Section 591.7. Procedure for dealing the cards; completion of each round of play

(a) All cards shall be dealt from a dealing shoe which must be located on the table in a location approved by the Bureau of Casino Compliance in accordance with § 601a.10(g) (relating to approval of table game layouts, signage and equipment). Once the procedures under § 591.5 (relating to shuffle and cut of the cards) have been completed, the stacked cards shall be placed in the dealing shoe by the dealer or by an automated card shuffling device.

(b) Each card shall be removed from the dealing shoe with the hand of the dealer that is closest to the dealing shoe and placed on the appropriate area of the layout with the opposite hand. The dealer may deal cards to the two betting positions closest to the dealing shoe with the same hand.

(c) After each full batch of cards is placed in the shoe, the dealer shall remove the first card and place it in the discard rack. Each new dealer who comes to the table shall also remove one card and place it in the discard rack before dealing any cards to the players.

(d) If the cover card appears as the first card in the dealing shoe at the beginning of a round of play or appears during play, the cover card shall be removed and placed to the side and the hand will be completed. The dealer shall then:

(1) Collect and reshuffle the cards by removing the cards remaining in the shoe and placing them in the discard rack to ensure that no cards are missing.

(2) Shuffle the cards so that they are randomly intermixed.

(e) After all Blackjack Wagers have been placed, the dealer shall, starting with the player farthest to the dealer’s left and continuing around the table in a clockwise manner, deal the cards as follows:

(1) One card face up to each box on the layout in which a Blackjack Wager is contained.

(2) One card face up to the dealer.

(3) A second card face up to each box in which a wager is contained.

(4) A second card face down to the dealer.

(f) Immediately after the second card is dealt to each player and the dealer, but prior to any additional cards being dealt or before any card reader device is utilized, if any player has a Blackjack, the dealer shall settle the player’s Blackjack Wager. Starting with the player farthest to the dealer’s right and continuing around the table in a counterclockwise direction, the dealer shall pay the winning Blackjack Wager in accordance with § 591.12(a) (relating to payout odds) and place the player’s cards in the discard rack.

(g) After paying out any winning Blackjack Wagers in accordance with subsection (f), if the dealer’s first card is an ace, the dealer shall offer the Insurance Wager in accordance with § 591.8 (relating to Insurance Wager).

(h) If the dealer’s first card is an ace, king, queen, jack or ten, after all Insurance Wagers have been placed, if applicable, the dealer shall determine whether the hole card will give the dealer a Blackjack. The dealer shall insert the hole card into the card reader device by moving the card face down on the layout without exposing it to anyone at the table, including the dealer. If the dealer has a Blackjack, additional cards may not be dealt and each player’s Blackjack Wager will be collected.

(i) If the dealer’s up card was not an ace or 10 value card or if the dealer’s hole card did not give the dealer Blackjack, the dealer shall start with the player farthest to the dealer’s left and continue around the table in a clockwise direction and each player shall indicate whether he wishes to surrender, as permitted under § 591.9 (relating to surrender), double down as permitted under § 591.10 (relating to double down), split pairs as permitted under § 591.11 (relating to splitting pairs), stand or draw additional cards.

(j) As each player indicates his decision, the dealer shall deal face upwards whatever additional cards are necessary to effectuate the player’s decision.

(k) A player may elect to draw additional cards whenever his point count total is less than 21, except that:

(1) A player having a hard or soft total of 21 may not draw additional cards.

(2) A player electing to double down may draw only one additional card.

(l) After drawing additional cards in accordance with subsection (k), if the player’s hand is greater than 21, the dealer shall ask if the player would like to place a Second Chance Wager to draw one additional card, the value of which will be subtracted from the player’s hand. To draw an additional card, the player shall place a Second Chance Wager equal to the amount of the player’s current Blackjack Wager. The dealer shall deal one additional card face up and place it sideways on the layout. The value of the second chance card shall be subtracted from the total value of the player’s hand. For example, if a player elects to place a Second Chance Wager when the player’s hand has a total value of 25 after all additional cards are dealt in accordance with subsection (k), and the player receives a second chance card with a value of 5, the 5 shall be subtracted from the player’s hand making the total value of the player’s hand a 20. For purposes of the Second Chance Wager, an additional ace drawn is counted as a 1. After drawing the additional second chance card, if the player’s hand has a total value:

(1) Greater than 21, the dealer shall collect the player’s Blackjack and Second Chance Wagers and place the player’s cards in the discard rack.

