In Blackjack, once all the bets are made, the dealer
will deal the cards to the players. He'll make two passes
around the table starting at his left (your right) so
that the players and the dealer have two cards each.
In the Blackjack shoe games, the player’s cards
will be dealt face-up, and the players are not allowed
to touch the cards. If you're just beginning, you'll probably
want to start at the shoe game where you don't have to
worry about handling the cards.
In the hand-held games, the player's cards are dealt face
down, and the players pick up the cards. When playing
Blackjack and handling the cards in a hand-held game,
here are a few important things to remember.
You are only allowed to touch the cards with one hand.
If you're a poker player, this can take some effort to
break old habits!
You must keep the cards over the table.
Any cards that the dealer subsequently deals to your hand
must be left on the table, not added to the cards in your
hand.
Once the cards are dealt, play proceeds around the table,
starting at the first seat to the dealer's left, also
called first base. Each Blackjack player in turn indicates
to the dealer how he wishes to play the hand. The various
player decisions are covered in their own section below.
After each player has finished his hand, the dealer will
complete his hand, and then pay or collect the player
bets.