What is "blackjack"

Vingt et un \Vingt` et` un"\ [F., twenty and one.] A game at cards, played by two or more persons. The fortune of each player depends upon obtaining from the dealer such cards that the sum of their pips, or spots, is twenty-one, or a number near to it; -- also called blackjack, or twenty-one.

Note: There are several variations (such as Caribbean blackjack). In the most common variation played in casinos, there is one dealer who plays for the house, and up to seven players. The players and dealer each receive two cards, the dealer's cards usually being one face up and one face down. The players each in turn decide whether they will request additional cards (``hit''), the objective being to reach a sum of card values as close as possible to twenty-one, without exceeding that number. If, on hitting, the player's total card values exceed 21, he has ``busted'', and lost his bet. Otherwise, the player wins only if his total card values exceed those of the dealer. ``picture cards'' (or ``face cards'', being the jack, queen, and king) are counted as having a value of ten. The ace may count as one or eleven, at the player's option. Other than to hit, there are also other possible actions by the player, such as to ``double down'' (receive only one additional card, while doubling the initial bet), or to ``split'' (if the first two cards have the same value).

used in many senses since 16c., earliest is possibly "tar-coated leather jug for beer" (1590s), from black (adj.) + jack in any of its many slang senses. The weapon so called from 1889; the card game by 1900.

alt. 1 (context card games English) A common gambling card game in casinos, where the object is to get as close to 21 without going over. 2 (context card games English) A hand in the game of blackjack consisting of a face card and an ace. 3 The flag (i.e., a jack) traditionally flown by pirate ships; popularly thought to be a white skull and crossed bones on a black field (the Jolly Roger). In older literature sometimes spelled "black jack". 4 A small, flat, blunt, usually leather-covered weapon loaded with heavy material such as lead or ball bearings, intended to inflict a blow to the head that renders the victim unconscious with diminished risk of lasting cranial traum

1. 5 Any of several species of weed of genus ''Bidens'', such as (taxlink Bidens pilosa species noshow=1), in the family Compositae. 6 A blackjack oak n. 1 (context card games English) A common gambling card game in casinos, where the object is to get as close to 21 without going over. 2 (context card games English) A hand in the game of blackjack consisting of a face card and an ace. 3 The flag (i.e., a jack) traditionally flown by pirate ships; popularly thought to be a white skull and crossed bones on a black field (the Jolly Roger). In older literature sometimes spelled "black jack". 4 A small, flat, blunt, usually leather-covered weapon loaded with heavy material such as lead or ball bearings, intended to inflict a blow to the head that renders the victim unconscious with diminished risk of lasting cranial trauma. 5 Any of several species of weed of genus ''Bidens'', such as (taxlink Bidens pilosa species noshow=1), in the family Compositae. 6 A blackjack oak v

2. To strike with a blackjack or similar weapon.

1. n. a common scrubby deciduous tree of central and southeastern United States having dark bark and broad 3-lobed (club-shaped) leaves; tends to form dense thickets [syn: blackjack oak, jack oak, Quercus marilandica]

2. a piece of metal covered by leather with a flexible handle; used for hitting people [syn: cosh, sap]

3. a gambling game using cards; the object is to hold cards having a higher count than those dealt to the bank up to but not exceeding 21 [syn: twenty-one, vingt-et-un]

v. exert pressure on someone through threats [syn: blackmail, pressure]

Blackjack was an American rock band, active 1979–1980, featuring Michael Bolton (who was performing under his real name, Michael Bolotin), Bruce Kulick, Sandy Gennaro and Jimmy Haslip. The band was short-lived, released two albums, the self-titled Blackjack in 1979 and Worlds Apart in 1980, and embarked on a small US nationwide tour.

Blackjack is a video game cartridge developed by Atari, Inc. for its Video Computer System (later known as the Atari 2600). The game was one of the nine launch titles available when the Atari 2600 went on sale in September 1977.

BlackJack is a series of Australian television movies created by Shaun Micallef and Gary McCaffrie, and starring Colin Friels. The movies began airing on Network Ten in 2003 and concluded in 2007. They were shown in the United Kingdom on the BBC and UKTV Drama.

