Hit

A request to receive an additional card from the dealer. Players indicate a hit by tapping the table or making a hand gesture. Hitting increases your hand total but also increases the risk of busting (exceeding 21).

Stand

A decision to keep your current hand total and not receive any additional cards. Players signal a stand by waving their hand over their cards or stating "stand." This ends their turn for that hand.

Bust

When your hand total exceeds 21 points. A bust results in an automatic loss of your current bet, regardless of what the dealer's hand totals. This is one of the primary risks in blackjack strategy.

Push

A tie between the player's hand and the dealer's hand. Both hands have the same total value, and the player's original bet is returned without winnings or losses. Pushes occur frequently in basic strategy play.

Double Down

An optional move where the player doubles their original bet in exchange for receiving exactly one additional card. This tactic is typically used when the player has a strong probability of winning with one more card.

Split

When a player's initial two cards have the same value, they may split them into two separate hands. Each hand receives an additional card, and the player must place an equal bet on the new hand. Splitting is fundamental to blackjack basic strategy.

Basic Strategy

A mathematically optimal approach to blackjack that minimizes the house edge. Basic strategy provides a recommended action (hit, stand, double down, or split) for every possible player hand against each dealer upcard. Following basic strategy is the foundation of skilled blackjack play.

Soft Hand

A hand containing an Ace that counts as 11 without causing a bust. For example, Ace-Six is a soft 17. Soft hands offer flexibility because the Ace can be counted as either 1 or 11, making certain plays safer and requiring different strategic decisions than hard hands.

Hard Hand

A hand where the Ace (if present) must count as 1 to avoid busting, or a hand with no Ace. Hard hands have less flexibility and require careful strategy. For instance, a Ten-Seven hard hand totals 17 and cannot change value without additional cards.

House Edge

The mathematical advantage the casino holds over players in any game. In blackjack, the house edge for basic strategy players is approximately 0.5-1% depending on the specific rules. This represents the casino's long-term profit margin per dollar wagered.

Upcard

The dealer's visible card dealt face-up at the start of a blackjack hand. The dealer's upcard is crucial to basic strategy decisions because it indicates the dealer's hand strength and probability of busting. Players use this information to determine optimal play.

Blackjack

An initial two-card hand totaling 21, consisting of an Ace and any ten-value card. Blackjack is also called "natural" and typically pays 3-to-2 or 6-to-5 depending on casino rules. It is the best possible hand and beats all other combinations except when the dealer also has blackjack.