Blackjack Glossary
New blackjack players may come across unfamiliar terms at the table. Understanding common shorthand makes it easier to follow the game and see how a choice affects the hand. This glossary covers frequently used blackjack terms, including card values, player actions, counting systems and table rules.
Blackjack Terms: A Glossary
A first visit to a blackjack table can feel overwhelming, especially when the terminology is new. Learning the words for cards, bets and decisions makes the game easier to follow. These entries explain expressions you may hear during play.
Ace - In a standard 52-card deck, the Ace ranks above the other cards.
Ace Adjustment - Raising or lowering a wager based on how many Aces are thought to remain in the deck.
Ace Five Count - A card-counting approach that tracks only Aces and fives.
Ace Neutral Count - A counting method that gives Aces a value of 0 or excludes them from the count.
Ace Poor - A deck with statistically fewer Aces than average.
Ace Rich - A deck with statistically more Aces than average.
Ace Side Count - A separate tally of Aces that have already been dealt.
Action - The amount wagered on one bet, or the total volume of wagers over a given period.
Anchorman - The player in the last seat to the dealer's right.
Back Counting - Tracking cards as an observer without taking a seat or playing.
Balanced Count - A counting system in which the card values in a full deck total 0, as positive and negative values cancel each other out.
Bankroll - The total money a player has set aside for gambling.
Bankroll Management - A plan for managing a gambling bankroll and controlling how it is used over time.
Basic Strategy - The recommended blackjack decisions for a player who is not counting cards.
Big Player - A team member who places large wagers when the count favours the players.
Blackjack - A hand totaling 21 with the first two cards; also the name of the game.
Blackjack Tournament - A timed blackjack contest involving several players, with one competitor finishing as the winner.
Burn Cards - Cards the dealer sets aside during play, usually after the shuffle and cut.
Bust - A hand total above 21, also known as a “break.”
Card Counter - A player who tracks cards dealt and removed from play in an attempt to gain an advantage over the casino.
Card Counting - Tracking cards that have been dealt or discarded in an attempt to gain an advantage over the casino.
Camouflage - A tactic used to hide a playing approach, such as card counting, from casino staff.
Chips - Casino tokens used instead of cash for wagers.
Cut - Dividing a shuffled deck before the dealer starts dealing.
Cut Card - A plastic card placed in the deck to divide it after a shuffle.
Dealer - The person who deals the cards; players play their hands against the dealer.
Deck - The 52 cards in a traditional playing-card deck used for blackjack.
Deck Penetration - The proportion of cards dealt from a deck or shoe before the dealer shuffles again.
Discard Tray - The holder to the dealer's right where played cards are placed.
Double Deck Blackjack - Blackjack played with two decks shuffled together.
Double Down - Doubling the original wager and receiving just one additional card.
Double Exposure - A blackjack variation in which both dealer cards are dealt face up.
Draw - Another word for “hit”: taking an additional card into the hand.
Early Surrender - Giving up a hand before the dealer checks for blackjack and receiving half the original wager back.
Eight Deck Blackjack - Blackjack played with 8 decks at once.
Even Money - A payout equal to the original wager.
Expectation - The statistical average amount a player can expect to win or lose on a wager, expressed as a percentage.
Eye in the Sky - The casino's video surveillance system monitoring the gaming floor.
Face Card - A King, Queen or Jack, each worth 10 points.
Face Down Game - A game in which the player's first card is face up and the second is dealt face down.
Face Up Game - A game in which every card is dealt face up.
Favorable Deck - A remaining set of cards whose composition benefits the player.
First Baseman - The player in the seat nearest the dealer's left.
Five Card Charlie - A five-card hand totaling no more than 21, which has not busted.
Flat Bet - Betting the same amount on every hand.
Floorman - A casino supervisor who oversees dealers.
Hand - The cards dealt to a player; the initial hand consists of the first two cards.
Hard Ace - An Ace that must count as 1 in the hand.
Hard Hand - A hand with a hard Ace or no Aces.
Head-to-Head (or head-on) - A one-on-one game between a player and the dealer.
High Roller - A player known for making large wagers.
Hi-Lo Count - A counting system that assigns cards 2-6 a value of +1 and face cards, tens and Aces a value of -1.
Hit - Also called “draw”: taking another card to add to a hand.
