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Terms Used in Blackjack
To be the consummate blackjack player, you need to be familiar with these
defined terms.
Blackjack – the term blackjack refers to the highest hand of the game or simply
the jackpot hand. During bygone eras, blackjack is strictly the Ace of spades
coupled with a black Jack (either spades or clubs). Nowadays, any “natural”
blackjack is the standard highest hand.
Natural – A “natural” blackjack consists of any Ace and any 10 valued card. When
you play blackjack, the Tens, Jacks, Queens and Kings all are valued as 10.
Naturals always win, except when the dealer also has a natural in which case the
result is a “push” or a tie.
Hard Hand – In blackjack, the Ace is a powerful card as it can have the value of
either 1 or 11. The decision for the Ace’s value is based on whether the hand
total will go over 21 or not. Therefore, to have a “hard hand” when you play
blackjack is having cards that do not contain an Ace or one that has an Ace but
can only be valued as 1.
Soft Hand – To simplify, a soft hand is one that has an Ace which can be valued
as 11 without going over 21. Those who play blackjack with a “soft hand” can be
slightly aggressive as this reduces the chances of getting busted.
Insurance – When the dealer asks if you would like an insurance, it is not a
reference to a life or non-life financial product. Insurance is a side bet of up
to half the initial bet that allows those who play blackjack a chance to recover
the original wager or more, in case the dealer wins on a blackjack.
The insurance is applicable only when a dealer’s face up card is an Ace. By
taking an insurance, you are essentially saying, “I bet that you have a
blackjack.” If the dealer does not have a natural, you lose the insurance bet.
On the other hand, if the dealer does have a blackjack, you lose the hand but
gain 2 to 1 on your insurance wager.
Double Down – Betting double allows the player to raise his or her wager to
twice the original amount and receive just one more additional card. It is a
risky move but might translate to a larger win.
There are other options when you play blackjack depending on the casino house
rules and the particular blackjack table. Knowing these concepts and playing
consistently ensures that you are able to play blackjack at your very best.
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