Key Blackjack Terms:

Here are the core terms you’ll need to familiarize yourself with in order to deal Blackjack and understand the flow of the game. After a few practice hands, you’ll pick them up quickly.

Blackjack

This isn’t just the name of the game, but it’s also the best hand in the game. A “Blackjack” hand is a two-card hand that totals twenty-one points. If a player is dealt a 21 right from the start, they win instantly unless the dealer himself also draws a 21 on the first two cards.

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Bust

When a player’s hand exceeds 21 points, they have busted. You or the player cannot bust on the first two cards, but an unlucky hit can cause the dealer or the player to exceed the 21-point limit.

When a player busts, they lose their bet no matter what happens to the dealer or the other players at the table.

If the dealer hits and his or her card count exceeds 21, they lose, and all remaining players win their bet.

Double Down

Doubling down in Blackjack is another way of the player telling the dealer “double or nothing.” In particular, it means that the player wants to double their bet on the next card dealt to them. The player is not allowed to take another card after the double down card is drawn.

In addition, the player is only allowed to double down on the first two cards, meaning that they have to make this play based on their original hand.

More about this strategy can be found here.

Hit

Taking a hit simply means asking the dealer for another card from the deck. If the player’s hand is lower than they would like, he or she can hit as many times as allowed to try and draw closer to twenty-one.

Hole Card

The dealer only shows one card in the face-up position. The face-down card that the players can’t see is called the hole card. The dealer is the only participant that is allowed to have a face-down card in their hand.

Insurance

When a dealer’s shown card is an ace, representing a 1 or 11, many casinos will give players the option to purchase insurance. For an additional side-bet equal to half of the player’s original bet, they can insure themselves against a dealer Blackjack. If the dealer’s downcard turns out to be a 10, the player loses their original bet, but is paid out 2-to-1 on the insurance. In simple terms, the player makes even money on their original bet.

Push

A push is a standard gambling term that means a “tie.” In 21, if the dealer and one or more of the players finish the hand with the same point total, the bet is a push and you simply give back what the player (or players) gambled.

It can also refer to a null result, which can occur if there is a misdeal during play or another interruption that forces the end of the hand. In these cases, the rule is “all bets push” and every player gets their original wager back from the dealer.

While dealing errors are uncommon, they occasionally happen. Don’t be surprised if players at the table vocally express their frustration or even disgust that the game has been disrupted.

Shoe

You’ll occasionally hear people refer to “the shoe” as the tall deck of cards used by the dealer to disperse each hand. However, the term “shoe” more accurately refers to the automatic dealing machine that most casinos use to dispense the cards when more than a single deck is being used. This confusion doesn’t mean that a player isn’t educated about the game, but rather it’s another colloquialism you’ll hear around the table particularly with the dealer and frequent players.

Split

In the event that the dealer gives a player two cards with the same value, that player may split their single hand into two separate hands.

Stand

A stand is the opposite of a hit meaning that the player does not want to draw any additional cards from the dealer. Standing ends that player’s turn, and can be done at any time.

Surrender

If a player has concluded that their luck has run out on a particular hand, they can surrender the game before seeing the dealer’s downcard (or any other cards dealt with subsequent players, for that matter). If the player chooses to surrender, he or she gets to keep half of their bet.

The Blackjack Table

Tables don’t exactly come in a standard form, but they all share the same elements. Typically, they seat between five and seven players, but the game can go on with even a single player and the dealer. Tables are lined with soft felt, usually in the same attractive green shades of poker and craps tables. Some of them will have built-in cupholders, ashtrays, and even slots for your poker chips. Other than cards, chips, drinks, and maybe your cigarettes, you shouldn’t place anything else on the surface of the table in a casino.

Each seat at the table will have a small frame printed on the felt where the players’ cards are to be dealt. Sometimes, this is accompanied by a circular frame where you’re supposed to place the chips representing your bet often referred to as the betting circle. If the table doesn’t have these round frames, the typical custom is to place your chips in front of your hand between the cards and the dealer. Many resorts will offer their own side bets to entice the players to throw down more money, and these are often accompanied by another circular frame to keep your primary bet separate from the side bet.

Casino-style tables often have more markings around the dealer position. To the dealer’s left (facing you) you’ll see the shoe, or deck. These days, most casinos use automatic dealing machines to dispense each card when the previous one is dealt quickly. To the dealer’s right, they’ll usually have a small slot attached to a lockbox under the table where they can securely stash the cash they collect as players join the game or existing players buy more chips. Finally, there’s another spot directly in front of the dealer where the dealer’s hand goes.

When playing Blackjack, most of the time the tables will have arched lettering between the player and dealer hands that inform the players of the table’s payout rules. Usually, this will read something along the lines of “Blackjack pays 3 to 2” meaning you get 1.5 times your bet for hitting 21 off the deal. The casino is free to use other payout schemes, but this is by far the most common payout you’ll see.

A Brief Yet Comprehensive Look at the History of Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the most widely played casino table games in the world. It has evolved from the earlier round of Twenty-one (21), which has simple rules, and all the participants can pick it up. This game is believed to be a “social game,” played in popular casinos in the world such as Wendover Hotel and Casino and Red Garter Hotel and Casino. Moreover, in Blackjack, all the participants are trying to compete against the house (dealer). In this game, the participants cannot compete with one another as they do in a poker game.

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Origin and Evolution of Blackjack in Europe

French Origin

There are specific theories that explain the origin and evolution of Blackjack. Among all those theories, one theory is widely accepted regarding the origin of Blackjack. This theory tells us that the game has evolved from the French game of Vingt-et-un, which means twenty-one (21). So this game gained popularity in 18th century Europe and was widely loved and played in the Royal Court during the era of King Louis XV of France.

Spanish Origin

Besides the theory of the French origin of the game, it is also believed that the modern-day Blackjack has originated from the Spanish game of Ventana. The reference is given in a short story written in 1602 in Spain. Ventana – like Vingt-en-un – is also Spanish for twenty-one (21). Since then, the game has evolved and spread across Europe in general and in particular. Its rules have also been evolved into the modern game of twenty-one. Till the 1900s, Blackjack was known as twenty-one until it has been popularized in America.

American Origin of Blackjack

In America, the Vingt-en-un, twenty-one, was introduced by the French colonists when they landed on the shores of New Orleans in 1820. The game has quickly spread throughout North America. Interestingly, the game gained popularity when the state legalized gambling in Nevada in 1931. Till that time, it was known as twenty-one, which was not so popular. Therefore, many gamblers did not like it as much as they liked poker. The Casinos promised huge payouts 10 to 1 for a specific hand containing Blackjack and an ace of spades to persuade gamblers. So these large payouts for this game were soon removed, but the name Blackjack struck. From that time onwards, Blackjack has been popularized. Today, Blackjack is the most popular game in Casinos across the world.

Modern Developments

In modern times, certain incredible developments occurred in a Blackjack game with the rise of the internet. It is because, by the mid-1990s, the first online casinos were launched. The purpose of establishing these casinos was to play Blackjack online for real money in home comfort.

The evolution of twenty-one to Blackjack much revolutionized the gambling casinos across the globe. Today, this game is widely played in the Casinos of Europe, America, Russia, Thailand, etc. The gamblers take part in it to earn money out of it. Besides playing the game in the Casinos, gamblers play Blackjack online to make real money because Blackjack is not merely a game but is a popular business for casinos’ owners.