Blackjack Glossary

Terms fly left and right, and sometimes it can be dizzying to try and figure out what on earth everyone is talking about! Here is a basic glossary of Blackjack terms for you to start with.

Action: A bet

Advantage: A player's expected rate of win or loss, usually shown as a percentage of total money played

Bankroll: The amount of money a player has to play with.

Bet Spread: A difference between a players minimum and maximum bets.

Black Chip: A $100 chip.

Burn card: A card taken off the deck at the beginning of a new deck or shoe that is placed with the cards in the discard pile or at the bottom of the deck.

Bust: To go over 21 and lose the hand

Cage: In a casino, where the cashier is located.

Deck Penetration: How deeply into the pack or shoe a dealer goes before shuffling.

Discards: The cards which have already been played since the last shuffle.

Double after Split : Casino rules that allow doubling down after the players has split any pair.

Double Down: To double the size of one's initial bet before taking one more card.

Draw: To obtain additional cards to the original two card hand.

Early Surrender: Player may give up or surrender after receiving first two cards but before dealer checks for an Ace in the hole, and only half of bet is lost.

Edge: A term used to describe the percentage of advantage either the casino or the player has on a certain game.

Even Money: A bet which returns the same amount in winnings as was bet originally

Expectation: what a player or the house can statistically expect to win or lose on a bet.

Eye in the Sky: A video camera, used by surveillance personnel, to watch players and dealers carefully to see if they are cheating

Face Card: The face cards are the Jacks, Queens, and Kings. They all have a value of 10.

First Base: This is the first player to receive cards when the dealer deals the cards.

Flat Betting: To wager the same amount of money on each bet

Hard Total: The total of any hand not containing Aces or the total of a hand where the Ace is counted as 1.

Heat: The pressure a casino puts on a winning player that they suspect of cheating or card counting

High Roller: A person who makes large wagers in the casino.

Hit: To take another card.

Hole Card: Playing situation with a high count value, very favorable to player.

House Edge: advantage of casino over the player

Insurance: If the dealer's up card is an ace or ten as up card, he or she will call for insurance. When you place an insurance wager, you are betting that the dealer has Blackjack

Late Surrender: A blackjack rule which allows the player to forfeit half of his bet after seeing the dealer's up card, unless the dealer has a blackjack

Multiple Deck: games in which more than one deck of cards is used

Natural: When an Ace and a 10 value card are dealt as the first two cards totaling 21 in value. Also referred to as a Blackjack.

Nickel: A $5 chip

No Double after Split: Casino rules that do not allow doubling when the player has split two cards

Pat Hand: Any hand in blackjack which is a hard 17 or greater and would not require a hit

Penetration: How far into the pack or shoe a dealer goes before shuffling

Red Chip: A $5 chip.

Resplit: Splitting pairs after splitting a pair for the first time if the same card is dealt again.

Resplit Aces: the unlimited ability to re-split aces. Most casinos place a limit on how many times a player can resplit aces.

Session: The time a player spends at a particular table

Soft Hand: A hand that contains an Ace which is counted as 11. For example, an Ace-9 that is counted as twenty is soft. If it is later counted as a ten, it becomes a hard hand.

Stand: The decision not to draw any further cards, or not to hit any more.

Stiff Hand: Any hand that could bust if the player draws. Stiff hands are hard totals of 12 through 16 in value.

Surrender: Surrender is the only option of not playing a hand after receiving your first two cards. When you surrender, the dealer will take your cards and you will only lose one half of your bet.

Third Baseman: The seat at a blackjack table which is the farthest to the left. It is the last person to receive the cards. Also referred to as the Anchorman.

Tie: Both player and dealer have the same hand total. Player keeps bet. Also a bush

Up Card: The dealer's first dealt card, placed face up

Win Rate: The speed at which one is expected to win, usually expressed as a percentage

Whale: casino-speak for a high-roller of the largest caliber