 
Blackjack
Terminology
by Henry Tamburin,
published on Tuesday, December 18
2001
Penetration = This
is the percentage of cards in a
deck or shoe that is dealt prior
to the shuffle. If a casino deals
6 decks from a shoe and has 70%
penetration that means the dealer
will deal about 4 decks from the
shoe then shuffle all the cards.
Likewise a single deck game with
a 50% penetration means about 26
cards will be dealt and then the
dealer will shuffle the cards. Penetration
is very important to card counters.
The greater the penetration, the
more profitable the game becomes.
For example a 6-deck game with a
50% penetration isn't worth a card
counters time whereas the same game
with an 80% penetration can be very
profitable (assuming the playing
rules haven't been altered).
No Mid-Shoe Entry
= Some casinos post a sign on their
blackjack tables that states No
Mid-Shoe Entry. This means that
once a dealer shuffles the cards
and then starts to deal, a player
who comes to the table will not
be able to make a bet until the
shoe is completed. One of the main
reasons for this rule is to discourage
Wongers. The latter are blackjack
players who back count a game as
a spectator then when the shoe turns
player favorable enter the game
with big bets. The term "Wongers"
comes from the professional blackjack
player Stanford Wong, who developed
and published the technique. The
casino call these players "table
hoppers".
H17 = This is an
abbreviation that means the rules
specify that the dealer must hit
soft 17 rather than stand (you'll
often see the latter appear as S17)
DAS = Means players
can double down after pair splitting.
RSA = Means players
can resplit aces.
LS = Means late
surrender is offered. This is a
playing option in which a player
can surrender his hand and forfeit
half of his wager but only after
the dealer checks his hand for a
blackjack.
CSM = This is an
abbreviation for the new continuous
shuffle machines that automatically
shuffle the cards after each round.
Rule of 6 = A good
single deck game for card counters
is when the number of players plus
the number of rounds prior to the
shuffle equals 6. For example two
players can expect to be dealt 4
rounds prior to the shuffle. A card
counter playing alone with the dealer
(heads-up) wants to be dealt at
least 6 rounds prior to the shuffle.
Betting Spread =
This is the ratio of a player's
minimum to maximum bet. Thus a player
betting 1-6 means he is making bets
from a minimum of 1 unit to a maximum
of 6 units.
Black Action = What
a dealer will state loudly to inform
floorpeople that a player is betting
black ($100) chips.
BS = It is the basic
playing strategy, which is the optimum
way to play your hand when the only
information you know is your hand
and the dealer's upcard.
Burn card = After
a dealer shuffles the cards, the
dealer will discard one card before
play begins. The card that is discarded
is known as the burn card.
Bust = When a player
or the dealer's hand exceeds a point
count of 21 this is known as a bust.
Card Counting =
A playing technique involving adjusting
the bet size and playing strategy
based upon the composition of the
remaining undealt cards. Players
who count keep track of certain
cards as they appear from one round
to the next in order to have knowledge
of the composition of the undealt
cards.
Color Up = Exchanging
smaller denomination chips for larger
ones. Usually when a player is done
playing blackjack, he will push
his chips toward the dealer stating
"color me up". The dealer
will count the smaller denomination
chips and exchange them for a higher
denomination chip(s).
Tip: If you are
fledgling card counter, limit your
play to 6 deck games that have at
least 75% penetration and in single
deck games, at least 60%.
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