In casino blackjack, when the dealer has an ace, why does he peek at his hidden card?

Jeff T

If he has an ace up and a ten down, it's an automatic winner. To save time, he peeks and ends the hand if he has it. Also, though, his peeking glass makes it impossible to see what exactly he has if he does not have that ten.

LegFuJohnson

What would be the point of having everyone play out their hands first? Seems like a waste of time if the dealer has blackjack doesn't it? Casino's don't make money wasting time.

Jay P

If the game continues while the dealer has blackjack, players may end up splitting cards, doubling down, etc. I've played in several Caribbean and European casinos where the dealer does not draw his/her 2nd card until all other players have played their hands and most will then only take the initial bet but return the other subsequent bets if the dealer does have blackjack.

Monika

Because he is making a bet called “insurance bet.” Where the dealer has an ace and takes a peek to check if he has 10 or also known as “21”. Insurance bet is where players make a bet if the dealer has a 21 or not, if the players are correct they get 3:1 of pay. The reason why they dont let everyone play thier hands first is mostly because to keep the game moving, and its better to let the dealer to go first because if players go first then they might bust! Hope this helped!