Blackjack : Blackjack Standard Terms

If you are curious to know the meaning of some Blackjack and casino terms then be sure to check out the following. I’ve done my best to come with a list of fun terms I think you'll want to know. They're listed in alphabetical
order so you can easily find what you are interested in.

Action – It’s like on the movie stage when somebody shouts “Motor! Action!”. When a bet is "live" it has action. Players put actual cash in the betting area and thus begin the “show”.

Back Counting – This action is performed by someone who isn't sitting at the table and who is counting the cards. For instance there can be two friends that walk up to play. One sits down and the other “swims” around the table.

Bankroll – This is a classic term. A bankroll represents the amount of money you have to gamble with. It's one of the key elements in money management and the better you are at managing a bankroll, the better off you are. It’s your option if you want a bankroll for a session of gambling, a calendar month, a season in sports or whatever other time term.

Bar – Well, this is not the kind that serves you drinks. If you get barred, you're luck is not there with you anymore and you are removed from the casino. It's also known as "being 86ed."
Basic Strategy - In Blackjack, this is the kind of strategy that helps you to be relaxed and stay longer in the game.

Blackjack - This is the game we're talking about. If you don't know how to play, search on the internet a quick guide. There are a lot of sites which offer information about Blackjack.

Burn Card – After the cards are shuffled and cut, the first one from the shoe is "burned" which means it is discarded. This is an old anti-cheat mechanism still used in land based casinos.

Bust - When your card total Blackjack goes over 21, you've busted. In this situation you lose. Everyone hopes this happens to the dealer often and not to them.

Card Counting – It’s a way to find out what cards are left in the deck. Players who use this method will bet bigger when the remaining cards in the deck are larger and bet less when the remaining cards in the deck are smaller. There are many card counting techniques.

Cold Deck – It just means that the deck is not favorable for players. If you're counting, you know when the deck is cold, because it's bursting with smaller cards.

Color Up - When you’re to leave the table, you can choose to color up. For instance if you have 20 red chips ($100), you could color up for one black chip. Casinos proceed this way because it keeps them from having to constantly fill tables with extra chips. As a player, it's more comfortable to walk around with fewer chips.