obvious about it to make certain the dealer sees that there are two colors. Do not try to alter your bet after the deal begins.

If you wish to tip the dealer, this is normally done with a bet. You place a second bet a couple inches above your main bet. If you lose, the dealer also loses. If you win, the dealer pays both bets, takes the tip bet and winnings and puts them in a toke box, in most jurisdictions, to be shared. You can increase the tip with a split or double. Alternatively, you can tip the dealer when you leave by tossing a chip into the center of the table. Tipping can be more expensive than many people think. Card counters have a very slim edge, which can be destroyed by tipping too much. Whether you tip or not is up to you. My overall impression is that tipping is less prevalent than it used to be.

The Play

Once players have placed their bets, the deal begins. Players are each dealt two cards, face up or down depending on the casino and the table at which you sit. Normally, pitch games (one or two decks) are dealt face down and shoe games face up. The dealer is also dealt two cards, normally one up (exposed) and one down (hidden). The players are allowed to draw additional cards (“hit” their hand) to improve their hands. Once the cards are dealt, play starts with the player at the far right facing the table (called first base) and continuing to the left (third base). The dealer will look in your direction to indicate your turn.

Hand Signals

You must use your hand to signal plays. Verbally telling the dealer is not sufficient and can slow the game. The reason hand signals are used is the “eye in the sky” cannot hear you. In olden days, observers watched play from catwalks above the casino ceilings. These days there are cameras everywhere and all activity is recorded. These tapes can be used to identify card counters. However, they are more often used to watch for cheats, in particular dealers that cheat or collude with players to cheat. They can also be used to resolve disputes (rare), and there is a lot of money to watch.

 © 2009 Norman Wattenberger