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What Is a Push in Blackjack? What Happens When You Tie
A push in blackjack is a tie: you and the dealer finish on the same total, your bet comes back and nobody wins it, because in standard blackjack the dealer does not win ties. A push can happen on totals from 17 to 21 or when you both have blackjack, and about one round in 11 ends in one.
- What a push means
- Who wins a tie in blackjack
- How often a round ends in a push
- Push chance by your total
- Blackjack against blackjack, even money and insurance
- Games with different tie rules
01What a push means
A push is a tie. You and the dealer finish the round on the same total.
Here you have 19 and the dealer has 19. Nobody wins the bet, and the dealer gives it back to you.
- Your bet: returned in full.
- Your balance: the same as before the round.
- Next round: you place a new bet, as usual.
An online game shows the result on the table, and the bet goes back to your balance.
02Who wins a tie in blackjack
In standard blackjack the dealer does not win ties. A tie on the same total is a push.
A blackjack is an ace and a 10-value card as your first two cards. To bust means to go over 21.
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| You and the dealer finish on the same total from 17 to 21 | Push – your bet comes back |
| You bust, then the dealer busts | You lose |
| Your blackjack against a dealer blackjack | Push |
| Your blackjack against a dealer 21 made with three or more cards | You win 3:2 |
| Your 21 made with three or more cards against a dealer 21 made with three or more cards | Push |
| Your 21 made with three or more cards against a dealer blackjack | You lose |
You play your hand before the dealer. If you bust, you lose your bet at once, and a later dealer bust does not bring it back.
03How often a round ends in a push
A push is common. About one round in 11 ends in a push.
| Result of the round | Share of rounds |
|---|---|
| Win | 43.3% |
| Push | 8.7% |
| Lose | 48.0% |
These numbers come from our simulation with perfect basic strategy (the chart of the best move for every hand) and these standard rules:
- 6 decks
- The dealer hits soft 17 (a 17 that counts an ace as 11)
- Double after split allowed (split means turning a pair into two hands)
- No surrender
Each round counts once, by its net result. If you split and one hand wins while the other loses, the round counts as a push.
For the same split under other rules, open the blackjack odds calculator.
04Push chance by your total
The dealer must keep taking cards until the total is 17 or more. So a push can only happen on 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21.
The table shows how often the dealer finishes on each total. That is the chance a hand you stand on at that total ends in a push.
| Your total | Dealer finishes on the same total |
|---|---|
| 17 | 14.0% |
| 18 | 14.8% |
| 19 | 14.2% |
| 20 | 19.1% |
| 21 | 7.9% |
These shares are averaged over all dealer up cards (the dealer's face-up card), for a dealer without blackjack. They do not take your own cards into account.
The dealer finishes on 20 more often than on any other total, at 19.1%. A hand under 17 can never push: if the dealer does not bust, that hand loses.
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
A hard 17 is a 17 with no ace counted as 11. The basic strategy chart says to stand on it against every dealer up card.
A push on 17 is not a loss. Stand on hard 17 and take the push when it comes.
05Blackjack against blackjack, even money and insurance
If you have blackjack and the dealer also has blackjack, the round is a push.
This happens to 4.6% of your blackjacks. A dealer 21 made with three or more cards is not a blackjack, so your blackjack still wins 3:2.
Even money
When you have blackjack and the dealer shows an ace, the game may offer even money. Even money pays your bet 1:1 at once, before the dealer checks the hole card (the face-down card).
If you decline, the dealer has blackjack only 30.7% of the time, and then your blackjack is a push. In every other case you are paid 3:2.
- Take even money: you get exactly 1:1 every time.
- Decline even money: you average +1.039 per bet.
Even money is the same as taking insurance on a blackjack.
Insurance when the dealer has blackjack
Insurance is a side bet of half your main bet that the dealer has blackjack. It pays 2:1.
| Bet | Amount | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Main bet | $10 | Lost: −$10 |
| Insurance | $5 | Paid 2:1: +$10 |
| Whole round | – | $0 |
The round breaks even. For the full rules and the cost of this bet, see blackjack insurance.
Even money and insurance are the same bet. Declining even money gives the higher average result per bet.
06Games with different tie rules
Some blackjack games change what happens on a tie. Check the rules on the table before you play.
- Free Bet Blackjack: if the dealer finishes on exactly 22, every hand still in play is a push; a hand that has already busted still loses. This happens in 7.4% of rounds.
- Spanish 21: a player 21 always wins, and a player blackjack wins against a dealer blackjack.
- Some other games: ties go to the dealer, so every push becomes a loss.
In Free Bet Blackjack, this dealer hand of 10, 6 and 6 is not paid as a bust. Every hand still in play gets its bet back.
Before you play at a new table, read how it settles ties. A game where the dealer wins ties takes every push from you.
Questions people ask
What does push mean in blackjack?
A push means a tie. You and the dealer finish on the same total, and your bet is returned.
Who wins a tie in blackjack?
In standard blackjack, nobody wins a tie. The round is a push and you get your bet back.
What happens if you and the dealer both have blackjack?
The round is a push and your bet is returned. If you took even money, you were already paid 1:1.
What happens if you and the dealer both bust?
You lose. Your hand is settled when you bust, before the dealer plays.
Do you get your money back on a push?
Yes. Your full bet is returned, and your balance stays the same as before the hand.
How often does a push happen in blackjack?
About one round in 11 ends in a push, or 8.7% of rounds, in our simulation of standard rules with basic strategy.
Where the numbers come from
Every number on this page is worked out by our blackjack engine for the rules stated next to it, with perfect basic strategy. Unless a rule is named, the rules are 6 decks, dealer hits soft 17, double after split allowed, no surrender, the dealer checks for blackjack, and blackjack pays 3:2.