Each card in the deck is given a value of either -1, +1 or 0. The total value of a 52 card deck is zero. The system—also known as the Plus/Minus system—was originally introduced by Harvey Dubner as a remake of Edward Thorp’s slightly more involved Ten-Count blackjack card counting system. And it’s these odds that make blackjack ripe for card counting. In simple terms, 'counting cards' just means keeping a tally of certain cards while the dealer burns through the deck.
Have you run into a blackjack term that you haven’t seen before? While blackjack is a fairly easy game to play, there’s a lot of lingo that can seem almost foreign to a new player. We’ve put together a list of common blackjack terms and definitions that should get you up to speed.
Basic Strategy: A collection of the mathematically best plays in every situation given the rules being used in a blackjack game. A basic strategy chart will tell the player what to do, given his hand and the dealer’s up card. However, it will not consider other cards seen or the current composition of the shoe, as done when card counting.
Betting Spread: A common technique used by card counters to change their bet size without drawing attention from casinos.
Blackjack: Along with being the name of the game, a blackjack is also the name given to a hand consisting of an ace and a ten-point card. It is the best possible starting hand, and normally automatically wins for the player at odds of 3-2, though some casinos may offer lesser odds. If the dealer has a blackjack, all player hands immediately lose, except for blackjacks, which push.
Bust: A hand is said to bust when it reaches a point total of 22 or more. If a player busts by going over 21, he immediately loses all bets on that hand. If the dealer busts, all players still in the hand automatically win.
Card Counting: This is a process in which a player takes into account the cards that have already been removed from the shoe when determining their strategy. The most common adjustment made is to bet more money when the shoe is rich in cards that are good for the player, and bet less (or stop playing) when the remaining cards tilt the odds in favor of the house. However, card counters may also make adjustments to when they take insurance, when they surrender, or even to basic strategy plays based on the remaining cards in the shoe. These adjustments can leave the player with an advantage over the house.
Card counting is not illegal, but casinos may refuse to allow known card counters from playing blackjack. Card counting cannot be used in games that continuously shuffle the cards after each hand, such as in most online blackjack games.
Composition-dependent Strategies – Teaches players to deviate from basic blackjack strategy in certain blackjack circumstances.
Double Down: This option allows the player to make a second bet in exchange for one more card, after which they must stand. This is typically only allowed on the first two cards a player receives. This allows the player to wager more money in advantageous situations, such as when holding an 11-point hand against a lower dealer up card.
Hard: A hard hand is one in which there is not an ace, or where the ace is only worth one point. Contrast to a soft hand.
Hit: Taking an additional card for your hand is called hitting. This is one of the two main options a player can use when playing their hand; the other is standing. Typically, dealers must hit with hands of 16 or less.
Hole Card: The dealer card which the players cannot see until it is revealed at the end of the hand. In many casinos, the dealer will peak at the hole card at the beginning of the hand in order to check for a blackjack if the dealer up card is an ace or a ten.
House Advantage: The advantage or edge is what the casino holds over the players, expressed as a percentage of each initial bet the player makes. Usually, the house edge is given based on the optimal basic strategy; player mistakes can significantly increase the house edge. However, it also doesn’t consider card counting or other techniques that may tilt the odds in the player’s favor. Rule changes can also have a significant impact on the house edge.
Insurance: If the dealer has an ace as their up card, each player will be offered insurance for half the price of their initial bet. If the dealer has a blackjack, the insurance bets pay off at 2-1 odds, meaning that players who have made the insurance bets will break even (since they still lose their initial bet). This is also offered to players who have a blackjack, who can get even money on their blackjacks instead of 3-2; mathematically, this is exactly the same as the insurance bet offered to other players.
Push: If the dealer and the player have hands of the same value, the player’s bet neither wins or loses; instead, it is considered a push. In other words, the player keeps their bet, but doesn’t win any additional money.
Side Bets: Blackjack tables often times have additional games that can be played along side the blackjack game. It often costs an additional ante and the result is independent of the blackjack hand result.
Shoe: The device which holds the cards from which the blackjack game is dealt. In live casinos, shoes are typically made up of anywhere from 1-8 decks. In online blackjack, casinos may even have shoes made up of an infinite number of decks, meaning that removing a card from the shoe has no impact on which card is dealt next.
Soft: A hand that includes an ace that still counts as 11 points. Soft hands cannot bust by taking an additional card, since the ace can revert to counting as just one point if necessary. Contrast to hard hands.
Split: Players may split their hands if the first two cards they receive are of the same rank. If they do, the player makes a second bet, and the two cards are played as separate hands. Each hand is now dealt a second card, after which the hands may usually be played as normal.
Stand: The decision to stop taking more cards is known as standing. This ends the player’s ability to play their hand. In most casinos, dealers must stand with a hand of 17 or higher.
Surrender: In some casinos, players will have the option to surrender, giving up their hand and losing only half of their initial bet. This option is normally invoked in situations where the player has almost no hope of winning the hand. There are two versions of this rule: early surrender, where the player may surrender before the dealer checks for blackjack, and late surrender, where the dealer checks for blackjack before the player has the surrender option.
Blackjack Card Meanings Generator
Blackjack Tournaments: Tournaments offer players the chance to compete against other players instead of against the house.
Up Card: The dealer’s exposed card is known as the up card. The rank of the up card is the only information the player has about the dealer’s hand, and is therefore an important factor in determining player strategy.
