Soft 17Blackjack Glossary: Every Term Explained
Blackjack has its own vocabulary. Here are the terms you will hear at the table, in alphabetical order. New to the game? Start with blackjack for beginners.
- Ace
- The card worth 11 or 1, whichever helps the hand more.
- Bust
- To go over 21. A busted hand loses immediately.
- Blackjack (natural)
- An Ace and a ten-value card as the first two cards. It normally pays 3 to 2.
- Burn card
- A card removed from the top of the deck without being played, usually after shuffling.
- Cut card
- A plastic card placed in the shoe. When it is reached, the shoe is reshuffled after the current hand.
- Dealer
- The player the house provides. Everyone plays against the dealer, who must follow fixed drawing rules.
- Double down
- Doubling your bet in exchange for exactly one more card.
- Double after split (DAS)
- A rule that lets you double on a hand created by splitting.
- Even money
- A payout equal to your bet, sometimes offered instead of insurance when you hold a blackjack and the dealer shows an Ace.
- First base
- The seat immediately to the dealer's left, the first to act. It is the right-hand seat as you face the dealer.
- Hard hand
- A hand with no Ace, or where every Ace must count as 1.
- Hit
- To take another card.
- Hole card
- The dealer's face-down card.
- House edge
- The average share of each bet the casino expects to keep over the long run.
- Insurance
- An optional side bet of half your stake, offered when the dealer shows an Ace, that pays 2 to 1 if the dealer has blackjack.
- Natural
- Another name for a blackjack.
- Peek
- The dealer checking the hole card for blackjack when showing an Ace or ten.
- Push
- A tie with the dealer. Your bet is returned.
- Shoe
- The box that holds the cards and lets the dealer draw them one at a time.
- Soft hand
- A hand with an Ace counted as 11, such as Ace and 6. Taking a card cannot bust it.
- Soft 17
- A soft hand totalling 17. See the soft 17 rule.
- Split
- Dividing a pair into two hands, each with its own bet.
- Stand
- To keep your current total and end your turn.
- Surrender
- Giving up a hand in exchange for losing half your bet, where the rule is offered.
- Third base
- The seat at the dealer's right, the last to act.
- Upcard
- The dealer's face-up card.
Frequently asked questions
What does "push" mean in blackjack?
A push is a tie between your hand and the dealer's hand. Nobody wins, and your bet is returned.
What is the shoe in blackjack?
The shoe is the box that holds several decks of cards and lets the dealer draw them one at a time.
What is a soft hand?
A soft hand contains an Ace counted as 11. Because the Ace can fall to 1, one more card cannot make the hand bust.
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