Quick answer: This glossary explains the blackjack terms you will hear at Australian tables, including the local ones most guides skip: no hole card, ENHC, OBO, OBBO, BB+1, CSM, carded play, Legacy Wager, lammer and punter slang such as have a punt, heater and mug's game.
We grouped the terms by where you will meet them, rather than A to Z, so you can read one section before your first visit. Use your browser's find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) to jump to a word. Where a term has a local meaning, we give the Aussie one first.
At the table: basic play
- Blackjack (natural)
- An ace and a 10-value card as your first two cards. Usually pays 3:2. After a split it counts as 21, not blackjack.
- Box (betting area)
- A betting spot on the layout. In Australia up to three players can bet on one box; the seated player or the biggest bet makes the decisions.
- Bust
- Going over 21. You lose at once, even if the dealer busts later.
- Double (double down)
- Doubling your bet for exactly one more card. In most Australian casinos only on 9, 10 or 11.
- Partial double
- Doubling for less than your original bet. Allowed at Crown Sydney and SkyCity Adelaide.
- Hard total
- A hand with no ace, or with aces that must count as 1. Example: 10-6 is hard 16.
- Soft total
- A hand with an ace counted as 11. Example: A-6 is soft 17. It cannot bust on one card.
- Hit / stand
- Take another card / take no more. Tap the table to hit, wave a flat hand to stand.
- Push (stand-off)
- A tie. You keep your bet. Australian rule books usually say "stand-off".
- Split
- Turning a pair into two hands with a second equal bet. Most Aussie casinos allow up to three hands.
- Surrender
- Giving up half your bet to end the hand. Rare in Australia and only in some variants.
- Upcard
- The dealer's visible card. In no hole card games it is the only dealer card until players finish.
Australian rules and variants
- No hole card (NHC)
- The dealer takes a second card only after all players act, so a dealer blackjack is found at the end. Standard in Australia. See our no hole card guide.
- ENHC
- European no hole card: a dealer blackjack takes all your bets, doubles and splits included. Crown Perth's rules work this way.
- OBO
- Original bet only: a dealer blackjack takes only your first bet. Plays the same as a hole card game.
- OBBO
- Original and busted bets only: you lose the original bet and any split hands that already busted.
- BB+1
- Busted bets plus one unit. Recorded in Sydney by Wizard of Odds.
- S17 / H17
- Dealer stands on soft 17 / hits soft 17. H17 costs you about 0.22%. At Crown Perth it depends on the table layout.
- Blackjack Plus
- A variant where a player 21 wins at once but a dealer 22 is a push. House edge several percent. See Blackjack Plus.
- Five and Under / Six and Under
- Blackjack Plus options at Crown Perth where a five or six-card hand of 21 or less wins automatically.
- Blackjack Challenge
- A Star Sydney variant: blackjacks pay 2:1 or more, but ties lose. About 2.53%.
- Crown Blackjack / Star Blackjack
- House versions where the dealer hits soft 17.
- Freebet Blackjack
- Free doubles on 9-11 and free splits, paid for by a dealer 22 push.
- Lammer
- The marker button a dealer places next to your bet to show a free double or split in Freebet Blackjack.
- Party Blackjack
- A SkyCity Adelaide variant with 6:5 blackjacks and a dealer 22 push.
- Pontoon (Australian)
- A Spanish 21-style game played with 48-card decks (no 10s). Not the British home game. See Pontoon vs blackjack.
Money, bets and odds
- 3:2 / 6:5
- Blackjack payouts. On A$10, 3:2 pays A$15 and 6:5 pays A$12. The 6:5 payout adds about 1.39% to the house edge.
- House edge
- The casino's average share of every dollar bet. Try our house edge calculator.
- Insurance / even money
- A side bet that the dealer's ace becomes a blackjack. Pays 2:1 and costs about 7.4%.
- Legacy Wager
- At Crown Perth, the right to keep playing at a table's old minimum for up to an hour after its limits go up.
- Side bet
- An optional extra bet such as Crown Pairs, Buster Blackjack or Any Pair. See side bets.
- Table limits
- The minimum and maximum bet, shown on the sign at each table.
- Variance
- How far your results swing from the average. In blackjack it is large, so short sessions tell you little.
Casino floor and equipment
- ATS
- Automated transaction station: a touch screen terminal for betting on a live table.