Hole Card - The dealer's hidden card, dealt face down.
House - The casino or the operator running the game.
House Edge - The casino's mathematical advantage over the player, expressed as a percentage.
House Rules - The rules in force at a particular game table.
Kelly Betting System (Kelly Criterion) - A formula-based system that sets a wager as a share of the bankroll based on the size of the player's advantage.
Insurance - A side wager offered when the dealer shows an Ace, on whether the dealer has blackjack. It cannot exceed half the player's original wager.
Las Vegas Strip Rules - Rules commonly followed by casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.
Late Surrender - Giving up a hand for half the original wager after the dealer checks the hole card and finds no blackjack.
Martingale Betting System - A money-management approach that calls for doubling the wager after every loss.
Mechanic - A dealer or player who uses sleight of hand to cheat at cards.
Mucker - A player who cheats in a multi-deck game by introducing favourable cards into play.
Multi-level Count - A card-counting method that assigns values greater than plus or minus one.
Multiparameter System - A counting method that tracks at least 2 separate counts, often combining a main count with a side count such as Aces.
Multiple-Deck - Blackjack played with two or more decks combined and shuffled together.
Natural - A player's first two cards totaling 21 (“blackjack”).
No double after Split - A rule preventing a player from doubling down after splitting a pair.
Paint - A King, Queen or Jack; these are collectively called face cards.
Pat Hand - A hard hand with a total from 17 to 21.
Perfect Pairs - A side bet that the player's first two cards will make a pair.
Pit Boss - The casino employee in the pit who supervises table games and dealers.
Plug - Mixing undealt cards with the discards before shuffling.
Plus/Minus Count - Another name for the “Hi-Lo” card-counting system.
Point Count - The net count value recorded at the end of each hand in a counting system.
Positive Count - A count indicating that the deck has a higher proportion of 10-value cards.
Preferential Shuffling - Shuffling earlier or more often to discourage card counting.
Push - A tie between the player's and dealer's hand values, with the player's wager returned.
Resplit - Splitting another pair dealt to one of the hands created by an earlier split.
Round - A complete cycle of play, ending once everyone has acted and winning and losing wagers are settled.
Running Count - The ongoing point total at the start of a deal in card counting.
Session - The period a player gambles without taking a break.
Shoe - A dealing container holding up to eight shuffled decks and dispensing cards to the dealer.
Shuffle - Mixing the cards into a random order before dealing starts.
Shuffle-Tracking - Following cards through a shuffle to estimate where Aces and face cards might end up, then cutting the deck to bring them into play.
Shuffle Up - Shuffling earlier or more often to deter card counting.
Side Count - Keeping a separate tally of a particular card in addition to the main point count.
Single Deck Blackjack - Blackjack dealt from one 52-card deck.
Six Deck Blackjack - Blackjack played with 6 decks of cards. This is described as the most commonly played type of blackjack.
Soft Hand - A hand containing an Ace that can count as either 1 or 11.
Soft Double - Doubling the wager with a soft hand.
Split - Separating a pair of equal cards and playing them as two separate hands.
Spooking - A cheating method in which someone behind the dealer peeks at the hole card and signals its value to a player.
Stand - Choosing not to take another card.
Stand-off - Another term for equal player and dealer totals, with the original wager returned.
Steaming - When a player loses, lets emotions take over and begins betting recklessly.
Stiff Card - A dealer up card valued from 2 to 6.
Stiff Hand - A player's hand totaling 12 to 16.
Surrender - Giving up a hand and getting half the original wager back.
Table Limits - The minimum and maximum wagers allowed per round.
Ten-Poor Deck - A deck with relatively few 10-value cards.
Ten-Rich Deck - A deck with relatively many 10-value cards.
Ten-Value Card - Any card assigned a value of 10.
Third Baseman - The player in the last seat to the dealer's right.
Tie - When the dealer's and player's totals match, the player's wager is returned.
True Count - The running point total divided by the number of decks left in the shoe.
Twenty-One - Another name for “blackjack.”
Unit - The size of a wager.
Up Card - The dealer's first card, dealt face up.
Vigorish - The casino's advantage over the player, expressed as a percentage.
Whale - A casino customer who wagers very large amounts.
Win Rate - A player's average winnings per hour.
