If the dealer wins, he’s going to take your chips. If you win or tie the hand, you are free to collect your chips or change your bet. Once you’ve placed your bet and the dealer begins to deal the cards, you are not allowed to touch your chips until the hand is played out. Never touch your chips once the cards are being dealt. (Don’t, for example, hold them down by your lap.) Also…Ĥ. Your cards must always be in full view of the security cameras and the dealer. This rule is designed to prevent players from tampering with-or switching-their cards.ģ. In blackjack games where the cards are “pitched” to you and dealt face down (usually single- and two-deck games), you must pick the cards up with one hand, not with both. If you’re sitting down at a game in progress, wait until the current hand is completed before you lay your money down. The dealer will spread out the money and count it so the cameras can see, then slide you their equivalent in chips. This is why you’re required to lay your cash down on the surface of the table. The overhead casino security cameras must be able to see all cash transactions. The dealer will simply remind you of the proper way to play. So with this in mind, let’s run down some of the basics of gambling etiquette so you can play with the confidence of a pro.īear in mind, if you do accidentally break one of these rules, no one is going to scold you or kick you out of the casino. I also realized that a large number of players avoid the blackjack tables-which can be your best bet in the casino-because of the intimidation factor. It wasn’t until I moved to Las Vegas that I learned the etiquette of casino gambling. Too intimidated to sit down and play, I wound up sticking with the slot machines. The strange hand motions, the prohibition on touching the cards, the process of exchanging cash for chips…I was afraid that if I sat down and fumbled any of these unwritten laws, I would interrupt the flow of the game and look like a fool.

Beyond the rules of play-hitting, standing, doubling down-the game seemed to have a set of silent rules and rituals that the books didn’t explain.

I’d read about it in books and understood the basics, but, as I witnessed an actual game in progress, I grew nervous. It was on the Boardwalk that I stepped inside a casino for the first time, packing a pocketful of cash with visions of beating the house.īlackjack was the game I wanted to play. I remember my first visit to Atlantic City, many years ago. Editorial Staff | Posted on Novem| 15 rules and rituals they don’t teach you in the books by Rob Wiser

Casino table rules