Core Topics
Casino Table Etiquette
The conventions that apply at a dealer-run table, from buying chips to hand signals and photography rules.
Most of the conventions at a casino table exist for one reason: every action must be clearly visible to the camera above it. That footage is what settles disputes, which is why practices such as placing cash on the felt and signalling decisions by hand are more than habit.
This page collects the conventions that apply widely across gaming floors. Detailed house rules differ between casinos and are posted at the entrance or at the side of each table.
Before Sitting Down
- Read the limit sign at the side of the table. It shows the minimum and maximum bet and often any house rules specific to that table.
- Check whether the table is between shuffles. New players are generally admitted at the start of a shoe.
- Choose a seat with no chips and no personal belongings in front of it.
- Wait for the round in progress to finish before buying chips.
At a blackjack table, joining mid-shoe is permitted in some casinos and not in others. The restriction has nothing to do with other players' odds; it is a measure against card counting.
Buying Chips and Handling Cash
- Place cash on the felt. Staff do not take money hand to hand, so that every exchange is captured on camera.
- Do not put cash in a betting box. Lay it on an empty part of the layout and wait for the dealer to count it.
- Wait for the chips to be pushed across. The dealer counts the money aloud, stacks the chips, then slides them over.
- Cash out at the cage, not at the table. Table staff exchange denominations only.
- Stack chips with the largest at the bottom. It makes the value of a bet easy for the dealer to verify.
Standard Hand Signals
Decisions at a card table are conveyed by hand signal rather than by speech, so that they appear on the camera footage. The signals below apply across blackjack tables.
| Decision | Face-up game | Face-down game |
|---|---|---|
| Hit | Tap the table with a finger | Scrape the cards towards yourself |
| Stand | Wave a flat hand over the cards | Slide the cards under the chips |
| Double down | Add chips beside the bet, not on top of it | The same, with the cards turned face up |
| Split | Add chips and make a V with two fingers | The same, with both cards turned face up |
| Surrender | Draw a horizontal line behind the bet | Announced to the dealer |
Touching Cards, Chips and Dice
- Cards in a face-up game are not to be touched. At a big-table baccarat game and at some face-down blackjack tables, cards may be held with one hand and must stay above the felt.
- Chips must not be touched while the marker stands. At a roulette table, the marker on the winning number means payouts are not yet complete.
- Dice are thrown with one hand. At craps, the dice must reach the far wall of the table and must never leave the playing surface.
- Drinks go in the rail. The playing surface is not used for glasses or personal belongings.
Phones, Cameras and Note-Taking
Almost every casino prohibits photography and filming in the gaming area in order to protect the privacy of other players. Many also prohibit phone use while a player is in the middle of a round.
Recording results on paper or in an app is generally permitted at a baccarat table, since the casino itself provides a results board. Such records confer no advantage, because every round stands alone.
Dealing With Staff and Other Players
- Dealers apply fixed rules and have no authority to change a result or a table rule.
- Raise any objection about a payout before the next round begins, since it is settled from the footage of that round.
- At blackjack, another player's decision does not affect the expected value of your hand over the long run, so there is no basis for criticising how others play.
- Tipping staff is voluntary and has no bearing on how the game is run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can cash not be handed directly to the dealer?
So that every exchange of money is recorded by the camera above the table. That footage settles disputes about how much was exchanged, which protects both sides.
May players touch the cards?
It depends on the game. In a face-up game the cards are not touched. At big-table baccarat and some face-down blackjack tables, cards may be held with one hand and must stay above the felt.
Can a player join mid-shoe?
The policy differs between casinos. Some blackjack tables post a sign prohibiting mid-shoe entry as a measure against card counting.
Is photography allowed in the gaming area?
Almost every casino prohibits it to protect the privacy of other players. The rule is normally posted at the entrance to the gaming floor.
How should a disputed payout be raised?
Tell the dealer before the next round starts and ask for the floor supervisor. The matter is settled from camera footage of that round, which can only be reviewed while the round is still clearly identifiable.
Is tipping the dealer expected?
No. Tipping is voluntary and has no effect on the game, since dealers follow fixed rules and cannot influence a result.