Video Blackjack: Similar to a video poker machine, it is a virtual game played without cards or a dealer and is similar to online blackjack. Video blackjack machines can be found at casinos and bars.
Translations: Begriffe
Yes, understanding the basics of blackjack is relatively easy. But, before you can walk away a winner, you need a deeper understanding of the nuances of the game and casino protocol.
Finding a table: Strategic seating
Blackjack begins by selecting a seat at the table. Typically, a blackjack table allows for five to seven players. Whenever you see an empty seat at a blackjack table, you may assume it’s for your taking (unless chips or a coat are holding the spot for a player who just stepped away for a moment or unless some player is playing two hands). In most cases, joining a game in progress is okay, although some tables have a No-Midshoe Entry policy (usually marked by a sign at the table), which means you have to wait until the shuffle before playing.
For your first trip to the tables, you’re better off finding a nearly full table. Although the number of players at the table hardly affects the odds on your hands, the game is much quicker with fewer players. A fuller table gives you more time to think about each hand without being rushed or pressured.
Seeking single-deck tables
Without getting into a lot of math, here’s a good rule to follow: The fewer decks the casino uses, the better for you. Your chances for success increase if you can find a single-deck game. Gold stacks slots. Most casinos worldwide have gone to six or more decks in an attempt to thwart card counters (skilled players who keep track of cards). But some places still deal blackjack the old-fashioned way — with one deck of 52 cards. Most of the casinos in northern Nevada (Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Wendover) still use one deck of cards at many of their blackjack tables. If you aren’t sure how many decks the casino is using, just ask.
Eyeing table bet levels
Before you actually sit down, look for the table’s minimum and maximum betting limits. Thebes casino no deposit bonus code. Every table has these fixed limits, which the casino usually posts on a small sign located on the table to the right of the dealer.
You may sit down at a table where the placard says $5–$500, which means you have to bet at least $5 on every hand and can never bet more than $500 on any one spot. Typically, the higher the minimum starting bet, the higher the maximum bet for that table.
When you’re starting out, find the lowest minimum table in the casino and begin there. Making smaller bets keeps you out of trouble until you understand the game better — and you’re less likely to end up sitting next to a high roller (who may not appreciate a novice at his table).
Purchasing chips
After you select your seat, you need to buy chips from the dealer. Select the amount of money you want to start with and lay your cash on the felt in front of you. The dealer changes your cash into chips and slides them across the felt to you.
Don’t hand your money directly to the dealer; doing so is a breach of etiquette and brands you as a greenhorn.
After you receive your chips, leave them on the table in front of you. Chips come in several denominations and are color-coded. Although every casino uses distinctive chips, most colors are standard.
Start off with a small amount of chips. A good approach is to cash in no more than 25 percent of your daily bankroll for chips. For example, if you budget $400 for the day, buy in for no more than $100 to start. This way, when you’re losing, you minimize the temptation to bet more than you planned. You can always buy more chips later if necessary.
Homing in on house rules
Blackjack rules are fairly similar worldwide — with a few variations. Sometimes a small placard sitting on the table indicates where the casino stands in regard to certain scenarios. If you don’t see a placard, you may ask the dealer what the house rules are, even when you’re in the middle of a hand.
Does the dealer hit on a soft 17?
Blackjack Card Meanings Symbols
A soft hand is any hand that counts an ace as 11 rather than 1. The hand is soft because it can’t bust on the next card. For example, if you hit (take another card) a soft 18 (an ace and a 7) with a 6, the ace automatically reverts to 1 (rather than 11), and the hand total is now 14 (rather than 24, which would be a bust).
Whether a dealer hits on a soft 17 is usually spelled out in bold white letters right on the felt. Normally the dealer counts an ace as 11 anytime he has a hand of 17 or more. However, about half the casinos worldwide deviate from this rule on soft 17 (an ace and a 6). In those cases, the ace counts as 1, and the dealer hits his soft 17.
Is doubling down restricted to certain card combinations?
In Las Vegas, casinos typically allow doubling down, an option that allows you to double your bet, on any two cards, but other places may restrict this move to just 10s or 11s. The placard probably won’t list restrictions to doubling down. If you aren’t sure whether restrictions are in place, don’t be afraid to ask the dealer, even if you’re in the middle of a hand.
Can you surrender?
Printable Blackjack Card
A playing option known as surrender is an extremely profitable option for you as a player, but not many casinos offer it. When you surrender, you lose half of your initial bet and give up your hand. For example, if you bet $10 and are dealt a 16, you can surrender and only lose $5 (half your bet) rather than risk the entire $10 on a bad hand. Once again, the placard may not readily advertise this rule variation, so always ask if surrender is available.
Dealing what’s in the cards
Blackjack Origin
All right, you’re situated at the table, you’ve made your bet in the betting box, and your heart is pumping like a jackhammer. The dealer flashes you a warm smile, wishes you good luck, shuffles the deck, and asks you to cut the cards.
If you’re playing a one- or two-deck game, the dealer holds the cards in his hands and deals you two cards face-down. You can pick up these cards, but make sure you only hold them in one hand.
However, the majority of blackjack games today use six or eight decks. In these cases, the dealer deals your two cards face-up from a shoe (a boxlike device that houses the cards).
Whether your cards are dealt face-up or face-down really doesn’t matter — dealers follow strict rules, and seeing the values of your cards doesn’t influence them. Dealers’ hands always start off with one card exposed and one card hidden, regardless of the number of decks.