Blackjack Etiquette - Etiquette at the Blackjack Table

Common Blackjack Etiquette

When playing Blackjack in a casino, it's good to remember and use common etiquette. Just as any other form of interaction we have with people, in person, there are certain expectations or standards of manners in which we should all try to live up to, for the good of the majority. In this article, I will go over some basics to keep in mind, while playing live blackjack, in a casino. Keep in mind, these practices are not to dictate the quality of your experience in a casino, while playing blackjack, but will help you in conducting yourself in a courteous manner.

Firstly, it is expected of you, by the dealer, players and management to have your bet placed at all times, be ready with a clear hand signal when the dealer gets to you and to pay attention at all times, or at least trust the dealer to not make any mistakes, so you do not get confused and have to ask the dealer to slow or stop the game, to catch you up to speed.

Secondly, fellow players will most likely expect you to play a very basic strategy for blackjack. Players around you are most likely playing by a basic strategy and fear that if you don't as well, you are jeopardizing what they think is a likely outcome to their efforts. You will most likely not be able to please everyone, but the majority of players play a very basic strategy, that is designed to minimize your losses.

Thirdly, it is pretty common for casinos to have a beverage server come to your table, they usually offer complimentary soft drinks. It's good to keep in mind, that the casino is not charging you for the beverage, but they are also not paying the server that brought it to you more than minimum wage. This also holds true for the person dealing blackjack to you and the players around you. Regardless of win or lose, considering these two facts, it is not only appreciated when you do spread gratuity to your dealer and beverage server, but it is depended upon by the employees family for survival. It's good to remember, you are playing blackjack in a live casino, for entertainment purposes, so even if you lose money for the day, tipping is not at all unreasonable. After all, when your server at a restaurant brings you food that the cook did not prepare to your liking, you are still likely to tip the server, knowing that not tipping them, does not at all effect the cook that did a less than satisfactory job.

These are just three very basic things to keep in mind when sitting at a blackjack table in a casino. I'm not at all saying that your decision to disregard these practices, or to abide by them will make or break your experience in a casino atmosphere, but I am saying these are three things that will stand out the most to the people around you, and most likely could affect the impression people form of you.