Blackjack Terms & Phrases Explained

You can enhance your playing experience and strategy by learning the most common blackjack terms. Some are more important than others. However, they can all potentially arise during a round of this popular casino banking game. Our guide covers basic terminology and the language used by dealers during games. This will put you in a strong position to use your intuition and achieve success when playing blackjack.

Terms Used in Blackjack

All players must understand the terms in blackjack below, as well as blackjack card values, before playing for real money. The lists include well-known words and phrases, along with some terms that rarely feature during games. We have broken them down into categories: Basic, card counting, and additional.

Basic Blackjack Terms

Term	Definition
Action	The amount of money staked on a single hand or during the complete playing session.
Blackjack	Also known as 21. The aim of the game is to form a hand with a total as close to 21 as possible, without going bust.
Bust	When the total of a hand exceeds 21. All players win if the dealer busts.
Bust Card	The specific card that leads to your hand exceeding 21.
Buy-in	Meet the minimum buy-in to enter the game.
Dealer	The individual who deals cards and aims to beat players.
Face Card	A Jack, Queen, or King of any suit. These cards have a value of 10.
Hand	The cards you are dealt during a round of blackjack.
Hit	The choice of asking the dealer for an additional card.
Pair	A hand made up of two cards of the same value.
Push	A draw between the dealer and player. Your stake is returned.
Soft Hand	A hand with an Ace. You cannot bust after you hit.
Split	Splitting the hand into two when the first two cards dealt are of the same value.
Stand	No more cards are dealt.

Card Counting & Side Bet Terms

Term	Definition
Back Counting	Counting cards when you are not playing blackjack.
Balanced Count	A system of counting where the total of all card values in a deck equals zero. This gives players the ratio of high and low cards that remain.
Bankroll	Your budget for the blackjack playing session
Bet Spread	The difference between a player’s minimum and maximum stake. A 1-6 spread indicates that your maximum bet is 6x his minimum stake.
Card Counting	An advanced blackjack strategy that attempts to gain an advantage by tracking high and low cards.
D9	A rule that means you can only double on hands with a value of 9, 10, or 11.
DA2	A rule that allows you to double down on any two cards.
DAS	The ability to double down after splitting your hand.
Double Down	Double your stake and receive an extra card in the process. This is a popular option when your hand total is 9, 10, or 11.
Early Surrender	Gives players the option to surrender their hand after being dealt two cards and the dealer has checked their cards.
Hit 17	A rule where the dealer must hit on a soft 17.
Insurance	A side bet that pays out at 2:1. It is only available when the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace.
LS (Late Surrender)	The ability to surrender your hand after the dealer has checked for blackjack.
RSA	You cannot resplit Aces.
Side Bet	An additional bet that is placed before the cards are dealt. Side bets can be lucrative.
Shuffle Tracking	Guiding high cards to the top of the deck and betting big from the off.
Spooking	An illegal strategy of hold-carding, where one player communicates information to their team.
Surrender	Surrender half of your bet to stop playing your current hand.

Advanced Blackjack Terms

Term	Definition
Black Book	A book or database of banned players.
Cut Card	A physical card that is used to cut the deck after it has been shuffled.
Deck Penetration	The number of cards in a deck that must be played before it is reshuffled.
Even Money	When the player has the chance of winning and losing the same amount.
First Base	The seat at the table that will receive the first card.
Half Shoe	When the dealer is told by the casino to cut the shoe in half.
Heads Up	A game of blackjack that features one dealer and one player.
Hole Card	A face-down card that is only held by the dealer.
House Edge	Written as a percentage, this is the advantage that the blackjack casino has over players.
Flat Bet	Continuously betting the same amount.
MSE (Mid-Shoe Entry)	The chance to start playing at any time during the shoe.
Ploppy	An average blackjack player who has limited knowledge of the game and no clear strategy.
Soft Hand	A hand that features an Ace, which can be used as a 1 or 11.
Win Rate	The likelihood of players winning. This sits at 42.22%.

Difference Between Blackjack Pays 3:2 and 6:5

Now that you understand the basic terms used in blackjack, we can look at the difference between games that pay out 3:2 and 6:5. 3:2 blackjack pays out $3 for every $2 bet. This is because of the 1.5:1 odds. With 6:5 games, you will earn $6 for every $5 staked. These games have 1.2:1 odds. Even the smallest difference in odds has a significant impact on your potential returns. The house edge for 3:2 blackjack games sits at around 0.50%. This increases to almost 2% for 6:5 games. This is important to remember, especially when you are placing a large number of bets over an extended period. Both game types are available at land-based and live blackjack casinos.

What Terms do Dealers Use in Blackjack?

Terms in blackjack include those used by the dealer. Dealers deliver cards and ensure that games run smoothly. The “Shoe” is the name given to the box that dealers keep decks in. When you learn how to play blackjack, you might notice the dealer refer to a table as being cold. This means that player wins have been few and far between. Place your bets, bust, press your bet, break the deck, and double down are other terms used by dealers.

Understanding Insurance, Surrender & Even Money

The three terms used in blackjack that we have explained below are important and frequently appear during games.

What it Means to DAS (Double After Split) in Blackjack

DAS is another of the key terms in blackjack. An abbreviation for Double After Split, this rule gives players the chance to double down on a hand after a pair is split. For example, you double down on each new hand after splitting a pair of 6s. Selected hands become more attractive following a split when DAS is available.

Conclusion

Our blackjack terms list and other valuable details will benefit new and established players. We have outlined essential words and phrases that can arise in-game, and when you develop a strategy. Our guide puts you in the best possible position to lower the house edge and get the better of the dealer.

FAQ

Responsible Gambling

Understanding blackjack terminology is one thing. More critical is responsible gambling. Remember that the primary purpose of playing blackjack is enjoyment. Only bet what you can afford to lose and never chase losses. The organizations below specialize in offering support to problem players.