Blackjack Glossary

To understand the blackjack shoptalk one needs to know the terminology used by blackjack players. Blackjack glossary is a collection of the required terms.

Blackjack Moves

• Double: A move that allows the player to double the initial wager after seeing the dealt cards on the condition that one and only one more card will be drawn.
• Early Surrender: When the surrender is made before the dealer checks for blackjack.
• Hit: - Ask for another card to be dealt.
• Insurance: A wager placed when the dealer’s up card is an ace. This is to insure against the dealer getting a blackjack.
• Late Surrender: When the surrender is made after the dealer checks for blackjack. It cannot be used if the dealer has a blackjack.
• Split: A move that allow the player to split his hand when he is dealt two cards of the same denomination. The player has to place an additional identical bet and play the two hands independently.
• Stand: To be satisfied with the present hand value and not ask for another card.
• Surrender: A move that allows the player to give up the deal forfeiting only half his wager after he sees his dealt cards.

Blackjack Cards and Hands

• American Blackjack: A version of the game in which the hole card is dealt along with the dealer’s first card.
• Blackjack: A dealt hand consisting of an ace and a ten value card that totals to twenty-one and is an automatic winner.
• European Blackjack: A version of the game in which the hole card is dealt after all the players complete their play.
• Face Down Game: A version of the game in which the player’s first card is dealt face up and the second card is dealt face down.
• Face Up Game: A version of the game in which both the player’s cards are dealt face up.
• Hard Hand: A hand without an ace, or with an ace that is necessarily valued as 1.
• Hole Card: The dealer’s second card, which is dealt face down.
• Natural: Another name for the blackjack hand.
• Soft Hand: A hand with an ace that can be valued as 11.
• Up Card: The dealer’s first card, which is dealt face up.

Miscellaneous Terms

• ankroll: The amount of money a player starts playing with.
• Bust: When the hand value exceeds twenty-one and the player or dealer loses the game.
• Card Counting: Methods of ascertaining whether more high value cards or low value cards are left in the deck. This increases the player’s chances of winning.
• Push: The situation when both player and dealer have the same hand value. The bet is returned to the player.
• Shoe: A wooden box-like device from which the dealer deals cards.
• Shuffling Machines: Machines that shuffle the decks in complex ways to make it difficult for players to track cards.
• Shuffle Tracking: Techniques to trace certain important cards like aces after the decks have been shuffled.
• Tie: - Another name for push.
• Vingt et un: The French name for blackjack, meaning twenty-one.