Most people learn how to play Blackjack at home while in grade school, but they know nothing about how the game works in a casino. Blackjack is played around a horseshoe type table with several players. The player at the end to the dealer’s right is known as the third base player.

Shuffle

If you go to an empty table, the dealer will first say “Shuffle.” Dealers say this in order to let the pit boss know that a new game will be beginning. Then the dealer shuffles and asks you to cut the cards. In order to cut the cards, ,you will receive a card-sized piece of plastic that you will slide in between the cards.

After you have placed the plastic piece between the playing cards, the dealer will then take the cards above the plastic and place them on the bottom of the deck. You should watch as the dealer shuffles and try to put the piece in a spot that will be advantageous.

Burn the Card

The dealer then burns, or sets aside, the top card and begins dealing. The top card must be set aside to help avoid cheating and to assure that none of the players saw it during the shuffling or cutting of the cards.

The dealer then puts a colored card about a third of the way from the bottom of the deck and places another on the bottom of the deck so that the cards cannot be dealt from the bottom. When the dealer reaches the card in the middle, this signifies the last hand before the cards must be shuffled again.

Full Table

If the table is full and you are joining the game that is already in progress, then you will begin by taking a seat and making your bet. You will first ask for change so that you can get gaming chips with which to play. The dealer can usually guess what type of chips you will need, but you can also make your own suggestions.

Your first bet must meet at least the minimum bet for the table and can meet the maximum bet for the table. There is usually a sign that tells you the minimum and maximum bets for the table. If you are not looking to play high bets, be sure that you choose a table that will not allow you to exceed your means.