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Action: Blackjack or 21 is a game where the player’s goal is to get closer than the dealer to 21 without going over. Blackjack pays 3 to 2 or $3 for every $2 bet.
This glossary provides terms relating to the game—strategy, rules, lingo and action at the blackjack table.
Ace: is counted as 1 or 11 in blackjack.
Advantage: Blackjack provides the strategic player an advantage, however less than strategic play can increase the casino advantage to as high as 5%.
Anchor: Player to the right of the dealer receiving the last card. Aka Third Base.
Bank: player’s bankroll or a team of players’ bankroll.
Barber Pole: stack of chips consisting of a variety of colors.
Basic Strategy: important for the game of blackjack that players study and develop optimum play that provides the best advantage for each hand and number of decks in play. Basic strategy is based not only on the count, but also on the total of the player's hand vs. the dealer's up card.
Bet Sizing: strategy based on betting according to the advantage for a specific hand.
Bet Spread: referring to a player's minimum and maximum bet.
Betting Handle: total money bet during a session of play.
Betting Limits: casino rules of minimum and maximum amounts allowed for one bet.
Betting True Count: value considering number of Aces.
BJ: short form for the game of Blackjack or two-card total of 21.
Blackjack Table: generally seating for 5-7 players in a semi-circle design.
Book the Action: Casino takes a bet to play. Aka Cover the Bet.
Break: to Bust or Go Over—the final count is over 21.
Break Down the Bet: separate chips by color.
Break Down the Deck: shuffle the cards.
Break it Down: separate chips by color or stack evenly for counting.
Breaking Hand: Card count of 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16 that will Bust or go over 21 with one card. Aka ‘stiff hand’.
Burn: Dealer removes a small number (1-3) cards after the shuffle to be placed in the discard pile. Also occurs when new dealer arrives.
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 other players whose count is less than 21 win if the Dealer Busts.
Buy-in: Exchange money for chips.
Card Counting: Strategy to allocate values to cards. Cards 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6=plus 1 and
10, J, Q, K and Aces=minus 1 and 7, 8 and 9 are neutral at 0.
As these cards are tracked during a session, a determination is made as to whether the remaining cards favor the player or dealer.
Circle: area on the table layout where the player places a bet. Aka Betting Circle or Square.
Clump: Sequence of cards that favors either the house or player. Also a group of cards
together within the deck(s) in play.
Cold: Winning Blackjack cards have disappeared.
Color: Standard Chip Colors are $1=blue or white. $5=red. $25=Green. $100=Black.
$500=Purple.
Color Up: Exchange smaller denominations to larger denominations resulting in a smaller number of chips to carry.
Count: Keep a running count of card values to determine your next bet/play. Example: Cards 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6=plus 1 and 10, J, Q, K and Aces=minus 1 and 7, 8 and 9 are neutral at 0.
Count Down the Deck: Memorizing the cards already played to determine the remaining cards.
Cover the Bet: Casino takes a bet to play. Aka Book the Action.
CSM: term for Continuous Shuffling Machine. A machine that shuffles cards back into the deck(s) continuously rather than manually shuffling after deck(s) is finished as before. Card counters are not pleased with this machine.
Cut: After shuffling, the deck is separated into two cards with a plastic cut card by a player and passed back to the dealer. Cut is rotated from one player to another—left to right. After shuffle, dealer will burn card(s) before the first hand is dealt.
Cut Card: plastic colored card passed to the player to cut the deck. The dealer then places the Cut Card near the end of the shoe to indicate the last hand to be dealt.
DAS: short form for Double After Splits.
DD: short form for Double Deck game or Double Down.
DE: short form for Double Exposure, a version of Blackjack where both dealer cards are face up and a tie is a losing hand.
Deadwood: Cards from previous play.
Deal: Cards given to players during the game.
Dealer: Casino employee who deals and manages the game of Blackjack.
Decisions: The game of blackjack consists of the following Player decisions--hitting, doubling down, standing, splitting, insurance and surrendering.
Deck: consists of 52 playing cards. When blackjack is played with more than one deck, the cards are called a pack.
Deuce: term for a card numbered 2.
Discards: Cards played since the last shuffle and placed in a discard tray.
DOA: short form for Double Only Any Two Cards allows for doubling on any two cards.
