Blackjack Glossary: Every Term You Meet on a Rule Sheet

The one card that counts as either 1 or 11, whichever suits the hand better. That flexibility is why hands with an ace behave differently from hands without one. See soft hand and hard hand.

A two-card 21: an ace plus a ten-value card, dealt as your first two cards. Regulators and rule sheets call it a natural, or a pontoon in Pontoon. A 21 made from three or more cards is not a blackjack, and it does not earn the blackjack payout. See natural and 3 to 2.

To go over 21. A busted hand loses at once, whatever the dealer later holds. The dealer busts by the same rule, unless a game such as Free Bet Blackjack turns a dealer 22 into a push (see dealer 22 push).

The cards held by one player in one betting spot. After a split one player holds two or more hands, each with its own bet. A hand is settled on its own against the dealer's hand.

A hand with no ace, or with aces that can only count as 1 without busting. A 10 and a 6 is a hard 16. A hard 16 busts on any ten-value card, which is why hard hands in the middle range are the awkward ones. Compare soft hand.

A two-card 21 dealt to the player or the dealer as the first two cards. Most games pay the player's natural 3 to 2 and push it against a dealer natural. Spanish 21 is the exception that matters here: a player natural beats a dealer natural. See blackjack and push.

Two cards of the same value, which is what allows a split. Some games split only identical ranks; others split any two cards worth ten, such as a king and a jack. The rule sheet for the table tells you which.

The number a hand adds up to, with number cards at face value, face cards at ten and an ace as 1 or 11. The word appears in regulator texts, where a wager is decided by comparing point totals. A total of 21 is the highest hand that does not bust.

A hand where an ace is counted as 11 without busting. An ace and a 6 is a soft 17, and you can draw a card without any risk of busting, because the ace can drop to 1. Once the hand would bust at 11, the ace counts as 1 and the hand turns hard.

Any ten, jack, queen or king. All four count 10. Spanish 21 removes the tens but keeps the face cards, which still count 10 and still count as ten-value cards.

The target total. A hand of exactly 21 cannot be beaten by any total below it. It is not always a blackjack: only two-card 21s are. In some games, such as Spanish 21, a player 21 of any size wins even against a dealer 21 (see player 21 always wins).

The right to double down on a hand that came from a split. A rule sheet that allows it favours the player. Example: you split two 8s and draw a 3 on the first, for 11. With DAS you may double that hand, and without it you can only hit or stand.

Doubling your bet on a hand in return for exactly one more card, after which you stand. Most games allow it on your first two cards only, some on three or more cards, and some only on certain totals, such as hard 9, 10 and 11. The rule sheet decides.

Giving up a hand and getting half your bet back before the dealer checks for a natural. It is the more generous form of surrender and is rare. None of the rule documents we use for the games on this site offers it.

A double down where the house pays the extra stake. In Free Bet Blackjack the free double is available on a first two-card hard 9, 10 or 11. If the hand wins you are paid for both stakes, and if it loses the house removes its lammer and you lose only your original bet.

A split where the house pays the extra stake for the new hand. In Free Bet Blackjack most pairs split for free. Pairs of ten-value cards do not, and one of the regulator documents also excludes fours. A hand that comes from a free split loses only your own bet if it loses.

To ask for another card. You may hit until you stand or bust. The British Pontoon description calls this a twist (see twist).

Giving up your first two cards after the dealer has checked for a natural, and getting half your bet back. Because the dealer has already checked, you never surrender into a dealer natural. Example: you hold 10 and 6, a hard 16, against a dealer 10. Surrendering costs you half a bet instead of playing a weak hand at a strong upcard.

Doubling again on a hand you have already doubled. It is a rule some tables add. None of the rule documents we use for the games on this site allows it, so every double here is a single double.

Taking back the extra stake from a doubled hand and forfeiting the original bet. It exists in Spanish 21 and Australian Pontoon, for a doubled hand that has not busted. Example in Spanish 21: you double 6 and 5 against a dealer 9 and draw a 4 for 15. You may rescue, losing one bet instead of risking both.

Splitting again after a split, when one of the new hands gets another pair. Rule sheets state the maximum number of hands you may hold, often four, and whether aces may be resplit. See split and split aces.

