A Complete Glossary to Blackjack Lingo

Blackjack Glossary

21+3 – A side bet in Blackjack that uses three cards – the player’s two initial cards and the dealer’s face-up card. The aim is to form a strong poker hand in order to win.

86’d: When a casino tells you that you are trespassing being on their property. A casino may do this if you are using your brain to make smart decisions with your cash.

Ace: An Ace is worth either 1 or 11 in Blackjack.

Ace Rich – When there has not been an ace dealt out so far, Ace Rich describes the shoe as the odds of receiving one increases.

Action: An Action is the amount that has already been bet, either on a specific hand or over a period of time.

Advantage: The house edge is also known as advantage. This refers to the percentage that a casino or player has in favour against each other.

Advantage Player: A player that uses a strategy or mathematical approach to boost their chances of winning against the casino.

Anchor/Anchor man – The last player position on a blackjack table; i.e. the last one to make a playing decision.

Back Counting: A strategy that is used for counting cards from behind the table. Thus, counting cards as a spectator and not as a player sitting at the table.

Back Off: Similar to 86’d, but only to stop a player from playing blackjack. When a casino asks someone to back off, they are referring to playing another casino game but not blackjack.

Balanced Count: A counting system in which there always must be a balance between the sum of the negative cards and the positive cards.

Banker: The Dealer

Bankroll: The budget that a player brings to a casino to play with.

Barred: To be permanently prohibited from a casino.

Basic Strategy: The optimal strategy to use whilst playing a specific blackjack variant. It is based upon statistics and provides to ideal decision for every situation.

Black Book: A term that is used to refer to a list of banned players.

Black Chip: A $100 chip.

Blackjack (hand): When a player or dealer matches an Ace with a 10-value card. Blackjack typically pays 3:2 and beats any other hand.

Brown/Chocolate Chip: A $5000 chip.

Burn Card: The first card that is not used after a shuffle is the one that the dealer burns.

Bust: When a player’s or dealer’s hand exceeds 21.

Bust Card: The card that makes either the player or dealer go bust and exceed 21.

Card Counting: A strategy that is used by players to give them an advantage over the house. Card counting requires a knowledge of mathematics and a fantastic ability. However, most casinos see card counting as illegal.

Camouflage Play:  When a player with skills hides the fact that they have skills.

Cold Deck: When a player is on a bad run and loses more than expected.

Comps: Anything that is given to players from a casino based how much they have wagered.

Cut Card: A plastic card that is used by the dealer to cut the deck after shuffling. After doing so, the dealer reshuffles the deck before dealing hands.

Dealer: The person that sits at the table and deals the cards to ensure that the game runs smoothly.

Dealer Peek:  When the dealer checks if they have blackjack, based on their face-up card being either a 10-value card or an Ace.

Deck Penetration – The percentage that is used to measure how many cards have been dealt from the deck before it is shuffled.

Deviations: A decision taken to change for Basic Strategy depending on the count of the cards.

Discard Tray: A tray that keeps hold of all the cards that have already been dealt.

Double Down: A hand that the player wants to double their bet on the condition that they only receive one more card.

Early Surrender: An option where the player surrenders their hand before the dealer checks for blackjack.

Edge: The same thing as advantage. The edge is an advantage that the house has over the player.

Even Money: The payout that a player receives when beating the dealer. Even money pays at 1:1.

Face Card: A Jack, Queen or King. Also known as a Paint card.

First Base/First Baseman: The player sitting to the dealer’s left, the first player position to take a decision.

Five Card Charlie: A hand that accumulates five cards without going bust.

Flat Betting: Betting the same amount for each hand.

Green Chip: A $25 chip.

Hard Hand: A hand that does not contain an Ace or has an Ace with a value of 1.

Heads Up: When the player is against the dealer and no other players are at the table.

Heater: When the player has a good run of cards.

Hit: When the player asks for an additional card.

Hole Card: The dealer’s face-down card.

Insurance: A side bet that players can place for half their stake that pays 2:1. The side bet is only available if the dealer’s face-down card is an ace. If the dealer has blackjack, the player wins the side bet.

Pat: A hand that has a minimum value of 17.

Perfect Pairs: A side bet that pays players for pairs from their initial cards. The payouts are for having a Mixed Pair, a Colour Pair or a Perfect Pair.

Pink Chip: A $2.50 chip.

Ploppy: A blackjack player that does not use any strategy or card counting ability. Instead, they only play based on sucker bets. A ploppy refers to a player that does not know what they are doing.

Preferential Shuffle: When a casino decides to shuffle the cards at a random time, usually when you press your bets. This destroys your edge.

Purple/Barney Chip: A $500 chip.

Push: When the player and dealer both have the same value. The player’s bet is returned.

Red Chip: A $5 chip.

Risk of Ruin: The mathematical chance of blowing your entire bankroll.

Running Count: The total value of the count, either positive or negative at any time.

Shoe/Sabot:  The device that is used by the dealer to hold the deck of cards.

Soft Hand: A hand that contains an ace that is counted as 11.

Split: When the player receives a pair and decides to split them into two hands, doubling their bet in doing so.

Spooking: A strategy where a player communicates to another player to boost their chances of winning. This is not technically legal.

Standing Hand: A hand that is worth 17 or more.

Stand or Stay: When the player is happy with their hand and does not want any additional cards.

Stiff Hand: A hand that has a small chance of winning.

Surrender: When the player decides to surrender their hand to reclaim back half of their bet.

Third Base: The position of a player that acts last before the dealer.

Tie Bet: When the dealer and the player have the same value.

Up Card: The dealer card that is face-up on the table.

Whale:  A high roller.

Wonging: Another word that refers to count back and only bet when you have an edge.

Yellow/Orange/Pumpkin Chip: A $1000 chip.