Why do blackjack players say monkey: a clear answer

Side bets sit beside the main wager and pay on things like a pair in the first two cards or a poker hand made with the dealer's card. They pay well and carry a far higher edge, so most strategy guides say players should skip them. Progressive jackpot rules on some tables add a side bet feeding a growing prize for rare hands. When the dealer and player both get blackjack, the hand is a push and the stake is returned.

Whether blackjack is dealt face up depends on the house. Many shoe games deal the players' cards face up, while the dealer takes one card up and one down, or under British and European rules only one card until the players finish. Blackjack is never played with jokers; a standard deck or several decks shuffled together is used. Regional names such as Jamaican blackjack usually describe a set of house rules rather than a different game, so the rules printed at the table are what count.

Table etiquette is mostly about signals. A knock or a tap on the felt asks for another card and a wave of the hand stands, because the cameras over the table record gestures rather than words; that knocking rule protects both sides in a dispute. Chips stay untouched once the cards are out, and advice is offered only when asked. Players sometimes shout monkey when they want a ten valued card, a superstition borrowed from table slang with no effect on the next card.