The BlackJack table seats a dealer and one to seven players.
The first seat on the dealer's left is referred to as First
Base, the first seat on the dealer's right is referred to
as Third Base. A betting square is printed on the felt table
in front of each player seat. Immediately in front of the
dealer is the chip tray. On the dealer's left is the deck
or shoe and beside that should be the minimum bet sign, which
you ought to read before sitting down to play. On the dealer's
immediate right is the money drop slot where all currency
and tips (chips) are deposited. Next to the drop slot is the
discard tray.
Play begins after the following ritual is completed: the dealer
shuffles the cards, the deck is "cut" by a player
using the marker card, and the dealer "burns" a
card. Before any cards are dealt, the players may make a wager
by placing the desired chips (value and number) into the betting
box. Occasionally a player may sit out a hand or two for various
reasons. I have sat out a couple of hands at times when the
dealer was getting extremely lucky and everyone was losing.
If you attempt to sit out too many hands especially if there
are people waiting to play at your table, you may be asked
to leave the table until you are ready to play.
