How to deal blackjack: dealer rules and order

Deal the opening cards

Deal the opening cards to each participating seat and the dealer according to the table’s procedure. Players begin with two cards. The dealer shows one card and keeps the hole card face down.

Check for dealer blackjack

In the US peek format, the dealer checks for blackjack when showing a ten-value card or ace. Player decisions that add stakes take place after the check. No-hole-card formats work differently.

When the dealer shows an ace, insurance is usually offered before the check. It is a separate wager, explained in blackjack insurance explained.

Complete each player hand

Resolve player choices in seat order before revealing and playing the dealer hand. Split and double rules must be agreed before play. A player bust is settled without waiting for the dealer outcome.

Draw by the posted rule

The dealer draws on hard totals below 17. With S17 the dealer stands on A,6; with H17 the dealer draws on A,6. The dealer does not choose a basic-strategy action from the player chart.

If the dealer busts, every player hand still in play wins. The soft-17 rule is one of the settings on the blackjack chart because it changes some player decisions.

H17 and S17: dealer rules versus player strategy

The dealer hits hard totals below 17 and stands on hard 17 or higher. S17 also stands on soft 17; H17 hits soft 17. Neither rule tells a player what to do with the same total. Player choices depend on both the hand and the upcard.

Choose the matching setting on the H17 or S17 blackjack strategy chart for player decisions. For the chance the dealer eventually goes over 21, use the separate dealer bust probability chart, which states its model and blackjack-check assumptions.