Rules Of the Game: Gameplay & Strategy: The Hit or Stand game works much like any other blackjack game, but your score is determined by your ability to make correct moves on each hand.After the cards are dealt, you have the option to Hit, Stand, Double, or Split. In the game of blackjack, a popular question among novice and intermediate advantage players, card counters, trackers, sequencers and hole carders, is: what is the mathematical theoretical value for various types of starting hands, and more to the point what are the most valuable starting hands for the player (the players first two cards) and by how much. What is a blackjack? Blackjack (or pontoon, twenty-one or – if you're French - vingt-et-un), is a card game. If you've never heard of it, you can find more info and rules here. The important rules as far as this question goes are: Aces can be worth either 1 or 11 points (as the player prefers). Picture cards (Jack, Queen and King) are worth 10 points.

What Is A Hard And Soft Hand In Blackjack
What Is The Probability Of Being Dealt A Blackjack Hand

A natural blackjack is only 4.8%, which essentially is an ace dealt with a ten card straight off the initial deal. Normally the odds are 3 to 2 and you would win $3 for every $2 wagered. It's a small percentage but it's the most desirable hand to get. The lowest hand you can get is two points (two aces).

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Blackjack Terms, Jargon, and Slang

As a new player, you will often hear blackjack players using lots of blackjack terms and slang, so we've created this list of terms to be used as a blackjack glossary or blackjack dictionary. You can simply use this as a reference when you hear a term you are unfamiliar with or just read through the list and familiarize yourself with the blackjack terms.

Anchorman - the player in the last seat of the table, on the dealer's far right, who is last to act.

Barring a Player - a casino refusing to allow a player to play in a blackjack game.

Blackjack - an automatic winning hand containing both an Ace and a 10 value card.

Bust - having a hand totalling more than 21 points, an automatic loser.

Card Counter - a skilled player who keeps track of the cards as they are dealt.

Card Counting - the act of keeping track of the value of the cards dealt at a table.

Dealer - the casino employee, facing the players, who deals the cards at the table.

Deck - a standard deck of 52 cards used in blackjack.

Double Down - the option for a player to double his bet with only one card to come.

Draw a Card - drawing an extra card, on top of the original hand.

Early Surrender - player's option to surrender half his bet while the dealer checks for blackjack.

Favorable Deck - the cards left in the deck are in the player's favor.

First Baseman - the player in the first seat of the table, on the dealer's far left, who is first to act.

Flat Bet - to bet the same amount each hand, without variation.

Floorman - the casino supervisor who oversees the dealers.

Hand - the original cards dealt to each player.

Hard Total - any hand where there is no ace, or the ace counts as one.

Head-to-Head - playing the dealer one-on-one with no other players at the table.

High Roller - a player who bets large amounts of money.

Hit - drawing an extra card, on top of the original hand.

Hole Card - the dealer's unseen card.

House - another term for the casino.

Insurance - optional bet that can be made when the dealer is showing an ace.

Marker - an IOU, signed by a player who has casino credit.

Mucker - a cheater who adds favorable cards to a multiple deck game.

Multiple-Deck - a game consisting of more than one deck of cards in a shoe.

Natural - slang for a blackjack.

Nickels - slang for $5 casino chips.

Paint - any Jack, Queen, or King (all painted pictures).

Pat Hand - an original holding of hard 17 or higher.

Penetration - number of cards the dealer deals out before shuffling.

Pit Boss - casino supervisor who is in charge of the entire blackjack pit.

Push - a tie between the dealer and the player, no one wins or loses.

Quarters - slang for $25 chips.

Round - complete series of play in which everyone has acted on their hands.

Shoe - box containing decks of cards, made to deal one at a time.

Shuffle - mixing up the cards before dealing them.

Single-Deck - a game of blackjack in which only one deck of cards is used.

Snapper - slang for a blackjack.

Soft Total - any hand containing an ace which has a value of 11.

Splitting Pairs - option to split identically ranked cards to play as seperate hands.

Stand, Stand Pat - the player's decision to not take any more cards.

Stiff Card - a card ranked from 2 to 6, which may force the dealer to hit.

Stiff Hand - any hand totalling 12-16, which will bust on a 10-value card hit.

Surrender - option of a player to forfeit half his bet after the dealer checks for blackjack.

Ten-Poor Deck - a deck in which more 10-value cards have been dealt.

Ten-Rich Deck - a deck in which less 10-value cards have been dealt.

Ten-Value Card - any card worth 10 points, a 10, Jack, Queen, or King.

Third Baseman - the player in the last seat of the table, on the dealer's far right, who is last to act.

Tip or Toke - a gratuity given to a dealer by a player.

Twenty-One - another name for the game of blackjack.

Unfavorable Deck - a deck with remaining cards favoring the casino, not the player.

Unit - a standard bet size.

Upcard - the dealer's exposed card, seen by all players.

Blackjack Probability and Blackjack Odds

To fully understand the game of blackjack, you must understand and master blackjack odds. It's crucial to know how the casino gains its edge and how it helps them win. It's also important to understand blackjack odds such as the odds of hitting a 10 or the odds of being dealt a blackjack. You can read over these blackjack odds charts to help understand the logistics behind blackjack.

Casino and Dealer Advantage in Blackjack

In most casino games of blackjack, the house advantage (the dealer advantage) is ~ 8%. The house gets this advantage by the dealer being the last player to act. By acting last, all other players have already made their decisions and could quite possibly bust before the dealer has his turn.

By using correct blackjack basic strategy, you can turn the casino edge in blackjack from 7%-8% down to 0.5%. If you correctly use advanced card counting techniques, you can often change blackjack odds and give yourself the advantage over the casino. Manipulating the house odds to your favor is the reason most casinos don't allow card counters to play blackjack.

Probability of Busting on a Hit

It's very important to know the probability of your hand busting when you are holding any total in the game of blackjack. The following odds chart shows the blackjack odds of busting, depending on your current hand value:

Hand Value	% Bust If You Hit
21	100%
20	92%
19	85%
18	77%
17	69%
16	62%
15	58%
14	56%
13	39%
12	31%
11 or Less	0%

Two-Card Count Frequencies

This interesting blackjack o

What Is A Blackjack Hand