Join Our Global Community
A push happens when you and the dealer end up with the same hand total. It's a tie. You won't win anything, but hey, you're not losing anything either. Your bet comes right back to you. All of it.
Look, a push is just casino-speak for a tie. Same hand totals? Round's over. Nobody wins, nobody loses, and you get your bet back. The term "standoff" means the same thing, though "push" is more commonly used in online and crypto blackjack settings.
Usually, when you lose, the casino scoops up your chips. Not with a push. Your stack stays right where it is. No wins here, but no losses either. Hand's done. Your bankroll stays flat, and you're on to the next round.
Get a push? Your bet doesn't move. Dealer's not taking your chips. Casino's not paying you either. Some tables leave your bet in the circle for the next hand. Others slide it back to you. Depends on house rules.
Here's the big difference between a push and a loss: you keep your money. Bet $25, get a push? That $25 is still yours. There's no house take on a tied hand. Casinos make money when you lose. A push? That's not a loss.
For your bankroll, a push changes nothing. Yeah, it's annoying when you're sitting on 20, and the dealer matches you. You wanted that payout. But walking away even beats walking away down. Play long enough, and pushes won't really move the needle on your wins or losses. They're just part of how blackjack works.
You'll see pushes way more often when both sides have strong hands. You're both chasing 21. So when you hit the same solid number, ties happen more often. Makes sense, right? Here's what that looks like in practice:
You stand on 18, feeling reasonably confident. Then the dealer reveals their hole card and draws to 18 as well. Nobody busts. Nobody's ahead. Push.
Twenty is a solid hand. Two face cards, a face, and a ten, whatever gets you there. You're sitting pretty. The catch is that dealers also reach 20 fairly often. If you both hit 20? Standoff.
This one's trickier. You and the dealer both hit 21? What happens next depends on how you got there. If you both have natural blackjacks (Ace plus a 10-value card on the deal), it's a push. But if you've got a natural and the dealer needs three or more cards to make 21? You win. Natural blackjack beats a multi-card 21 every time.
No. Standard blackjack rules? A tie is always a push. Dealer gets no edge when you match. Your bet comes right back. Full amount.
A few rare game variants flip this rule in the house's favor, but you won't see that often. At any reputable table, whether you're playing live dealer blackjack or crypto blackjack online, a tie means neither side wins.
Not all blackjack tables play by the same rules. Some game variants introduce a "dealer 22 push" rule, which shifts the math in the house's favor. Know this rule before you sit down, or you're in for a nasty surprise.
Here's how it works: dealer busts with exactly 22? Every player hand that didn't bust gets pushed instead of winning. Usually, when the dealer busts, everyone still in wins automatically. Push 22 rule kills that win and makes it a tie instead.
This rule appears in variants like Free Bet Blackjack and Blackjack Switch. The upside? These games usually throw in player-friendly perks like free double downs or card swapping between hands. Still, push 22 bumps up the house edge. Keep that in mind when you're picking a table.
Know the difference between a natural blackjack and a multi-card 21. It matters when pushes happen. Natural blackjack? That's an Ace plus any 10-value card (10, Jack, Queen, or King) in your first two cards. Multi-card 21? Any combo that hits 21 with three or more cards.
If you hold a natural and the dealer makes 21 with multiple cards, you win. You'll only push on 21 if both hands are naturals or both are multi-card 21s.
Pushes happen in about 8% of hands with standard rules. That number shifts a bit based on deck count and table rules. Less than one in ten hands. So pushes aren't rare, but they won't take over your session.
You'll see them more often on totals where everyone usually stands, like 17 through 20. Follow the basic strategy at a standard table? You'll probably see a push every dozen hands or so.
Know rules like the push, and you'll play smarter at the table. JB Casino runs fast, provably fair crypto blackjack. Deposits and withdrawals hit instantly. Provably fair? No way to rig the results. Zero friction, zero waiting. Just smooth gameplay and odds you can trust.
