Blackjack Terms Explained

So, scroll down to discover Blackjack terms and what they mean, so you can make the most out of your gameplay.

21:59 14 June 2022

If you’re new to the game of Blackjack, you could hear some terminology being used that you may not recognise. Therefore, we wanted to explain some of the Blackjack terms you might hear the next time you pull up a seat at the table, whether that be in person at your local casino venue, online Blackjack at Paddy Power, or within live dealer virtual games on your favourite platform.

 

So, scroll down to discover Blackjack terms and what they mean, so you can make the most out of your gameplay…

 

Bankroll

The money you have at hand, available to gamble with, is called your bankroll. This is not to be confused with the total available amount that you have, only the amount you’re willing to bet with, and potentially lose.

 

Blackjack

Not only is it the name of the game, but also a type of hand you can win the game with. A Blackjack hand consists of one ace and one ten or royal face card, making the value of 21.

 

Burn Card

Before the dealer starts to deal, he/she places one card to the side, face down. This is to make it impossible for players to know what will be the first card dealt.

 

Bust

A word you’ll never want to hear when playing a game of Blackjack – or any game for that matter; it basically means that you have run out of money.

 

Cold Deck

If the box holding all the cards seems to be holding awful cards and causing players to lose too much, it is known as a cold deck.

 

Colour Up

If you have lots of low denominal chips, you can ask the dealer to ‘colour up’ some, to exchange small-value chips into higher-value ones.

 

Cut Card

When a new box of cards is introduced, the dealer will ask one player at the table to cut the deck with a cut card. The cut card signals when that box will finish and a new box will be required for the table. This makes it impossible for anyone to use a card counting strategy.

 

Discards

All cards that have already been played, which sit to one side, are called discards.

 

Double Down

If Lady Luck appears to be on your side, and you’re dealt a promising hand, you could double down and double your wager. If your hand wins against the dealer, you win twice as much as you would have.

 

House Edge

You may have heard this term mentioned in a few casino games, including Blackjack. A house edge is what is referred to as the expected advantage the house or casino has in a particular game. In Blackjack, this is usually around 0.5%, one of the lowest of all casino games. 

 

Flat Betting

If a player bets the same amount consistently, hand after hand, they are considered to be flat betting.

 

Hit

If you wish for the dealer to deal you another card to add to your hand, you simply ask to be ‘hit’ with another card.

 

Surrender/Late Surrender

In some games of Blackjack, you can surrender your hand without making any further decisions and will receive only half of your stake back.

 

Multi Deck

Most games of Blackjack in casinos use multi decks. This is when more than one deck of 52 cards is used within a game. The card box is often known to contain six to eight decks at a time.

 

Pit

The area you sit at within the table layout Is called the pit. It is usually overseen by a casino employee, also known as a pit boss.

 

Split

If you have two cards of the same value in your hand, you can split your hand, to create two hands from one wager amount.

 

Stand

When you are happy with your hand, you call stand, meaning you will not be taking another card.