DAS: short form for Double after Split allows for doubling down after splitting a pair.
Double Deck: utilizing two decks in blackjack. Casinos may also use 4, 6 or 8 decks.
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.
Drop: Total dollar value bet in a casino or total value of money and/or markers cashed in by players.
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.
Aka First Baseman.
Five-Card Charlie: 5-card Blackjack that totals 21 or less.
Flat Bettor: player who wagers the same amount consistently.
Front Loading: a peek at the Dealer’s hole card that may determine strategy for the next hand.
Hand: Round of play. Also cards held by the player or dealer.
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.
Hi-Lo Count: Counting method as follows: Cards 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6=plus 1 and 10, J, Q, K and Aces=minus 1 and 7, 8 and 9 are neutral at 0. This method is used worldwide by blackjack players.
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.
Hold: Money won by the casino vs. total betting. Can be a percentage or dollar value.
Hole Card: Dealer’s card dealt face down.
House Advantage or House Edge: refers to the casino % advantage vs. the player.
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. The insurance bet is not recommended.
Late Surrender: Player loses 50% of bet if he/she decides to surrender after seeing the dealer’s up card.
Multiple Decks: More than one deck is in play here.
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.
Nickel: $5 Chip.
NDAS: short form for No Double after Split. Rules of the house don’t allow doubling after splitting two cards.
No Hole Card: Blackjack version where the dealer does not receive a second card until all the players have completed their hands.
Paint: terms 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.
Penetration: Cards played into the shoe before shuffling occurs. This is a factor to consider for card counters.
Pip: Card spots indicating the value of the card.
Pitch Game: Term for ‘tossing’ or pitching cards to players by the dealer. This occurs with single or double decks games dealt face down.
Play All: Blackjack players who stay to play during the ups and downs of the game. Refers to multiple deck games.
Playing Conditions: Casino options offered to players. The many options including Double Down rules, Early/Late Surrender and Splitting can vary widely between worldwide land-based casino and online casinos.
Ploppy: Lingo for an uneducated casino player.
Press: increase betting, usually by at least 50% after a winning hand.
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.
Pumpkin: Orange $1000 Chip.
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.
Rainbow Bet: wagering with several colors/denomination of playing chips.
Red Chip: $5 Chip.
ReSplit: Splitting pairs yet again.
RSA: short form for ReSplit Aces with no limit. Some casinos have rules for RSA.
Riffle: Shuffling cards by blending two stacks together.
Round: occurs when all players have completed their Blackjack hands.
Running Count: Total points from card-counting method beginning with first hand dealt after new shuffle and updated after each hand.
S17: short form for ‘Dealer Stands on all 17’s.
Shoe: Design of holder, either wood or heavy plastic, of up to 8 decks in play.
Shoe Game: term for Blackjack games that utilize a shoe.
Shuffle: Blending the cards before dealing to players.
Shuffle Card: similar to a plastic cut card used in the deck, pack or shoe to determine when to break or reshuffle cards.
Side Bet: additional bet along with the primary bet. Not recommended.
Snapper: Lingo for a Blackjack.
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.
Spanish 21: Blackjack version where the 4-Ten cards are removed.
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 only 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.
Steam: Lingo for a player who increases his/her bets to recoup losses.
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’.
Streak: String of wins or losses.
Surrender: Choose surrender after receiving first two cards and you lose only 50% of the bet.
Team Play: Several players who utilize one bankroll and are knowledgeable Blackjack players.
Tells: Signals in the form of gestures or attitude expressed by the dealer that may provide useful strategies as to the value of their hole card.
Examples: A stiff or bad hand should produce these signs: no eye contact, head and body leaning backwards, or even leaning toward the next player to receive cards. Holding the deck higher than usual and close in to the chest, other hand is held very still and far away from your betting circle, slower movements, a hesitation while checking the hole card.
A pat or good hand, friendly dealers will often talk a lot faster than usual and sound happy, overconfident. Sustained eye contact, a stiff or hard stance, anticipating your next hit, even leaning in your direction. The deck is held lower than normal and angled toward you forcing a hit. Dealer’s other hand will be closer to you than normal or right in front of your betting circle.
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.
Up Card: Dealt face up, this is the dealer’s first card
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