Blackjack
strategy games terms,
part 3, completes blackjack gamerisms.

This
section includes blackjack terms that are unique to this casino game:
Natural, Perfect Pairs, Plug, Rainbow Bet and Spanish 21. The glossary
concludes with Blackjack Tips: Errors & Corrections.
Blackjack Strategy Games Terms:
H - I
- Hand:
a round of play. Also cards held by the player and/or
dealer.
- Hard
Hand: those hands that do not contain an ace or a hand
where the ace is
valued at 1 are hard hands as there is only one value. Opposite of soft
hands.
- Hard Total:
blackjack lingo for count of those hands that
do not contain an ace or a hand where the ace is valued at only 1.
- Heads Up:
blackjack jargon for player against the dealer
with no other participants.
- Hit:
dealt additional card(s) to the 2 cards dealt originally. Also known as
draw, draw card or hit card. The decision to hit is indicated by a
sweeping motion on the felt by the player or tapping the felt in a face
up game.
- Hole Card:
dealer’s card dealt face down.
- House Advantage/House Edge:
refers to the casino %
advantage vs. the player.
- Insurance:
when dealer’s up card is an ace, there will be a call for insurance. If
you make an insurance bet that the dealer has blackjack, this wager is
placed on the insurance line displayed on the felt. If the dealer has
blackjack, you win the insurance bet; however, your original bet is
lost. If there is no blackjack, you lose the insurance bet. The
insurance bet is not recommended.
Blackjack Strategy Games Terms:
L - N
- Late Surrender:
player loses 50% of bet if he/she decides
to surrender after seeing the dealer’s up card.
- Multiple Decks:
more than one deck is in play here.
- Natural:
also known as a blackjack, a natural occurs when the first two cards
dealt are an ace and a card with
a value of 10 for 21. Pays 3 to 2.
- Nickel:
blackjack lingo for $5 chip.
- No
Hole Card: blackjack version where the dealer does not
receive a second
card until all the players have completed their hands.
Blackjack Strategy Games Terms: P
- Paint:
blackjack lingo for face cards—Jack, Queen and King.
- Pair:
two cards of the same value, example=pair of tens.
- Pat Hand:
blackjack hand that has a value of hard 17 or
better and does not require a hit.
- Penetration: cards
played into the shoe before shuffling
occurs. This is a factor to consider for card counters.
- Perfect Pairs:
blackjack jargon for side bet that pays for
mixed pair, colored pair, and perfect pair after the initial deal.
- Pip:
card spots indicating the value of the card.
- Pitch
Game: term for tossing or pitching cards to players by the
dealer. This
occurs with single or double deck games dealt face down.
- Play All: blackjack
players who stay to play during the ups
and downs of the game. Also refers to multiple deck games.
- Playing
Conditions: casino options offered to players. The many
options
including double down rules, early/late surrender and splitting can
vary widely between land-based casino and online games worldwide.
- Plug:
blackjack strategy games term for shuffling of multi-deck games.
Occurs with the insertion of a cut card marking the place that all
decks will be re-shuffled. The group of cards behind the cut card are
not used to play, but rather placed in the discard tray along with
other discards when the cut-card is reached. This group of unplayed
cards are named a plug or otherwise plugging the deck.
- Point Count:
blackjack jargon for the net value of the card
count after a hand is completed.
- Preferential
Shuffling: term for player advantage when
remaining cards are shuffled.
- Press:
increase betting, usually by at least 50% after a
winning hand.
- Progression
Betting: blackjack strategy for betting based on
previous hand(s).
Positive progression is raising or pressing the bet after a win while
negative progression is raising the bet after a loss.
- Push or Tie:
occurs when both dealer and player have the
same count neither of which is 21. The player’s bet is returned.
Blackjack Strategy Games Terms: R
- Rainbow Bet:
wagering with several colors/denomination of
playing chips.
- Red Chip:
blackjack lingo for $5 chip.
- Resplit:
splitting pairs yet again. A dream hand if Aces
show up.
- RSA:
short form for resplit aces with no limit. Some
casinos have rules for RSA.
- Round: occurs
when all players have completed their
blackjack hands.
- Running
Count: total points from card-counting method beginning
with first hand
dealt after new shuffle and updated after each hand.
