As a new player, you will hear players mentioning various blackjack terms, so we’ve created a blackjack glossary. These terminologies include phrases and words that are vital for players to understand the blackjack game. By easily understanding every blackjack term before joining any best blackjack casinos, you will develop the confidence you need to play decisively.
A
- Ace – A card that can be valued as either 1 or 11. The player holding the Ace within their hand can decide which value the Ace represents for their hand.
- Action – The player’s turn to make his/her decision in the casino game. In simple terms; you have the money on the game.
- Anchorman – The anchorman is defined only by his sitting position on the table. The Anchorman sits in the last position at the table.
- Advantage Player – A player who uses strategy to gain a winning edge.
B
- Blackjack – This is the best hand that a player can get, and is equal to 21 points. If you have blackjack, you will win without drawing any other cards. Blackjack normally appears in case you get an Ace and a 10, J, Q, or K.
- Bust – A player goes bust when he/she takes on an extra card that tips the total over 21. It means, when you go bust, your bet loses and you get eliminated from the rest of the game.
- Bust Card – Refers particularly to a card that pushes a dealer’s or player’s hand above 21, causing the hand to bust.
- Bankroll – This is the amount of money available for betting in your account. Also known as the total amount of funds available to wager with.
- Box – The area or space where the players place their cards. Each player has a box for getting their cards at the table.
- Burn card – Dealer takes the top card from the shoe and places it into the discard pile. The purpose of burning a card is to protect against the steering of the top card.
- Bet spread – Is a range of betting units that a player can use to scale their bets. Therefore, if you are betting at a £10 minimum blackjack table, a “1-12 bet spread” means that your minimum bet is £10 and the maximum bet is £120.
- Bonuses – These are casino offers and promotions provided as incentives to players as a way of encouraging them to play more.
C
- Cut Card – This is the plastic card that is used to cut the decks. The dealer must reshuffle the cards once he achieves the cut card.
- Card Counting – This is the blackjack betting strategy that players use to keep track of which cards have been played from the deck. It allows the player to predict which cards are more likely to be dealt out next and play accordingly.
- Color Up – The process of exchanging lower denomination chips for higher denomination ones.
- Chip – A chip is a small disc used as currency in the casino. The players give a certain amount of money and get chips to play with. For example, every player may be required to bring $20 and get a certain number of chips. Then at the end of the day, a player who is holding most chips will win the money.
Credit: Betway
D
- Deck – A blackjack deck consists of 52 cards divided into four suits: diamonds, hearts, spades, and clubs.
- Double Down – This is a rule in the blackjack game where players can choose to double their bets but only get one more card.
- Dealer – A casino dealer manages the function of the table game. A dealer is responsible for dealing and shuffling cards.
- Decisions – The blackjack game involves the following decisions for players – hitting, standing, splitting, doubling down, surrendering, and insurance.
E
- Even Money – Even money bet is a wager in which the possible payout is equal to the original wager.
- Early surrender – The early surrender allows a player to quit the hand and pay only half of their initial bet before the dealer checks a blackjack.
F
- First Base – This is the first seat at the blackjack table, closely to the left of the dealer.
- Flat Bet – This means betting the same amount of money on each succeeding hand.
- Face Cards – All the most recognizable cards in a deck are called face cards. These include Queens, Kings, and Jacks, and they are worth 10.
- Five-card Charlie – is when you have a total of five cards and you do not exceed a point total of 21. The rule states that if you collect 5 cards without busting, you will win automatically.
H
- Hand – This is the cards held by the dealer or a player during a blackjack game.
- Hit – To hit is taking another card if not sure your current hand will beat the dealer’s. If this card gets your hand value over 21, you lose.
- Hard hand – The hand doesn’t contain an ace and is counted as 1. A hard hand is one that is more rigid and prone to busting.
- Heads up – The term heads up means playing against just the dealer, and you will be able to interact with that dealer one-on-one.
- Hole Card – This is the dealer’s facedown card.
- House Edge – The house edge also known as the casino advantage is the casino’s advantage over player’s, shown as a percentage. This is the percentage of each bet that the casino expects to win over the long term. In blackjack, this percentage normally ranges from 0.5% to 2%.
I
- Insurance – Insurance is a side bet that a player can make when the dealer’s face-up card is an ace. Insurance can protect the player’s original bet.
L
- Late Surrender – Is the rule that allows the player to forfeit half of his wager after seeing the dealer’s up card. Unless the dealer has a blackjack, the player will lose his entire bet.
M
- Monkey – This is among the most common terms mentioned by blackjack players. It means a card with an overall value of 10.
N
- Natural – Is the total 21 a player gets for their first two cards that are dealt, an Ace and a 10-point card.
P
- Push – When both the dealer and player have hands on the same value. In this case the player’s bet is returned.
- Pair – This is when your initial hand has two equal-value cards. Meaning, a player can split a pair into two hands, allowing a player to make a secondary wager and play both against the dealer.
R
- Running Count – This is the running total of the point count. The running count starts from the beginning of the shoe or deck.
S
- Surrender – Players are given the option of surrendering half of their initial bets after getting their first two cards. If a player surrenders their cards, the dealer will take half of the player’s bet.
- Splitting Pairs – This is splitting a matched pair to play separately.
- Soft Hand – A hand that has an ace that counts as 11 points. In contrast to the hard hands, soft hands cannot bust even after taking an additional card.
- Soft 17 – A hand with an ace to total 17. A rule on whether a dealer hits a soft 17 or sits on soft 17.
- Shoe – This h is a plastic or wooden box that holds many decks of cards.
- Stiff – Any hard hand that makes it possible to exceed 21 with the next card drawn.
- Stand – This is the decision you make when you have achieved a score of close to 21 which you think the dealer will not beat.
- Stake – The amount of money a player risks on a specific wager.
- Shuffle – Is to randomize the order of the cards in the deck.
T
- Third Base – The position of a player that acts last before the dealer.
- True Count – Used in card counting to adjust the count per remaining decks. For example, a running count of -7 with 5 decks left is -7 / 5 which is -1.4.
U
- Upcard – This is the card that the dealer is showing.
V
- Volatility – Refers to the natural flow of the game, considering the swings that might occur.
W
- Wonging – Refers to counting back and only wager when you have an edge.
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