Blackjack Glossary
A Blackjack Glossary
We have compiled this Blackjack Glossary to help you get to grips with all the strange and obscure terms and jargon that make up the game of blackjack.
21+3 – Blackjack and 3-card poker playing out simultaneously. This European-style blackjack game adopts the same 3-card side bet similar to that found in Three Card Poker game.
Ace Rich – Description of the deck or shoe, when few aces have been dealt out so far, thus increasing the odds of receiving one soon.
Action – Total number of bets spent over a specific time period.
Anchor/Anchorman – The last player to act who is closest to the dealer’s right.
Banker – The Dealer
Bankroll – The money used for gambling.
Basic Strategy – A strategy with the most profitable decisions you can make on any given hand, but only taking into account the dealer’s up card and your own hand.
Blackjack – When an ace is dealt followed by a 10-value card for a total 21. When a dealer has blackjack it is an automatic win against players who do not. When a player has blackjack it is typically a payout at 3/2.
Burn Card – Card removed from the top of the deck before a deal.
Bust – Lose a hand by exceeding a total of 21.
Camouflage Play – A style used by players to hide the fact that they have skills.
Card Counting – Keeping track of the remaining cards left to be dealt and increasing your bets when the deck is favorable. This is against the rules in most casinos.
Cold Deck – A bad run of cards resulting in larger than expected losses for the player.
Comps – Rewards players can claim from a casino based on the amount they have wagered. For high roller players this can cover almost anything, including food, drinks and hotel rooms.
Dealer – Casino employee who deals the cards and ensures the game are run correctly.
Dealer Peek – Where the dealer will check for blackjack if their up card is an ace or a ten.
Deck Penetration – Percentage of the deck that is dealt before the deck is shuffled.
Discard Tray – A tray on the table where the dealer places cards that have already been dealt.
Double Down – When a player has received their hand they can ask to double their bet on condition they draw only one card.
Early Surrender – When a player surrenders before the dealer checks for a blackjack.
Edge – Mathematical advantage which the house has over the player. This may reverse itself via card counting. Learn more with our jackpot winning strategies.
Even Money – Cashing in a wager when you get a blackjack and the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace.
Face Card – A Jack, Queen or King. Also known as a Paint card or simply, Paint.
First Base/First Baseman – First player who is next to the dealers left.
Five Card Charlie – When you get 5 cards without busting.
Flat Betting – Betting the same amount for each hand.
Hard Hand – Hand without an Ace or with an Ace that has a value of 1.
Heads Up – Playing against the dealer with no other players involved.
Heater – A run of cards advantageous to the player.
Hit – Ask for an additional card to your hand.
Hole Card – The dealer’s unexposed card.
Insurance – A side bet offered to players when the dealer is showing an ace. Players have the choice of betting half their initial wager. It will payout at 2/1 if the dealer has a blackjack.
Natural – Having an ace and 10-value card as the first two cards of your hand, adding up to 21. When the dealer has blackjack it’s a win for the house against any player who does not also hold a blackjack. When a player gets a blackjack it pays out at 3/2.
Pat – A hand that has a minimum of 17 points.
Perfect Pairs – A side bet played in the standard online blackjack game. There are three different types of pairs including a Mixed Pair, a Color Pair and a Perfect Pair.
Push – The player and the dealer both have hands of the same value. In this case the player loses his bet.
Shoe/Sabot – Device used by the dealer to hold and deal the decks of cards.
Soft Hand – Hand that contains an ace counted as 11.
Split – When a player receives a pair they have the option to either play them or split them. They can then receive a new card on both to start two new hands. For this the player must place another bet equal to the original wager.
Standing Hand – A hand that totals 17 or more, which is likely to bust if another card is requested.
Stand or Stay – When you need no more cards and don’t ask for an additional card.
Stiff Hand – Hand that has only a tiny chance of winning.
Surrender – When a player forfeits their hand to only lose half the bet.
Third Base – Position of the player who must act last before the dealer.
Tie Bet – When both the dealer and the player have the same amount of points.
Up Card – The dealer card which is left face up so everyone can see it.
Whale – A wealthy player who plays at high limits.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our Blackjack glossary. Now it’s up to you to put this new knowledge to use. Alternatively, however, you can also check up on your jackpot terminology by reading our Jackpot Glossary. We also have all the Blackjack Rules in one place, a long with a general overview of the game in our Blackjack Guide. And to end it all, we have our Blackjack Strategies to show you how to win the jackpot.
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