Turning a pair into two separate hands by placing a second bet equal to the first. Each hand is then played in turn, and each is settled on its own. Doubling, resplitting and drawing freely after a split are each allowed in some games and not in others.

The special case of splitting a pair of aces. Many rule sheets give each ace only one more card, and some forbid resplitting aces. Spanish 21 is more generous in some regulator texts, and allows hitting and resplitting aces. A two-card 21 on a split ace is not a blackjack.

To stop taking cards and keep your total. The dealer then plays. The British Pontoon description calls it stick (see stick), and the Australian documents say stand.

Giving up a hand and getting half your bet back. It is either early or late, depending on whether the dealer has checked for a natural yet. Not every game offers it: the double-deck rule sheet says surrender is not available, and the Double Exposure documents do not mention it.

The action specific to Blackjack Switch. The player plays two hands at once and may swap the second card dealt to each before acting. A switched 21 counts as 21 and not as a blackjack. The game also pushes a player hand when the dealer reaches 22.

A rule in which a dealer total of exactly 22 does not make every remaining player hand a winner. Instead those hands push. Free Bet Blackjack uses it in return for the free doubles and splits. Blackjack Switch has a version: a dealer 22 pushes a player hand of 21 or less.

The fixed instruction for when the dealer must take another card. The dealer makes no choices. Most rule sheets say to draw on 16 or less and stand on 17 or more, and then add a line about soft 17.

A dealing procedure where the dealer gets only one card face up at the start and takes the second card after all players have finished. A dealer natural therefore shows up late, and a player who has doubled or split may have more money out. See original bets only and hole card. European Blackjack uses it.

The dealer draws another card on a soft 17. That is worse for the player than S17, since the dealer gets another chance to improve. Example: with an ace and a 6, the dealer takes a card under H17 and stops under S17.

The dealer's second card, dealt face down. It stays hidden until the dealer checks for a natural or finishes the round. Its opposite is a game where both dealer cards show, as in Double Exposure, or where the second card is not taken yet, as in ENHC.

A rule for games without a hole card. If the dealer turns out to have a natural, a player who doubled or split loses only the original bet, and the additional stake is returned. The double-deck rule sheet words it as "only the original bet on a double down is taken". See ENHC.

The dealer looking at the hole card under an ace or a ten-value card to see whether there is a natural. A card reader lets the dealer do this without lifting the card. If there is a natural it is turned over, and if not, play continues with the dealer known to have none. See card reader.

The dealer stops on a soft 17. That favours the player compared with H17. The rule is printed on the layout or in the house rules, and regulators state it explicitly.

A total of 17 that includes an ace counted as 11, such as an ace and a 6. The hand is not final because the ace can drop to 1. Whether the dealer hits or stands on it is one of the most quoted rule variations. See H17 and S17.

The dealer's card that faces up. It is the one piece of information you have about the dealer's hand, so your decisions depend on it. A dealer ace or ten-value card is the signal for insurance and for a peek.

The marked place on the layout where a player puts a bet and where that player's cards are dealt. Regulators call it a playing area or wagered area.

A card taken from the top of the shoe after the shuffle and discarded without being played. The regulator texts define it as a card taken from the top of a deck and discarded face down. Some procedures also have the dealer discard one card before each batch of cards goes into the shoe.

A device on the dealer's side of the table that lets the dealer check the hole card without lifting it. The Pennsylvania texts require one at Spanish 21 and Free Bet Blackjack tables. In New Jersey a casino may choose to use one.

A device that keeps reshuffling cards so that used cards return to play. Regulator texts define it as a device which continuously shuffles the cards. A table with one has no shoe that runs down toward a cut card, so penetration and the cut card do not apply in the same way.

A plastic card placed in the shoe to mark where the shuffle will be called. When it comes out, the round in progress finishes and the cards are shuffled for the next one. It decides how far into the shoe the game goes. See penetration.

A set of playing cards. A regular deck has 52 cards. A Spanish deck for Spanish 21 and Pontoon has 48, with the four tens removed. A deck count on the rule sheet matters because one deck and eight decks play differently.

The tray at the dealer's side of the table that holds played cards. After each round, the dealer places cards there in an order that lets the round be reconstructed if a dispute comes up.

