacle around the table.
Additional Blackjack Etiquette Tips
Players who are serious about blackjack can be rather passionate when it comes to their favourite card game, which also leads to interesting situations. This is why an accepted etiquette of playing blackjack developed alongside the game.
Mostly applicable to playing the game in land-based casinos, the etiquette of 21 helps ensure that a game remains a pleasant experience, and that players find it difficult to cheat.
If you want to play the game in a brick and mortar casino, you will need to make sure you adhere to the accepted way of doing things at the games table.
Possibly one of the most important parts of the etiquette of playing blackjack in a land-based casino concerns touching your cards. If you are playing a Vegas deal game, you can touch your cards as much as you need to. However, if you want to avoid raising other players’ eyebrows, you should touch your cards to look at them once, and then put them down and leave them alone.
If the game is a London deal game, your cards will be dealt face up, giving you absolutely no reason to touch them.
If that sounds a bit too much for you because you would be compelled to handle your cards, come play with us online, where you can’t actually touch the cards and game etiquette will feel a lot more relaxed.
An interesting aspect of blackjack etiquette are hand signals. When playing in a noisy casino, don’t shout at the dealer. Rather learn the standard hand signals, such as tapping or brushing the table with your fingers if you want to be dealt another card.
Another really important part of blackjack etiquette is to be nice. In a land-based casino, you will find yourself at a table with other players, most of whom are probably strangers to you. Regardless of how your game is going, you are still expected to treat other players with courtesy and respect. If you are rude or nasty to them, you will be asked to leave the table, something you don’t want when you may be about to have the winning hand.
If you play online with us you’ll see that you never have to worry about noise and hand signals. If you play a single-player version of blackjack, you also won’t need to worry about being nice to other players. However, if you join others in a multiplayer edition, the bit about being nice still applies!