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Glossary

22 terms used on Twenty-One Notes, each linked to the pages that use it.

A

Additional stake

The equal second wager attached to the second hand when a pair is split; money committed, not a free second attempt.

Used in: Splitting aces changes the permitted hand, not just the total

B

Blackjack, or natural

An initial ace and king make 21 in two cards. Under the reference definition, that is blackjack when the hand was not formed after splitting.

Used in: Online blackjack explained: hands, aces and the rules that change them

Bust

Ten, eight and five total 23. There is no ace available to reduce, so this is a bust in the stated model.

Used in: Online blackjack explained: hands, aces and the rules that change them

E

Early surrender

In the operator's usual contrast, a surrender offered before the dealer-blackjack check.

Used in: Blackjack surrender depends on when the dealer's blackjack is resolved

H

Hard hand

A hand is hard when no ace counts eleven. The same printed ace can remain present while its value in the total has changed.

Used in: Online blackjack explained: hands, aces and the rules that change them

I

Insurance wager

A separate bet on the dealer having blackjack; the cited rules settle it separately from a surrendered main wager.

Used in: Blackjack surrender depends on when the dealer's blackjack is resolved

L

Late surrender

A surrender offered after the dealer-blackjack check, as Betfair's page describes its option.

Used in: Blackjack surrender depends on when the dealer's blackjack is resolved

N

Natural

A two-card blackjack: an ace and a ten-value card, A K. It outranks every other 21.

Used in: Blackjack dealer rules for beginners: the rule, the hand, and what it costs, Splitting aces changes the permitted hand, not just the total

Net result

The difference between money returned and money staked in the calculation being described.

Used in: Splitting aces changes the permitted hand, not just the total

O

Ordinary 21

A hand totalling 21 that does not qualify as blackjack, such as a split ace plus a king; it settles at the ordinary rate.

Used in: Splitting aces changes the permitted hand, not just the total

P

Progressive wager

A side wager whose prize grows as stakes are added to it. This note does not cover side bets.

Used in: Blackjack dealer rules for beginners: the rule, the hand, and what it costs

Push

A standoff. Neither the player nor the dealer wins the hand and the stake is returned.

Used in: Blackjack dealer rules for beginners: the rule, the hand, and what it costs, Splitting aces changes the permitted hand, not just the total

R

Return to player

The share of stakes a rule set returns to the player in expectation; the house edge is the remainder.

Used in: Blackjack dealer rules for beginners: the rule, the hand, and what it costs

RTS

The Gambling Commission’s remote gambling and software technical standards, which say what a GB-licensed game must publish before a bet.

Used in: Blackjack dealer rules for beginners: the rule, the hand, and what it costs, Blackjack surrender depends on when the dealer's blackjack is resolved

S

Settlement

How a hand is paid, pushed or lost once the dealer's total is known; each split hand settles on its own stake.

Used in: Splitting aces changes the permitted hand, not just the total

Soft 17

The phrase names a type of hand. It does not, by itself, tell you whether the dealer draws another card.

Used in: Online blackjack explained: hands, aces and the rules that change them

Soft hand

A hand is soft when an ace still counts eleven.

Used in: Online blackjack explained: hands, aces and the rules that change them

Standing

Taking no more cards while the hand stays in the ordinary comparison with the dealer.

Used in: Blackjack surrender depends on when the dealer's blackjack is resolved

Surrender

Giving up the main hand for a partial loss where the rules permit it; once validly settled it ends that wager.

Used in: Blackjack surrender depends on when the dealer's blackjack is resolved

V

Variance

How widely results spread around the expected cost over a run of hands. A bet can change the variance without changing the edge.

Used in: Blackjack dealer rules for beginners: the rule, the hand, and what it costs