Blackjack is one of the most popular and most widely spread casino games that are played all over the world. Its mix of planning and tactics with some element of chance makes it an ideal game for anyone who wants to play from casual to professional gamers. Nevertheless, to enhance your chances of success at the blackjack table, it is necessary to understand the rules of the game, especially those that regulate the dealer. It is, therefore, key to understanding the so-called blackjack dealer rules, and this will enable one to make some excellent decisions when playing the game.

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Understanding Blackjack Dealer Rules

The given set of rules for the dealer in blackjack has some distinctions from the rules of players and they are aimed at preserving the proper equity of the game and keeping the history of blackjack intact. While the players are allowed to make choices according to the cards they have and the strategies they have in mind, the dealer has to abide by certain rules that define when the dealer can take a card, stand or make any other move. Knowing these blackjack rules for a dealer will enable you to know the next move the dealer is likely to make and hence plan your next move.

1. The Dealer Must Hit on 16 or Less

Another basic blackjack dealer guideline is that the dealer has to hit (get another card) if the dealer’s total is 16 or less. This rule is compulsory, this means that the dealer cannot accept to stand even if he or she has a hand that is near 21 points. This rule provides the players with a better opportunity of winning since the dealer is in a place to bust when he or she has a low hand.

For instance if the dealers’ cards have a total value of fifteen then they are compelled to draw another card regardless of the danger of going bust. This rule is usually favorable to the player and it becomes effective when the dealer’s face-up card, or the upcard, is a low value card such as a four, five or six.

2. The Dealer Must Stand on 17 or Higher

There is also another important rule, according to which the dealer must stand when his total is 17 or more. This includes the ‘soft’ 17s, which is a hand that contains an Ace that is valued at 11, such as an Ace-6 hand, and the ‘hard’ 17s, which is a hand without an Ace or with an Ace valued at 1, such as a hand that contains 10 and 7 cards.

In certain forms of blackjack, the dealer may have to take a card on a hand totaling 17 or less, but usually, the dealer will stick with any 17 or more. This rule hampers the dealer to some extent from increasing the value of his hand and hence helps the player if the dealer has a weak hand, probably a total of 17 or 18.

3. Dealer's Upcard and Downcard

As in any game of blackjack, the dealer gets two cards just as the players do. However, the only card that the players are able to see from the dealer is one of his cards, the other card is hidden from the players’ view and is called the hole card. In the upcard, players get some information that is helpful to make decisions during the game. For instance, if the dealer has a ten-faced card, then there is a high chance that he or she has an ace in the hole, thus making a good deal.

The only exception is the dealer who will show his hole card at the end of the round and after all the players have played their hands. If the dealer has a total of 17 or more, he has to keep on the dealer's position, known as standing. If it is 16 or less, they stand as per the blackjack rules for dealers.

4. The Dealer Wins on a Tie Except When Both Have 21

Another important aspect that is inherent in the blackjack dealer rules is that if the dealer and the player have the same value in their hands (this is known as a tie or ‘push’), then the player does not lose or win; the bet is simply returned to the player. However, if both the dealer and the player have 21, then the player wins, except when there is a natural blackjack, that is when the dealer and the player both have an Ace and a 10-value card unless the game rules state the otherwise.

Of course, this is not very convenient for the players, particularly when they have strived for a certain total such as 20 or 21 and the dealer gives them the same total. But it ensures that the game is still fair and equal for all the players.

FAQs: More Things You Need to Know About Blackjack

What are the rules for dealers in blackjack?

The rules of the game of blackjack are quite definite and the dealer is bound by these rules and cannot deviate in any way. The dealer, on his side, has to take a card if he has a total of 16 or less and must stand if he has 17 or more. The dealer has no ability to make any choices in these decisions and has to abide by these rules at all times irrespective of the cards that are being dealt to him or her. If any of the players have not yet folded, the dealer must then expose his or her hole card; the dealer must then play in accordance with the house rules pertaining to when to hit or stand.

What happens if the dealer and player get 21 in blackjack?

In the event that both the dealer and the player stand at 21 and both have a natural blackjack (an Ace and a 10-value card), the player is the winner. Nevertheless, if the dealer and the player both get 21 with other cards, the game is normally drawn. In this case, the player receives his or her bet back and no one has won or lost.

What happens if you draw with the dealer in blackjack?

When playing blackjack, if you tie with the dealer, that is you both are left with the same total, it is called a push. In a push your original bet is given back to you and nobody wins or loses the bet. It can take place at any time, not only in 21, and it saves the bet when the hands are equal.

The Final Hand: You're Ready to Play

It is important for any blackjack player to learn the so-called “blackjack dealer rules” if he wants to be successful at the blackjack table. Learning when the dealer has to hit or stand and how the tie is settled will help a player in the game. These facts can also help you come up with other tactics that can help you counter the dealer and hence raise your chances of making it

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