The term comes from counting, not from the basic game
If you sit down at a blackjack table and ask the dealer what a plus hand is, you will probably get a blank look. The phrase is not part of the standard vocabulary printed on the felt. It comes from the world of card counting, where a running count that has moved into positive territory tells the counter that the remaining shoe contains a higher concentration of tens and aces than a fresh deck would. A 'plus hand' in that context is simply a hand dealt while the count is positive: a situation where the player's expected return on the next wager has shifted, sometimes to the point where the player holds a small mathematical advantage over the house.
There is a second, rarer use of the term. Some blackjack variants and side bets award a bonus payout when a hand contains a certain combination, and a few of those promotions have been marketed with 'plus' in the name. But in the core game of blackjack, there is no hand type called a plus hand. The dealer does not check for one, the table layout does not list one, and no strategy chart tells you to play one differently. Understanding what people mean by the phrase means understanding the two places it appears: the count, and the side-bet screen.
What a positive count changes
Blackjack is a comparing card game. The objective is to finish the round with a hand total closer to 21 than the dealer's without exceeding 21. A standard deck holds 52 cards, and the cards that most help the player are the tens and aces: they make blackjacks, they turn stiff hands into strong ones, and they make the dealer more likely to bust when forced to draw. When a shoe has been depleted of small cards, the proportion of those high cards left to be dealt rises. That is what a positive running count measures.
The effect is real but modest. A counter does not suddenly win every hand when the count turns positive. The advantage comes from a few compounding factors: more frequent natural blackjacks, which pay at a premium; better doubling and splitting opportunities; and a dealer who busts slightly more often. The edge shifts by a small amount per true-count point, and it only becomes positive when the count reaches a threshold that depends on the exact rule set in play. Below that threshold, the player is still losing money in expectation, just more slowly.
None of this changes the mechanics of a single hand. A 16 against a dealer ten is still a bad spot. The count tells you how the remaining shoe is composed, not what the next card will be. A player who sits down, hears that the count is 'plus', and starts doubling aggressively without a full counting system is not playing with an edge. They are playing with a feeling, and the house edge does not care about feelings.
Where the term shows up in side bets
The other place a blackjack player might encounter 'plus' is on a side-bet layout. Many blackjack tables offer optional wagers that pay based on the player's first two cards, sometimes combined with the dealer's upcard. A few of these have been branded with 'plus' or a similar word to signal that they pay a bonus on top of the standard side-bet payout. The most common structure is a pair-based bet: the player wins if their first two cards form a pair, and wins a larger amount if that pair is suited, and a still larger amount if it is a specific rank or if it combines with the dealer's card to form three of a kind.
These bets are resolved independently of the main hand. You can win the side bet and lose the hand, or lose the side bet and win the hand. The side bet is settled first, usually right after the initial cards are dealt, and then the main hand proceeds normally. A 'plus hand' in this context is whatever hand the side-bet rules define as qualifying for the bonus tier. The definition is printed on the table layout or in the game's help screen, and it differs from one variant to the next.
The important point is that a side bet is a separate wager with its own house edge. It is not a way to improve the main hand. The payout schedule may look generous, but the probability of hitting the top tier is low, and the house edge on side bets is typically higher than on the main game. The term 'plus' in the name does not mean the bet is favourable to the player.
How the count, the strategy and the rules fit together
Blackjack strategy is not a single chart. Published basic-strategy charts derive from the specific rule set in use: how many decks are in the shoe, whether the dealer stands or hits on soft 17, whether doubling after splitting is allowed, whether surrender is offered, and how splits are handled. Change one rule and the correct play changes on a handful of marginal hands. A chart printed for a six-deck game where the dealer stands on soft 17 is not necessarily correct for a double-deck game where the dealer hits soft 17.
Counting adds a second layer. The counter starts with basic strategy, then adjusts a small number of decisions based on the count: when to take insurance, when to stand instead of hit on a stiff hand, when to deviate from the chart on a close call. These adjustments are called playing deviations, and they are also rule-set specific. A deviation that is correct at one true count under one rule set may be wrong at the same count under another.
