Core hand terms
A hard total either contains no ace or counts every ace as one. A soft total contains an ace currently counted as eleven; drawing another card cannot bust the hand immediately because that ace can revert to one. A natural blackjack is an ace with a ten-value card on the first two cards. It is different from a 21 made with three or more cards.
A push is a tie in which the original wager normally returns. A bust is a total above 21. The dealer upcard is visible; the dealer hole card is the second dealer card in a U.S. peek game. In a European no-hole-card game, that second card is not drawn until players have acted.
Common rule abbreviations
S17 means the dealer stands on every soft 17. H17 means the dealer hits soft 17. DAS means doubling after a split is allowed; NDAS means it is not. DA2 means double on any initial two cards, while D9–11 or D10–11 restricts eligible totals.
RSA means resplitting aces. LS means late surrender, offered only after dealer blackjack has been checked or otherwise excluded. ES means early surrender before that check and is much more favorable when genuinely available. ENHC means European no-hole-card. OBO or original-bets-only means extra split and double wagers are returned if the dealer later reveals blackjack.
Actions and settlements
Hit takes another card. Stand ends the hand. Double normally adds an amount equal to the original wager and receives exactly one additional card. Split turns an eligible pair into two hands and requires a matching wager. Surrender gives up the hand and usually returns half the original wager.
Insurance is a separate wager offered when the dealer shows an ace. Even money is insurance expressed as a guaranteed 1:1 settlement on the player’s natural. Neither changes the original hand’s underlying probability.
Payout language
Blackjack paying 3:2 means a winning $10 natural earns $15. At 6:5 it earns only $12. Ordinary wins usually pay 1:1. Insurance commonly pays 2:1. Side bets have independent pay tables that must be analyzed separately from the base game.
A phrase such as “push 22,” a five-card Charlie, suited-blackjack bonus, or dealer-qualification rule signals a variant—not a normal rule tweak. Use a strategy and edge calculated for that exact game.
A complete table notation
- 6D or 8D: number of decks
- 3:2: natural-blackjack payout
- S17 or H17: dealer soft-17 rule
- DA2 and DAS: doubling rules
- Split to 4 / RSA: split limits and ace treatment
- LS: late surrender
- Peek or ENHC/OBO: dealer-blackjack procedure
Definitions follow conventional casino blackjack terminology. A casino’s posted rules control when its wording differs. Mathematical comparisons require a complete rule package. Last reviewed September 20, 2026.