Blackjack Abbreviations and Acronyms

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Penetration Notes | Sources | Strategy Types

The following blackjack abbreviations and acronyms are used throughout this book and are typical of those used in the literature.  When evaluating a game, you should assume Las Vegas Strip rules which include double on any first 2 cards, re-splits to 4 hands, dealer stands on soft-17, insurance allowed and, of course, a natural blackjack pays 3 to 2.  Assume all one- and two-deck games are dealt face down and all multi-deck games are dealt face up. Rule variations are exactly that – variations from the norm1)Well, at least what used to be the norm.  The Las Vegas Strip is not what it used to be..

Stanford Wong’s Current Blackjack News was the original source for many of the abbreviations shown in this table.  If you can’t find it below, it may still be listed in the general A-Z section in this book.  See the Numbers of 21 section for additional information on the numbers of blackjack. 

RULE VARIATIONS / OPTIONS / CONDITIONS

1:1Naturals (blackjacks) pay even money instead of 3 to 2
21C / 21D / 21H / 21SSuited blackjack pays 2 to 1 (C=Clubs, D=Diamonds, H=Hearts, S=Spades)
21ENaturals (blackjacks) pay even money instead of 3 to 2
21LDealer BJ beats player BJ
21PDealer’s BJ with 10 up pushes player’s 21
21SSuited blackjack pays 2 to 1 (any suit)
21WBJ wins regardless of dealer’s hand
21+3Sidebet available. See 21+3.
22PPlayer pushes against dealer 22
3UPPlay one hand against 3 dealer upcards
5Five card 21 pays 2 to 1
5555Bonus hand available. See 5-5-5-5.
6Six card unbusted hand wins automatically
678Any 6-7-8 pays double or there is a bonus for this hand – See 6-7-8
6:5Blackjacks pay 6 to 5 (normal pay is 3 to 2)
7:5Blackjacks pay 7 to 5 (normal pay is 3 to 2)
777Any 7-7-7 pays double or there is a bonus for this hand – See Royal 21
A8Splitting allowed on AA and 88 only
AJAce-Jack of spades pays double – See AJ
ALLLose all on doubles or splits if dealer has BJ
BBonuses may be available
CCoupons may be available
COLCasino collects a fee per hand, generally at least 1%
CSCasino Surrender. A two-card twenty can be surrendered for a half-win against a dealer 10, as long as the dealer does not have a natural.
CSMContinuous shuffle machine used
DADouble down on any two or more cards – See DSA
DABDouble Attack Blackjack
DAS or DSDouble after splits allowed
DACEDouble but not hit after splitting aces
DC17Dealer’s choice on whether to hit or stand on S-17
DDDDouble again after doubling and getting a card. 
DDRDouble Down Rescue
DE / DXDouble Exposure
DOADouble on any first two cards – See D2
DS or DAS Double after splits allowed
DSADouble after splitting aces – See DACE
DS10Double on a ten or 11 after splitting
D2Double on any first two cards – See DOA
D3Double on first three cards
D4Double on first four or fewer cards
D8Double on 8, 9, 10, 11 and generally soft hands
D9Double on 9, 10 or 11
D10Double on 10 or 11
D11Double on 11 only
ENHCNo-hole card (European Rules) – See NH
ESEarly surrender
ES10Early surrender against 10, late surrender against others
FDFace down game shoe game.
FAK1 / FAK2Games using 6 or 8 decks that can be mistaken for single- or double-deck games.
FUFace up single or double deck game
H-17 / H17Dealer hits on soft 17 rule
HIDEDealer shows player cards only when necessary to decide winner.
HSAHit after splitting aces
IReference to an American Indian casino
J / JOKEROne or more jokers are in the pack
KBKing’s Bounty side-bet available
LLLucky Ladies side-bet available
LSLate surrender
LSN / LSNXA / LSXASee Late surrender
MAMultiple-Action blackjack
MINMid-shoe entry restricted to table minimum
NB / NB21No Bust 21
NCNo cards – digital blackjack game
NCHNo chips – digital blackjack game chips
NH / NHCNo-hole card (European Rules) – See ENHC
NINo Insurance
NMNo mid-shoe or mid-game entry
NMMNo mid-shoe entry and no spreading to multiple hands
NMONo mid-shoe entry on request
NMSIn mid-shoe you cannot go from two to one to two hands and you can not sit out hands

NOBJ

If dealer has Ace and 10, the hand plays as ordinary 21

NR / NRSNo ReSplits
NSANo splitting of aces
NSJQNo splits of unlike 10-valued cards
NS10No splits of any 10-valued cards
OU / O/UOver / Under 13 side bet
PBPlayer banked game
PDIf doubling on 10 or 11, player can request a new third card
PKDealer manually peeks under 10 valued cards
PSSplit 15 or 16 as if you had a pair
PUSHDealer wins pushes
RBRed / Black sidebet
RMRoyal Match 21 sidebet
RS#Resplit non-Aces to # number of hands
RSAResplit Aces
RSA3Resplit Aces once only to make 3 hands
S-17 / S17Dealer stands on soft 17 rule
SCCard used to determine shuffle point in 1 or 2-deck games
SF21Super Fun 21
SHOE1 or 2-deck game cards are dealt from a shoe
SLOTSlot machine
SP21 / SpanishSpanish 21 rules – All tens removed from deck
STBJTen-Ace after splitting tens pays 3:2
T / TOKEDealers keep their own tokes
TUTriple down on 9, 10, or 11 allowed
TU10Triple down on 10 or 11 allowed
UR / URSUnlimited resplits of non-aces
*Other special/unusual rules
#XXNumber of tables available
¢Low stakes only ( typically < $25)
$25Minimum bet $25 usually
$High stakes only ( typically > $100)

 

GENERAL

1:XA bet spread of 1 to X (e.g., 1:6 or 1:8)
?uncertain
Aace
aka / a.k.a.also known as
AWCasino Actual Win.  See a-win.
BCbetting correlation
BJblackjack or a natural
BSbasic strategy
Ccirca
Ddouble
eg / e.g.for example
et aland other
EVexpected value
HAhouse advantage
ICinsurance correlation
ie / i.e.that is
JJack
KKing
LVSLas Vegas Strip

NN

OOP

Non-Negotiable chips.  See Rolling Chips Program.

out of print

Psplit
PAplayer advantage
PEplaying efficiency
QQueen
RORrisk of ruin
Sstand
SDstandard deviation
SEstandard error
TBDto be determined
TWcasino theoretical win.  See t-win.
Vsversus
Xten valued card
XDX number of decks (e.g., 1D, 2D, 6D, 8D)
  
=equals
>is greater than
>is greater than or equal to
<is less than
<is less than or equal to

PENETRATION  NOTES

A or blankAverage penetration
P or BPoor or Bad (Typically < 65%)
GGood (Typically > 75%)
VVaries or conflicting information was received

 

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1Well, at least what used to be the norm.  The Las Vegas Strip is not what it used to be.

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