Blackjack Gambling Terms

Bankroll – the money at the players disposal.

Basic Strategy – A computer-developed method for playing blackjack that can be easily memorized by a player without having to counting cards.

Buck - A $100 wager on a hand.

Betting limits - The minimum and maximum amounts of money that a player can wager on one bet.

Bump - To raise a bet.

Burn Cards - Remove cards from the top of the deck, not to be dealt, and place them in the discard tray after a shuffle and cut.

Breaking Hand – A hand that will go over 21 with a one-card draw, such as a hard 12,13,14,15 or 16.

Card Counting - Recording (via a persons memory) the played cards (usually high cards) so as to establish the probability of an advantage on the remaining cards against the dealer.

Dime Bet - A $1000 wager.

Dollar Bet - A $100 wager.

Doubling Down – An option where the player, knowing they have a good hand will win with one more card, turns their two cards face up and adds to their bet by as much as the original bet. This gets them one additional card.

Draw – To obtain additional cards to the original two cards.

Edge - An advantage over an opponent / casino’s advantage

Even Money- When the player has a blackjack and the dealer has an ace showing, a payout offered before the card is checked. Pays 1-1 instead of 3-2.

Face Cards - The Jack, Queen, and King of any suit of cards.

First Base – The first seat at the blackjack table, immediately to the left of the dealer.

Get Even- Amount you need to bet, to break even.

Hard Count – The true face value of the cards in use.

Hard Hand – A hand without an ace, or a hand with an ace that can only be counted as one.

Hit-To take another card.

Hole Card-The dealer's face-down card.

Insurance-A side bet where the dealer has a blackjack. It’s offered when the dealer's up card is an ace. If the dealer has a blackjack, the bet is paid 2-1. If the dealer does not, the insurance bet loses.

Lumpy- A break-in dealer. Called this because their dealing is not smooth.

Mechanic - Slang term for a a dealer who cheats.

Nickels-$5 chips.

Natural – A total of 21 in only two cards.  An automatic winner which pays 3 to 2.

Odds - Ratio of probabilities.

Overlay - A good bet in which the player has an edge over the online casino.

Payoff - The return or payback the player receives for his or her wager.

Pat Hand – A hand with a total of 17 to 21.

Point Count – The net value of the card count at the end of a hand.

Press a Bet - Adding the winnings over the current bet to 'let it ride'.

Probability - A mathematical calculation that establishes the likelihood that an event will occur.

Push - A tied hand between a dealer and the player.

Rated - Determination by the online casino that a player's skill level is above average or on a professional level. A player's rating may be stored on computer and referred to the pit.

Session - A period of play at any gambling game.

Shoe - Device, usually a wooden box, used for holding and dispensing playing cards to be dealt.

Shuffle Up - Premature shuffling of playing cards by the dealer.

Soft Hand – A hand with an ace, which can be counted as 11 (for example, an ace and 8 can be counted as 9 or 19)

Splitting Pairs – An option the player has with two original cards of the same denomination (4s, 8s etc.) of splitting the two cards and playing each hand individually.

Stand-To stop taking any more cards.

Stake-The amount of money that is bet at any one time.

Surrender-To give up half the wager before the hand is completed.

Third Base – The last seat at the blackjack table, immediately to the right of the dealer

Toke - A tip which is given to the dealer in the form of money or chips.

Underlay - A bad or unfavourable bet.

Up card - The face up card of the dealer's initial hand in blackjack.