How to Bet in Blackjack
Lesson description
From chip denominations to wagering in online casinos, Mr Blackjack covers everything you need to know about betting in 21.
Betting in blackjack is simple, but there are few etiquette rules all players must follow.
First thing you have to do is turn your money into chips. You do that by either going to the casino cage or by placing your money on the blackjack table in between rounds and asking for chips.
If you're playing blackjack online, your balance will automatically be displayed on the screen and you can choose your bet size when prompted.
If your goal is to bet $10 per hand you should sit down with $100. Similarly, if you plan on betting $100 per hand you should ask for $1,000. Always get 10x what you plan on betting per hand so you can cover the variance of blackjack.
Chip denominations are typically in one, five, 25, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 25,000 at the blackjack tables and are usually red for five, green for 25, and 100 for black. After that, the color will vary between casinos.
Before the start of a new round the dealer will say: ‘Place your bets.’ Players are given 15 seconds to add their bets.
If you take longer than 15 seconds you will get a verbal reminder from the dealer and perhaps a tap on the table in front of you.
You should take into account the table minimum and maximum and place a bet into the circle on the felt in front of you. This can be any combination of chips that you have.
The dealer always asks that you stack the bigger chips at the bottom and don’t bet anything smaller than $1. This is because paying out a blackjack 3:2 on a bet of $37.50, which is difficult when most casinos don’t have 25¢ chips.
If you watched our last video it's worth mentioning again: never splash your chips into the betting circle. Always place your chips properly.
I recommend doing this and betting round numbers so you don’t slow down the play and make the dealer’s job harder than it already is.
Knowing how to place bets is only half the gameplay in blackjack — you also need to know how to make the moves. Learn how to make all the essential moves and signals to the dealer in our next video.
What this lesson covers
- How to make a bet in blackjack
- The value of chip colors & denominations
- How betting in online blackjack differs
Meet Mr Blackjack
With a career spanning two decades, Mathieu Blake knows his way around a blackjack table. He's taught and entertained over 100,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel NeverSplit10's . In this series he'll take you through basic strategy, card counting, and bankroll management. Take a seat with Mr Blackjack and become a winning player.
Blackjack Rules & Gameplay
Blackjack Basics for Beginners
Blackjack Table Rules
Player/Dealer Etiquette
How to Bet in Blackjack
Basic Moves in Blackjack
Special Rules in Blackjack
How do blackjack tables work at casinos?
Online vs Brick-and-Mortar Blackjack
Common Mistakes All Blackjack Newbies Make
What every player should know about insurance bet in blackjack
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FAQs
- How do you set up chips in blackjack?
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Players can add their chips to the rack by their seats. When the dealer asks you to add your bets, stack them in your space on the table, with the largest denominations at the bottom.
- Do you bet before you get cards in blackjack?
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You must add your bets to the table before any cards are dealt, so the dealer knows you want to play.
- What is the highest value casino chip?
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$25,000 is the highest value chip a casino offers. The chip color varies between casinos.
- How can you win at blackjack every time?
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It’s statistically impossible to win at blackjack on every hand. Casinos wouldn’t exist if this was possible. Players can improve their odds in blackjack by playing smarter. Our guide to winning at blackjack covers basic tips that can help you make better decisions in blackjack games.
- How much should you bet in blackjack?
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As a rule of thumb, players should take out 10X of what they want to bet per hand in blackjack. So if you bet $5 per hand, bring $50. The second lesson of season three (How Much Should I Bet in Blackjack?) covers this in more detail.
- What’s the difference between betting in online blackjack and brick-and-mortar blackjack games?
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In online blackjack, you can enter how much you want to wager, and the casino automatically compiles the chips for you. In other blackjack games, you have to add the chips up and place them on the table. Live dealer blackjack games deal fewer games per hour than other forms of 21.
- Can you cash in casino chips from blackjack games anywhere?
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No, you can only cash them in at the casino that gave them to you. Casinos go to great lengths to ensure their chips are unique and identifiable as their own.