| Bankroll | The money a player plans to bet with. |
| Basic Strategy | A computer developed method for playing blackjack that may be easily memorized by a player without counting cards. |
| Breaking hand (Stiff) | A hand that will go over 21 with a one-card draw, such as a hard 12,13,14,15 or 16. |
| Burned | Discarded; what is done to the top card after the deck is cut so that the player can't see it's value. |
| Busted | To overdraw to a total greater than 21 an immediate lose. |
| Counting | A method developed in order to keep track of the cards remaining in the game. |
| Doubling down | The possibility of doubling-up a bet when the player feels he can win when being dealt only one additional card. |
| Draw | To obtain additional cards to the original two cards. |
| Face card | King, Queen or Jack. |
| First base | The first seat left to the dealer. |
| Hard count | The true face value of the cards being played with. |
| Hard hand | A hand without an ace, or a hand with an ace that can only be counted as one. |
| Hit | The request to receive another card from the dealer. |
| Hole card | The dealer's face down card. |
| Insurance | A side bet offered to the player by the house, when the dealer's face-up card is an ace, that the dealer has a 10 as his hole card, making blackjack. Pays 2 to 1. |
| Natural | A total of 21 in only two cards. Automatic winner pays 3 to 2. |
| Pat hand | A hand with a total value of 17 to 21. |
| Pit boss | The person in charge of the blackjack games. |
| Point count | The net value of the card count at the end of a hand. |
| Press | To increase the size of the successive bet. |
| Push | A tie between the dealer and player in which no money changes hands. |
| Shoe | A dealing box for multiple-deck games. |
| Soft hand | A hand with an ace, which can be counted as 11. |
| Splitting pairs | An option the player has when dealt two original cards of the same value of splitting the two cards and playing each hand individually. |
| Stand | What a player does when he is satisfied with his existing cards and does not want any more |
| Surrender | The ability of the player to give up only half his bet when the player believes he cannot beat the dealer. Must be done before any cards are drawn, and is not offered in all casinos. |
| Third base | The seat immediately to the right of the dealer, last to be dealt. |
| Toke | The tip atuity given to dealers from players. |
| "21" | The winning total in blackjack. Another name for blackjack. |
| Up card | The dealer's face-up card. |
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Blackjack Terms
How to play blackjack
Playing the game
Blackjack 20 basic rules
Blackjack playing options
Blackjack betting rules
When you play blackjack your aim is to get a card point total higher than the dealer does, without going over 21. Remember; although blackjack is also called 21, you are actually playing to beat the dealer, not to get as close to 21 as possible.
Blackjack in the web based as well as the land-based casinos is not a group game, while there may be many players around the table the dealer only plays with one player at a time.
Playing the game
Blackjack is played with any amount of decks between one and eight. The round begins with each player placing his bet in the circle directly in front of him. The dealer then starts with the player to his left and deals him one card; he then continues dealing every player at the table one card and finally one to himself (face up). This round is repeated - dealing all the players a second card. The dealer's second card is dealt face down.
When everyone has their two cards the dealer again starts with the player to his left and asks if he wants further cards, these cards are dealt one at a time, until the player busts or indicates that he wants to stand. After all players have played their hands, the dealer will play his. The dealer has no free will. He must always play by certain house rules. These rules usually tell you that the dealer will hit when his total is 16, and stand when his score is 17 or more.
After the dealer has finished with his hand, he will pay off bets with better hands, collect bets on worse hands, or in the case of a tie "pushes". If the dealer busts, all players that didn't, automatically win. Players then collect their winnings, if any, and can make a new bet as a new round begins.
