How often will the dealer bust

This question comes up a lot. How often does the dealer bust…

The Casino City Times answers it about as well as I have ever heard.

Say you’re sitting at the blackjack table and are dealt an 11 as your starting hand. The dealer has a wimpy-looking 5 up. The obviously correct play is to double down. So you put another chip next to your original bet and take your one card for a double bet. Woops – you catch an Ace to finish your hand with 12.

“That’s okay – that’s okay”, the fella’ next to you consoles. “The dealer’s got a 5 up. She’s gonna’ bust – no problem”, he continues. The dealer then turns up a 4 in the hole and quickly pops a 10 to make 19. So much for your “no problem” hand.

When the dealer has a 5 up, she will bust:

1. 3 times out of 7
2. 4 times out of 7
3. 5 times out of 7
4. 6 times out of 7

Overall, the dealer will bust:

1. 1 time out of 7
2. 2 times out of 7
3. 3 times out of 7
4. 4 times out of 7

The correct answers are 1 and 2, respectively.