How far into the shoe the dealer deals before the cut card ends the shoe. Deep penetration means more cards dealt before a shuffle. It is a dealing practice, and none of the rule documents we use for the games on this site states a figure for it. See cut card and shoe.

One complete hand of play, from bets down to settlement, including every hand created by splits. The round ends when all bets on the table are paid or collected.

The box that holds several decks, shuffled together, from which the dealer draws cards. A game may use one, two, six or eight decks. Single-deck and double-deck games are often dealt from the hand, without a shoe.

Mixing the cards so that their order is random. After a shuffle the cards are cut, and in most procedures a burn card is removed before the first deal. See cut card.

The smallest and largest bet a table accepts. They are posted at the table.

A side bet that pays on a three-card poker hand made from your first two cards and the dealer's upcard. Three of a kind, a straight, a flush and a straight flush pay. An ace may complete a straight with a 2 and 3. The pay table is printed at the table.

The usual payout for a natural: you win three chips for every two you bet. On a 10 bet a natural pays 15. See 6 to 5 for the reduced version.

A lower natural payout: six chips for every five bet. On a 10 bet a natural pays 12, not 15. The New Jersey rules in our documents allow it as an option and then remove surrender at those tables. Some games also pay 1 to 1 on a natural, such as Double Exposure and Blackjack Switch.

In Spanish 21, an extra payout for certain 21s, for example a 21 made of five cards, and some specific three-card hands. The rule texts say a bonus does not pay on a doubled hand. Whether it pays on a split hand differs by regulator. See Spanish 21 and Super Bonus.

A side bet on the dealer busting. The more cards in the dealer's busted hand, the more the bet pays. The bet stays in action whether or not you bust, and it loses if the dealer has a natural.

Being paid 1 to 1 on a natural immediately, when the dealer shows an ace, instead of waiting to see whether the dealer also has a natural. It is the same as taking insurance on your natural. Example: you hold an ace and a king, and the dealer shows an ace. You can take even money for a sure win of your bet, or play on for 3 to 2 with the risk of a push.

A side bet offered when the dealer shows an ace. It wins if the dealer has a natural, and pays 2 to 1. Insurance is a separate wager and is settled on its own. See even money.

A side bet on your first two cards totalling 20. A matched 20 is two identical cards, the same rank and suit. The top award requires a pair of queens of hearts and a dealer natural.

The bet you place before any card is dealt, on the hand you will play. Side bets sit beside it. Regulators often call it the blackjack wager.

A side bet on your first two cards matching the dealer's upcard. Each matching card is paid. A ten-value card matches only a card of the identical rank. Spanish 21 uses Match the Dealer with its own 48-card pay tables.

A side bet on your first two cards making a pair. A perfect pair is two cards of the same rank and suit. A pair of the same colour but different suits, and a mixed pair, are lesser matches that pay less. Each pay table is printed on the layout.

A side bet for Free Bet Blackjack. It pays on how many free bet lammers you collect in a round. All Pot of Gold bets lose to a dealer natural.

A tie between a hand and the dealer's hand. Your bet is returned and nothing is won or lost. Regulator texts sometimes say "stand off". See stand off.

An optional extra wager placed beside the main bet, judged on its own cards and its own pay table. A side bet can win when your main hand loses, and the other way round. Side bets have their own house edge, separate from the main game. See house edge.

A fixed cash prize in Spanish 21 for three sevens of one suit against a dealer seven. It is a prize set by bet size and not an odds payout, and it does not apply to split hands in the New Jersey text. See Spanish 21.

A side bet in Blackjack Switch on matching cards among the four cards dealt to your two hands. It is paid once, at the highest award that applies.

The rule set in the New Jersey regulations for casino blackjack in Atlantic City. In the regular game the dealer stands on soft 17, you may double after a split, pairs split up to four hands and aces split once, and late surrender is offered. The 6 to 5 version has no surrender.

The Pontoon played in Australian casinos under state and territory rules. The documents use 48-card decks, have the dealer start with one card, and call a natural a pontoon. Players may surrender half the bet, rescue a doubled hand and earn bonuses for long hands. See Pontoon and controlling player.

A variant where the player plays two hands and may swap their second cards. A dealer 22 pushes against a player 21 or less. A natural pays 1 to 1. See switch and Super Match.

