Blackjack Terms and Definitions

BLACKJACK or NATURAL

is a hand that comprises two cards totaling 21 (an Ace and a ten-valued card). Note: an Ace and a ten after split is not a Blackjack, but a total 21.

BUST

a loosing Blackjack hand that exceeds 21.

COUNTING

a strategy unwelcome by most of the casinos, that includes keeping track of the dealt cards in order to see the percentage of small/large cards in the deck, thus realising the odds.

FIRST BASE

the first player at the Blackjack table, from which the dealer starts dealing the cards.

HOLE

one of the dealer’s cards that is dealt face down. The hole card is flipped over only after all the players have played their cards.

HIT

asking the dealer for another card.

STAND

to ask for no more cards. The hand that stands stops playing and will compete with the dealer’s hand.

SPLIT

when first two cards dealt to the player are a pair (two eights, two Aces) they can be split into two independent hands by increasing the initial bet twice.

DOUBLE DOWN

an option that allows doubling the initial bet and receiving only one extra card and automatically STAND. Note: double only when you are positive that the extra card will make your hand beat the dealer’s hand.

INSURANCE

if the dealer’s up card is an Ace, the players will be offered to insure half of their bets from possible dealer’s BLACKJACK. Insurance usually pays 2:1. If dealer’s hand is not a BLACKJACK, the insurance bet is lost, but the hand continues playing.

EVEN MONEY

if the dealer’s up card is an Ace, and the player has a BLACKJACK, the dealer may offer “even money”. This bet is a lot like insurance, however, the player bets that a dealer has a BLACKJACK and in case he does, in addition to a push, the player gets paid 2:1 for an even money bet.

PUSH

a tie between the player’s hand and the dealer’s hand. A tie occurs when both the dealer and the player have unbusted hands of the same total. Note: a 21 doesn’t tie a BLACKJACK.

SURRENDER

an option that allows a player to give up his hand by forfeiting half of his original bet.

EARLY SURRENDER

a surrender, allowed before the dealer checks his HOLE card for a BLACKJACK.

LATE SURRENDER

a surrender, performed only after dealer checks his HOLE card for a BLACKJACK. In case dealer actually does have a BLACKJACK, all the bets will be lost, thus the option of Late surrender is not very pleasant.

TWIST

in Pontoon’s terminology means to HIT (take another card).

STICK

in Pontoon’s terminology means to STAND (take no more cards).

BUY

in Pontoon’s terminology means to DOUBLE DOWN (only in Pontoon a player can still TWIST after he Buys and he may Buy on any hand from 2 to 4 cards).

FIVE CARD TRICK

in Pontoon it is any 5-card combination that is not a BUST.

PONTOON

a BLACKJACK or a NATURAL in Pontoon game’s terminology

BASIC BLACKJACK STRATEGY CHART

a table with abbreviations that represents all possible game situations and mathematically best player’s solutions.

RUNNING COUNT

the count of cards made by the player by adding or subtracting one according to the rank of card dealt from the deck.

TRUE COUNT

card counting strategy that involves the result of the running count and divides it into number of decks used in a specific game.

FACE-UP CARD

one of the dealer’s cards that is dealt face up, so that everyone sees its value.

HARD HAND

any hand without an Ace or a hand with two or more Aces that can only count as 1.

SOFT HAND

any hand that has an Ace that can be counted as 11 (e.g. a hand of an Ace and 7).

SWITCH

option offered in a Switch Blackjack game. Player can switch the second cards dealt to two initial hands.