Blackjack 10 basic rules
1. All cards are dealt face up. (Unless it's a one-deck game)
2. The players are not to touch their cards or the original bet on the table.
3. All face cards (king, queen etc.) are ten points.
4. Aces are worth either one (hard) or eleven (soft) points.
5. The player wins if his hand has more points than the dealer, without going over twenty-one.
6. The highest hand in blackjack is an ace and any ten-point card and is called a blackjack.
7. A winning blackjack pays 3:2.
8. All other winning bets pay even money.
9. If both dealer and player have a blackjack the bet is a push.
10. A hand with points over 21 (a bust) loses
Playing options
After all players were dealt the first two cards, the dealer will ask each player in turn, from left to right if he wants more cards. The player decides what to do depending on what cards he has and what cards the dealer has showing. The options available for the player are the following:
Stand: If you are satisfied with your cards you may signal you don't want additional cards. To indicate a stand, you wave your hand as if to wave the dealer away. In a one-deck game, put your cards face down under your bet.
Hit: If you want to take another card you may continue to do so until you stand or bust. To indicate you wish to hit tap the table with your finger. In a one-deck game, scrape your cards lightly against the felt.
Double: If you feel you need only one more card you may double your bet and then be dealt one more card- good or bad. This option is possible only on the first two cards. Some casinos restrict doubling to hands totaling 9, 10 or 11. To indicate a double you place an equal value wager next to your original bet. In a one-deck game, place your cards face up next to your bet.
Split: If your first two cards are of equal point value, you can divide them into two hands. Each card is then the first of a new hand. You must also place a bet of the same value as the first, for the second hand. You can resplit if the opportunity arises. Double after splitting is not always allowed. To indicate a split put the additional bet beside the original one.
Surrender: This option is offered in some casinos. On the first two cards, if you feel you will be unable to beat the dealer's hand you announce "surrender", the dealer then picks up your cards and half of your bet but leaves the other half of the bet, thus, if losing, you have saved half of your money. This option is mostly offered after the dealer checks for blackjack, called "late surrender". In some casino's you must announce your surrender decision before the dealer deals to the first hand.
Online blackjack: when playing the game on the Internet, clicking the specific button signals all moves. For instance, when wanting another card, clicking the "hit" button etc.
Once all of the players are finished the dealer plays his. The dealer has only the two options of hit or stand and they are governed by a set of rules. The rules generally state that if the dealer has 16 or less he must take a card and if he has a count of 17 or more he has to stand.
After the dealer has played his hand he collects losing bets, pays winning ones and pushes the ties. A round is then finished and a new one can begin.
Blackjack betting rules
All betting is done before the first card is dealt.
The players win even money if they better the dealer, and win 3 to 2 for a blackjack ($15 paid on a $10 bet).
If you split aces you are allowed to play only one card on each of the two aces, and if you do get a ten as the second card it is not considered a blackjack. These hands will beat a dealers hand if it totals 21, but lose if the dealer gets a blackjack, and only pays even money if the player wins.
Insurance bets
This bet is offered if the dealer's face card is an ace. In this case he will ask if anyone wants insurance, this is a side bet on the dealer having a card worth ten as his face down card - meaning he has blackjack. If you think the dealer has a ten you can bet an amount up to the value of your original bet and if you are correct you will receive 2 to 1 on your insurance bet. This has nothing to do with your original bet, you still have to beat the dealer's hand, if he has the ten the best you can do is tie with a blackjack of your own. After all players had a chance to accept or refuse insurance the dealer will check the down card. If it is a blackjack the dealer will collect losing bets immediately, if not, the player in turn may play their hands.
Blackjack 20 basic rules
Blackjack playing options
Blackjack betting rules
When you play blackjack your aim is to get a card point total higher than the dealer does, without going over 21. Remember; although blackjack is also called 21, you are actually playing to beat the dealer, not to get as close to 21 as possible.
Blackjack in the web based as well as the land-based casinos is not a group game, while there may be many players around the table the dealer only plays with one player at a time.
Playing the game
Blackjack is played with any amount of decks between one and eight. The round begins with each player placing his bet in the circle directly in front of him. The dealer then starts with the player to his left and deals him one card; he then continues dealing every player at the table one card and finally one to himself (face up). This round is repeated - dealing all the players a second card. The dealer's second card is dealt face down.
