Everything You Need to Know About Dealing Blackjack

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Become the best dealer in the house with our beginner guide

Co-authored by Amy Bobinger, BA Reviewed by Ashton Wu

Last Updated: December 28, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Starting a Hand
|
• Dealing the Cards
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• Finishing a Round
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• Special Bets
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• Video
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• Q&A

|Show more |Show less

Blackjack is a gambling game where you try to get a hand totaling closer to 21 than the dealer. If you go over 21, then you automatically bust (or lose). Dealing blackjack is similar to how you would play regularly, but with a few added responsibilities, like handing out cards and chips. As long as you have a solid understanding of how to play, you can easily deal blackjack and have fun doing it!

How to Deal Blackjack: Quick Steps

1. Deal every player one face-up card, plus one face-down card to yourself.
2. Deal every player a second face-up card, and a face-up one to yourself.
3. Go from left to right, letting players hit, stand, split, or double down.
4. Move on to the next player once a player stands or busts.
5. Have each player hit, stand, split, or double down, working from left to right.
6. Reveal your face-down card after the players finish their hands
7. Players win if they get closer to 21 than you without going over.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

Starting a Hand of Blackjack

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1. 
   1
   Shuffle and cut the cards. Take a deck of cards out of the box and shuffle them so they’re thoroughly mixed together. Use multiple techniques, such as riffling or overhand shuffles, to ensure the cards are randomized. Then, ask another player to place a red cut card anywhere in the middle of the deck. Once they place it, split the deck so the red cut card is on the bottom of one of the stacks. Place the other stack on top to finish the shuffle.

   • The cut card is a solid red card placed in the deck that marks where the cards should be separated during the cut. If you don’t have one, just have the player split the deck into two stacks. Place the stack that was on the bottom on the top of the deck.
   • If you’re playing with a large group, you can combine up to 6 or 8 decks so you don’t have to shuffle as often.

   Tip: If you have a card shoe to make it easier to deal, set the cards inside so they’re face-down and easy to pull from the slot.
2. 
   2
   Have the players place their bets for their hands. If you’re on a blackjack table, then have the players set their bets in the small circle in front of them. Wait until each player has either placed their chips for the bet or until they decide to leave the table. Make sure not to deal any cards before they place their bets.

   • You do not place bets on your hand as a dealer.

   Tip: Players can’t place or change bets once the cards are dealt.

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3. 
   3
   Deal one card face-up to all the players from left to right. Pull a single card from the top of the deck and slide it across the table to the first person to your left. Flip the card face-up while you’re sliding it and set it in the box in front of the player. Keep giving one card to each player from left to right across the table.

   • Try to place the card in the box without having to readjust it. Practice sliding the cards across the table if you can.
   • Don’t let the players touch the cards, especially if you’re dealing in a professional setting.
   • In some games, it’s customary to discard the very first card from a deck, known as a “burn card.”
4. 
   4
   Place one card face down in front of you. After you give each player a card, deal yourself the next card from the deck so it’s face down. Make sure you keep the card pressed flat on the table so the players don’t see what the card’s value is. Don’t look at the card after you deal it.

   • Some casinos prefer their dealers to deal their first card face-up and their second card face-down, or to deal both cards face-down and flip one card up before the gameplay starts. If you’re playing in a casual setting, it doesn’t really matter which one you choose—just pick one and stick to it consistently.
5. 
   5
   Deal one more face-up card to everyone, including yourself. Start with the player on your left and deal them another card from the deck. Flip the card face-up and set it on top of the first card so you can still read the numbers in the corners. Keep dealing cards to the players around the table, and then set 1 card face-up in front of you. You can then start your round of blackjack.

   • Try to place each player’s cards on top of each other at a diagonal so you can see the numbers on both corners.
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Section 2 of 4:

Dealing the Players’ Cards

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1. 
   1
   Check for blackjack if your face-up card is a 10-card or Ace. After you’ve dealt all of the cards, look at your face-up card. If it’s a 10, face card, or ace, peek at your face-down card. If your card total is exactly 21 (a 10-card plus an ace), you have a natural blackjack. Turn up your face-down card.

   • If any other players were dealt a blackjack (21), they “push,” or tie, and get to keep their bet.
   • Any players who do not have 21 automatically lose their bets. They do not have a chance to get more cards in this round.
   • If the face-up card is an ace, offer the player the chance to buy insurance before you look at the face-down card. We’ll talk more about that in the special bets section.
2. 
   2
   Play through the hand with each player from left to right. After every player has received their cards, turn your attention to the player on your far left. They’ll indicate what they want to do next (the two basic moves are to hit or stand). Play all the way through that player’s hand, then move across the table counterclockwise (from left to right) one player at a time.

   • In special cases, players might split or double down. You can read more about those options in the section on special bets
3. 
   3
   Deal one card if the player wants to hit. If a player wants to get closer to 21, they’ll ask to hit. Take the top card from the deck and slide it over to their hand, then flip it over and set it on top of their other cards. Total the card values and tell the player the new total. If the player wants to hit again, give them another card.

   • Players can’t hit anymore if their total is 21.

   Tip: Learn the values of the cards so you can add them together easily. Face cards are worth 10, cards numbered 2-10 are worth their printed values, and aces can either count as 1 or 11.
4. 
   4
   Take the player’s cards and chips if their cards total more than 21. If the player hits and the cards total 22 or higher, then the player busts and loses the round. Collect that player’s cards and set them aside as a discard pile. Then, take the player’s chips that they placed as a bet and put them along with the rest of the chips in the chip holder.

