Question of the Day - 17 February 2020

Is there any benefit to how the cards are dealt - face up or face down?

I assume not so why do players prefer one over the other? I’m not a BJ player but to my mind face up would be easier as it takes away the risk of a player miscounting

Players should prefer face up, all other things being equal. Whether or not you're counting, seeing everyone else's cards is potentially beneficial--for example, would you still double down on a hard 11 if you saw that every other player had a hard 20? That, I believe, is the real reason why casinos never single deck face up and double deck only rarely--the advance knowledge of the values of up to a dozen cards could make even first-round decisions by the player at first base much more accurate. That effect would be very significant if there were only 52 cards in play as opposed to, say, 312.

The M is requesting that you sit at all times now at least at the face down tables. My wife likes to stand and play a few hands to stretch and they won't deal until she sits down now. Didn't use to be this way, just noticed it this last summer.

Sometimes I like to play blackjack while standing, my legs sometimes get a little numb from sitting on some of the chairs they have that don't have a rail for my feet on the chair or at the bottom of the table. And standing is more comfortable if you've been sitting for a while. Consider that you have to stand at the dice tables and can be there for a fairly long time if things are going well. So if I'm at a place that wants you to sit to play blackjack and I have a friend with me I'll ask her/him to sit in the chair and I stand behind the chair and tell them what to do. I give my friend the money to buy-in, or I buy-in if I want to hand in my players card for rating. The table supervisor sees that I am "teaching" someone and they are fine with it, they welcome another potential future gambler/player. This works great if my friend is wanting to learn blackjack or is tired of playing the machines and wants to take a break. And it's a way I've helped several friends learn to play.

It isnt mentioned in the article but the main reason you have to sit down is that you cannot take your cards beyond the edge of the table. if you are standing up over your chair i would imagine you would have to be reminded over and over again to keep your cards directly over the table. Huge pain for the dealer/pit boss so i dont blame them one bit.

Thank You Arnold. I asked this one so nice to see it answered and the replies are also very interesting. I see I am not the only one who likes to stand behind their chair when playing BJ. 

When my father is with me I get around this very easily. He is in his 80s and while he can walk he needs to sit down as opposed to standing for a long period of time. So when I play at a table that requires the player to sit I have HIM sit in the chair, I stand behind him and we "play together" - something casinos are OK with even though all decisions are mine. The only problem is I am rarely with him so this rarely happens. I usually play at The Orleans - another Station property - so I will see how that goes next time I am in town

Actually, the Orleans is a Boyd property, not Stations.  🙂

I’m thinking if a person were really short and stood at the table, if they were eye level with the table, they would have a good chance of seeing the dealers hole card. That being why they want you seated. 

I never sat at a BJ table. Ever, but I also never played more than two games before leaving the table. Weird, I know, but that's how I rolled. I usually had match play coupons. I must have done this 100's of times but not in the last 10 years. I was never asked to sit down.

The first time I did this, I took my cards off the table, right up to my eyes, to look at them. The dealer's reaction was like I was holding the place up at gunpoint for $2. I never did that again. 

Once in a while, I did get some grumbling reactions from players who muttered under their breath that I had caused them to lose by my my being dealt *their* cards. (I was never thanked when my presence caused them to win which I quickly learned was typical irrational gambler behavior.)

@Bud
Gamblers can be very superstitious, especially when they are losing. And they will look for anyone to blame other than themselves for their bad luck. So if another player does something out of the ordinary it often gets their attention and their ire, along with some negative comments about how they lost because of what you did. Try playing 3rd base on a blackjack table with some lousy players and see what awful comments they make. A friend of mine that plays bj well will wink at the dealer and then split a pair of face cards (hand=20) just to piss those types of players off, it usually gets them to leave the table, especially if he does it a second time. Then he goes back to playing correct strategy after they leave or shutup.

A former LV pit boss explained: the casinos are paranoid about marked cards. In a pitch game, a standing player can see the top of the next card to be dealt. So, if the cards are marked a standing player could see it. The casinos I have played in the San Diego area enforce the sitting rule strictly.

Late reply.  As dave schlomer said, it has to do with surveillance.  I was told this when playing a game where you hold your cards before deciding to play or fold (High Card Flush).  I kept leaning back in my chair to study my seven cards, and inadvertently pulling the cards beyond the table's edge.  I was told (nicely) by dealers and pit supervisors that by doing so surveillance cannot read the pay.  They didn't come right out and say to catch cheating, but that's why.  Or, should someone challenge a decision on a hand they need to be able to check it via surveillance.

From rokgpsman: Here's another reason casinos might prefer blackjack players to sit - there was a story in the news a few years ago about a guy that would walk up to a blackjack table and make a big bet while he was standing behind the chair. He didn't put any other chips on the table, just the bet. If the hand won then great. But if the hand lost he would quickly grab his bet off the table and run for the door, usually got away. Since it was only his chips that he grabbed the casino often didn't pursue him, although he had lost the bet. He did this several times at different places until photos of him got around enough that security was ready and they caught him. So that may be another reason they don't want you playing while standing up. But as others have said, the rule about sitting to play is not always enforced, depends on the casino.

DUH for me on The Orleans part. Dumb mistake by me

I play at Red Rock. I typically play $25 and up tables either in the pit or high limit room.
I also stand when I can no longer sit. I have never been asked to take my seat to continue playing.
I have also observed that dealers have their own idea of what the “rules” are. These are usually rules they brought with them from other casinos they worked at and they believe these rules apply wherever they work. When brought to the attention of the pit boss the dealer is educated on the policy at Red Rock, and all is well.  I think the higher the bet the more leeway given the player. I’ve witnessed high limit players on their cell phones play while texting or talking and I’ve witnessed the same behavior by players at $5 tables who were told they must get off the phone or leave the table.

@Deke
Thanks for moving my comment that I somehow posted on the wrong QoD page.