Blackjack Strategy Games Terms: S
- S17: short
form for dealer stands on all 17’s.
- Shoe:
design of holder, either wood or heavy plastic, of up
to 8 decks in play.
- Shuffle:
blending the cards before dealing to players.
- Side Bet:
additional bet along with the primary bet.
- Soft
Hand: also known as soft hand or soft total that holds an
ace counted
as 11. Example: ace-7 equals a soft 18. However, if the value of the
ace is changed to 1, it is consider a hard hand.
- Soft Double:
doubling down when one card is an ace.
- Spanish 21:
blackjack version where the 4-ten cards are
removed.
- Split/Splitting
Pairs: splitting a matched pair to play separately. The
extra bet is
placed on one of the split cards. If a third like card is dealt=JJJ,
then that too can be split based on casino rules.
- Splitting
Aces: when you split aces, you receive only 1 additional
card for each
hand. However, based on casino rules you may split a third ace if
dealt.
- Spooking: blackjack
strategy games term for passing
info to a playing partner after eyeing the dealer’s hole card. An
illegal form of cheating.
- Stand and
Stay: player decision not to draw additional
cards/hits.
- Standoff,
Tie or Push: occurs when both dealer and player have the
same count
neither of which is 21. The player’s bet is returned.
- Steam:
term for a player who increases his/her bets to
recoup losses.
- Stiff/Stiff
Hand: card count of 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16 that
will bust or go over 21 with one card. Also breaking hand.
- Streak:
string of wins or losses.
- Surrender:
choose surrender after receiving first two cards
and you lose only 50% of the bet.
Blackjack Strategy Games Terms:
T - Z
- Team Play:
several players who utilize one bankroll and are
skillful blackjack players.
- Tells:
blackjack lingo for signals in the form of gestures or attitude
expressed by the dealer that may provide useful strategies as to the
value of their hole card.
- Third
Base/Third Baseman: blackjack jargon for player to
the right of the dealer receiving the last card. Also, see anchor.
- Toke:
tip to the dealer. Are you a 'George or Tom?'
- Twenty-One or
21: term for the game of blackjack.
- Up Card:
dealt face up, this is the dealer’s first card.
Blackjack
Tips: Errors & Corrections at Blackjack Strategy Games Terms
Blackjack Errors has kept most players from enjoying the low edges
against them or gaining the edge against the house.
These errors that occur during the decisions for hitting, standing,
doubling down, and splitting pairs can be corrected and rewarded with
smaller house advantages for both multiple-deck games and single-deck
games, thereby trimmed to as little as 0.14 percent. Over time, how
much a player wins or loses comes down to the player.
Below find a list of 6 of the most common blackjack errors, the correct
action and the reason to make the smart choice resulting in increased
profits.
These corrections are based on computer play of every player hand
versus every dealer upcard. In other words, pay attention to the math!
1) Player Hand: 12
Dealer Upcard: 2 or 3

Correct Decision: Hit
If you have a hand of 12, about two-thirds of the cards that can come
out are not going to bust you.
2) Player Hand: 16
Dealer Upcard: 10
Correct Decision: Hit
The 16 is a losing hand no matter what you do but on two cards, you
will lose slightly less if you hit than if you stand.
3) Player Hand: A7
Dealer Upcard: 4-5-6
Correct Decision: Double
A hand of 18 is a losing hand in the long run. With the dealer in a
weak position, you want to get more money on the table and take
advantage of it.
4) Player Hand: A7
Dealer Upcard: 10 or Ace
Correct Decision: Hit
Another loser 18, however since you cannot bust, you have a shot of
improving your hand.
5) Player Hand: 5:5
Dealer Upcard: 2-9
Correct Decision: Double
It’s a given that you never split fives with a 10 in your hand. Go for
the double because you have a very good chance of winning twice your
bet.
6) Player Hand: 20 or 21
Dealer Upcard: Ace
Correct Decision: No Insurance
Don’t give the casino an advantage when you opt for insurance. Consider
that when you have 2 ten-valued cards, the dealer is less likely to
have blackjack. The house edge on insurance is at least 5%, so back
away from this bet.
Make those smart choices and Play On!
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