Blackjack Glossary
New blackjack players may come across unfamiliar shorthand at the table. Knowing the common terms helps you follow the action and see how a decision affects your hand. This glossary covers frequently used blackjack language, from card values and player actions to counting systems and table rules.
Blackjack Terms: A Glossary
Taking a seat at a blackjack table for the first time can be a lot to absorb, especially if the terms are unfamiliar. Learning the language used for cards, bets and decisions makes the game easier to follow. The entries below define 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 the number of aces believed to remain in the deck.
Ace Five Count - A counting method that tracks only aces and fives.
Ace Neutral Count - A counting system 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 the aces already dealt.
Action - The amount wagered on a single bet, or the total volume of bets over a specified period.
Anchorman - The player in the last seat to the dealer's right.
Back Counting - Tracking cards as an observer instead of sitting down to play.
Balanced Count - A counting system where the card values in a full deck add up to 0, with positive and negative values cancelling each other out.
Bankroll - The total amount of 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 member of a card-counting team who places large wagers when the count favours the players.
Blackjack - A hand totalling 21 with the first two cards; also the name of the game.
Blackjack Tournament - A timed blackjack competition involving several players, with one competitor finishing as the winner.
Burn Cards - Cards the dealer sets aside during play, commonly 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 effort to gain an advantage over the casino.
Card Counting - Tracking cards that have already been dealt or discarded in an effort to gain an advantage over the casino.
Camouflage - A tactic to hide a playing approach, such as card counting, from casino staff.
Chips - Casino tokens used instead of cash for wagering.
Cut - Separating a shuffled deck before the dealer starts dealing.
Cut Card - A plastic card inserted into the deck to mark the cut 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 - A blackjack game played with two decks shuffled together.
Double Down - Doubling the original wager and receiving only one additional card.
Double Exposure - A blackjack variation where both dealer cards are dealt face up.
Draw - Another term 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.
Face Down Game - A game in which a player's first card is face up and the second is dealt face down.
Face Up Game - A game where every card is dealt face up.
Favorable Deck - A remaining group of cards whose composition benefits the player.
First Baseman - The player in the seat closest to the dealer's left.
Five Card Charlie - A five-card hand totalling no more than 21, so it has not busted.
Flat Bet - Wagering the same amount on every hand.
Floorman - A casino supervisor who oversees dealers.
Hand - The cards dealt to a player; at the start, a 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 a player, expressed as a percentage.
House Rules - The rules in effect at a particular table.
Kelly Betting System (Kelly Criterion) - A formula-based system that sets a wager as a share of the bankroll in proportion to the player's advantage.
Insurance - A side wager offered when the dealer shows an ace, on whether the dealer has blackjack. The wager is limited to half the player's original bet.
Las Vegas Strip Rules - Rules commonly used 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 adding favourable cards to play.
Multi-level Count - A card-counting method that uses values greater than plus or minus one.
Multiparameter System - A counting method that tracks at least 2 separate counts, often a main count alongside 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 totalling 21 (“blackjack”).
No double after Split - A rule that prevents a player from doubling down after splitting a pair.
Paint - A king, queen or jack, collectively known as face cards.
Pat Hand - A hard hand with a total from 17 through 21.
Perfect Pairs - A side bet on whether the player's first two cards will form 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 contains a higher proportion of 10-value cards.
Preferential Shuffling - Shuffling sooner or more often to discourage card counting.
Push - A tie between the player and dealer, with the player's wager returned.
Resplit - Splitting another pair that appears in a hand created by an earlier split.
Round - One complete cycle of play, ending once everyone has acted and winning and losing wagers have been settled.
Running Count - The ongoing point total at the beginning of a deal when card counting.
Session - The period a player gambles without taking a break.
Shoe - A dealing container that holds up to eight shuffled decks and feeds cards to the dealer.
Shuffle - Mixing cards into a random order before dealing begins.
Shuffle-Tracking - Following how cards move through a shuffle to estimate where aces and face cards might end up, then cutting to bring them into play.
Shuffle Up - Shuffling sooner or more often to deter card counting.
Side Count - Keeping a separate tally of a particular card alongside the main point count.
Single Deck Blackjack - Blackjack dealt from one 52-card deck.
Six Deck Blackjack - Blackjack played with 6 decks. 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 while holding a soft hand.
Split - Separating a pair of equal cards to play them as two distinct hands.
Spooking - A cheating method where 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 matching player and dealer totals, with the original wager returned.
Steaming - When a player loses, gives in to emotion and starts betting recklessly.
Stiff Card - A dealer up card with a value from 2 to 6.
Stiff Hand - A player's hand totalling between 12 and 16.
Surrender - Giving up a hand and getting half the original wager back.
Table Limits - The minimum and maximum wagers a player can place in each round.
Ten-Poor Deck - A deck containing relatively few 10-value cards.
Ten-Rich Deck - A deck containing 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 remaining in the shoe.
Twenty-One - Another name for “blackjack”.
Unit - The amount 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's very high-stakes bettor.
Win Rate - A player's average winnings per hour.