When everyone has their two cards the dealer again starts with the player to his left and asks if he wants further cards, these cards are dealt one at a time, until the player busts or indicates that he wants to stand. After all players have played their hands, the dealer will play his. The dealer has no free will. He must always play by certain house rules. These rules usually tell you that the dealer will hit when his total is 16, and stand when his score is 17 or more.
After the dealer has finished with his hand, he will pay off bets with better hands, collect bets on worse hands, or in the case of a tie "pushes". If the dealer busts, all players that didn't, automatically win. Players then collect their winnings, if any, and can make a new bet as a new round begins.
Blackjack 10 basic rules
1. All cards are dealt face up. (Unless it's a one-deck game)
2. The players are not to touch their cards or the original bet on the table.
3. All face cards (king, queen etc.) are ten points.
4. Aces are worth either one (hard) or eleven (soft) points.
5. The player wins if his hand has more points than the dealer, without going over twenty-one.
6. The highest hand in blackjack is an ace and any ten-point card and is called a blackjack.
7. A winning blackjack pays 3:2.
8. All other winning bets pay even money.
9. If both dealer and player have a blackjack the bet is a push.
10. A hand with points over 21 (a bust) loses
Playing options
After all players were dealt the first two cards, the dealer will ask each player in turn, from left to right if he wants more cards. The player decides what to do depending on what cards he has and what cards the dealer has showing. The options available for the player are the following:
Stand: If you are satisfied with your cards you may signal you don't want additional cards. To indicate a stand, you wave your hand as if to wave the dealer away. In a one-deck game, put your cards face down under your bet.
Hit: If you want to take another card you may continue to do so until you stand or bust. To indicate you wish to hit tap the table with your finger. In a one-deck game, scrape your cards lightly against the felt.
Double: If you feel you need only one more card you may double your bet and then be dealt one more card- good or bad. This option is possible only on the first two cards. Some casinos restrict doubling to hands totaling 9, 10 or 11. To indicate a double you place an equal value wager next to your original bet. In a one-deck game, place your cards face up next to your bet.
Split: If your first two cards are of equal point value, you can divide them into two hands. Each card is then the first of a new hand. You must also place a bet of the same value as the first, for the second hand. You can resplit if the opportunity arises. Double after splitting is not always allowed. To indicate a split put the additional bet beside the original one.
Surrender: This option is offered in some casinos. On the first two cards, if you feel you will be unable to beat the dealer's hand you announce "surrender", the dealer then picks up your cards and half of your bet but leaves the other half of the bet, thus, if losing, you have saved half of your money. This option is mostly offered after the dealer checks for blackjack, called "late surrender". In some casino's you must announce your surrender decision before the dealer deals to the first hand.
Online blackjack: when playing the game on the Internet, clicking the specific button signals all moves. For instance, when wanting another card, clicking the "hit" button etc.
Once all of the players are finished the dealer plays his. The dealer has only the two options of hit or stand and they are governed by a set of rules. The rules generally state that if the dealer has 16 or less he must take a card and if he has a count of 17 or more he has to stand.
After the dealer has played his hand he collects losing bets, pays winning ones and pushes the ties. A round is then finished and a new one can begin.
Blackjack betting rules
All betting is done before the first card is dealt.
The players win even money if they better the dealer, and win 3 to 2 for a blackjack ($15 paid on a $10 bet).
If you split aces you are allowed to play only one card on each of the two aces, and if you do get a ten as the second card it is not considered a blackjack. These hands will beat a dealers hand if it totals 21, but lose if the dealer gets a blackjack, and only pays even money if the player wins.
Insurance bets
This bet is offered if the dealer's face card is an ace. In this case he will ask if anyone wants insurance, this is a side bet on the dealer having a card worth ten as his face down card - meaning he has blackjack. If you think the dealer has a ten you can bet an amount up to the value of your original bet and if you are correct you will receive 2 to 1 on your insurance bet. This has nothing to do with your original bet, you still have to beat the dealer's hand, if he has the ten the best you can do is tie with a blackjack of your own. After all players had a chance to accept or refuse insurance the dealer will check the down card. If it is a blackjack the dealer will collect losing bets immediately, if not, the player in turn may play their hands.
