Want to try your hand at blackjack? It’s a fast-paced casino game that is relatively easy to play and can lead to heart-racing action and big wins. For a stylized version of the game, make sure to check out the 2008 flick, 21.
Once you’ve studied and understood the terms and lingo listed below, you’ll soon begin to feel more confident. But, take our advice, don’t get too ahead of yourself and be overconfident, because that’s a rookie mistake!
A great way to start your gaming journey is to try playing the game at an online casino, that way, you’re in a familiar environment and in your comfort zone. This will gradually build your confidence and skill level. And if you want your first blackjack gaming experience to be even more memorable, why not benefit from a casino offering a no deposit bonus? At NoDepositRewards.com you’ll find this game in all its variants offered for free with no deposit needed. We found the Casino Brango $60 no deposit bonus to our liking.
Anchorman
Not a reference to the movie! When you are sitting at the blackjack table, the Anchorman is the last person to play before the dealer.
Balanced Count
Part of the counting cards terminology. A balanced count is when there is an exact number of plus and minus cards in the deck or decks.
Bankroll
This is how much money you have to gamble with. Generally, it’s the amount of value in the chips you have, although if you go and take more cash out, then it’ll be more!
Blackjack
Blackjack is, of course, the game that you are playing. However it’s also the term for the ideal hand. The ideal hand is an Ace and either a 10, Jack, Queen or King (each of which is valued at 10).
Burn Card
The burn card is a card the dealer places face down before starting to deal. This is so the players cannot tell the value of cards from the beginning of play.
Bust
Bust is when the cards you have been dealt go over 21 – which means you’re out of the current game.
Bust Card
The bust card is the card you have been dealt that takes the total in your hand over 21.
Cold Deck
A cold deck is one where the cards that keep being dealt are lousy. It’s not a scientific thing, just a luck thing.
Color Up
This is when you exchange low-value chips for high-value chips, and is often done before you leave the game and table so that you can cash out (or keep your high denomination chips for next time).
Continuous Shuffling Machine
A CSM is a machine that shuffles one or more decks continuously.
Cut Card
A cut card is a placeholder card that is inserted into a deck, and when the dealer reaches this card then the remaining deck is reshuffled.
Discards
This is all of the cards that have already been played. They are discarded to one side until they are needed again.
Double Down
Once you’ve seen your initial hand – if you really like your chances at winning – you’re allowed to double your original bet.
First Base
If you’re the first player to be dealt cards – i.e. you’re the first player to the left of the dealer – then you’re in first base.
Five Card Charlie
This term only exists in some games of blackjack. It’s when you have an automatic win if you have five cards in your hand without going bust.
House Edge
This is the percentage of how much the casino wins when the play of the game tends to infinity, for example, 1%. In this case, for every $100 you put down, you’re expected to lose $1. Of course, since the house edge is when play tends to infinity, for every $100 you put down in reality, you could win vastly more or less.
Flat Betting
If you bet the same amount every time, then you are flat betting.
Hit
You say ‘hit’ if you would like to be dealt another card. The opposite is to ‘stand.’
Multi-Deck
Blackjack is generally played with more than one deck. If there is one deck only then it becomes very easy for players to count cards. Instead, in a casino, six or more decks are used to eliminate this practice.
Natural
Natural is when there is a two-card hand that equals 21 – or blackjack!
Pit
The pit is the area of the casino where you are playing at the table. A pit itself might have any number of blackjack tables. A pit boss oversees all the tables in a pit to make sure no funny business is going on that a dealer may have missed.
Split
When you are dealt two cards that have the same value, you can split them to play two hands at once.
Stand
This is if you are happy with the cards you’ve been dealt already and don’t want to receive another. For instance, if you have a hand that already adds up to 20, you would want to stand.
Third Base
This is the final player at the table before the dealer – i.e. the player directly to the dealer’s right.
Toke
Toke is the term for tipping your dealer – i.e. tokens of appreciation.
Up Card
This is the card that a dealer is presently showing.