   • Players who bust automatically lose the round and forfeit their entire bet.
   • You win the bet as the dealer, but the chips go to the bank—they’re not paid out to you personally.
5. 
   5
   Move on to the next player if a player stands. If the player wants to keep their card total, they’ll ask to stand. At that point, stop dealing them cards and move on to the next player. Keep working across the table from left to right, dealing cards to each player one at a time.

   • Players can hit as few or as many times as they want before they stand.
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Section 3 of 4:

Finishing a Round

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1. 
   1
   Flip over your face-down card and total your cards. Once all the players have taken their turn, take your turn as the dealer. Reveal the card you dealt yourself at the beginning of the round and total the value of your cards.

   • For instance, if you were originally dealt a 9 and you flip over a King, your total is 19.
   • Unlike players, dealers have to follow rules about when to hit or stand.
2. 
   2
   Take another card if the count is under 17. If the total of your cards is 16 or lower, then draw a card from the top of the deck and set it face-up next to the other cards in your hand. If the total is still under 17, then draw cards until your hand is over 17. If you draw a card that puts your total over 21, then you bust, and the other players who are still in win the hand.
3. 
   3
   Stand if the card count is 17 or more. If your cards total 17, 18, 19, or 20, you have to stand. You cannot keep hitting to get closer to 21.

   • If your card count is a “soft 17” (meaning it totals exactly 17 and an Ace is counted as 11), the dealer should hit.
4. 
   4
   Compare your hand to those of the players. Look at the total values of the players’ hands to see if they are greater or less than your hand. If players have a hand closer to 21 than you without going over, then they win. If they have a worse hand than you, then they lose, and you collect their bets.

   • If a player has the same total as you, then the hand is considered a “push.”
   • Some dealers compare hands from left to right, some from right to left. Follow the house rules. If it’s a casual game, pick whichever you’d like, but stick to it for every hand.
5. 
   5
   Collect or pay out the players’ bets. If players were closer to 21 than you, then they receive a 1:1 payout, or twice the amount of their bet. If they won with a blackjack, showing a 10 and an ace, then they are usually paid 3:2 on their bet, meaning they get 2.5 times the amount of their bet. If you have a “push” where you have the same total as another player, neither you nor the player wins. The player then gets their bet back.

   • For example, if a player bets 10 chips and wins, they would win 20 chips from the bank. If they won with a blackjack, then they would win 25 chips.

   Tip: Betting odds may vary depending on the table you’re working at. Check with the table rules before your games so you know the exact payout.
6. 
   6
   Discard and shuffle all of the cards that were played. Collect all the cards from each of the players and set them face down in your discard pile. If you’re only playing with a single deck of cards, shuffle the discard pile with the rest of the deck after each hand.

   • If you’re using multiple decks, then you don’t need to shuffle until you’re about halfway through the cards.
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Section 4 of 4:

Addressing Special Bets

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1. 
   1
   Ask the players if they want “insurance” if your face-up card is an ace. If you deal your hand and the face-up card is an ace, ask the players for insurance. Let the players pay up to half of their initial bet as their insurance. Look at your face-down card and reveal it if it’s a 10. If it is, take the initial bets from any players who lost against your hand. Then pay any players with insurance double the amount they paid.

   • For example, if a player paid 3 chips for insurance, then they would get 6 chips from the bank if you have a blackjack.
   • If a player buys insurance and you have a blackjack, they won't lose as many chips if you have a blackjack right when you begin dealing.
   • If you don’t have a blackjack, take the chips the players paid for insurance and put them in the bank.

   Tip: Players don’t need to pay insurance if they don’t think they you have a blackjack or if they also have a blackjack.
2. 
   2
   See if players want to “double down” to bet more chips. A player can choose to double their bet if they’re confident with their hand. If they want to double down, wait for them to place their additional bet on the table before dealing them 1 more card. Lay the card horizontally across the top of their hand to show they cannot hit on that hand anymore.

   • In most games, players can double down any time they want. It’s common for players to double down if their initial cards total 10 or 11.
   • If the player who doubled down wins against your hand, then they win double the amount of money. For example, if the player bet 5 chips initially and then won after doubling down, they would win 20 chips from the bank.
3. 
   3
   Give players the option to “split” if they were dealt cards with the same value. When players are dealt the same card, they can choose to separate them into 2 hands. Place their two cards side-by-side. Deal a new card on top of the card on the left first. Ask the player to play through that hand until they stand or bust. Then, repeat with the card on the right.

   • If a player gets a blackjack on a split hand, they win 1:1 payout rather than 3:2.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  What happens when the dealer and player tie in Blackjack?

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor
  Staff Answer

  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  If the player and dealer have a tie, the round is considered a “push.” Nobody loses or wins any money on this bet.

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• Question

  Does a blackjack hand automatically win?

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor
  Staff Answer

  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  Yes—any 2-card hand that adds up to 21, which is called a “blackjack” or “natural”—will automatically win the bet. However, if both the player and the dealer have a blackjack, then the bet is tied and nobody wins anything.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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• Question

  What is the 5-card rule in Blackjack?

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor
  Staff Answer

  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  Some versions of Blackjack have a rule called “5 Card Charlie,” in which a hand of 5 cards receives an automatic win. However, most casinos don’t use this rule.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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