Blackjack Glossary

Blackjack Terms, Jargon, and Slang

As a new player, you will often hear blackjack players using lots of blackjack terms and slang, so we've created this list of terms to be used as a blackjack glossary or blackjack dictionary. You can simply use this as a reference when you hear a term you are unfamiliar with or just read through the list and familiarize yourself with the blackjack terms.

Anchorman - the player in the last seat of the table, on the dealer's far right, who is last to act.

Barring a Player - a casino refusing to allow a player to play in a blackjack game.

Blackjack - an automatic winning hand containing both an Ace and a 10 value card.

Bust - having a hand totalling more than 21 points, an automatic loser.

Card Counter - a skilled player who keeps track of the cards as they are dealt.

Card Counting - the act of keeping track of the value of the cards dealt at a table.

Dealer - the casino employee, facing the players, who deals the cards at the table.

Deck - a standard deck of 52 cards used in blackjack.

Double Down - the option for a player to double his bet with only one card to come.

Draw a Card - drawing an extra card, on top of the original hand.

Early Surrender - player's option to surrender half his bet while the dealer checks for blackjack.

Favorable Deck - the cards left in the deck are in the player's favor.

First Baseman - the player in the first seat of the table, on the dealer's far left, who is first to act.

Flat Bet - to bet the same amount each hand, without variation.

Floorman - the casino supervisor who oversees the dealers.

Hand - the original cards dealt to each player.

Hard Total - any hand where there is no ace, or the ace counts as one.

Head-to-Head - playing the dealer one-on-one with no other players at the table.

High Roller - a player who bets large amounts of money.

Hit - drawing an extra card, on top of the original hand.

Hole Card - the dealer's unseen card.

House - another term for the casino.

Insurance - optional bet that can be made when the dealer is showing an ace.

Marker - an IOU, signed by a player who has casino credit.

Mucker - a cheater who adds favorable cards to a multiple deck game.

Multiple-Deck - a game consisting of more than one deck of cards in a shoe.

Natural - slang for a blackjack.

Nickels - slang for $5 casino chips.

Paint - any Jack, Queen, or King (all painted pictures).

Pat Hand - an original holding of hard 17 or higher.

Penetration - number of cards the dealer deals out before shuffling.

Pit Boss - casino supervisor who is in charge of the entire blackjack pit.

Push - a tie between the dealer and the player, no one wins or loses.

Quarters - slang for $25 chips.

Round - complete series of play in which everyone has acted on their hands.

Shoe - box containing decks of cards, made to deal one at a time.

Shuffle - mixing up the cards before dealing them.

Single-Deck - a game of blackjack in which only one deck of cards is used.

Snapper - slang for a blackjack.

Soft Total - any hand containing an ace which has a value of 11.

Splitting Pairs - option to split identically ranked cards to play as seperate hands.

Stand, Stand Pat - the player's decision to not take any more cards.

Stiff Card - a card ranked from 2 to 6, which may force the dealer to hit.

Stiff Hand - any hand totalling 12-16, which will bust on a 10-value card hit.

Surrender - option of a player to forfeit half his bet after the dealer checks for blackjack.

Ten-Poor Deck - a deck in which more 10-value cards have been dealt.

Ten-Rich Deck - a deck in which less 10-value cards have been dealt.

Ten-Value Card - any card worth 10 points, a 10, Jack, Queen, or King.

Third Baseman - the player in the last seat of the table, on the dealer's far right, who is last to act.

Tip or Toke - a gratuity given to a dealer by a player.

Twenty-One - another name for the game of blackjack.

Unfavorable Deck - a deck with remaining cards favoring the casino, not the player.

Unit - a standard bet size.

Upcard - the dealer's exposed card, seen by all players.