Becoming A Professional Blackjack Dealer

Table of Contents

White female dealer sitting arms folded at blackjack table

The majority of players come to us for advice on how to win big, but occasionally, we get inquiries about what it takes to work as a blackjack dealer. We address all of your inquiries, so there. We go into great detail on how the cards are dealt, shuffled, and counted. We touch on managing your float and understanding the blackjack table. Finally, we share some top-secret advice with you to make you the best casino dealer around!

Begin The Blackjack Dealer Journey

Blackjack has a simple payout structure that can be learned, which makes it one of the casino games that new dealers prefer to play. You will benefit greatly from understanding the fundamental payouts, such as the fact that the majority of blackjack bets pay even money. This means that if a player wagers $10 and wins on a 1 to 1 wager, they will also receive $10 as payment. Additionally, a blackjack winner will receive a 3 to 2 payout. You will be able to determine payouts more accurately if you find a method of computation that suits your needs. Another thing that will work to your advantage when it comes to calculating payouts is understanding your casino’s procedures. For instance, if a casino works on using even number of chips it will make your calculation easier.

Let’s dig a little deeper:

A huge part of looking and being a professional dealer is learning how to deal Blackjack cards and being able to add up cards without obviously looking like you are doing so. For starters remember that face cards are equal to 10, aces as 1 or 11, and all the other cards worked at face will be a great start. When the card total exceeds 21, not every casino will allow you to say that it’s “too many.” In some casinos, the procedure is always to announce the total, even if the hand has gone bust. So have to take the casino’s procedure into account. With some practice and finding techniques to help you, you will soon be able to see a hand that is over 21 without counting.

The Secret Of Pulling The Cards

The Blackjack dealing of cards starts with you removing the deck of cards from the box and mixing them thoroughly. Make sure the cards are shuffled randomly by using methods such as overhand shuffles and riffling. You will then ask one player to cut the deck by inserting a cut card in the deck. This is usually a red card, and it can be inserted anywhere in the deck but closer to the center. You will then split the deck after they’ve placed it so that the red cut card is at the base of one of the stacks.

You will notice that dealing in blackjack at a land-based casino site will not differ from the dealing that takes place in live online blackjack real money games at live casinos like Lucky Creek. The biggest difference is the shuffling card cutting as with live games the players are all playing virtually. However, the dealer will shuffle the cards before the cards get put in the shoe to get the game going.

Without looking at it, the first card from the deck will be discarded before you start. This card, known as the “burn card” does not get used. The pulling of cards will always start from your left as the dealer. The game will start with the player that is on your far left. If this is an online live dealer game, players can see on the screen who the payer on the far left is as well as the ‘seating’ arrangement as they would in a land-based casino. Lucky Creek bolsters the top live dealer Blackjack games to date!

In terms of dealing, you will lay the cards out diagonally so that both numbers on each card are visible. If the blackjack variation being played allows doubling down that card will be placed horizontally over the other two cards but ensuring that all cards are visible.

But here’s the kicker:

Being a dealer at a land-based casino will require you to manage the float. The float is the cash chips, and you are in charge of keeping them in check rather than letting the players collect them themselves. This means being able to employ quick thinking when it comes to managing your float. So, you could pay out three chips at $100 each and deduct $15 from the customer’s winning bet if you are out of $15 in chips and they have a winning bet of $275. A good pit boss knows when to say no and will advise you to manage your float instead of handing out all of your chips when you first start dealing. However, you will have to ask the pit boss for a fill if a player wants to be paid in chips that have the same value or if they are superstitious and want to hold on to their chips especially if they think they are lucky chips.

Secret Top Tips

When dealing at a land-based casino you will notice that the professional Blackjack table has a hole in it. This is the chip tray. Sometimes this hole is big enough to squeeze into, but don’t do that, you will be the talk of the evening.

To avoid more talks about you, you will want to develop a good posture. This will ensure that your dealing is elegant, and graceful while bringing in a suave and sophisticated element to your dealing. Looking professional is an essential element of being a great dealer.

Lastly, practice. Honing your skill will require an ample amount of practice. You must know how to shuffle and earn a few methods to truly become a pro. While players are lining up at blackjack tables to play the game, they also want to play as long side a dealer that knows what he is doing.

So, what does all this mean?

Your level of practice will determine how quickly you learn how to be a Blackjack dealer. You must realize that in dealing, the player is everything. It helps to be a people person and to be adept at solving problems because there will be excellent players and occasionally you will run into some tricky players. Positivity will always work to your advantage. Remember that knowing and understanding your casino’s rules and procedures will come in handy!