Gambling News

“Terrestrial Special: Code of Casino Behavior”

Good table manners are important in Blackjack, so remember to brush up on your Blackjack etiquette if you’re planning to visit a casino some day soon.

Basic Blackjack Etiquette

Most of the rules of etiquette that our society is based upon are plain common sense. This is true also inside casinos and at the game tables. Of course the various card games have their own rules which are applicable only to themselves and Blackjack is no exception. For some reason, perhaps because of its long history, manners are very important in Blackjack, so remember to brush up on your Blackjack etiquette if you’re planning to visit a casino soon. Below are a few pointers to help you.

• Never ever bend, tear, fold, or crunch the cards. There are casinos that will throw you out immediately if they find you doing any of these.

• Once you have placed your bet, stay away from your chips. You cannot touch them again until the game is over and you have either made your payment or have been paid.

• Make sure you know the proper gestures to indicate ‘hit’ and ‘stand’. Beginners, usually use both hands to indicate a stand while advanced players usually use just one hand.

• Don’t try and help the dealer. When the dealer is starting to collect up the cards at the end of a hand, don’t help him by turning the cards over, even if you want to be helpful. Dealers have their own special methods of handling the cards and your help will probably just slow them down. Also, the cards are read by cameras so dealers must spread them out in a special way.

• Bad language is out! Don’t swear or use foul, obscene or derogatory language while you are playing. This is guaranteed to get you escorted out of the premises very quickly and you may never be allowed back in.

• If you feel you are always receiving bad cards from a particular dealer, simply move to another table. It’s acceptable to ask the dealer to change decks from time to time, but if you do this often it will annoy the other players and the casino.

• You should never ask the dealer to tell you what his hole card is. It will cost him his job if he does. You can ask him for help, if you wish but once the dealer had looked at his cards he will not be able to advise you.

• Don’t get too friendly with the dealer. A little casual conversation is okay and may even be welcome but stay away from personal details and questions.

• Know the game of Blackjack, or at least have a basic understanding of the game before you sit down at the table. It’s fine to refer to a card which has the basic strategy card on it at the table, and it is even recommended for beginners, but you will irritate the other players if you are constantly referring to it at every play.

• When you sit down at a table to play, be prepared to play a few games before you leave. It is the height of bad manners to join a game that’s under way and then suddenly get up and go or to walk up to a dealer who has to shuffle a six to eight deck shoe and you have no intention of playing more than one or two hands.

• Never accuse the dealer of cheating. This is a rare occurrence anyway and it will probably get him fired and maybe even cause problems for the casino as well. If you are losing consistently, it’s either because of bad luck or poor ability, but hardly ever because the dealer is cheating.

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