Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games. It is more engaging than a slot machine, yet simpler to play than poker. A dealer’s skills are key to the game, as they can make or break a player’s experience. A friendly dealer can elevate the game, while an unfriendly one can spoil the atmosphere and frustrate players.

Blackjack dealers must know a wide variety of rules, and be able to pay out bets quickly and accurately. They also need to be on the lookout for players trying to cheat the casino or their fellow players. This is a fast-paced job, and mistakes can happen frequently, so they need to be able to react quickly and accurately to avoid losing money.

Depending on the type of blackjack being played, the dealer may also need to know how to handle side bets. For example, some casinos offer a fixed Bonus Spin bet, which pays out winnings on a virtual wheel if the player has an ace in their first two cards. The dealer needs to be able to process these bets quickly and without making any errors, as the payouts can be quite high.

In addition to knowing the basic rules, a dealer must be able to count cards. This is particularly important when dealing a live shoe, which contains multiple decks of cards and is shuffled regularly. The card counting system works by keeping track of the ratios of high-value cards to low-value ones, such as aces and face cards. This information is used to determine the strength of each hand.

When the dealer is dealt two cards, he or she will turn them over and announce their value to the players. Then, the players will decide whether to hit, stand, split, or double. The dealer will then take their wagers and deal another card to the player’s hand.

Before the dealer starts playing, players may choose to make a bet called insurance. This bet pays a 2-1 payout if the dealer has a ten underneath his ace, and many dealers will recommend that players take it. However, this bet is a loser in the long run because the dealer has a blackjack less than one-third of the time.

Then, the dealer will check his or her hole card using a viewing window in the table. If they have a ten underneath, they will win all the original bets that players made on their insurance wagers. Otherwise, the dealer will continue playing the hand normally.

A blackjack dealer must also follow certain rules when dealing a hand, such as pushing hands on a multi-card 22. If they forget to do this, it will cost the casino a large amount of money, as they will have to pay out remaining bets on multiple 22 hands in order to clear the table. These are all rules that should be posted on the table for players to read and understand. Besides these, there are other rules that vary from casino to casino.