Blackjack Terminology from A-Z

Are you new to blackjack and want to familiarize yourself with the lingo? There’s plenty of blackjack terminology that you’ll come across when playing in person and online, and we want to help you get a grasp on these extensive terms. As you’ll discover, the terms are all straightforward and aren’t hard to learn at all.

Before we get too deep into our overview of the most common blackjack terms, we want to ensure that you’re well acquainted with the standard rules of blackjack. That way, you’ll be able to absorb the phrases and apply them to your knowledge of the game. From there, we’ve provided an A-Z of standard blackjack terms and rules.

As some will only apply to certain types of the game, we’ve gone on to explain some common rule variations and strategies that successful players can adopt. We end our guide with an overview of online blackjack. So, you will be fully prepared to play at the best blackjack sites.

• Blackjack Rules Explained
• Blackjack Terms
• Blackjack Variations
• Blackjack Strategies
• About Online Blackjack

Blackjack Rules Explained

Sometimes called Twenty-One, the object of blackjack sees players compete against the dealer by getting a score as close to 21 as possible without going over. Cards score based on their face value, with face cards counting as 10 points and Aces worth 1 or 11.

A standard 52-card deck is used, with different games having a different number of decks in rotation. Before the cards are dealt, each player places a bet. The dealer will then deal one face-up card to each player and one to themselves. Another round is dealt, with the dealer’s second card face down.

If your first hand immediately equals 21, this is blackjack, and the dealer will payout 1.5 times your bet. If the dealer has blackjack, they will collect all players’ bets without blackjack. The first player must decide whether to stand, or to ask for no cards, or to hit, which is to ask for another card.

If your score goes over 21, your hand has bust. The dealing continues until all players stand or have busted or the player hits blackjack. The dealer then reveals their face-down card. If it’s 17 or more, it must stand. Otherwise, they must keep dealing until their hand is 17 or more.

Once the dealer is finished, players that have gone bust or have a lower-value hand than the dealer lose their wager. If your hand is greater in value than the dealer or the dealer busts, then all players standing will win the same value as their bet.

If a player and the dealer have the same high score, it is called a push and you keep your money. One important element of blackjack is that you are not in competition with other players. All games are played individually against the dealer. It’s very useful to understand blackjack terminology casino lingo for faster and smoother play.

Blackjack Terms

Now that you understand the rules of the game, it’s time to get started with our A to Z list of blackjack terms. Most of these are utilized in all forms of blackjack, though some will apply to games with rule variations. We’ve explained these common variations in the following section.

