Blackjack Glossary

Read up on blackjack terminology here!

Still confused? Read on for our comprehensive list of Blackjack terminology to help you out at the tables...

Bankroll – The total amount of money you have to play with.

Blackjack - Total of 21 on your initial hand of two cards.

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

Bust - Where the hand total exceeds 21.

Card Counting - Memorizing the cards that have been played in order to establish a probability advantage on the remaining cards.

Card Sharp - A card expert.

Cut - To split the deck of cards before they are dealt.

Double Down – When the player doubles his original bet after the initial deal.

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

Face Up Game - Both your cards are placed face up.

Hard Total - A hand where the Ace can only be one total (as opposed to a ‘Soft Hand’).

Heads Up or Heads On - A head to head game with the dealer and no other players.

Hit – Adding a card to your current hand.

Late Surrender - Surrender allowed only if the dealer does not have blackjack.

Natural - A two-card hand of 21 points.

Pat – an unbusted hand worth at least 17 points.

Preferential Shuffling - Shuffling when the remaining cards are deemed favorable to the players.

Shoe - Usually a wooden box, for dispensing the cards.

Soft Hand - Hand containing an ace counted as 11 or 1.

Stiff Hand - Hand with a very small chance winning.

Tie - Player and dealer have the same hand total (when this happens the player keeps the bet).

Upcard - The dealer's first dealt card, placed face up for all the players to see before they play their hands.

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