The blackjack table in a casino is set up with five to seven betting spots with a dealer that acts for the house behind the table. The seat at the far left of the table is referred to as third base because it is the last seat to receive a card. Each table should have a plastic placard advertising the table limits and the minimum and maximum bets allowed at that particular time. You can exchange your money with the dealer for chips, but should not place your money in the betting circle as some casinos permit cash to play on the first bet. Once you have your chips you can place your bet into the betting circle or box in front of you.
Most casinos use multiple decks of two or more and can use as many as eight.
After the dealer shuffles, a player will be asked to cut the deck . This duty is rotated from player to player in a clockwise motion after each shuffle. The dealer then inserts a colored cut card , about two-thirds the way into the deck so that he will not be tempted to deal down to the bottom. The dealer will then discard or burn the first card, and check to make sure that all players have their bets in the right place and in the right amount. The dealer begins distributing the cards to the players from his left to right starting with the spot know as first base .