Blackjack Dealing - Dealer Holecard

[BlodiaInc]

In my brazen foolishness... I decided on my most recent trip to see if I could holecard... so I sat at 3rd base and looked to see if I could spot a dealer who was flashing...

I noticed that at this particular casino, the dealers were dealing their 1st card face down, and using the 2nd card to flip the first card up.... therefore the 2nd card became the hole card...

besides the fact that I had absolutely no chance at holecarding (they were pulling the 2nd card from the shoe directly to the felt and sliding it under the 1st card and then flipping up the 1st card), I always was thinking that the 1st card is the hole card... I've been too entrenched in counting to even notice the difference....

so for all of you out there... is it more common for the 1st/2nd card to be the dealer hole card?

 

[hawkeye]

Last weekend I noticed one dealer doing what you're talking about, flipping the 1st over with the 2nd. All the other dealers were doing it standard except this one dealer. I didn't like it, but I don't know why.

 

[Mimosine]

1) makes no difference which card they flip, so long as they have no information about the value of either card.

i've seen what you're talking about.

2) hole carding makes use of the dealer dealing "pitch" from a shoe it will be VERY difficult to see any hole card information.

unless, they are flippling card #1 using card #2 and they lift card #2 very high off the felt, maybe a few inches....(i've never seen this)

 

[ihate17]

second card is generally the hole card

The procedure at the vast majority of casinos is to turn over the first card and keep the second as the hole card. Beware of dealers who sometimes turn the first and other times turn the second.
Holecarding is generally found in a pitch game and not a shoe game. Depending upon the dealer's habits the position where you can see the hole card can be anywhere. On one dealer you might get a peek from the center of the table on another dealer it might be first base. Generally, first base is superior for views. Also with some dealers it may depend upon where players are located as there may be a swing up in their delivery to third base that does not exist if there is no player there, but the best view is from second position. In a case such as this I have positioned a partner at third base to force the dealer into showing his hole card.

In a shoe game where the dealer takes his second card (hole card) and uses it to turn over his first card you might get a view if he is not smooth in his delivery.

ihate17