Blackjack

If a player has a hard-hand totaling 12 or higher, this can be considered a somewhat suspicious double-down as blackjack basic strategy will typically not call for this.

Once a player declares that they would like to double-down in this manner, all standard double-down procedures still apply such as ensuring the original bet stays on the dealer's left-hand side, making sure that the player's additional money is no higher in value as their original bet, and no lower than the table minimum, be certain to receive a hand-sign from the player, then make your APPROVAL CALL, "Double-Down Hard 12!". Obviously if the player's hand totals a different number such as a hard 14 or hard 15, we will say that number at the end of our call instead of saying 12. Example: "Double-Down Hard 16!"

Hand signs are a dying art in the casino environment but they can become a vitally important tool to clear-up any confusion for surveillance since there is typically no audio captured by the cameras. Always make sure that players are giving extremely deliberate and clear hand signs as to not get confused with other gestures. Ensuring your players make clear hand signs to indicate their actions only takes 1 second and can help clear your name in future situations. We would like to consider hand-signs to be mandatory from all players however there has been an increase in floor supervisors not expecting this convention to be a mandatory gesture.

Understanding the difference between hard and soft hands is a really big deal in the game of 21. I know that determining the difference between them can easily become confusing but practice will do you wonders. With enough practice, you'll be able to tell the difference immediately.

Any great dealer should have at least 3/4 of blackjack basic strategy memorized. I can't emphasize this enough; MEMORIZE BLACKJACK BASIC STRATEGY!! Not only is it great customer service to know what to do in any situation on this game, but we are professionals. On top of that, knowing what the correct move to make is has earned countless dealers millions of dollars in tips. Just a cherry on top, if you ever played the game of 21 yourself, you'll know what to do to make your money last a little bit longer.

0:00 Intro
0:12 Double-Down Hard 12+
0:44 Hand Signs
1:45 Hard and Soft Hands
5:18 Basic Strategy
6:44 Double-Down Hard 12+ Details