This game had some interesting strategy features we don’t find in blackjack.
Consider …
In playing the game, any time the player had a hole card of 6 or more, he chanced busting. Also, ifhe had a hit card or cards showing that totaled 6 or more, he chanced revealing a bust to the dealer ifhe took another hit. For example, if a player had an ace in the hole, a total of one, and he hit it with a 6 for a total of seven, it was dangerous to take another hit because by standing he might convince the dealer that he’d made a strong total, in which case the dealer might risk a bust on his own hand. If the player hit his 7 total and drew a court card, the dealer would see the 16 total on the table, and know that regardless of what the player’s hole card was, the player had busted. As you can see, quinze had definite psychological aspects to play, similar to poker, where the player would attempt to hide the strength or weakness of his hand from the dealer. In any case, the structure of this game is undeniably the same as blackjack.
Unlike blackjack, if the player busted with any total of more than 15, he did not have to declare his bust. He was permitted to simply tuck his hole card and wait for the dealer to complete his hand. And, if the dealer busted also, those players who busted before the dealer did not lose their bets. When both the player and dealer busted, the hand was a push. Also, unlike blackjack, the quinze dealer was not bound by house rules in the play of his hand. Just like the players, the dealer could hit or stand at his preference, provided his hand total did not exceed 15. Still, as in modern blackjack, the house had an edge at quinze based on the dealer’s not having to play his hand until the players completed their hands. Even though a player did not have to declare a bust in quinze, it was often obvious when a player had busted because the player’s hit cards showed a total of 15 or more. The dealer could then stand without hitting, on any card, even a lowly ace, and assure himself a win.
Now let’s take a brief look at how the dealer runs the game, what he uses to do so, and what rules and procedures he is forced to abide by. Let’s start with the various objects found on a typical blackjack table, and follow with a description of what the dealer’s responsibilities are once the cards are being dealt.
The Shoe
In four-, six-, and eight-deck games, cards are placed in what’s called a "shoe," as it would be impossible for any dealer to hold four or more decks of cards and effectively run a game at the same time. In single- and double-deck games, shoes are generally not used, as dealers are trained to hold the cards dealt a blackjack while performing all of the duties necessary.
The Discard Tray
The discard tray holds those cards that have already been used, and accumulates cards both when players bust and at the conclusion of each hand. The discard tray is found next to the player sitting in the last seat blackjack beats, sometimes refered to as "third base," located to the dealer’s right.
The Chip Rack
Each table’s chip rack holds the many chips needed to either pay off winning hands or hold losing wagers after they’re collected. All chip racks are arranged and maintained with the highest-denomination chips kept at center and those with lesser value on each side. Often, little plastic disks called spacers are used to maintain checks in stacks of twenty.
Before a hand is dealt, each player who desires to be included in the deal must make a wager. Chips, also known as “checks,” are placed in a small circle on the table layout, or often over a miniature version of the casino logo. Bets must be equal to or greater than the posted table minimum, and not exceed the table maximum.
All original bets that become winning wagers are paid at 1:1, otherwise known as “even money,” with one exception: Blackjack pays 1 1/2:1 or 3:2.
Other bets that may occur during the course of a hand, such as splitting pairs or doubling down, are also paid at even money. As mentioned earlier, in most casinos a player may elect to double down “for less” - which still results in even money, or a payoff equal to the original wager plus a payoff equal to the lesser amount - should the player end up winning the hand.
A rare exception to either even money for winning or 1 1/2:2 for blackjack is 6 to 5 for blackjack, a rule now common on many single-deck games.
Keep in mind that playing free blackjack - unlike poker, for instance-players compete only against the house and not in any way against one another. Thus any given hand can have more than one winner.
Those are the three possible outcomes for any given hand. The player wins when his hand totals higher than the dealer’s, or when the player remains in the game after the dealer has gone over 21. Exceeding 21 in blackjack is a common occurrence by both player and dealer, and is generally referred to as “busting.” The player loses when his hand totals lower than the dealer’s, or when the player busts. Since all players must receive or decline additional cards before the dealer finishes his hand, a player loses if he busts and the dealer subsequently goes on to bust as well. Ties or “pushes” occur when both the player and the dealer end up with the same total, excluding the instance just mentioned - when first the player busts and then the dealer busts. In casino blackjack, a tie neither wins nor loses, whereas in most charity or home-dealt games, the player loses when ending with a total equal to that of the dealer’s.
While home games are generally played with one deck of cards, casino blackjack may involve using anywhere from one to eight decks simultaneously Be aware that some variations in the rules of the game do go hand-in-hand with the number of decks in use, but for the most part, the game is played the same way.
Although not a rule per se, one very obvious difference relating to the number of decks used is how the game is dealt. Single- and double-deck games are traditionally dealt face down, requiring the player to physically pick up his cards in order to total them. Shoe games, or those played with four, six, or eight decks, are dealt face up, meaning all player cards are visible to everyone at all times. And unlike in single- and double-deck blackjack, players aren’t allowed to physically touch the cards - even their own. For a number of reasons that will be discussed later in the book, multiple-deck blackjack has become far more popular than single- or double-deck blackjack. In fact, these days many casinos offer only the multiple-deck variety.