How to Become a Blackjack Dealer

Blackjack is a card game where players compete against the dealer for the highest hand-total. The game is popular in casinos and also available online. It is easy to learn and can be enjoyable for all ages. A good strategy will increase your chances of winning.

Blackjack dealers are responsible for greeting and persuading guests to place bets. They are also expected to follow a set of procedures during the course of each round. If you are interested in becoming a blackjack dealer, you can find courses in your area that offer training and certification. These classes can take up to 12 weeks and will help you develop skills you need for the job.

Unlike poker, blackjack players are rarely famous, but some have been able to make a good living from the game. One of the most notable is Colin Smith, who runs the Blackjack Apprenticeship website and has a YouTube channel dedicated to blackjack training. He has been a professional player for more than 15 years, and his team once ran a multi-million dollar blackjack operation. He believes that it is possible to beat the house edge with custom strategies and perseverance.

A good blackjack strategy should include counting cards. Counting is not as complicated as it may seem at first glance, and there are many different methods of doing it. The basic rule is to assign a number value to each card. Cards 2-6 are assigned as +1, 7-9 are valued at 0, and face cards and aces are counted as -1. By keeping track of the total, you can better understand the odds of a particular hand and adjust your bet accordingly.

There are a few other things you need to know about blackjack before you start playing. For example, some casinos will reduce the payout on Blackjacks from 3 to 2 to 6 to 5. This makes the game less profitable for players and should be avoided at all costs.

Before the deal begins, the dealer will ask players if they want to buy insurance. If they do, they place their wagers on the “insurance bar” above their chips. Once all the players have placed their bets, the dealer will look at her hole card using a viewing window in the table. If she has a ten underneath, she will pay off everyone’s insurance bets at 2 to 1. Otherwise, the game continues as normal.

A blackjack dealer needs to have a high school diploma or GED certificate and be over 18. A person who has a bachelor’s degree in business or a related field can also qualify as a blackjack dealer. They must also pass a written exam and have a physical exam. Those who wish to become professional dealers should also take a course that certifies them as a Certified Professional Blackjack Dealer. The course covers a variety of topics, including rules of the game, table setup and customer service. The certification is valid for two years.