Blackjack Glossary
New blackjack players can encounter unfamiliar shorthand at the table. Knowing the common terms makes it easier to follow the action and understand how a decision affects a hand. This glossary gathers frequently used blackjack language, from card values and player actions to counting systems and table rules.
Blackjack Terms: A Glossary
Joining a blackjack table for the first time can feel like a lot to take in, especially when the terminology is unfamiliar. Learning the words used for cards, bets and decisions helps make the play easier to follow. The entries below explain common expressions you may hear during a game.
Ace - In a standard deck of 52 cards, the Ace ranks above the other cards.
Ace Adjustment - Changing a wager up or down based on the number of Aces believed to remain in the deck.
Ace Five Count - A counting approach that tracks only Aces and fives.
Ace Neutral Count - A counting method that assigns Aces a value of 0, or leaves them out of the count.
Ace Poor - A deck with statistically fewer Aces than the average.
Ace Rich - A deck with statistically more Aces than the average.
Ace Side Count - A separate tally of the Aces that have already been dealt.
Action - The money wagered on one bet, or the total volume of bets over a specified period.
Anchorman - The player occupying the final seat to the dealer's right.
Back Counting - Tracking cards as an observer rather than taking a seat and playing.
Balanced Count - A counting system in which the card values in a full deck add to 0, with positive and negative values offsetting one another.
Bankroll - The total amount of money a player has set aside to gamble with.
Bankroll Management - A plan for handling a gambling bankroll so that the player controls how it is used over time.
Basic Strategy - The recommended playing decisions for blackjack when the player is not counting cards.
Big Player - The team member who makes large wagers when the count favours the players.
Blackjack - A hand made from the first two cards that totals 21; also the name of the game.
Blackjack Tournament - A timed blackjack contest among several players, with one competitor finishing as the winner.
Burn Cards - Cards set aside by the dealer during play, commonly after the shuffle and cut.
Bust - A hand total above 21. This is also called 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 - Keeping track of cards already dealt or discarded in an effort to gain an advantage over the casino.
Camouflage - A tactic used to conceal a playing approach, such as card counting, from casino staff.
Chips - Casino tokens used in place of cash for wagering.
Cut - Separating a shuffled deck before the dealer begins dealing.
Cut Card - A plastic card inserted to divide the deck after a shuffle.
Dealer - The person who distributes 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 share of cards dealt from a deck or shoe before the dealer shuffles again.
Discard Tray - The holder, positioned to the dealer's right, where played cards are placed.
Double Deck Blackjack - A blackjack game using two decks shuffled together.
Double Down - Increasing the original wager to twice its amount and receiving only one more card.
Double Exposure - A blackjack variation in which both of the dealer's 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, in exchange for half the original wager.
Eight Deck Blackjack - Blackjack played with 8 decks in use at once.
Even Money - A payout equal to the amount originally wagered.
Expectation - The statistical average amount a player can expect to win or lose on a wager, stated as a percentage.
Eye in the Sky - The casino's video surveillance system watching the gaming floor.
Face Card - A King, Queen or Jack, each assigned a value of 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 is advantageous to the player.
First Baseman - The player in the seat closest to the dealer's left.
Five Card Charlie - A hand of five cards with a total no higher than 21, so it has not gone bust.
Flat Bet - Wagering the same amount on each hand.
Floorman - A casino supervisor who oversees dealers.
Hand - The cards dealt to a player; initially, this consists of the first two cards.
Hard Ace - An Ace that must be counted as 1 in the hand.
Hard Hand - A hard hand contains a hard Ace or has 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 placing large wagers.
Hi-Lo Count - A counting system that gives 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 concealed 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 that apply to a game at a particular table.
Kelly Betting System (Kelly Criterion) - A formula-based system that sets a wager as a share of the bankroll matching 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 is capped at half the player's original wager.
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 each 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 follows at least 2 distinct counts, often pairing 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 adding up to 21 (“blackjack”).
No double after Split - A rule that bars 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 that 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 - Combining 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 that signals the deck contains a higher share of 10-value cards.
Preferential Shuffling - Shuffling sooner or more often as a way to deter card counting.
Push - A tie between the player's and dealer's hand values, with the player's wager returned.
Resplit - Splitting another pair that appears in one of the hands created by an earlier split.
Round - One full cycle of play, ending after everyone has acted and winning and losing wagers have been settled.
Running Count - The ongoing point total at the beginning of a deal in card counting.
Session - The stretch of time 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 the cards into a random order before dealing begins.
Shuffle-Tracking - Watching how cards move through a shuffle to estimate where Aces and face cards may land, then cutting to bring them into play.
Shuffle Up - A practice of shuffling earlier or more often to discourage card counting.
Side Count - Keeping a separate tally of a particular card alongside the main point count.
Single Deck Blackjack - A blackjack game dealt from a single deck of 52 cards.
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 be counted 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 standing 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, when the original wager is returned.
Steaming - A player who, after losing, lets emotions take over and starts betting recklessly.
Stiff Card - A dealer up card with a value from 2 to 6.
Stiff Hand - A player's hand with a total between 12 and 16.
Surrender - Giving up a hand and receiving half of the original wager back.
Table Limits - The minimum and maximum wagers a player may place in each round.
Ten-Poor Deck - A deck with relatively few cards worth 10.
Ten-Rich Deck - A deck with relatively many cards worth 10.
Ten-Value Card - Any card assigned a value of 10.
Third Baseman - The player in the final seat to the dealer's right.
Tie - When dealer and player totals match, the player's wager is returned.
True Count - The running point total divided by the number of decks remaining in a shoe.
Twenty-One - A second 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's very large bettor.
Win Rate - A player's average winnings per hour.
