Action
- The amount of money risked by a player during an entire
session.
Basic Strategy - Basic strategy for blackjack
consists of a complete set of rules that cover all possible
decisions a player may encounter, but without taking into
account any other player's cards or any previously dealt
cards.
Black Chip-A $100 chip.
Blackjack - A hand whose first two cards
total 21.
Break/ Bust - Exceeding the hand total
of 21.
Burn card(s) - Cards that are discarded
without being dealt to the players. After the cards are
shuffled by the dealer and cut by one of the players, one
or more cards are "burned" before any cards are
dealt to the players. Sometimes cards are "burned"
between rounds of play.
Card counting- A system for improving
the player's edge by assigning "weights" to each
card face and summing the card weights as each new card
is turned face up. The "count" indicates when
the game is favourable (or unfavourable) for the player,
so that the player can place larger (or smaller) bets and/or
make changes in playing strategy.
Cut - To divide a deck into two parts.
Cut Card - A different colored card used
to cut the decks.
Double Down - when the player is dealt
a pair of favorable cards, normally a 9, 10, or 11, and
doubles the amount of their bet. The only disadvantage in
this is that the player is only allowed to draw one more
card
Early Surrender - To surrender or give
up after a player receives their first two cards but before
the dealer checks for a blackjack. Player loses half of
their bet.
Even Money - In blackjack, to get paid
the same as you wagered plus your original wager when the
player has a blackjack and the dealer has an ace showing.
Green Chip-A $25 chip.
Hard Hand-A hand in which any Ace is counted
as a 1 and not as an 11.
Hit - The command used to draw/request
a new card that will be added to the player's or the dealer's
hand.
Hole Card - The dealer's card that is
placed face down.
Insurance-A side bet, of up to 1/2 the
original bet, that is offered when the dealer's upcard is
an ace. This bet pays 2:1 if the dealer has a blackjack.
Natural or Blackjack-When the first two
cards dealt to a player total 21.
Push - (Also Tie or Stand-off.) Both player
and dealer have the same hand total - player keeps bet.
Red Chip-A $5 chip.
Shoe - A device that holds up to eight
decks and allows the dealer to slide out one card at a time;
typical for multi-deck games.
Soft Hand - Any hand in which the ace
can be counted as 11.
Stand or Stay - Not requiring any more
cards, to refrain from taking another card.
Surrender - Giving up your hand and lose
only half the bet.
Upcard - The dealer's first dealt card,
placed face up for all the players to see before they play
their hands.
Split hand-Hands that start with two
cards of the same value can be split to form two independent
hands. This option is exercised by adding a new bet to the
second hand, and these hands are played independently.
Third base-The last player at a table
to act on his/her hand is said to be sitting at "third
base".
