Blackjack is by far one of the most popular poker games. For those interested in joining in the online Blackjack craze, here are a few words you should familiarise yourself with before you start playing:
Action – in gambling in general, this term refers to the total amount of player wagers through the series of bets.
Advantage player – this refers to the player who uses the Blackjack strategy to gain advantage over the casino.
Bankroll – as the name suggests, this refers to the total amount of money available for betting in a round.
Big player – this is a player who places a big bet when the odds are on his side.
Blackjack or Natural – The hand in the game with the total count of 21 formed by an Ace and 10 or any Face card.
Bust – this happens if the player’s hand exceeds 21
Card counting – this is a popular Blackjack strategy which involves tracking the ratio of low cards to low cards of your opponents.
Cut card – this is a coloured plastic card which is used by one of the players to cut the deck after shuffling.
Discards – the cards that have been played and put aside
Double down – this is an option that is offered in case a player has a good hand and is sure he will beat the dealer’s hand. Choosing this option means that the player doubles the bet and gets only one card.
Double exposure – this is a Blackjack variation whereby both dealers’ cards are dealt face up.
Even money – this is a bet that is offered if the player is holding Blackjack and the dealer’s face up card is an Ace. This means the bet equals the half of the initial bet.
Early surrender – this option allows the player to save the half of the initial bet before the dealer check his hand.
Hard hand – this Blackjack hand contains no Aces or Aces valued 1.
Hole card – this refers to any card dealt face down. In Blackjack it is the dealer’s hidden card.
Face cards – these are Jack, Queen and King cards. In Blackjack, all Face cards are valued as 10.
First base – this is the seat at the Blackjack table that is next after the dealer.
Face up card – this is the dealer’s card that is dealt face up.
Flat bet – when a player places the same bet on every hand.
Heads up – this is a Blackjack game which involves just two participants – the dealer and only one player.
House edge – this is the casino’s advantage at any game.
Late surrender – this is an option that allows the player to save the half of the initial bet once the dealer checks his hand.
Pair – this is the player’s first two cards of the same value.
Pat hand – this is a hand that equals 17 or higher.
Push – this is when the dealer and player have the hands of the same value.
Resplit – to split the second pair after a hand that has already been split.
Shoe – this is a special holder used to hold the deck.
Split – this happens before the resplit, when the player is dealt two cards of the same suit. The player is then allowed to split the hand and form two separate hands.
Stand – to not take any cards.
Stiff hand – a hand that contains Aces valued as 11.
Surrender – this option allows the player to save the half of an initial bet in case his hand is not strong enough.
Vig – the house advantage on the bet.
Author bio:
This article was written for Volcanic Gold and offers tips on online Blackjack jargon.