The Glossary

• Anchorman – the anchorman is the last player to stand or hit before the dealer’s turn
• Bankroll – your bankroll is the money you have set aside to play on blackjack or casino games
• Blackjack – not only is this the name of the game, but it’s the highest hand that can be achieved. This is exactly 21 points and is made up of an Ace and a 10-scoring card
• Box – the outlined area on the table where your place your cards and your chips
• Burn Card – this is the card at the top of the deck that is discarded after a shuffle is completed. This makes it impossible for the first player to know what card this is
• Bust – if a player or the dealer’s hand exceeds 21 points, they go bust. This is an automatic loss
• Chipping Up/Down – this is the act of increasing or lowering your bet from the previous round
• Color Up – a player can ask to color up to exchange low-value chips for the same value in high-value chips. This is considered good etiquette
• Cut – when the dealers finish shuffling the deck, they split or cut the deck in half
• Discards – the name of cards that have already been dealt
• Double Down – is an option in some games to double your initial wager for an additional card. You can’t hit again once you’ve doubled down
• Double Exposure – a blackjack variant where both of the dealer’s cards are dealt face up
• Flat Betting – the name of the betting strategy to only bet the same amount every round
• Five-Card Charlie – a five-card hand that equals less than 21. This is often valued higher than an equal hand with fewer cards
• Hard – the Hard total is the value of your hand without the 11 points of an Ace card. A hand that doesn’t include an Ace is called a Hard Hand
• Heads Up – a game played between the dealer and one player
• Hit – to request another card be dealt
• Hit 17 – a common rule that states the dealer must hit if their hand value is exactly 17
• Hole Card – the name of the dealer’s face-down card
• House Edge – this is the advantage that the dealer has over players. This can change depending on the variation played
• Insurance – a type of side bet players can make is the dealer’s up-card is an Ace. See the following section
• Multi-Deck – as opposed to a Single-Deck game. When the house uses between six and eight decks to prevent card-counting
• Natural Hand – another name for a blackjack hand
• Pair – a hand with two cards of the same value
• Pat Hand – a hand with a total between 17 and 21 that doesn’t need a hit
• Pit – the casino area that contains the blackjack table
• Push – when the player and dealer draws
• Side Bet – a separate wager made on other elements of the game
• Soft Hand – a hand that contains an ace. The Soft total is the value of the hand including the ace as this can be worth one or 11 points
• Split – if you have a pair, you may be able to split the hands into two hands
• Stand – opting not to take any more cars
• Stand 17 – when the dealer must stand if their hand is 17 or more
• Stiff – when your hand is close to going bust if you draw another card
• Surrender – this is forfeiting half your bet if you don’t receive a favorable hand
• Toke – another term for a tip given to dealers
• Up Card – the dealer’s face-up card

Blackjack Rule Variations

There are several special rules that may apply to your blackjack game, but this will depend on the casino you’re at and the particular table. Often, you can choose an online blackjack game that has these specific rules so you can have a more interesting gaming experience. We’ve discussed the blackjack terms and rules of each below.

Splitting Pairs

This rule allows you to split your hand if your first two cards are the same denomination. They must be the same cards, so two jacks as opposed to two 10-valued cards. You must then place an equal-sized bet on the other new hand. Your second hand is played once you’ve finished the first hand. Each hand is played separately. If you split an ace, you can only receive one more card for each hand.

Doubling Down

If your first two cards total 9, 10, or 11, you are able to double down. Once it’s your turn, you can double your original bet. You’ll then only receive one more card which will be face down. This is not revealed until all bets are settled at the end of the round. You can double down and split if two 5s are dealt.

Insurance

If the dealer’s face-up card is an ace, you are able to make an insurance bet of half your bet on the outcome that the dealer’s hole card is a 10. If it is a 10, players with the insurance bet will earn double their insurance wager. Therefore, as the dealer has hit blackjack, you insure yourself against any losses.

Blackjack Strategies

When you’re familiar with the blackjack terms, you may want to start looking into strategies. While the most famous strategy is card counting, this is extremely difficult and is often banned by casinos. Essentially, this is the process of tracking all cards that have been discarded and playing based on the knowledge of the remaining cards.

The most simple and reliable gameplay strategy will take into account what the dealer’s up card is. If it’s a high-value card e.g. from 7 to Ace, it’s wise to keep drawing until you hit 17 or higher. If it’s a poor card e.g. between 4 and 6, it can be wise to stop drawing as soon as you get to 12 or higher.

The strategy with standing on such a low value is that the dealer will keep hitting to try to beat you and hopefully bust. If you have a soft hand, keep hitting until a total of at least 18 is reached. Your Ace can provide plenty of safety here. As for doubling down, it’s wise to double down with a total of 11, and only wise to do with 10 if the dealer has a 10-card or an Ace.

About Online Blackjack

The basic blackjack terminology that has been described on this page will apply to both land-based and online casino variants. At most online casinos, you’ll have the option to play either virtual or real dealer versions. Virtual blackjack is played against computers, while real dealer games are played against live dealers streamed to your screens.

Make sure that you pick a variant that includes the side-betting rules and betting limits that appeal to your tastes and needs. You can usually play online for much cheaper than at a land-based casino, so this is a great opportunity to hone your skills and improve your strategies.