Dealer Tells

Dealer Tells

One of the most controversial casino blackjack tactics was both exposed and forever changed after Steve Forte published his book, 'Read the Dealer' in 1986. Unlike most conventional techniques that focus on the mathematical basis for the game, Read the Dealer was concerned with the psychological aspects that could give players a genuine advantage over dealers who are (in traditional land based casinos anyway) human.

When casino management and dealers were not aware of these subtle variations in timing, facial expressions or gestures were easy pickings (at least until the book was published). Afterwards, casinos started changing their rules to prevent players from using these methods to get ahead without the necessity for advanced methods, like card counting.

Current Scene Report

While Las Vegas Casinos are always the first to pick up on new techniques and alter their rules accordingly, or local gaming laws in some cases, there are many other casino destinations that have not yet trained or barred their dealers from these tells. Do dealer tells really work? Yes, but depending on where you play it may be a more difficult challenge, especially if you are just trying it out. Non-US casinos are a prime target for players looking to use these techniques. Unfortunately the book is now out of print and like many valuable blackjack references players are often required to look to resellers or antiquarian book shops who usually charge a premium even for beat up paperbacks.

What are the most famous dealer tells?

If you are playing in a major casino, then the odds are that you won't see these anymore. They are the easiest to notice and provide an excellent advantage to the attentive (and lucky) player.

Revealing the Dealer's Hole Card

  • Small stiff cards: 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6's are harder to read and often a dealer will have to look longer or will look more than once to confirm the exact card. The hardest card to quickly read is the 4 card. So If a dealer looks for a longer than usual amount of time it might be a 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6.

  • Paint Cards: Just the opposite idea as above. Paint or face cards are highly readable and the natural reaction is to read them faster than usual. Since all paint cards have a minimum value of 10 (except for an ace) it's a reasonable expectation that the dealer has a high value hole card.