Blackjack is one of the most popular games you can play in the casino. If you visit any land-based gambling establishment in the West, you can be sure that the blackjack tables will be full. Online, the situation is much the same. 

The one difference is that, when it comes to online casinos, you can always find room to play the game that so many people love. With the Novibet blackjack online option of playing the game live gaining a lot of popularity, blackjack is now more popular than ever before. 

However, the game’s success also means that there are plenty of new players who don’t know much about the sport. That is why, in this article, we are going to explain some basic blackjack terms that everyone should know about.

Hit/Stand

Those who’ve played blackjack may understand this easily. For the complete newbie, blackjack is a banking game, where the dealer shares cards with each of the players, until they reach 21, or as close as possible to it. However, if the sum of the cards dealt exceeds 21, then the player loses their bet.

So, when a player asks for a “hit,” that means they are asking the dealer to give them one additional card. Ordinarily, a player would do this if they believe that the next card is going to get them to the sum of 21, or at least closer to it. 

On the other hand, if a player believes that they may be too close to 21, they may ask the dealer to “hold.” In other words, they are refusing another card dealt to them, because they believe their total score might exceed 21, which would mean losing their wager.

Double Down

Many gamblers are familiar with the concept of doubling down. In fact, the term is so popular, that it has entered the common parlance, and has even been adopted by psychologists. Many people use it, without understanding where it comes from. Well, the term comes from blackjack.

When playing, a gambler might double their bet after committing to a hold when being dealt a card. This act is called doubling down, and it is one of the riskiest plays in blackjack. Often, it is pro gamblers or those with decades of experience under their belt who double down. 

Hard vs. Soft

In blackjack, you will often hear folks talking about hard and soft hands. But, what does it mean to be dealt a soft hand? A soft hand is a hand in blackjack that contains an ace, which is counted as an 11. For example, if a player were dealt an Ace with a five, that would be a soft 16. 

On the other hand, a hard hand is a hand without an ace, or a hand in which the ace is counted as a one. For example, if a player were dealt a 9 and a 10, that would be a hard 19. There isn’t much consensus on whether it is better to be dealt a hard or soft hand, as both have their merits depending on the situation.