Blackjack

Blackjack terms

1. 21+3 Blackjack and 3-card Poker at the same time. 21+3 is a European-style Blackjack game with a high paying 3-card side bet similar to the very popular Pairs…
2. A-J Bonus A popular variant rule where a bonus payout for the ace and jack of spades is offered.
3. Ace adjustment Changing the size of one's bet based on how many aces are left in the deck.
4. Ace five count A simple card counting strategy that only counts aces and fives.
5. Ace neutral count Any card counting system that doesn't track aces. i.e. Aces count as 0 or null in the count.
6. Ace poor A situation where the deck has fewer aces left in it than is statistically likely. A deck that's poor in aces.
7. Ace rich A situation where the deck has more aces left in it than is statistically likely. A deck that's rich in aces.
8. Ace side count A count of how many aces have been played. This count is a "side count" because it's kept separately from the main count.
9. Action Case, cause, suit or controversy disputed or contested before a court.
10. Advantage The statistically theoretical edge one side has over the other, usually expressed as a percentage of the wager.
11. Advantage player A gambler who uses strategy to gain a mathematical advantage over the casino.
12. Anchor Last taken sit to the dealer's right.
13. Back counting Counting cards from behind the table as a spectator. Counting cards in blackjack when you're not playing in the game.
14. Balanced count A card counting system that has an equal number of cards valued at + and -. The sum of a count of all cards in a deck in a balanced count is always 0.
15. Banker In a card game, dealer or the players who books the action of the other bettors at the table.
16. Bankroll A player's total gambling money.
17. Basic Strategy The optimum playing strategy for blackjack when not counting.
18. Bet spread The amount of the maximum and minimum bets a player is making during a blackjack playing session.
19. Betting efficiency How well a card counting system can take advantage of the theoretical advantage offered by that system.
20. Betting Limits Establishes the minimum and maximum amounts that can be wagered on one bet.
21. Big player A member of a card counting team who makes a big bet when the count is favorable.
22. Black chip A casino chip worth $100.
23. Blackjack Refers to the game of 21, but also refers to a natural total of 21 on the first two cards. A blackjack always consists of an ace and a face card or a ten.
24. break Distinct variation in otherwise constant stretches of cover, structure, or bottom type. Basically anything that "breaks up" the underwater terrain.
25. Burn Card The first card of a new deck after the shuffle and cut. The card is discarded and placed on the bottom of the deck.
26. Burn Cards Remove cards from the top of the deck and place them in the discard tray after a shuffle and cut.
27. Bust To get a total greater than 21. Automatically a loss.
28. Bust/Break To exceed the total of twenty-one.
29. Cage Where the casino cashier is located.
30. Camouflage Any strategy meant to cover up card counting.
31. Card Counting A strategy for getting the edge at blackjack by tracking the ratio of high cards to low cards that have already been played.
32. Card Sharp A person who is an expert at cards.
33. Charlie or Five Card Charlie A blackjack rule variation where if you get 5 cards without busting, you win that hand.
34. Chip/Check A casino term for tokens used instead of money.
35. Cold deck Refers to a deck with a bad ratio of cards for the player.
36. Color Up To exchange lower denomination chips for higher denomination chips.
37. Color Up/Out To exchange smaller denomination chips for larger denomination chips.
38. Comp Free food, room, beverage, and travel offered by casinos to encourage big players to gamble more.
39. Cut To divide a deck into two parts.
40. Cut Card A plastic card used to cut the deck after shuffling. The dealer reshuffles the deck after reaching the cut card when dealing hands.
41. Deal To give out the cards during a hand.
42. Dealing seconds A dealer cheating method. The dealer deals the 2nd card from the top if the top card would help the player.
43. Deck penetration The percentage of cards played out of a deck or a shoe before reshuffling.
44. Discard Tray A tray on the dealer’s right side that holds all the cards that have been played or discarded.
45. Discards The cards that have already been played and thrown away.
46. Double deck Blackjack played out of two decks which are shuffled together. (As opposed to single deck, four deck, six deck, eight deck, etc.)
47. Double Down To double the initial bet and take one and exactly one more card. Usually doubling down is only allowed after the first two cards are dealt.
48. Double Down (Doubling Down) Double your initial bet following the initial two-card deal, but you can hit one card only.
49. Double exposure A blackjack variant where both of the dealer's cards are played face up. Usually players lose all pushes and blackjack pays even money in this variant.
