Why Blackjack Rules Require Hand Signals

admin · Site Admin Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 862

In every game of Blackjack, each player is dealt two cards at the start of the game. Players must then decide how to play these cards in the framework of the game, choosing whether or not to Hit, Stand, Double Down, Split or take any additional options such as Switch or Surrender that may be available in a particular casino's Blackjack rules.

According to casino Blackjack rules, players are required to indicate their choice of card action in two different ways. The Blackjack rules state that players must first speak their decision to the dealer, and then make a hand signal over their cards to confirms that choice. Each card action from Double Down to Split has its own specific hand motion. To Stand, for example, players place their cards underneath their bet and wave their hand horizontally over it.

The Blackjack rules require players to use hand gestures for the simple reason of double verification. Since casinos can be very noisy and dealers may have trouble hearing players, both speaking the desired action as well as gesturing it with one's hand allows the dealer to twice confirm what the player wishes to do next. This is also beneficial for casinos that can catch these hand motions on their closed circuit video cameras. If a player claims that he or she meant Split but was dealt a Hit, the casino can rewind the tapes to see which hand motion the player signaled over the cards.