Blackjack History
Although unclear, blackjack history is usually traced back as an evolution of other French games such as "chemin de fer" and "French Ferme". Around the 1700's in French casinos it was called first "vingt - et - un" (twenty - and - one) and gradually developed into blackjack. It has been in United States since the 1800's.
An early bet, which awarded the holder of the cards with a payment of 10 to 1, was getting a jack of spades and an ace of spades, both black, as the first two cards. This bet gave the game called 21, its currently more known name - blackjack. However, the name outlived its source and this bet (probably the best part of blackjack history) no longer exists.
Blackjack leaped into public awareness in the late 1950's and the 1960's when mathematical information was published that showed sophisticated gamblers how they could play nearly even with the casino and perhaps gain a slight edge. One of these books became so popular that it made the New York Times bestseller list. Blackjacks then become number one table game in the U.S. as it has remained right to these days. The newly gained popularity and all of the media attention it generated helped the casinos to make a fortune.
However, the casinos joy over a success of a book that told the public how to beat the house did not last long, and serious steps were taken in order to secure their profit. They tried to change the rules of blackjack to make it more difficult to win. This didn't last long because people protested by not playing the new "rules version of blackjack and the resulting loss of revenue quickly forced the casinos to go back to the original rules.
Although the last move didn't succeed, others did. In search of ways to increase their odds, casinos introduced multiple decks, shuffling machines, and frequent and early shuffling among other changes. Together with the fact that the methods described in the books were difficult to master even by those who were patient and clever enough to understand them, the casinos increased their edge back to odds they considered acceptable. All the rest, as we say, is blackjack history.
An early bet, which awarded the holder of the cards with a payment of 10 to 1, was getting a jack of spades and an ace of spades, both black, as the first two cards. This bet gave the game called 21, its currently more known name - blackjack. However, the name outlived its source and this bet (probably the best part of blackjack history) no longer exists.
Blackjack leaped into public awareness in the late 1950's and the 1960's when mathematical information was published that showed sophisticated gamblers how they could play nearly even with the casino and perhaps gain a slight edge. One of these books became so popular that it made the New York Times bestseller list. Blackjacks then become number one table game in the U.S. as it has remained right to these days. The newly gained popularity and all of the media attention it generated helped the casinos to make a fortune.
However, the casinos joy over a success of a book that told the public how to beat the house did not last long, and serious steps were taken in order to secure their profit. They tried to change the rules of blackjack to make it more difficult to win. This didn't last long because people protested by not playing the new "rules version of blackjack and the resulting loss of revenue quickly forced the casinos to go back to the original rules.
Although the last move didn't succeed, others did. In search of ways to increase their odds, casinos introduced multiple decks, shuffling machines, and frequent and early shuffling among other changes. Together with the fact that the methods described in the books were difficult to master even by those who were patient and clever enough to understand them, the casinos increased their edge back to odds they considered acceptable. All the rest, as we say, is blackjack history.
Blackjack
If you have heard of blackjack but never played, this is the place to learn how.
If you're looking for tips and good advice that will help you win, or just some clarifications on the advanced points about the most popular game of the casino, you will find them here as well.
This section will tell you all you need to know about winning at blackjack, web based blackjack and much more.
A few pointers about blackjack's popularity:
Blackjack is the casino game that gives players their best chance of winning.
Blackjack rules are few and easy to understand.
The odds of winning can be changed by the player to favor himself, over the house.
Although simple, Blackjack depends on skill and not only luck.
The minimum bets are generally low, without decreasing the odds.
If you're looking for tips and good advice that will help you win, or just some clarifications on the advanced points about the most popular game of the casino, you will find them here as well.
This section will tell you all you need to know about winning at blackjack, web based blackjack and much more.
A few pointers about blackjack's popularity:
Blackjack is the casino game that gives players their best chance of winning.
Blackjack rules are few and easy to understand.
The odds of winning can be changed by the player to favor himself, over the house.
Although simple, Blackjack depends on skill and not only luck.
The minimum bets are generally low, without decreasing the odds.
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