Blackjack is one of the world’s most popular card games, and it’s now widely available to play in the real money mode and free-play demo mode on hundreds of fully licensed and regulated iGaming sites.
I’m a big fan of computer-generated and live dealer blackjack from award-winning providers like Evolution, GamesGlobal, NetEnt, Play’n GO, Realistic, and Playtech, to name a few, and I’ve found that all of their games are relatively easy to play, even for newcomers.
However, I’ve also noticed so many different terms and phrases to learn in blackjack, which can sometimes seem a little off-putting, especially for beginners. Learning this standard lingo sooner rather than later can help bring you up to speed and become a blackjack master in no time.
With that said, let’s now dive in and take a closer look at some of the key terms you will most likely encounter when playing online blackjack and find out what they mean.
Key terms that every blackjack enthusiast should know
I consider myself a seasoned pro because I’ve been playing online blackjack for over a decade, and I must admit that I didn’t even know what some of these terms meant until I had been playing for a few years and trying out new blackjack variants.
If you are completely new to blackjack and haven’t even played one hand before, here are some of the key terms you should learn:
- Blackjack – this term refers to the best possible hand you can achieve to beat the dealer. If you receive 21 points (an Ace + any King, Queen, Jack or 10) on those first two cards, it’s called a ‘natural’ blackjack
- Hit – this means you want to take another card to try and improve your current hand
- Double Down – this is an optional bet that enables you to double your original stake
- Insurance – in some variants, you can pay for insurance when the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace. It’s an optional side bet worth half the amount of your initial stake. You will get paid 2:1 if the dealer achieves a blackjack (21 points), but if the dealer doesn’t get 21, your insurance bet (and initial stake) are both lost
- Split – when you are dealt two matching cards (e.g., King-King, 9-9, or 5-5), you can split those cards into two separate hands, which requires placing another bet equal to the same amount you initially wagered
- Push – some games can end in a tie, meaning the value of your and the dealer’s hands are worth the same. In this case, you get your initial stake ‘pushed’ back/returned. In other words, there is no winner or loser when the result ends in a push
- Stand – if you think you currently have a strong hand and don’t want to receive any more cards, you can ‘stand.’ For example, if you have 18, and the dealer is showing a 7 face-up card, it would be a good idea to stand
- Bust – when you or the dealer’s hand exceeds 21 points, your hand is ‘bust,’ and you will lose that round. For example, if you have a Queen (worth 10 points) and a 4 (so 14 points total), and then if you hit (take another card) and that next card is a Jack (also worth 10 points) you would go bust with 24 pints (10+4+10)
Other key terms you might like to look up and familiarise yourself with are Cut (the splitting/cutting of the deck before they are dealt), Pat Hand (any hand that totals a hard 17), DAS, meaning double after split, House Edge, the expected mathematical advantage the house has over you, and Hard Hand, which is any hand that doesn’t contain an Ace (don’t forget that Aces can be worth 1 or 11 points).
What does Surrender mean in blackjack?
Another common term found in some blackjack variants is called Surrender. I learned about this on the official casinomeister blog when I was keen to play Blackjack Surrender on one of my favourite sites.
It’s an optional rule found in a handful of Blackjack variants, which essentially allows you to give up (Surrender) 50% of your initial wager, but only after you have seen what your first two cards and the dealer’s face-up card are.
I like this rule and have since used it several times, but only when the dealer is showing an Ace or other powerful card like a King, Queen, Jack or 10.
Final thoughts
The last thing that I mustn’t forget to mention is about gambling responsibly whenever you log in to your favourite accounts to play online blackjack. I suggest setting a reasonable spending budget before depositing and then heading to your chosen site’s safer gambling tools section, where you can find a range of handy gambling controls.
I prefer setting win/loss limits and session time reminders, but you may find that setting a daily, weekly or monthly deposit limit or spending acp works better for you.
Article written by Lucy Roberts