- Carded play
- Having to use a player card to gamble, often with time and loss limits. Mandatory at the Sydney casinos and on Crown Perth's gaming machines.
- Chemmy shuffle
- Mixing cards face down on the table with both hands in a circular motion.
- CSM (card shuffling machine)
- A machine that shuffles cards before they go into a shoe.
- Continuous or automatic shuffler
- A machine that shuffles and deals, with used cards returned quickly. It stops card counting. See electronic blackjack.
- Cut card
- A blank card placed in the shoe. When it comes out, the dealer shuffles after the round.
- Shoe
- The box the cards are dealt from, usually holding 6 or 8 decks.
- PlaySafe
- Crown's responsible gambling service, available on site at its casinos.
Aussie punter slang
- Have a punt / have a flutter
- To gamble, usually for fun and small amounts.
- Punter
- A gambler or customer. Not an insult in Australia.
- Heater
- A winning streak. Fun while it lasts, and it always ends.
- Mug's game
- An activity where the odds are stacked against you. Players say it about most casino games, often fairly.
- Pokies
- Poker machines (slot machines). Crown Sydney's licence does not allow them.
- RSL / Leagues club
- Local clubs with bars, meals and pokies. They do not deal casino blackjack.
Card counting and advantage play
- Card counting
- Tracking high and low cards to know when the shoe favours you. Legal in your head, but casinos can limit or refuse you. See card counting in Australia.
- Hi-Lo
- The most common count: 2-6 are +1, 7-9 are 0, 10s and aces are -1.
- Running count / true count
- The running total of the count / the running count divided by the decks left.
- Penetration
- How far into the shoe the cut card sits. Deeper is better for counters.
- Wonging
- Watching a shoe and joining only when the count is good. Crown Perth's rules can hold late entrants to the table minimum.
Is there a term we missed? I add new ones whenever readers ask, so send it through our contact page.
Rules change from one casino to the next, and sometimes from one table to the next in the same room. Want every casino in one view? See blackjack rules at every Australian casino (one table, with sources). Or use these guides side by side before you choose a table: New to Aussie tables? Start with our Australian blackjack rules guide and keep the strategy chart open while you practise.Compare with other Aussie casinos
Casino guide What stands out Key number Crown Melbourne blackjack Rules Version 29.0: no hole card, double 9-11, Crown Blackjack hits soft 17 Pontoon 0.38% The Star Sydney blackjack Star Blackjack hits soft 17, Blackjack Challenge, NSW carded play Pontoon 0.42% Crown Sydney blackjack Traditional vs Crown Blackjack, partial doubles, no pokies A$20 legal minimum Crown Perth blackjack Soft 17 set by table layout, dealer blackjack takes all, resplit aces Pontoon 0.38% The Star Brisbane and Gold Coast Star Blackjack hits soft 17, 2026 ownership change About 0.8% SkyCity Adelaide blackjack Freebet and 6:5 Party Blackjack, SA's only casino Pontoon 0.64%
Game and tool guides What it covers Key number Blackjack Plus Dealer 22 pushes, instant pays on 21 and five cards 6.36% house edge Pontoon vs blackjack 48-card decks, player 21 always wins, house edge by city 0.34% to 0.64% Side bets in Australia Crown Pairs, Buster Blackjack, Any Pair, insurance 1.9% to 22% Minimum bets in Australia What players report at Crown and The Star, electronic tables Checked Sept 2026 Card counting in Australia What is legal, counting devices, bet limits and bans NSW s87(2) House edge calculator Enter your table's rules and see the cost per hour A$ per hour
Frequently asked questions
What does ENHC mean in blackjack?
European no hole card: the dealer takes a second card only after players act, and a dealer blackjack takes all your bets, including doubles and splits.
What is the difference between OBO and OBBO?
Under OBO a dealer blackjack takes only your original bet. Under OBBO it takes your original bet plus any split hands that already busted.
What does S17 mean?
The dealer stands on soft 17. H17 means the dealer hits soft 17, which costs the player about 0.22%.
What is a lammer in blackjack?
A marker a dealer puts beside your bet, for example to show a free double or free split in Freebet Blackjack.
What is a push in blackjack?
A tie with the dealer. Your bet is returned. Australian rule books usually call it a stand-off.
Put the words into practice
Terms stick best at the table. Try them in our free blackjack game, practice points only.