Blackjack dealer rules: when dealers hit, stand and settle hands

How a blackjack hand proceeds

The order of play matters because players can make decisions before the dealer’s final hand is known. In the Queensland Casino Gaming Rule dated 24 December 2025, the base game uses the following sequence:

This is called a no-hole-card procedure: the dealer’s second card has not yet been dealt while players are acting. It is one published Australian procedure, not a rule to assume at every table.

A hole card, by contrast, is dealt face down. The Nevada Gaming Control Board’s published GameAce Live Blackjack rules provide an international example in which the dealer receives a face-up card and a face-down hole card, which is revealed after player actions.

No hole card and no peek are not interchangeable terms. A game may have a face-down hole card but not check it for blackjack at a particular stage. Where a peek is prescribed, the dealer checks the hole card for a natural before its normal reveal. The Nevada example does not establish which procedure an Australian table uses.

• Each wagering box receives one face-up card.
• The dealer receives one face-up card.
• Each wagering box receives its second face-up card.
• Players make their permitted decisions, such as taking another card.
• The dealer takes a second face-up card and completes the dealer’s hand if required.

How the dealer’s hand is counted

In the Queensland base rules, cards from 2 to 10 count at face value. Jacks, queens and kings count as 10, while an ace can count as 1 or 11. The same arithmetic applies when working out whether a hand has gone over 21.

A soft total uses an ace as 11 without exceeding 21. A hard total has no ace being counted as 11. For example, an ace and a 6 make soft 17.

If a game requires the dealer to hit that soft 17 and the next card is a 10, the ace changes to 1. The hand is 1 + 6 + 10, or hard 17, rather than 27. This is an illustration of a game that hits soft 17; the Queensland base-game dealer would stand on the original soft 17.

When does the dealer hit or stand?

In Queensland’s published base blackjack game, the dealer draws on a total of 16 or less and stops at a hard or soft 17 through 21. That instruction applies when the dealer’s hand must be completed. The rules also provide that the dealer does not draw further when all decisions have been made and extra cards cannot affect the round.

For example, if a player has a live hand totalling 18 and the dealer has hard 16, the dealer draws under that base rule. The dealer does not choose to stand simply because the next card might cause a bust. Equally, the dealer does not draw on 17 just because the player has 18.

The 16-or-17 distinction is not universal. SkyCity Adelaide’s description of Party Blackjack says the dealer draws below 16 and on soft 17. Its summary is not a complete rulebook for every other total, so ask for the full rules rather than assuming the ordinary threshold applies.

In the ordinary Queensland examples, the hit-or-stand action is prescribed by the game rather than chosen according to an opponent’s total. Separate procedures may apply to errors, side wagers or other special situations.

What happens on soft 17?

Two common abbreviations describe the dealer’s treatment of a soft 17. S17 means the dealer stands on soft 17; H17 means the dealer hits soft 17. In the ordinary examples discussed here, the dealer stands on hard 17 under either rule.

With an ace and a 6, the dealer therefore stops under S17 but takes another card under H17. If the dealer hits soft 17, the resulting total and the applicable draw rule determine whether another card is required.

Queensland’s base blackjack game uses S17. Its separately named Soft 17 Blackjack variant requires the layout to say that the dealer draws on soft 17 and stands on hard 17. Look for the wording on the table and consult the full rules if anything is unclear.

The distinction can change how a round plays out, but neither rule guarantees a particular result. Other terms, including payout and settlement rules, matter too.

Dealer blackjack and added wagers

A dealer natural blackjack is an ace and a ten-value card as the dealer’s first two cards. A hand that reaches 21 with three or more cards is a total of 21, but it is not a two-card natural.

Under the cited Queensland no-hole-card sequence, the dealer’s second card comes after player actions. A player may therefore have made an additional wager by doubling or splitting before it becomes clear whether the dealer has blackjack.

Timing alone does not tell you what happens to those extra wagers. In the Queensland base rules, if a player has doubled or split and the dealer has blackjack, the original wager loses and the additional split or double wager is void. Treatment of hands already settled after busting, and the details of split hands, should be checked against the applicable rules.

For a simple Queensland example, suppose a player places A$10 and adds A$10 when doubling. If the dealer subsequently has blackjack and the cited rule applies, the original A$10 loses and the additional A$10 is void. Do not assume another no-hole-card game uses the same settlement.

A player natural can be treated differently from an ordinary hand. Crown Melbourne’s blackjack rules document effective in October 2025 describes player blackjack against dealer blackjack as a stand-off, also called a push: the main wager is neither won nor lost. That dated document is an example, not confirmation of the current terms at a particular table.

How blackjack insurance works

Insurance is a separate wager on the dealer having blackjack. In the cited Queensland base game, it is offered when the dealer’s first card is an ace, after each player has received a second card. The player may wager up to half the original bet, and winning insurance pays 2:1.

For example, a winning A$5 insurance wager at 2:1 earns A$10 profit, and the A$5 insurance stake is returned as well. The main hand is settled separately; insurance is not a promise to recover every possible loss.

