How do casino's handle dealer screwups?

Maybe it is just coincidence, but each and every time I have been at a blackjack table and the dealer screws up and shows an unwanted (or in the case of the dealer herself, unneeded), card, the unwanted/needed card is discarded, unless in some cases where the screw up helps the player.

I was in Horseshoe Casino Cleveland on Saturday, and this happened:

Dealer was showing a 10, and a guy (player 1) put money next to his original wager like he wanted to split his pair of 9’s. The guy never made a hand motion, and the dealer apparently missed something, and skipped over him and the guy next to him (player 2) made a hand motion for a card. Player 2 had a 16 before he hit and got a 7.

After the 7 was dealt, but before the next card was dealt, someone at the table (player 3) notified the dealer that player 1 wanted to split his 9’s, and the floor needed to be called.


The floor said the only option was to let each player either play or be returned their money before the game continued, and then the floor stated the screw up 7 card would roll around the table as needed, and would not be discarded.

At this time, player 1 took back his “double down” but left his original bet out there and stated he did not want a card. Player 2 got bent out of shape because he was not given a “choice.” He was given a choice, however no brainer it was, to either take his original bet back, or automatically lose his wager because the 7 would stand and he would bust.

There was some loud talking and name-calling by both player 2 and the floor, but as you could guess the floors way won out.



I say that to say this,


About 2 hours later I am at a different table, same casino, different floor boss, and a screw up happens again. This time the screw up card was an 8.

Dealer had a 5 showing, I was player 4 in a full table of 5 people. Screw up happened with first base having a hard 14 and being given a card after he waved one off. Players 2 and 3 had hard 20 and hard 17 already, and would not have any desire for the 8. I was sitting on a hard 13 in 4th position.

I saw this well in advance and as soon as the floor stated the casino rules in the same way the first floor did, I put $400 next to my original $400 bet, even before player 2 or 3 were asked if they wanted the 8.

A 5-7 minute calm, but testy conversation followed my announcement of doubling my hard 13 against a dealer 5. His point was I would not have doubled the hand if I didn’t know the card in advance and that “wasn’t fair.” My counter point was initially if I had an 11, I would still have doubled, so who cares (you can double any two cards at Horseshoe Cleveland). Then it went to “Life’s not fair, F you, Pay Me,” and finally, I won the argument.


As a side note the dealer flipped over another 5, but ended up busting, and the table won.


So if you are still reading, the question is - How have you seen casino’s handle dealer screw ups and is this method at "Cleveland's Premier Casino" common?

Also, if you were the floor and the rule was the above, would you even make a statement to me when I doubled?

Casinos TRY to resolve errors or disputes QUICKLY and, if possible, fairly.

I wish more casinos / floorpeople would use the rules you describe.

After all, those few bucks won't break the bank. And in reality, only means that the player loses it back a few minutes later, but has a happy story to tell his friends.


If I were the floor person, I TOO would have said it wasn't fair, but I would have said it in a tone that congratulates you for beating the system. I.E. Allow you to do it, without confrontation.

I was at Horseshoe Cleveland yesterday (read my blog post) :) and I will say with certainty that procedures have been thrown out the window there. I played both PGP and MS Stud, and between the two games I had 5 dealers (relief/shift change). No two dealers handled the same procedures twice. This is REALLY bad considering this is a new casino where rules should be fresh and enforced, but I'm telling you, it was very noticeable.

That being said, if procedures are different for dealers, then pit bosses are doing their own things as well. Hollywood Toledo was/is more consistent though, but then again, Penn seems to be more consistent across the board, despite the fact that I hate them.

It sounds like you got a fair deal, even if it was screwy. They really need to work on these procedures there though.

You get half credit. " Casinos TRY to resolve errors or disputes QUICKLY and, if possible, fairly. "

I think invariably the misdealt card is burned and the hand continues. I have also seen mistakes where something happens that allows the cards to "get out of order" say I forget to deal to third base, or forget to give myself my first card. At this point, they'll give the players the option to void the hand or keep playing as usual.


Here's a funny one a floor told me once. The dealer was showing a ten, I think, and third base was on hard 16 and was going to hit, but the dealer skipped her, flipped over a low card, drew a ten and busted. I'm thinking the dealer noticed her mistake right as she was pulling the card, so it ended up coming out. So the floor came over and gave everyone the option to either void the hand and pull their money back, or continue playing, but they already knew that they won, cause nothing was going to change, the dealer busted. So the floor was probably just joking a little bit. But the woman on third was so mad that the dealer skipped her, that she pulled her bet back! She was going to get paid, but just.. didn't want the free money I guess.

Quote: ewjones080

I think invariably the misdealt card is burned and the hand continues.

I'm going to be picky and say that clearly it's not "invariably" burnt. Maybe you meant at your casino... but at others: the OP has seen the card replaced twice. I personally have seen the card replaced once. The pit seems to stand by a rule of 'don't mess up the flow of the cards' at my casino.

I guess I never saw that practice before by the casinos.

I was glad they were consistent, but irritated that he didn't want to allow me to double, when the rules say I can.

Either way, the outcome was of benefit to me, and in the grand scheme, that is all that matters! lol

Yeah, I'd probably say "Fine, you can double, but we'll burn this card" in his place.