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Casino etiquette
Casino etiquette comes down to a few rules: put cash on the table instead of in the dealer's hand, bet only between rounds, don't touch your bet or the cards once the deal starts, and use hand signals. Most rules exist so the dealer and the cameras can see every move. Here is how to act at the table.
Before you sit down
- Read the sign. Every table shows its minimum and maximum bet and its key rules. Sit only where the minimum fits your budget.
- Wait for the hand to end. Take a seat or buy in between hands, not in the middle of one.
- Ask about mid-shoe entry. Some blackjack and baccarat tables don't let new players join until the shuffle.
Buying in
Lay your cash flat on the felt between hands. The dealer can't take money from your hand. The dealer spreads the bills, counts them for the camera, drops the cash into the table and pushes your chips across. Don't put cash in the betting circle unless you mean to bet it. Casino chip values.
Betting
- Place your bet before the deal or the spin. Once the dealer starts, your chips stay where they are.
- Don't touch your bet after the cards come out. Adding or removing chips mid-hand looks like cheating, even when it isn't.
- Stack chips with the largest on the bottom and the smallest on top, so the dealer can read the bet.
- When you double or split in blackjack, set the new chips beside your bet, not on top of it.
- Leave your winnings in place until the dealer has paid everyone.
Cards and hand signals
In a shoe game, cards are dealt face up and players don't touch them. You play with hand signals: tap the felt to hit and wave a flat hand over your cards to stand. To double, set the new chips beside your bet and point one finger; to split, set them beside your bet and hold up two fingers in a V. The signals are for the cameras, so use them even when you also say what you want. In a hand-held game, hold cards with one hand and keep them over the table. Blackjack hand signals.
Advice and other players
Your choices don't change the odds for anyone else at the table. Don't tell other players how to play their hands unless they ask, and don't blame another player's decision for the dealer's card. Be polite with the dealer; the cards aren't theirs.
Phones, photos and drinks
Many casinos don't allow phones on the table or in use during a hand, and most don't allow photos of the games. Keep drinks off the felt and in the holder at your seat. Keep bags and jackets off the layout.
Tipping the dealer
Tipping is optional. A tip is called a toke. The usual way to tip at a table is to place a small bet for the dealer next to your own bet. If it wins, the dealer takes the bet and the win. You can also hand a chip across between hands. Tips are often pooled among the dealers on a shift. For jackpots paid by hand, many players tip the attendant; there is no fixed amount.
Craps manners
- Don't hand money to the dealers during a roll. Wait for the dice to be in the middle.
- When you shoot, use one hand and hit the far wall with both dice.
- Keep your hands out of the table when the dice are rolling.
- Don't say "seven" at the table. Players hear it as bad luck.
Roulette manners
Use the chips of your color, and bet only until the dealer waves a hand and says "no more bets". Wait until the dealer has removed the dolly from the winning number before you place new bets. Cash out your roulette chips at the table before you leave.
Leaving the table
Finish the hand, then ask the dealer to color up. Push your chips to the middle and let the dealer swap them for fewer, larger ones. Take them to the cage to cash out. Casino terms.
Practice first
Most mistakes at a new table come from not knowing the game. Play a few hundred hands with play money and the table manners are the only new thing left. Blackjack etiquette · Casino card games.
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Questions
What not to do at a blackjack table?
Don't hand cash to the dealer, touch your bet after the deal, touch the cards in a shoe game, or tell other players how to play. Use hand signals for hit and stand.
Do casino dealers get 100% of tips?
Often not directly. In many casinos, dealer tips are pooled and shared among the dealers on a shift.
Is it rude not to tip the dealer?
No. Tipping is optional. Many players tip after a good run, by placing a small bet for the dealer.
Can I join a blackjack table in the middle of a shoe?
At most tables, yes, between hands. Some tables post a no mid-shoe entry rule, and you wait for the shuffle.
How do you buy in at a casino table?
Lay your cash on the felt between hands. The dealer counts it, drops it into the table and gives you chips.
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