Blackjack Pushes

Blackjack pushes occur when the player and the dealer have the same hand totals, and are so named because the dealer declares “push” in those situations.

In most casinos, blackjack pushes result in the player getting his wager for that hand refunded, but in some circumstances the house will keep bets on hands where a push is called.

The most common circumstance in which blackjack pushes are kept by the house is when the game is being organised for charity. For example, games organised to raise money for the church roof, a local children’s charity or old folks home will often keep the push, as this enables them to take more of the money wagered for good causes.

Regular casinos do not tend to have such a hard-line rule because most astute players would never choose to participate when the house keeps blackjack pushes unless it was for a charitable cause. However, there is one exception to this observation, and that is when the game being played is Double Exposure blackjack.

In Double Exposure blackjack both of the dealer’s cards are dealt face-up. Because you get to view both of the dealer’s up-cards, the playing rules are adjusted to favour the casino more than in standard blackjack. This means that a clutch of options simply aren’t allowed: paying blackjacks at even money, doubling down on anything but 9, 10, or 11, insurance, re-splits, and surrender. Also, all tied hands result in a loss with the exception of a player’s blackjack, which still beats the dealer’s snapper. Because of these rule changes, Double Exposure is less rewarding than traditional casino blackjack and it is definitely a game worth avoiding.

Blackjack pushes retained by the house are perfectly acceptable in charitable situations (where you are hopefully playing in an effort to give more than to come away with a profit) but in a regular casino environment they should not be tolerated.

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