<p>The dealer cards only are relevant if there is at least one player that passed.
If all players are busted or had 21, there is no need for a turn for the dealer.</p>

<p>Dealing the dealer cards face up influences the play of the players. For example, if the dealer has a 18, no player will pass on 18 or lower.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-28T15:56:07.353Z
But I still don't understand why is one of the dealer cards face down? Why not simply deal two face up cards for the dealer just like for the players?
S. Rotos
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-28T15:58:38.980Z
You don't want the players to have that information.
For example, if the dealer has 21, players won't play.
Toon Krijthe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-28T16:23:53.213Z
But when the dealer starts dealing the cards, haven't the bets been already placed? How could you "not play" at this point? If we dealt both dealer cards face up and they got 21, surely you can't withdraw your bet now that you have been dealt cards?
S. Rotos
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-28T18:37:25.260Z
It's about how much More people are willing to bet against the House.  There's splits and insurance to deal with, besides the initial bet.  Also, instantly knowing that you aren't going to beat the house is a downer, just like when the dealer gets blackjack.
computercarguy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-29T01:53:02.333Z
If the dealer is showing an 8 or higher, then players have decisions to make. If a player makes 17, they need to decide if they should risk hitting and busting, or staying and risk the dealer turning over a 10 for 18 and losing. If the dealer's second card is visible, then that decision tree is gone. Either the dealer has 18 and players at 17 or less must hit, or the dealer has less than 18 and players can stay and win unless *extremely* unlucky.
Ellesedil
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-29T19:12:13.157Z
Okay, I understand it now, it's quite obvious now that I think about it. Thank you!
S. Rotos
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-28T14:46:26.763Z
2017-12-28T14:46:26.763Z
Toon Krijthe
<p>In Black Jack, you play against the dealer, not the other players, and one of the main mechanics is deciding whether to hit or not. This decision becomes trivial and meaningless if you could know exactly what the dealer has. You hit if you have less than them; stand if you have more than them (if they have 17 or more so that they won’t hit). Hiding one dealer card is necessary to make it so that there’s a non-trivial choice to make.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-28T18:48:25.537Z
2017-12-28T18:59:47.773Z
2017-12-28T18:59:47.773Z
GendoIkari
<p>Information known about other players hands is meaningless in blackjack, since it is played against the dealer alone. This also helps prevent cheating, since a player can't swap a card dealt face up. The players are free to take any action they like with their cards, hit, stand, double, split (when legal) the dealer however must follow a set of rules for their play, and if the dealer had both cards face up then the players would know what the dealer has and would know what the dealer will need to do to follow the rules for the dealer.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-29T15:31:04.260Z
2017-12-29T15:31:04.260Z
Andrew
<p>In Blackjack, at the start of each hand, every player is dealt two cards face up. The dealer receives only one card face up.</p>

<p>What is the reason for this difference? Why aren't the dealer's cards dealt the same way as the players' cards?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-28T19:48:10.327Z
It is not the case that the dealer receives two cards in all places. Many deal just one, the face-up card alone. The presence or absence of the face-down card has other implications, but none are relevant to this question. I have corrected the factual statements to reflect the key point of difference between player and dealer initial deal.
Nij
<blackjack>
Why does the dealer in blackjack receive only one face-up card, not two like the players?
S. Rotos
# Why does the dealer in blackjack receive only one face-up card, not two like the players?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-12-28)

In Blackjack, at the start of each hand, every player is dealt two cards face up. The dealer receives only one card face up.

What is the reason for this difference? Why aren't the dealer's cards dealt the same way as the players' cards?

**Tags:** blackjack

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It is not the case that the dealer receives two cards in all places. Many deal just one, the face-up card alone. The presence or absence of the face-down card has other implications, but none are relevant to this question. I have corrected the factual statements to reflect the key point of difference between player and dealer initial deal.  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-12-28. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

The dealer cards only are relevant if there is at least one player that passed.
If all players are busted or had 21, there is no need for a turn for the dealer.

Dealing the dealer cards face up influences the play of the players. For example, if the dealer has a 18, no player will pass on 18 or lower.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: But I still don't understand why is one of the dealer cards face down? Why not simply deal two face up cards for the dealer just like for the players?  
> **username_2**: You don't want the players to have that information. For example, if the dealer has 21, players won't play.  
> **username_0**: But when the dealer starts dealing the cards, haven't the bets been already placed? How could you "not play" at this point? If we dealt both dealer cards face up and they got 21, surely you can't withdraw your bet now that you have been dealt cards?  
> **username_3**: It's about how much More people are willing to bet against the House.  There's splits and insurance to deal with, besides the initial bet.  Also, instantly knowing that you aren't going to beat the house is a downer, just like when the dealer gets blackjack.  
> **username_4**: If the dealer is showing an 8 or higher, then players have decisions to make. If a player makes 17, they need to decide if they should risk hitting and busting, or staying and risk the dealer turning over a 10 for 18 and losing. If the dealer's second card is visible, then that decision tree is gone. Either the dealer has 18 and players at 17 or less must hit, or the dealer has less than 18 and players can stay and win unless *extremely* unlucky.  
> **username_0**: Okay, I understand it now, it's quite obvious now that I think about it. Thank you!  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2017-12-28. Score: 21

In Black Jack, you play against the dealer, not the other players, and one of the main mechanics is deciding whether to hit or not. This decision becomes trivial and meaningless if you could know exactly what the dealer has. You hit if you have less than them; stand if you have more than them (if they have 17 or more so that they won’t hit). Hiding one dealer card is necessary to make it so that there’s a non-trivial choice to make.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2017-12-29. Score: 0

Information known about other players hands is meaningless in blackjack, since it is played against the dealer alone. This also helps prevent cheating, since a player can't swap a card dealt face up. The players are free to take any action they like with their cards, hit, stand, double, split (when legal) the dealer however must follow a set of rules for their play, and if the dealer had both cards face up then the players would know what the dealer has and would know what the dealer will need to do to follow the rules for the dealer.


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