• Featured online casinos
    Play Now Review
    Play Now Review
    Play Now Review
    Play Now Review
    Play Now Review
    Play Now Review
    Play Now Review
    Play Now Review
    Play Now Review
    Play Now Review


    Blackjack glossary



    21+3 - It the European style of blackjack game. 21+3 blackjack involves side bet that first 2 player cards and dealer up card will make a 3-card poker hand. This bet is an optional one and is made before the cards are dealt. If the player places this bet, the outcome is known as soon as the cards are dealt.

    Anchor - It is the last sit taken to the dealer's right.

    Banker - Banker is a person who records the activities of the other opponent person. A banker may be dealer or any other player.

    Bankroll - The amount of money a person has intended to play with during the gambling process.

    Basic Strategy - The rules which make a player close to winning a game. The basic strategy may differ from player to player.

    Blackjack - The sum total of 21 on a players initial two-card hand.

    Burn Cards - Remove cards from the top of the deck and place them in the discard tray after a shuffle and cut.

    Break - when the hand total exceeds 21 it is called break.

    Bust - it is similar to, the hand total exceeding 21.

    Camouflage - It is typical trait of a skilled gambler which he does to conceal their activities from the casino. I can include mixing with different kinds of players, capturing the betting behavior of a particular player. He can reach any heights in order to bluff the casino security.

    Card Counting - It involves pre recording played cards so that he can easily calculate in his mind the possible conditional probability advantage on the remaining cards against the dealer.

    Charlie or Five Card Charlie - It is a blackjack rule where if a player gets 5 cards without busting he wins that hand.

    Cut - this involves splitting of the deck of cards before they are dealt.

    Cut Card - when some colored faceless plastic made cards are used to split the cards just after the shuffle.

    Deal - when cards are given out during a hand.

    Discard Tray - A tray on the dealer’s right side that holds all the cards that have been played or discarded.

    Double Down - Doubling down is extremely profitable and it is factored in to the figures that are computed for the house edge. When you don’t double down in the proper situations you are not playing correct basic strategy and you will be increasing the house edge. Seize the moment and double down when you can.

    Draw - (Also Hit.) When a player calls a card or adds a new card to his current hand.

    Double Down (Doubling Down) - When you are playing blackjack one of the most favorable situations arises when you have the opportunity to double down. When you double down you are allowed to double your bet after receiving your fist two cards. You then receive one card only on your hand

    Even Money - Even money is also known as 50-50 though technically it is different since the amount won on a 50-50 bet does not mean that the chance of winning is also 50-50, in fact it is likely less than a 50% chance the player will win.

    Face Cards - Jacks, Queens and Kings.

    Face Down Game - When the first card is placed face up while the second one is placed face down

    Face Up Game - when both of the cards are placed face up.

    First Base - The first seat taken to dealer's left. It is located where dealer deals the first card.

    Five Card Charlie - A rule in blackjack which involves a method when a player receives 5 cards without busting, he wins that hand

    Hard Hand - (Also Hard Total.) Hard is said to be that situation when a hand without an Ace, or with an Ace valued at 1

    Heads Up or Heads On - When two dealers fight head to head no other players are involved in it.

    A head to head play with the dealer - no other players are involved.

    Hit - (Also Draw) When a player calls a card or adds a new card to his current hand, the card called is hit

    Hole Card - The facedown card that a dealer gets when facing down.

    Insurance - The dealer having a natural 21 is betted by a player who puts Side bet up to half the initial bet. The insurance is made available when a dealer’s up card is an Ace. A player wins double if the dealer has a natural, but loses if the dealer does not

    Late Surrender - The situation where a dealer does not have nay blackjack.

    Natural - Natural is the two card hand of 21.This is applicable only in blackjack. Two card total of eight is called natural in baccarat.

    Pat - In draw poker, a hand that does not need any more hands. And in blackjack, an unbusted hand is worth at least 17 points.

    Perfect Pairs - Is a blackjack side bet played on a standard blackjack table and does not require the main game rules to be changed. All Perfect Pairs wagers are decided and acted on at the completion of the initial deal. There are 3 different types of pairs and the payout odds vary accordingly: Mixed pair, Colored pair, and Perfect pair.

    Plug - A unique shuffling technique that is sometimes used in card games like blackjack where the game is often dealt from a multi-deck shoe. The freshly shuffled cards are brought back into action substantial portions then the cards are kept out of board by the insertion of a cut-card at the back of the deck or shoe. The cut card placed marks the place where play will be stopped and the cards are again shuffled. When the cut-card is reached, the game is stopped, and the remaining un-dealt cards are inserted somewhere into the middle of the cards that have already been stacked up in the discard tray. The cards inserted like this are referred to as a 'plug'. Such action is called 'plugging' the deck.

    Point Count - (In card counting systems) the total value of the card count at the end of a hand.

    Preferential Shuffling - The way of shuffling which makes a player in a advantageous position against his opponent.

    Push - (Also Tie or Stand-off.) When the dealer’s and the players total coincide they have the same hand total.

    Running Count - (In card counting systems) the initial count starting from the beginning of the deck or shoe. The current count is always updated by the value of the point count after each hand.

    Shiner - A mirror like reflecting device to grab dealer’s attention and therefore see the hole card.

    Shoe - The device which is made use for holding and releasing the cards to be dealt.

    Shuffle - The mix up of the cards at the beginning of the game so that the cards fall into correct places.

    Shuffle Up - The procedure which encourages a dealer not to shuffle the cards properly.

    Soft Hand - The hand containing an ace counted which is as 11.

    Split Hand - When the cards are shuffled and distributed to the players they are split into two parts so that it can be played separately.

    Spooking - It’s the act of cheating when a player is able to peak at dealer’s hole card and convey the information to his partner. It a dishonest means taken by the player.

    Standing Hand - The hand which makes a sum of 17 and it forms a likely means where a player is prone to be busted if one more card is called and therefore the player is expected to stand. The term is appropriate in a blackjack game.

    Stand-off - (Also Tie or Push.) when both player and dealer have the same hand total and the player keeps bet.

    Stand or Stay - The situation where a player does not require any more cards, he is restricted from taking another card.

    Steaming - An unusual event when the player has become frustrated with the occurrence of a bad session. It is similar to 'going on tilt' in poker. The player loses his control and is betting more fiercely. He is trying hard to turn things around.

    Stiff Hand - the hand which has a little chance of winning. The hand is not appropriate and may bust if it is declared once. Stiffs include hard twelve through sixteen.

    Surrender - when a player gives up his hand and loses only his half bet.

    Tell Play - The unique way of observing a dealer’s body expressions and language. The player can actually determine his hands of cards.

    Third Base - The seat which has been to the extreme last on the right of the dealer.

    Tie - (Also Push or Stand-off.) When the game emerges as draw and both players sum total are equal to each other.

    True Count - (In card counting systems) the total count adjusted to fetch the number of the card which has been left in the deck or shoe to be played.

    Upcard - The card, which is dealt initially, placed face up before the players, so that they can see the cards before the hands.