Insurance conditions and payouts can differ between games. Check the actual table rules before treating this Queensland example as applicable elsewhere.

Dealer busts and settling hands

A hand busts when its total exceeds 21 after aces have been valued appropriately. In the ordinary Queensland base-game example, a player who busts loses that hand before the dealer completes the dealer’s hand.

Suppose a player draws to 24. Even if the dealer later busts, that player’s already-lost hand is not restored. If all outcomes have already been decided, the dealer may not need to draw further.

Under the cited base rules, eligible player hands still in play win when the dealer busts. If the dealer does not bust, an ordinary live player hand is compared with the dealer’s total: the higher total wins, while equal ordinary totals generally result in a push.

A variant can change the result. SkyCity Adelaide describes a dealer total of 22 as a stand-off in Party Blackjack. Its summary should not be used to assume that naturals or every side wager receive identical treatment; check the complete rules for that game.

How winning hands are paid

Queensland’s published base schedule gives 1:1 for an ordinary winning wager and 3:2 for blackjack. These are payouts for that ruleset, not a promise that every Australian table offers them.

At 1:1, a winning A$10 ordinary wager earns A$10 profit and the original A$10 stake is returned. At 3:2, a winning A$10 natural earns A$15 profit and the original stake is returned. A push returns the main stake without a profit.

A natural is not simply any hand totalling 21: it is the qualifying ace and ten-value card in the first two cards. Check the game’s rules for the treatment of hands formed by splitting, as well as for any special settlement conditions.

Payouts can vary between named games. Crown Melbourne’s 2025 document, for example, includes a separately named 6-to-5 Blackjack version with a 6:5 natural payout and a rule requiring the dealer to hit soft 17. The document does not establish that a table with those terms is currently available.

What to check before joining a table

Blackjack dealer rules in Australia should be read as the rules of the specific game, not as a single set of assumptions. Look at the layout and ask the venue where to find its current approved house rules. A short table description may not explain every wager or exception.

The following checklist covers the differences most relevant to the dealer’s hand and settlement:

Published or approved rules do not necessarily establish that a particular version is currently offered. Victoria’s regulator explains that it approves casino game rules and changes, while implementation dates can be determined by the operator. Check the venue’s current information as well as the applicable rules.

• Soft 17 and other totals: Does the dealer hit or stand on soft 17? Is there an unusual rule for a hard total?
• Dealer cards and blackjack checks: Is a hole card dealt, and when is dealer blackjack checked or revealed?
• Added wagers: What happens to split and double wagers if the dealer has blackjack, including on hands that have already busted?
• Payouts: What do a natural blackjack and a winning insurance wager pay?
• Dealer 22: Is it treated as an ordinary bust or does a special stand-off rule apply?
• Other conditions: How many decks are used, and which splits, doubles and surrender options are permitted?

Land-based and online blackjack in Australia

The examples above describe published casino rules or game mechanics; they do not establish that an online service is lawful or available in Australia. Federal guidance says providing online casino blackjack to people physically in Australia is prohibited, including when a provider operates offshore.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority identifies online casino-style games as illegal services to offer in Australia. An offshore licence should not be taken as authority to provide those services to Australian customers.

If gambling is causing concern, Gambling Help Online offers free, confidential telephone support on 1800 858 858, 24 hours a day.

FAQ

Does the dealer have to hit on 16?

In the cited Queensland base and Soft 17 games, the dealer hits 16 when the hand must be completed. That is not universal: SkyCity’s Party Blackjack description specifies a different drawing threshold, so check the named game.

Does the dealer always stand on 17?

No. In an S17 game, the dealer stands on soft and hard 17; in the cited Queensland H17 variant, the dealer hits soft 17 but stands on hard 17. An ace and a 6 are an example of soft 17.

Can a dealer choose whether to hit or stand?

In the ordinary S17 and H17 examples, the game rules prescribe the dealer’s action rather than leaving it to a choice based on the player’s total. This does not describe every procedure for errors, side wagers or unusual game variants.

What happens if both the player and dealer bust?

Under the ordinary Queensland base-game sequence, a player’s busted hand has already lost, and a later dealer bust does not restore it. The dealer may not need to draw further if all decisions have already been made.

Are blackjack dealer rules the same across Australia?

Do not assume they are. Queensland’s published base and Soft 17 rules differ from each other, and SkyCity’s description of Party Blackjack includes a different drawing threshold. Check the specific game’s current rules and layout.

Is a dealer’s three-card 21 blackjack?

No. A natural blackjack consists of an ace and a ten-value card as the first two cards. For example, 7, 4 and 10 make 21 but not a two-card natural; treatment of split hands depends on the game.

Does no hole card mean all extra wagers are lost to dealer blackjack?

No. No hole card describes when the dealer receives the second card, not how added wagers are settled. In the cited Queensland base rules, an additional split or double wager is void when the dealer has blackjack, while the original wager loses; other games can differ.