Ever heard different Blackjack Terms but wondered what they meant? In this section, we’ve made learning these terms simple and straightforward. Use this guide as a reference if you hear a Blackjack Term you don’t recognize or if you just want to familiarize yourself the lingo. We started with the common terms; the ones you would see and hear if you’ve ever played Blackjack online before.

Common Blackjack Lingo:

• Blackjack: A hand containing 2 cards – an Ace and a 10-valued card.
• Bust: A losing hand that has exceeded a total score of 21 points.
• Card Counting: The art of keeping track of card values during a game. By doing this, you increase the probability of wins over losses. While it is not considered cheating, it is widely prohibited in land-based casinos.
• Double Down: Give me ONLY one more card, and double my bet
• Hit: take another card
• Insurance: You are given the Insurance option , if the Dealer’s face up card shows an Ace. It is a side bet that the Dealer has Blackjack. If the Dealer does not have Blackjack, you lose the Insurance bet. If the Dealer does have Blackjack, you win the Insurance bet but lose your original bet, unless you too had Blackjack. Insurance is almost always a no-win situation and we recommend that you don’t waste your money on this type of wager.
• Push: A tie between the Dealer and the Player – no one wins or loses.
• Split: Separate a pair of identical cards into two hands. Your initial wager will be placed on one hand. Another wager of equal value will be placed on the second hand.
• Stand: To keep the cards you have and don’t take any more
• Surrender: The option to forfeit half your bet, after the Dealer has checked for Blackjack.
• Twenty-one: Another name for the game of Blackjack. It can also refer to a hand that has a total point value of 21. This hand is not an authentic Blackjack hand.

Other Blackjack Terms include :

• Deck: A standard deck of cards used in Blackjack.
• Early Surrender: When a Player forfeits half his bet WHILE the Dealer checks for Blackjack. Has the same outcome as Surrender – you still lose half your bet.
• Hard Total: A hand that does not contain an Ace OR a hand that contains an Ace but the Ace is counted as 1 point.
• Heads Up: Playing against the Dealer only; one-on-one, with no other Players in the game.
• House: Another name for the Casino.
• Multiple Deck: A game that contains more than 1 deck of cards.
• Single Deck: A game that contains only 1 deck of cards.
• Soft Total: A hand that contains an Ace, which is valued as 11 points.

Go back to the Blackjack main page or move on to Basic Strategy Blackjack and Card Counting.

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