Blackjack Terms

Like any casino game, blackjack has its own "language". Here is some common terminology and their meanings in relation to blackjack. You do not need to memorize this but knowing the basic Blackjack Terms is important for learning the game.

Action: The amount of money bet in a specific time.

Basic Strategy: A set of rules or guidelines a player follows to optimize their chances of winning consistently. It is important to have a basic strategy every time you play blackjack. Without one, you are playing recklessly and will have a hard time maintaining consistent profitability.

Blackjack: When the two cards you are dealt equal 21, it is called blackjack.

Bust: When someone's card total goes over 21. This means that they loose their bet, even if the dealer also busts.

Buy: Used in Pontoon blackjack. It is the equivalent of doubling down in regular blackjack.

Basic Blackjack Strategy Chart: A chart that gives you the odds of winning based on specific outcomes. Useful for beginning players since it allows a player to play mathematically correct blackjack. A great learning tool but even if followed flawlessly, the house will still have an advantage. See here.

Counting: Assigning numerical values to dealt cards, allowing players to make better decisions based on cards still in the shoe. Not illegal but frowned upon by casinos. Numerous strategies are available and if implemented correctly, high levels of profitability can be achieved.

Cut Card: A piece of plastic given to a player to cut the deck after the dealer has shuffled the deck. It is used to verify that the cards are dealt randomly.

Double Down: Doubling your initial bet and receiving only one more card to make your hand. After the next card is received, your hand is dead.

Even Money: A supplemental bet you can make when the dealer is showing an ace as their up card and you have blackjack.

Early Surrender: When you forfeit your hand before the dealer checks his hand for blackjack. Surrenders are relatively rare online but a lot more common in real casinos.

Hard Hand: Any hand that has blackjack without an ace involved or with two or more aces involved.

Hit: Taking another card to complete your hand. Called twist in Pontoon blackjack.

Hole Card: The dealers face down card.

First Base: The seat that is dealt cards first in each round. Can be seen as a disadvantage when using a card counting strategy. It means that this player is also first to act each round.

Five Card Trick: Used in Pontoon blackjack. A five card trick is when you have five cards in your hand but still do not have more that 21. Sometimes pays out 2:1.

Face Up Card: The exposed card of the dealer's hand that everyone can see. In some forms of blackjack both the dealer's cards are face down.

Flat Bet: The standard amount that you continually bet each hand.

House Percentage: The percentage advantage the casino has over the players playing the game. Blackjack usually has one of the lowest house percentage advantages, meaning players have a better chance of winning in the long run.

Insurance: If the dealers face up card is an ace, each player has the opportunity to buy insurance, in case the dealer has blackjack.

Late Surrender: Forfeiting your hand after the dealer has checked his hand for blackjack.

Pair: When the first two cards dealt to a player have the same numerical value. Eg. 5d, 5h.

Pat Hand: When a hand has a total between 17 and 21

Pontoon: Used in Pontoon blackjack. It's the equivalent of getting 21 in normal blackjack.

Push: When your hand and the dealer's hand have the same value, without going over 21. In this situation, the pot is split.

Shoe: The mechanism that holds the decks of cards while the game is played. Most shoes can hold up to 8 decks or cards at one time.

Split: When you are dealt a pair in your initial hand, you can choose to break the hand into two and add an additional bet. It is just like playing two hands simultaneously.

Stand: When you don't want to have any additional cards added to your hand.

Twist: Used in Pontoon blackjack. Equivalent to hit in normal blackjack.

Soft Hand: When you have an ace in your hand and the value is used as 11, opposed to 1.

Stick: Used in Pontoon blackjack. Equivalent to stand in regular blackjack.

Surrender: Allowing the player to surrender half their bet and withdraw from the hand after receiving their first two cards. It's more common in real casinos and relatively rare in online casinos.


If you understand most of these blackjack terms, you can speak "blackjack" too. While it is not essential to know all these terms to play blackjack, the more you know, the better chances you have to become a consistent and profitable player.

Read more to master the blackjack game:
Blackjack Strategy
Blackjack Probabilities
Blackjack Card Counting
Blackjack Tips
Blackjack Bankroll Management