A natural is a top hand or roll that arrives straight away, before anyone draws again. In blackjack it means 21 on your first two cards (an ace plus a ten-value card), in baccarat a two-card 8 or 9, and in craps a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll. Each one settles the round on the spot.
Blackjack natural: ace plus a 10, J, Q or K, usually paid 3 to 2.
You get one in about 4.75% of hands from a six-deck shoe, roughly 1 in 21.
A 6 to 5 payout on naturals costs you 1.39% compared with 3 to 2.
Baccarat naturals (8 or 9) and craps naturals (7 or 11) end the round at once.
Blackjack natural
Ace + 10-value card
Usual payout
3 to 2 (£15 on £10)
Chance, six decks
About 4.75% (1 in 21)
Baccarat natural
Two-card 8 or 9
Craps natural
7 or 11 on the come-out (8 in 36)
What “natural” means at the casino table
In casino language a natural is the best possible start, dealt or rolled without any extra cards or throws. Your hand is complete, the round usually stops for that hand, and a bonus payout or an automatic result follows. The term appears in several games in our casino glossary, and it means something slightly different in each, so it helps to know which table you are at.
The most common use is in blackjack, where “natural” and “blackjack” mean the same thing: a total of 21 on the starting two cards. Any other 21, such as 7-7-7 or a 21 made after a split, is just 21 and pays even money.
Natural hands and rolls by game
What counts as a natural, and what it does
Game
What counts as a natural
What happens
Blackjack
Ace + 10, J, Q or K on the first two cards
Usually paid 3 to 2; pushes if the dealer also has one
Baccarat (punto banco)
Player or Banker totals 8 or 9 on two cards
Both hands stand; no third cards are drawn
Craps
7 or 11 on the come-out roll
Pass line wins at once
Deuces Wild video poker
A “natural royal”: royal flush with no deuces
Pays 800 on the full-pay table, against 25 for a wild royal
Pontoon (online version)
A “pontoon”: ace + 10-value card
Pays 2 to 1 in the version Wizard of Odds analyses
Blackjack natural odds: how often you get one
The chance follows from counting cards. With one deck there are 4 aces and 16 ten-value cards in 52, and either can come first, so the chance is 2 × (4/52) × (16/51), about 4.83%. More decks make it a touch rarer because removing the first card changes the second less:
Chance of a two-card blackjack by number of decks
Decks
Calculation
Chance
Roughly
1
2 × 4/52 × 16/51
4.83%
1 in 21
2
2 × 8/104 × 32/103
4.78%
1 in 21
6
2 × 24/312 × 96/311
4.75%
1 in 21
8
2 × 32/416 × 128/415
4.75%
1 in 21
The dealer gets naturals just as often. When both of you have one, the hand is a push and your stake comes back. If the dealer shows an ace you will be offered insurance, which is a separate side bet with its own house edge, not a way to protect a natural.
Natural payout: 3 to 2 against 6 to 5 in pounds
Under standard rules a winning natural pays 3 to 2, so a £10 bet wins £15. Some tables pay 6 to 5, which turns the same hand into a £12 win. Over 100 hands at £10 you would expect about 4.75 naturals: at 3 to 2 that is around £71 of winnings, at 6 to 5 around £57. The £14 or so gap on £1,000 staked lines up with the 1.39% that Wizard of Odds’ rule-variation table (opens in a new tab) gives as the cost of 6 to 5 (a little lower than our rough sum, because naturals that meet a dealer natural push). Our 3:2 against 6:5 guide goes further.
Naturals in baccarat and craps
In baccarat a natural is a two-card total of 8 or 9 for either hand. Under the rules described in Wizard of Odds’ baccarat basics (opens in a new tab), both hands then stand, so the third card rule never comes into play. A natural 9 beats a natural 8, and equal naturals tie. You can’t choose to draw, so a natural is luck, not a decision.
In craps, a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll is a natural and wins the pass line straight away. Of the 36 equally likely two-dice combinations, six make 7 and two make 11, so the chance is 8 in 36, or 22.2%. Rolling any other point number moves the game into its point phase instead.
Natural myths and common mistakes
Myth: a natural is “due” after a long run without one. Each hand is dealt from the cards in play; past hands don’t make the next one likelier, and online RNG games reshuffle every hand.
Mistake: thinking a 21 after splitting aces is a natural. It pays even money in standard rules.
Mistake: taking “even money” on a natural without realising it is simply insurance under another name, with the same house edge.
Natural hands and our partner offers
Naturals belong to table games, while our partner offers are slot-led, so treat any bonus as separate from your blackjack or baccarat play: table and live games are often excluded or count for less towards wagering, and the full terms explain which. 18+ and terms apply.
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18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.
Frequently asked questions
Is a natural the same as a blackjack?
Yes, in blackjack the two words mean the same hand: an ace and a ten-value card as your first two cards. It beats every other 21 and usually pays 3 to 2. A 21 made with three or more cards, or after a split, is not a natural and pays even money. For how naturals fit the wider rules, see our how to play blackjack guide.
What happens if the dealer and I both have a natural?
The hand is a push, so you get your stake back and nobody wins. Under a peek rule the dealer checks for a natural early when showing an ace or ten, which ends the hand quickly. Under a no-hole-card rule the dealer’s natural is revealed later, after you have acted. The difference is explained on our no hole card page.
What does natural mean in baccarat?
In baccarat a natural is a two-card total of 8 or 9 for the Player or Banker hand. When either hand has one, both stand and no third card is drawn. A natural 9 beats a natural 8, and two equal naturals tie. Our guide to what natural means in baccarat walks through example hands and the scoring.
How often do you get a natural in blackjack?
About once every 21 hands. The chance is 4.83% with one deck and about 4.75% with six or eight decks, from simple card counting: two ways to order an ace and a ten-value card. That means a £10 player at a 3 to 2 table gets roughly £71 of natural winnings per 100 hands on average. See our blackjack odds page for other common hands.
Should I take even money on a natural?
Standard game maths says no. Even money is insurance taken on a player blackjack, and insurance carries a house edge of around 7.5% in an eight-deck game. You give up the 3 to 2 payout to lock in 1 to 1, which costs you on average. Our insurance guide shows the sums for one, six and eight decks.
Is a 7 always a natural in craps?
No, only on the come-out roll. A 7 or 11 on the come-out wins the pass line, but once a point has been set, a 7 is a “seven out” and loses the pass line. The chance of a 7 on any roll is 6 in 36, or 1 in 6. Our craps how to play page explains both phases.
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