Black Jack Table

A typical black jack table in casinos is semi-oval in shape. The dealer stands behind the flat portion and the players sit around the oval portion. The number of seats for players vary from 5 to 7 and are defined by rectangles on the felt table. The dealer’s back is to a central area between a number of tables called the "pit". This is where many casino management personnel are located including the "Pit Boss".

There is a sign on the table indicating the kind of Blackjack game being played. These are: minimum bet blackjack, maximum bet blackjack, blackjack pays 3-2, insurance pays 2 to 1, dealer must draw to 16 and stand on all 17s and other table rules.

The game of blackjack starts when you place cash on the table, the dealer will exchange it for chips and drop the cash down into a slot. As a rule, the dealer cannot take cash from your hand, he or she can only take it if you release it and drop it on the table.

On the table is a "shoe" represented by a rectangular device made from wood or plastic, where the cards are deposited and from which the cards are dealt. The shoe usually holds one to six decks of cards. The cards are dealt clockwise from the dealers left to the dealer's right.

A game will begin even if you're the only one on the table. Additional players can join anytime and sit in any vacant spot and start playing as soon as an ongoing hand is done.