50. Downtown Vegas The older area of Vegas. The casinos in Downtown Vegas generally offer better rules for the player, and the phrase is used to refer to blackjack games…
51. Draw Same as to hit. Taking additional cards in an attempt to get closer to a total of 21.
52. Drop The total wagered in a casino.
53. Early Surrender Giving up on the first two cards before the dealer checks his hole card for an ace. The player only loses 50% of his wager in this situation.
54. Edge The borders created by a change in the structure or vegetation in a lake. Examples are edges of tree lines, weed lines, and the edges of a drop-off.
55. Even Money A bet that pays off at the same amount it would lose. e.g., betting $5 to potentially win $5 is an even money bet.
56. Expectation Usually expressed as a percentage, refers to the amount a player can expect to win or lose, statistically.
57. Expected Win Rate The percentage of the total amount wagered that the player can be expected to win or lose over time.
58. Eye in the Sky The video camera above the casino floor which is used to watch the dealers and players to catch cheating.
59. Face Cards Jack, Queen or King of any suit.
60. Face Down Game Your first card is placed face up while the second one is placed face down.
61. Face Up Game Both your cards are placed face up.
62. False shuffle A dealer cheating method which doesn't really randomize the deck of cards.
63. First Base The position of the player at the blackjack table who gets his cards first. If you're standing behind the table, the player at the far right is in first…
64. Five Card Charlie A blackjack rule variation where if you get 5 cards without busting, you win that hand.
65. Flat betting To bet the same amount on every hand.
66. Fluctuation The deviations from expectation in a player's bankroll.
67. Griffin Book A book of suspected card counters and casino cheaters provided to casinos by Griffin Investigations.
68. Griffin Investigations A private investigator corporation which specializes in casino cheating and card counters.
69. Hard Hand Any hand without an ace. Also any hand with an ace where the ace must be counted as a 1 to avoid busting.
70. Hard total The total of a hard hand.
71. Heads Up Playing alone against a dealer.
72. Heads Up or Heads On A head to head play with the dealer - no other players are involved.
73. Heat Pressure and intimidation used by a casino to discourage card counters.
74. Hi-lo count A card counting system. 2 through 6 counts +1 and faces and aces count as -1.
75. Hi-opt I A card counting system promoted in The World's Greatest Blackjack Book. 3-6 count as +1, and tens (including faces) count as -1.
76. High Roller this is a player who wages big bets.
77. Hit To take another card.
78. Hole Card The dealer's face down card.
79. Hot deck A deck where the player has an edge or favorable situation.
80. House Edge A term for the casinos' advantage over the player. No game has a more favorable house edge for a player.
81. Index number The total count that warrants a deviation from basic strategy.
82. Insurance As a part of PITI, the amount of the monthly mortgage payment that does not include the principal, interest, and taxes. Also see: homeowners insurance.
83. Junket A casino subsidized travel package for a group of gamblers.
84. Kelly betting Betting a percentage of your bankroll equal to your percentage advantage. This is the optimal bet size.
85. Knock out count An unbalanced card counting system promoted by Olaf Vancura and Ken Fuchs. 2-7 count as +1 and aces and tens count as -1.
86. Las Vegas strip rules The rules most commonly used on the Las Vegas strip, as opposed to Downtown Las Vegas.
87. Late Surrender An optional rule where the player can surrender after seeing the dealer's hole card.
88. Level The number of values used in a card counting system. A level one counting system only uses +1 and -1, but a level two system would use +1, +2, -1 and -2…
89. Mechanic Someone who uses sleight-of-hand in order to cheat at cards.
90. Money Management A system a player uses to decide how to handle his bankroll. Kelly betting is one money management system that works.
91. Money Plays A casino rule which allows players to wager actual cash instead of chips.
92. Multiple deck Using more than one deck in a game of blackjack. As opposed to a single deck game.
93. Natural When the two cards total to 8 or 9.
94. Paint A face card. (Jacks, queens, and kings.)
95. Past post A method of cheating where a player posts additional money to his wager after seeing the results of the hand.
96. PAT In blackjack, an unbusted hand worth at least 17 points. In draw poker, a hand that does not need any more hands.
97. Pat hand A total of 17 or more. Don't hit pat hands. The area in the casino which is surrounded by the table games.
98. Perfect Pairs Is a blackjack side bet played on a standard blackjack table and does not require the main game rules to be changed.
99. Pit Boss A casino employee in the pit who oversees the table games and the dealers.
100. Playing conditions The rules variations in effect at a casino. Playing conditions include whether or not a player can double down after a split, how many decks are in use…