After testifying against his former colleagues in a corruption trial Sydney detective Jack Kempson (Colin Friels) is reassigned to a unit charged with entering the details of old cases into a police database. He unofficially begins to investigate unsolved crimes dating back many years.

Blackjack, also known as twenty-one, is the most widely played casino banking game in the world. Blackjack is a comparing card game between a player and dealer, meaning players compete against the dealer but not against other players. It is played with one or more decks of 52 cards. The objective of the game is to beat the dealer in one of the following ways:

• Get 21 points on the player's first two cards (called a "blackjack" or " natural"), without a dealer blackjack;
• Reach a final score higher than the dealer without exceeding 21; or
• Let the dealer draw additional cards until his or her hand exceeds 21.

The player or players are dealt a two-card hand and add together the value of their cards. Face cards (kings, queens, and jacks) are counted as ten points. A player and the dealer can count an ace as 1 point or 11 points. All other cards are counted as the numeric value shown on the card. After receiving their first two cards, players have the option of getting a "hit", or taking an additional card. In a given round, the player or the dealer wins by having a score of 21 or by having the higher score that is less than 21. Scoring higher than 21 (called "busting" or "going bust") results in a loss. A player may win by having any final score equal to or less than 21 if the dealer busts. If a player holds an ace valued as 11, the hand is called "soft", meaning that the player cannot go bust by taking an additional card; 11 plus the value of any other card will always be less than or equal to 21. Otherwise, the hand is "hard".

The dealer must hit until the cards total 17 or more points. (At many tables the dealer also hits on a "soft" 17, i.e. a hand containing an ace and one or more other cards totaling six.) Players win by not busting and having a total higher than the dealer's. The dealer loses by busting or having a lesser hand than the player who has not busted. If the player and dealer have the same total, this is called a "push", and the player typically does not win or lose money on that hand. If all available players bust, the hand ends automatically without the dealer having to play his or her hand.

Blackjack has many rule variations. Since the 1960s, blackjack has been a high-profile target of advantage players, particularly card counters, who track the profile of cards that have been dealt and adapt their wagers and playing strategies accordingly.

Blackjack has inspired other casino games, including Spanish 21 and pontoon.

Blackjack, also known as John Woo’s Blackjack is a 1998 TV action film or more specifically a backdoor pilot (of a proposed TV series shot like a film so that it can be used as a one off if it doesn't get picked up) directed by John Woo. Dolph Lundgren stars as a former US Marshal turned detective and bodyguard who has a phobia of the colour white, that needs to stop an assassin.

Blackjack is an album by American trumpeter Donald Byrd featuring performances by Byrd with Sonny Red, Hank Mobley, Cedar Walton, Walter Booker, and Billy Higgins recorded in 1967 and released on the Blue Note label as BLP 4259. The CD reissue included one bonus track recorded in 1963.

Blackjack is the eponymous debut album of the American rock band Blackjack. The album was recorded shortly after the band's formation in early 1979 at Criteria Studios in Miami and released on Polydor Records on June 18, 1979.

Official music videos were recorded for the album's two singles, "Love Me Tonight" and "Without Your Love" and the album was promoted moderately by Polydor. However, despite the promotion from the label, the album was met with lukewarm reception and the band would disband in 1980 after recording a second studio album, Worlds Apart.

The album was art directed by Abie Sussman and the cover artwork was designed and drawn by Gerard Huerta.

The album reached #127 on the Billboard album charts in 1979, and the lead single, "Love Me Tonight", reached #62 on the Hot 100 that same year.

Blackjack is a drama comedy film directed by Colin Nutley. It's set in a dansband environment in Hedesunda and around Gävle.

Blackjack is a 1978 American crime drama film written and directed by John Evans.

BlackJack is a dansband from Sundsvall, Sweden, established in 1991 and based on the dansband depicted in the 1990 film Black Jack. Their most famous hit song is " Inget stoppar oss nu". Throughout the years, the band has scored several Svensktoppen hits, being most successful with "Om det känns rätt" in 1996.

The band was founded by Tony Ljungström, who also appeared in the film, and Torbjörn Eriksson (former Kapellmeister).

The band has played at TV shows like " Bingolotto", " Go'kväll", " Jeopardy!" and " Mat-Tina". They have also appeared in a Europolitan commercial.