Hello. I am so pleased to find this forum. I think you will understand why when you see the rest of this post. I have posted this question in a few general forums that have "random discussion" sections. But I have not received any answers. I suppose this question is very specific and it will really someone who is fairly knowledgeable about the game to answer it. OK. Here goes:


My question concerns the Dealer "peeking" at their hole card (their card that is not visible) when their visible card is an Ace or a Ten.

The books I've read tend to say casinos have an option. The "house rules" can have dealers always peek at their hole card or never peek. Most books seem to say that when the dealer peeks at their hole card, it is an advantage to the player.

This seems to run contrary to common sense because if the dealer has more information as a result of peeking, it would seem to be an advantage to the dealer. I just can't be certain what is going on.

I would really like to understand this aspect of the game. Why would this be an advantage for the player? The only reason I can think of is that if the dealer peeks at the hole card and sees they have Blackjack, they then terminate the play of the round immediately. In this way, players who also hold a Blackjack will tie and will not lose their wagers or any part of their wagers.

However, if the dealer does not peek and allows the hand to be played out, then players who increase their initial bets due to splitting pairs or doubling will most certainly lose all the additional money they have wagered. If the round is played to completion, players can never win any money while the dealer holds a blackjack. But they will lose more than their original wagers - they will lose all the money they bet on splits or doubles.

Can anyone tell me if this is the reason why it is an advantage to the players when the dealer peeks at the hole card? Or is there some other factors involved in this issue?

Also, how does it work when the dealer's top card is a Ten (or Jack or Queen or King)? Doe the dealer always peek when their top card is a Ten as well as an Ace? Or can it be done different ways in different casinos?