What Is the Device Called That Peeks under the Blackjack Hole Card?

I've been playing blackjack long enough to remember when dealers had to peek at their hole cards to see if they had blackjacks under there and depending on where you were sitting, you might get a quick glimpse of their hole cards. Obviously, that's why they now use that little device in the table to check. But what is that device called, who invented it, and when did it go into popular usage?

The device used to check a dealer's hole card in a blackjack game is called a "blackjack peeker" or simply a "peeker."

It's usually a small mirror or sensor embedded in the blackjack table that allows the dealer to see the hole card without revealing it to the players, especially when their up card is a ten or an ace, potentially indicating a blackjack. The peeker significantly reduces the chance of accidental exposure of the hole card, which can be exploited by advantage players. It also speeds up gameplay, since dealers no longer need to manually lift and bend cards.

The blackjack peeker was invented in the late 1970s by John Breeding, founder of Shuffle Master, known for developing automatic shufflers and other casino equipment. Shuffle Master was acquired by Bally's Technology in 2013 after 30 years in business.

The device quickly became popular with the casinos and was in widespread use by the mid-1980s, coinciding with the boom of corporate-owned casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The big casinos were becoming more focused on minimizing risks from card counters and hole-carding techniques, making the peeker an essential tool.

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Comments

Doug Miller Feb-20-2025

Another advantage for the house . . .

My recollection is that there was a secondary advantage to it, because in the old days the dealer would see exactly what the hole card is, so some blackjack books recommended you look carefully at the dealers face to see if he or she reacted in a certain way, without realizing it, if the hole card was a good card for the players, such as a 2-6, or perhaps a different way if it was a good card for the house, such as a 7-9. As I understand it, the way that the cards are designed, if a dealer uses the peeker, he or she can see if it’s an ace, or if it’s a 10 through king, or an ace, then they have no way of knowing what the hole card is, and there’s no risk of the dealer signaling a confederate intentionally, or even unintentionally reacting to whether the card is likely to lead to a bust by the dealer.  It was my understanding at the time, and perhaps I was wrong, that this was one of the primary advantages of the peeker.

John Pitcher Feb-20-2025

Great question

Thanks for the thorough answer to a great question.

Jon Miller Feb-20-2025

Follow up QOD?

Actually twofold question:   Two things that work against players (among other rule changes/raised stakes, etc) are "continuous shuffler" machines and the bane of our Blackjack existence....6:5 on Blackjack.    Is there any source out there that provides a nice overview of which casinos ONLY have 6:5 (I saw this at Horseshoe on my trip last year, 3:2 but only for $25 or higher stakes, 3:2 exclusively (thank you thank you thank you Eliis Island!!!).   It would be great to know what the rest of the strip (and even parts of Fremont have gotten much worse for the players) are offering.      2nd part of the question would be wondering which casinos have moved to continuous shuffling machines- just wondering if anyone has done that research.   Thanks for any intel!

DeltaEagle Feb-20-2025

Language

 "especially when their up card is a ten or an ace, potentially indicating a blackjack."
Should that be “ especially when their up card is a ten or an ace,  indicating a potential blackjack."

Hoppy Feb-20-2025

Hear Ye Hear Ye !

3:2 at the Palms

Anthony Curtis Feb-20-2025

Answers

D. Miller is correct. Dealer tells could result from their knowing the hole card when checking beneath tens and aces. The classic book on this was Read the Dealer by Steve Forte. There's also good information in the new edition of Professional Blackjack, which we will publish later this year. J. Miller, there are some good sources. We will make it a follow-up QoD. Delta Eagle, I agree with your edit. Actually, it should have read, "... allows the dealer to see the hole card without revealing it to the players when checking beneath tens and aces for a potential blackjack." No need for the "especially," since they checked only beneath tens and aces. The peeker eliminated the hole-carding techniques known as "first basing" and "spooking."

Question of the Day - 20 February 2025

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