Blackjack Terms

Like any other gambling game, or card game for that matter, blackjack has its own vocabulary that any player should know. For first-timers especially, a glossary of blackjack terms is important for you to be able to understand what is going on in the game. Here are some of the words primarily used in blackjack:

Bust – when a player's hand exceeds 21 points; the player's original bet is taken by the dealer

Double down – what happens when a player decides to double his or her bet before taking a third card; if the amount is less than the original bet, it is called “double down for less”

Hit – when a player decides to draw another card aside from the first two already dealt out; players can hit as much as they want until they get a hand they are satisfied with or until they bust

Push – what happens when both the dealer and player have reached blackjack, or have an equal number of points; neither side wins or loses

Split – what happens when a player has two card with the same value dealt to him or her during the first round and decides to split the cards into two hands; a new bet is made with an identical wager to the first one before the next round of cards are dealt

Stand – when a player decides not to draw any more cards because he or she is satisfied with the strength of his or her hand; this usually happens between 16 to 20 points

Surrender – an option the player can take to forfeit the game and get back half his or her wager.