(2) Of 21, the dealer shall pay the player’s winning Second Chance Wager in accordance with § 591.12(b), return the player’s Blackjack Wager and place the player’s cards in the discard rack.

(3) Less than 21, the round of play shall continue in accordance with subsection (n).

(m) If a player did not place a Second Chance Wager, after all additional cards have been dealt, if any player’s hand has a total value of 21, the dealer shall pay the player’s winning Blackjack Wager in accordance with § 591.12(a) and place the player’s cards in the discard rack.

(n) After settling any player’s hand who had a total value of 21, the dealer shall turn the dealer’s hole card face up.

(o) Except as provided in subsection (p), the dealer shall draw additional cards until he has a hard or soft total of 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21. Any additional cards required to be dealt to the hand of the dealer shall be dealt face up. The dealer shall announce the dealer’s total point count after each additional card is dealt.

(p) A dealer shall draw no additional cards to his hand, regardless of the point count, if decisions have been made on all players’ hands and the point count of the dealer’s hand will not have an effect on the outcome of the round of play.

(q) After all additional cards have been dealt to the dealer, if the total point count of the dealer’s hand:

(1) Is 22, the dealer shall return all remaining player’s Blackjack Wagers and Second Chance Wagers, if applicable.

(2) Is 21 or less, the dealer shall, starting with the player farthest to the dealer’s right and continuing around the table in a counterclockwise direction, settle the remaining player’s hands in accordance with subsections (r) and (s).

(r) In comparing the total point count of the dealer’s hand versus the total point count of the player’s hand, a player’s hand shall:

(1) Win if:

(i) The total point count of the player’s hand is less than 21 and the total point count of the dealer’s hand is in excess of 21.

(ii) The total point count of the player’s hand exceeds the total point count of the dealer’s hand without exceeding 21.

(2) Tie if the total point count of the player’s hand is the same as the total point count of the dealer’s hand.

(3) Lose if:

(i) The total point count of the dealer’s hand is 21 or less and the total point count of the player’s hand is in excess of 21.

(ii) The total point count of the dealer’s hand exceeds the total point count of the player’s hand without exceeding 21.

(s) If a player’s hand:

(1) Is a winning hand, in accordance with subsection (r), and the player:

(i) Placed a Second Chance Wager, the dealer shall return the player’s Blackjack Wager and pay out the winning Second Chance Wager in accordance with § 591.12(b).

(ii) Did not place a Second Chance Wager, the dealer shall pay out the winning Blackjack Wager in accordance with § 591.12(a).

(2) Ties with the dealer’s hand, the dealer shall return the player’s Blackjack Wager and Second Chance Wager, if applicable.

(3) Loses against the dealer’s hand, the dealer shall collect the player’s Blackjack Wager and Second Chance Wager, if applicable.

(t) The dealer shall collect all losing wagers and pay off all winning wagers in accordance with one of the following procedures designated in the certificate holder’s Rules Submission under § 601a.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions):

(1) Collect all losing wagers beginning with the player farthest to the dealer’s right and continuing around the table in a counterclockwise direction and then pay off all winning wagers.

(2) Collect each player’s losing wagers and pay off each player’s winning wagers beginning with the player farthest to the dealer’s right and continuing around the table in a counterclockwise direction. The dealer shall place any losing wagers directly into the table inventory and may not pay off any player’s winning wagers by using value chips collected from a losing wager.

(u) After all wagers have been settled, the dealer shall remove any remaining cards from the table and place them in the discard rack in a manner that permits the reconstruction of each hand in the event of a question or dispute.

(v) Players and spectators may not handle, remove or alter any cards used to play Double Back Jack.

Notation

Cross References

This section cited in 58 Pa. Code § 591.5 (relating to shuffle and cut of the cards); and 58 Pa. Code § 591.6 (relating to wagers).