far away from the cards, your bet or any chips. Also, the cards must be held above the table. Do not bring them over the edge of the table above your lap, as people will jump out of the woodwork.  The cards are not really “secret” as in Poker. It does not matter if other people or the dealer see them. However, do not make a habit of showing them as they may think you are giving information to a partner. You indicate a hit by scratching the table with the cards in a motion towards your body. They do not actually have to scratch the table. Any wave towards yourself will indicate a hit. If you bust (exceed 21) in a face-down game, throw in the hand by tossing the cards face up just beyond the bet.

Standing

You stand (or “stay”) if you do not want another card. In face-up games, standing is usually signaled by waving your hand over the cards, either back and forth or in one direction. However, simply opening your hand, palm down, with outstretched fingers will be accepted as a stand by nearly all dealers. In older days, drawing a curve with your finger toward your left meant move to the next player. I have not seen this in decades.

If you should obviously stand, some dealers will simply pass over your hand if you simply sit back with your hands folded. There are two philosophies to allowing the dealer to play for you without signals. The prevailing philosophy is never to allow this as she may make the common play when the count tells you to make an unusual play. However, there are times playing heads-up (only player at the table) when you can reach incredible speeds with an experienced dealer by allowing her to make obvious plays. And, I look for gains in speed everywhere. If you see an unusual situation coming up, you can always hold up your hand to pause the dealer.

In face-down games, tuck the corner of your cards, face down, under your bet. Do not touch the bet with your hands.

Doubling Down

An additional option, “double down,” allows you to double your bet on your first two cards. You draw exactly one card with a double down. This is common practice if you have a good hand that cannot be busted and the dealer has a bad hand. Remember, because face cards all count as ten, there exist more cards with a

 © 2009 Norman Wattenberger