Tour of the Blackjack Table

In this video we're going to take a tour of the blackjack table. So that way I could get you acquainted with all of the different elements of the table. And you know what goes where, what does what, and basically what's going on.

So the first thing is, when you come up to the table, you'll notice which table it is, based on the layout, the felt layout. So this whole layout is a blackjack, design. And that makes this table a blackjack table. A felt layout is just a piece of cloth that is put over the table that has distinguished markings. So that way you could tell what game it is or isn't. so that's the very first one, is the felt layout.

The next is the bank. And the bank or the rack is also a very important element of the table. This is where you're going to keep all of your chips or all of your money. This is basically the casino's money. You never, ever want the bank to be out of sight, especially if you're dealing at a real live casino. Now, if you're dealing at a casino party, that's a little different because there's no monetary value right here. But if you're dealing in a casino, you never, ever want to turn your back on the bank.

Next up is the center of the table. The center of the table is the area where the dealer works. It's where the dealer shuffles the cards, lays out the cards, makes change. All of that happens in the center of the table.

Next up is the discard rack. And this is where all of the cards that are no longer in play are put. So this discard rack holds our cards.

The next element is going to be for the blackjack table. And this is the insurance line. The insurance line is where you place your bet, if you think the dealer has a blackjack. And that is this line right here, the insurance line.

Next up are the betting circles. And the betting circles indicate to the players where they can place their bet. The bet must be placed inside the betting circle, and it cannot be placed on the outside or anywhere around the betting circle. These are not valid bets. It has to be inside the betting circle for it to be a valid bet.

Next up on a blackjack table. Casinos will typically call this position right here. First base. First base is the very first spot that is on the dealer's left hand side. Next, they'll typically call this position right here third base. And third base is the very last position on the dealer's right hand side. Now this section right here, where it is completely void of all markings, it's like this nice white area on the table, this is known as the apron. And the apron is specifically for the players. And it's where they could place their bets, their chips, if they have a drink, they would put their drink here. And if they're smoking and they have, an ashtray, and they have it in this area right here as well. Now, in a real life casino, we would have a saying, if you can't drink it, smoke it or gamble it, then it can't be on the table. Of course casino parties are a little bit more lax, so we don't have to worry about that. But if you were dealing in a real life casino, just so you know, any purses on their wallets, phones, candy, gifts, whatever cannot be on the table. You can only have it on the table, if you could drink it, smoke it, or gamble it.

So next up is the drop box and the paddle. The paddle is located on the dealer's right hand side, and this is where you place the money or the cash. In order for it to be dropped in the drop box, which is right below that. Some casino parties don’t have this since there is no money exchanged on the table.

Now on to the playing cards. The casino will use a typical 52 card deck in majority of their games. On a multi deck game on blackjack, such as the 4, 6, or 8 deck shoe. They're of course going to use 4, 6, or 8 decks. Now on a typical, playing deck, you'll see a jack, a queen and a king, these are all ten value cards. If you see an ace, this is 1 or 11 if you're on blackjack.

Next up on the card, you will see these little spots. And these spots indicate the number that the card is. These spots are known as pips. And the pips are usually designated with whatever suit that card is. So a suit would be for example spades, clubs, hearts or diamonds.

Next up is the shoe. And this shoe has a lot of different elements, and components that the dealer is going to be working with. The face plate covers the cards. The finger slot, right here is where the dealer grabs the cards to take them out of the shoe. And the wedge, which is this right here, is usually weighted, so it's pretty heavy. It's on a roller. So that way, as it rolls, it pushes the cards to the front. So, it makes it easier for the dealer to take the cards out of the shoe. Now some casinos have the finger slot covered. And they'll usually have it covered with a trapdoor or a brush. And this keeps players from seeing what the next card is. Also, some shoes will have a chain attached to the back of the shoe going all the way to the table, and this prevents the shoe from being swapped or stolen. Some of this equipment may not be used for casino parties, as security in more relaxed since real money isn’t used.

So that's pretty much the basics of the layout. We are providing a worksheet for you to do for homework. That way you could label each section of the table and you'll know for certain if you know it or not. Check out our worksheet.