Learn the language, play better
Blackjack is simple to learn, but the table has its own vocabulary. These seven terms come up in every game, and understanding them helps you make better decisions.
1. Hole card
The dealer's face-down card. In most casino games, when the dealer shows an ace or a ten, they peek at the hole card to check for blackjack before players act.
2. Soft hand
A hand with an ace counted as 11, such as ace-6 (soft 17). Because the ace can drop to 1, you can't bust by taking one more card. That's why soft hands are often good hands to hit or double.
The opposite is a hard hand, such as 10-7, where one bad card means bust.
3. Push
A tie with the dealer. Nobody wins and your bet is returned.
4. Surrender
Giving up your hand to get half your bet back. It's useful in a few bad spots, such as hard 16 against a dealer 10. Not every casino offers it, and "late surrender" means you can only do it after the dealer checks for blackjack.
5. Insurance
When the dealer shows an ace, you may be offered insurance: a side bet of up to half your stake that pays 2 to 1 if the dealer has blackjack. It sounds protective, but it carries a high house edge, so most players should decline.
6. Shoe
The box that holds several decks of shuffled cards so the dealer can deal quickly. Most casino games use six or eight decks. Some use continuous shuffling machines instead.
7. Basic strategy
The mathematically best play for every combination of your hand and the dealer's up card. Following it lowers the house edge to around 0.5% at tables with good rules.
| Your hand | Dealer up card | Basic strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Hard 12 | 4, 5 or 6 | Stand |
| Hard 16 | 7 to ace | Hit (or surrender) |
| 11 | 2 to 10 | Double |
| Pair of 8s | Any | Split |
| Hard 17+ | Any | Stand |
Try it yourself
Test your basic strategy with the Hit or Stand? game on our front page. Then read how to beat the dealer's 21 in Pontoon to see how the British version changes things.