An automatic win for a hand of a set number of cards that has not busted, such as five (a five-card charlie). It is a term in general use. None of the rule documents for the games on this site describes a charlie. The closest idea is the five-card bonus in Spanish 21 and the five-card trick in British Pontoon.

Blackjack with both dealer cards dealt face up. The dealer wins ties except when a player has a natural, and a natural pays 1 to 1. The rule documents allow doubling on hard 9, 10 and 11 only and do not allow doubling after a split. See hole card.

Blackjack dealt from two decks, often by hand. Rule sheets on file list doubling after a split and resplitting to four hands, but no surrender. See deck.

Blackjack dealt without a hole card. The version on this site uses six decks, a dealer who stands on 17, and doubling on any first two cards. See ENHC and the European Blackjack page.

A hand of five cards that has not gone over 21, which wins automatically in British Pontoon as one casino guide describes it. Australian Pontoon has no automatic five-card win. There a five-card 21 earns a bonus payout.

A blackjack game where the house pays the extra stake on certain doubles and splits. See free double, free split and dealer 22 push, or read the Free Bet Blackjack page.

The marker the house puts on the layout to represent a free bet stake. The rule documents use the word for the marker that shows a free double or a free split. If the hand loses the house removes the lammer, and if it wins the lammer is paid as a real bet.

A Spanish 21 rule where a player 21 beats a dealer 21. There is one exception documented: a wager loses if the player has 21 in more than two cards and the dealer has a natural. See natural and Spanish 21.

Another name for blackjack in some places, and the name of a related game with its own rules. The two versions differ: a rules description for the British game and regulator documents for the Australian one. See Australian Pontoon and the Pontoon page.

Blackjack dealt from one deck. In the New Jersey rules on file, a single-deck game may pay 6 to 5 for a natural, and that version does not offer surrender.

A blackjack game played with 48-card decks, with the four tens removed from each deck, and with bonus payouts and a player 21 that always wins. See Spanish deck, rescue and the Spanish 21 page.

A 48-card deck made by taking the four tens out of a regular deck. The kings, queens and jacks remain and count ten. It is the deck used in Spanish 21, and Pontoon also plays with 48-card decks.

In the Australian documents, the player who calls all the decisions for a playing area when several players share it. A regulator text defines the term this way.

In the Australian documents, an ace and a card worth ten dealt as the first two cards to a player or the dealer. A pair that was split and then made an ace and a ten does not count as a pontoon. It plays the role of a natural.

The Australian documents' word for a tie, where the wager neither wins nor loses. It is the same thing as a push. The documents use it for a hand with the same point total as the dealer's.

The word the British description uses for standing. One casino guide says players cannot stick on a total under 15. That description is unverified, because no regulator document for British Pontoon exists. See stand.

The word the British description uses for asking for another card. It corresponds to hit in blackjack. Australian regulator texts on file do not use the word.

The total amount of money you set aside to play with. A bankroll is what makes a run of losing hands survivable, and it is separate from any single bet. This site uses play money only.

The set of decisions, hand by hand, that gives the best result against a given rule set. It changes when the rules change. The strategy chart for Spanish 21, for example, differs from the one for Free Bet Blackjack. See methodology for how the charts are computed.

The average result of a bet if it were repeated many times, shown per unit bet. A negative expected value means a player loses on average. The house edge is that average, seen from the casino's side.

The average share of each starting bet the casino keeps over a very long run, for a given rule set and strategy. It is a long-run average, and it says nothing about what happens in one session. Change one rule and the edge changes. See return to player and methodology.

The share of money wagered that comes back to players on average. It is the other side of the house edge: the two add up to one whole. See house edge.

The complete list of rules a table uses: decks, soft 17, doubling, splitting, surrender, payouts and more. Two tables can both be called blackjack and still play with different rule sets, so you read the set before comparing games. The homepage compares the rule sets on this site.

How much results swing around the average in the short run. A side bet with a huge top prize has high variance: most rounds it loses and a rare one pays a lot. Variance is separate from house edge, and a bet can have a low edge and still feel swingy.

Another word for a bet, used in regulator texts. The blackjack wager is the main bet, the insurance wager is the insurance bet, and so on.