What is push in blackjack?

A push in blackjack is a tie between your hand and the dealer’s: both finish on the same total, and your bet is returned without profit or loss. If both sides have blackjack, the hand also usually pushes. A bust is never a push, because you lose as soon as you go over 21. See blackjack for the basics of each round.

Yes, a push returns your full stake, including any extra you added by doubling down. On a $20 bet you get $20 back; on a hand doubled to $40, you get $40 back. You don’t receive any winnings, and you don’t lose anything. The double down entry shows how doubled hands are settled in every case.

In most blackjack games, two naturals push, so your stake is returned and the 3:2 blackjack payout is lost. That is the case behind the “even money” offer when the dealer shows an ace. Rules can vary in some variants, so check the help screen. Our insurance entry explains why even money still averages slightly less than declining.

A push is neutral: it neither adds to nor subtracts from your balance. It feels better than a loss and worse than a win, but it has no effect on the long-run cost of play, which comes from the house edge on your total stakes. See our house edge explained guide for how that cost builds up over many hands.

It depends on each casino’s terms, and many don’t say clearly. Before relying on blackjack to clear a bonus, check whether table games count at all; many welcome offers exclude them or weight them far below slots. Read the terms, and use our wagering requirements explained guide to work out what a bonus really asks you to stake.

No, roulette and slots don’t have pushes: each spin either wins or loses. In roulette, the zero pocket is what makes even-money bets lose rather than tie, and that is where the house edge comes from. Slots settle every spin against the paytable. Our how to play roulette guide explains the bets and the zero.

In common baccarat rules, a tie hand is a push for player and banker bets, so those stakes stand off and come back to you. A $20 banker bet on a tied hand returns $20 with no commission taken, because nothing was won. Only a separate tie bet wins on that result. Rules can vary by version, and third-party listings for RTG's baccarat don't publish its full rules, so read the game's help screen before you play. See our baccarat game page and the baccarat banker bet entry for how the commission works.

In craps, the classic push is a roll of 12 on the come-out for a don't pass bet in common rules: the bet neither wins nor loses and stays in place. Some tables bar the 2 instead of the 12, so check which number your game uses. The barred number is part of how the casino keeps an edge on the don't pass bet, so it matters which one your table uses. Third-party listings don't publish RTG's craps rules, so read the help screen. Our craps game page and craps pass line entry explain the come-out roll.

No, a push doesn't reset or advance a Martingale sequence, because nothing was won or lost. Most players simply repeat the same stake on the next hand. So if you've lost $10 and $20 and then push on $40, you still need a win on $40 to recover. Pushes stretch the sequence without changing its basic flaw: losing streaks and table limits arrive before the edge goes away. The system wins small amounts often and loses large amounts rarely. Read our Martingale meaning entry and is Martingale a good strategy.

In sports betting, a push is a result that lands exactly on the line, so the bet is neither won nor lost and the stake is refunded. If you bet a team at minus 3 and it wins by exactly 3, your stake comes back. Sports betting is regulated state by state, so a push at a licensed sportsbook is settled under that state's rules. Check where it's legal in our sports betting laws page and the answer to is sports betting legal in my state.

In RTG's Suit 'Em Up Blackjack, a push on the main hand returns your stake just as in standard blackjack. Third-party listings say the dealer hits soft 17 and blackjack pays 3:2. The game also has a Suited Bonus side bet, listed by GamesHub at up to 60:1 for suited aces, which is settled on its own result rather than by the main hand. A push on the hand doesn't refund or win the side bet. Read the help screen for exact side bet pays. See our Suit 'Em Up Blackjack game page and what is Suit 'Em Up Blackjack.

Yes, online blackjack and other casino games are legal in Delaware through the state-run system operated by the Delaware Lottery. Online games are offered through Delaware Park, Bally's Dover and Harrington, powered by BetRivers, under the Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012. That means a disputed push on a licensed site can go to a state regulator. The offshore casinos on this page aren't part of that system and hold no Delaware license. See our Delaware online casino guide and the list of states with legal online casinos.

No, a surrender costs you half your bet, while a push costs nothing. When you surrender, you fold after your first two cards and take back half the stake, so a $20 hand loses $10. A push only happens after the hand is played out and your total equals the dealer's, returning the full $20. Surrender is a choice you make before the result; a push is an outcome. Not every game offers surrender, so check the rules. Read our surrender meaning entry and the blackjack basic strategy guide.