How do blackjack tables work at casinos?

If you're entering a casino for the first time, it can be daunting to walk up and down the rows of blackjack tables. How do you know if a space is available? How does the gameplay work with several other players at the table? Today we're going to cover basic blackjack table etiquette at the casino so you can step up to the tables acting like a pro.

When you arrive at the casino you should walk around to pick your lucky table of the day. You can learn our tips for scouting the best blackjack tables in our other videos, but for now we'll cover finding a free spot to play.

If you find a blackjack table you like, you need to see if there's an empty chair at the table before you can join.

Make sure there is no reserved marker on the table. They generally look like this.

[shows marker on screen]

You may also see a sign that says ‘no entry mid-shoe’. This means you have to wait for the shuffle to be over before you can join.

If you see a reserved marker you can ask the dealer how long the marker is there for. Some people get markers to reserve their seat when they want to take a dinner break and want to come back after.

You are still allowed to sit at this seat but when the person comes back you can expect a tap on your shoulder to change seats, or stand up if there are no empty seats at the table. Moving the marker or hiding it is not allowed. You will get a visit from the pit boss if you do that.

If a seat is available, you sit down, exchange you chips and the dealer will ask everyone sitting at the table to place their bets. The dealer will then say, 'No more bets,' and begin dealing the cards from their left, dealing a card for themselves last.

The play action starts with the player on the dealer's left, and ends with the player farthest on the dealer's right. The last position to act before the dealer is called the 'anchor' position and is the last player position to act freely before the dealer.

After everyone has made their decisions to hit, stand, double down, surrender, or split, it's now the dealer's turn to reveal their cards. In blackjack, there are basic rules the dealer must follow that determine whether they can hit or stand:

Generally, the dealer takes a card on any hand value under 17 and stands on anything between 17 to 21. The dealer busts on anything 22 and over, unless the casino's table rules say otherwise.

Keep in mind the soft 17 rule is explained in more detail in our table rules video. Depending on the casino, the dealer can either stay or hit when he has soft 17, which means 17 with an Ace.

These are the essential rules to remember when picking a seat at the blackjack tables. Obviously this isn't as much of an issue in online or live dealer blackjack, but you may find yourself waiting for virtual seats to open up during peak hours. This is just one of several differences between online blackjack and blackjack tables at casinos, which we cover in more detail in our next video.