Blackjack Terms

Blackjack has its own language.  Below are the terms you'll most often hear when you are playing the game.

Action: Blackjack or 21 is a game where the player’s goal is to get closer thanGayle Mitchell is the most recognized female expert of casino gambling and has written extensively and presented seminars about casino gambling since 1996.  She is the author of the Casino Gambling Made Easier series of books, numerous E-Books, booklets and the Slots Trilogy.  She is also the editor of five online gaming newsletters including Casino Players Ezine.  Gayle's website is www.easycasinogambling.com  the dealer to 21 without going over. Blackjack pays 3 to 2 or $3 for every $2 bet.

Ace: is counted as 1 or 11 in blackjack.

Anchor: Player to the right of the dealer receiving the last card. Aka Third Base.

Betting Limits: Casino rules of minimum and maximum amounts allowed for one bet.

Bust Card: 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are Bust Cards referring to the dealer's up card. If the dealer has to hit with 12-16, he/she may go Bust. .

Bust/Busted: Total count is over 21. This is a losing hand even if the dealer also busts.

All players whose count is less than 21 win if the Dealer Busts.  

Decisions: The game of blackjack consists of the following Player decisions--hitting, doubling down, standing, splitting, insurance and surrendering.

Deuce: Term for a card numbered 2.

Double Down or Doubling Down: Doubling the bet before being dealt one additional card. Blackjack rule for Doubling Down is that the player receives only one card after a DD decision. Player may bet up to his/her original bet, but not more and places this second bet behind the original bet. Some casinos allow Double Down only with a count of 10 or 11.

Draw: dealt additional card(s) to the 2 cards already dealt originally. Aka Hit, Draw Card or Hit Card.

Early Surrender: Player loses 50% of bet if he/she decides to surrender after being dealt the first two cards.

Even Money: Refers to taking insurance on a blackjack hand when dealer shows an Ace.

Player is paid even money on his/her blackjack whether dealer has hit blackjack or not.

Face Card: Term for Jacks, Queens, and Kings that have a value of 10 each in blackjack.  

Face Down: Blackjack game where player’s first card is dealt up and second card is dealt face down.  

Face Up:  Blackjack game where both cards are dealt face up.

First Base: Term for player to the left of the dealer and the first person to receive cards.

Five-Card Charlie: 5-card Blackjack that totals 21 or less.

Hard Hand: Those hands that do not contain an Ace or a hand where the Ace is valued at only 1 are Hard Hands as there is only one value. Opposite of Soft Hands.

Hard Total: Count for those hands that do not contain an Ace or a hand where the Ace is valued at only 1. Examples: 9 and 8 has a hard total of 17 and an Ace and 6 has a hard total of 7. 

Heads Up: Player against the dealer only with no other participants.

Hit: dealt additional card(s) to the 2 cards already dealt originally. Aka Draw, Draw Card or Hit Card. The decision to hit is indicated by a sweeping motion on the felt by the player or tapping the felt in a Face Up game. 

Hole Card: Dealer’s card dealt face down.

Insurance: When dealer’s up card is an Ace, there will be a call for insurance. If you make an insurance bet that the dealer has blackjack, this wager is placed on the insurance line displayed on the felt. If the dealer has Blackjack, you win the insurance bet; however, your original bet is lost. If there is no Blackjack, you lose the insurance bet.

Late Surrender: Player loses 50% of bet if he/she decides to surrender after seeing the dealer’s up card.

Natural: Aka as a Blackjack, a Natural occurs when the first two cards dealt are an Ace and Ten for 21. Pays 3 to 2.

Paint: Term for face cards—Jack, Queen and King.

Pair: Two cards of the same value, e.g., pair of tens.

Pat Hand: Blackjack hand that has a value of hard 17 or better and does not require a hit.

Pip: Card spots indicating the value of the card.

Playing Conditions: Casino options offered to players. The many options including Double Down rules, Early/Late Surrender and Splitting can vary widely between casinos.

Progression Betting: Strategy based on betting (increase/decrease) according to

previous hand(s). Positive Progression is raising or pressing the bet after a win while Negative Progression is raising the bet after a loss.

Push or Tie: occurs when both dealer and player have the same count neither of which is 21. Usually, the player’s bet is returned.

ReSplit: Splitting pairs yet again.

Soft Hand: Aka Soft Hand or Soft Total: holds an Ace that is counted as 11.

Example: Ace-7 equals a Soft 18. However, if the value is changed to 1 later, it is consider a Hard Hand.

Soft Double: Doubling Down when one card is an Ace.

Split or Splitting Pairs: splitting a matched pair to play separately.

The extra bet is placed on one of the split cards. If a third like card is dealt, that too can be split based on casino rules.

Splitting Aces: When you split aces, you receive one additional card for each hand.

However, based on casino rules you may split a third Ace if dealt.

Stand and Stay: Player decision not to draw additional cards/hits.

Stand-Off: Aka tie or push. Occurs when both dealer and player have the same count neither of which is 21. Usually, the player’s bet is returned.

Stiff or Stiff Hand: Card count of 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16 that will Bust or go over 21 with one card. Aka ‘Breaking Hand’.

Surrender: Choose surrender after receiving first two cards and you lose only 50% of the bet.

Third Base or Third Baseman: Player to the right of the dealer receiving the last card. Aka Anchor.

Tie: Aka Push or Stand-Off. Occurs when both dealer and player have the same count neither of which is 21. Usually, the player’s bet is returned.

Toke: Tip to the Dealer.

Twenty-One: Term for the game of Blackjack.