Blackjack basics
Blackjack terms every player should know
These are the words you will hear at the table, each in one plain sentence.
These answers are for a 6 deck game where the dealer stands on soft 17, blackjack pays 3 to 2, and you can double on any two cards, including after a split.
Why
Most of the game runs on a dozen words. Once you know them, the felt and the dealer make sense.
The play against every dealer card
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hit | Take another card. |
| Stand | Keep your total. |
| Double down | Double your bet and take one card. |
| Split | Play a pair as two hands with a second bet. |
| Bust | Go over 21 and lose the hand. |
| Push | A tie, so your bet comes back. |
| Blackjack | An Ace and a 10 value card as your first two cards. |
| Soft hand | A hand with an Ace counted as 11. |
| Hard hand | A hand with no Ace counted as 11. |
| Upcard | The dealer card you can see. |
| Hole card | The dealer card that is face down. |
| Shoe | The box the decks are dealt from. |
| Insurance | A side bet that the dealer has blackjack. |
Questions players ask
- What is the hole card?
- The dealer card that is dealt face down.
Related answers
- Blackjack hand signals
- Hard vs soft hands in blackjack
- How to play blackjack
- Blackjack basic strategy chart
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