For a player who is not counting, none of this matters. Basic strategy is the best play for the hand in front of you, and it reduces the house edge to its minimum for that rule set. It does not make the game positive-expectation. The house edge remains, and the player's long-run result is still a loss, just a slower one.
| Term | What it means | Does it change the house edge? |
|---|---|---|
| Basic strategy | The mathematically best play for each hand under a given rule set | Minimises the edge; does not remove it |
| Positive count | A shoe composition with more high cards remaining than normal | Shifts the edge toward the player, sometimes past zero |
| Playing deviation | A count-based adjustment to a basic-strategy decision | Only matters when counting; rule-set specific |
| Side bet | An optional wager on the first cards, resolved separately | Usually carries a higher edge than the main game |
The sequence of a round, from buy-in to settlement
Sitting down at a blackjack table for the first time is easier if you know the order of events. You buy in by placing cash on the table in front of you, never directly into the dealer's hand. The dealer spreads the cash, calls out the amount, and exchanges it for chips. You then place your main wager in the betting circle. If you want the side bet, you place a separate chip in the marked side-bet spot before the cards are dealt.
The dealer gives each player two cards face up, and takes two cards for the house, one face up and one face down. If the dealer's upcard is an ace, the dealer offers insurance before checking the hole card. Insurance is a separate bet that pays if the dealer has a blackjack, and it is a bad bet for a basic-strategy player because it carries its own house edge. If the dealer shows a ten, the dealer checks the hole card for a blackjack before play continues.
Play proceeds around the table. Each player decides in turn whether to hit, stand, double down, or split, depending on the cards and the rule set. Doubling means placing an additional wager equal to the original and receiving exactly one more card. Splitting means separating a pair into two hands, each with its own wager. Some rule sets allow re-splitting and doubling after a split; others do not. When all players have finished, the dealer reveals the hole card and draws according to the house rules, usually hitting until reaching a total of 17 or higher, with the soft-17 rule determining whether an ace-six is hit or stood.
Winning hands are paid at even money, except a natural blackjack, which pays at the table's posted rate, commonly 3 to 2 but sometimes 6 to 5 or another reduced rate. The payout rate for a natural is printed on the table. A lower rate increases the house edge, so it is worth checking before you sit down. Losing wagers are collected, pushes are returned, and the next round begins.
Three procedural mistakes new players make
The first mistake is touching the cards. In most shoe-dealt games, players are not allowed to touch the cards at all; in hand-held single- and double-deck games, players may handle them but must keep them above the table and in view. Reaching for the cards in a shoe game will draw an immediate correction from the dealer, and repeated violations can get a player removed from the table.
The second mistake is handling chips after the cards are out. Once the first card leaves the shoe, you cannot touch your wager. If you want to double or split, you place the additional chips next to the original bet, not on top of it, and you never move the original chips. Placing chips on top of a bet can be read as an attempt to alter the wager after the deal, which is exactly what the surveillance cameras are watching for.
The third mistake is using hand signals inconsistently. The dealer and the camera both need an unambiguous signal for every decision. A tap on the felt means hit, a wave of the hand means stand, and the specific gestures for double and split vary slightly by venue. Saying the word while making no gesture, or making a gesture that contradicts your words, will slow the game and can lead to a dispute. The dealer will tell you the house signals when you sit down; use them every time.
FAQ
Is a plus hand the same as a winning hand?
No. A winning hand is one that beats the dealer's total without busting. A plus hand, in the counting sense, is a hand dealt while the remaining shoe favours the player; it can still lose. In the side-bet sense, a plus hand is one that qualifies for a bonus payout under the side-bet rules, regardless of whether the main hand wins.
Can I tell if the count is positive without counting cards?
Not reliably. You can observe how many small cards have appeared, but without a running count and a true-count conversion you do not know whether the remaining shoe favours you. Some players watch for a run of low cards and assume the shoe is now rich in tens; that is a guess, not a count, and it does not produce a measurable edge.
Does a plus count mean I should raise my bet?
Only if you are running a complete counting system that includes a bet spread tied to the true count and the rule set. For a basic-strategy player, the count is irrelevant to bet sizing. Raising your bet because you feel the shoe is due is not a strategy; it is a larger wager on the same negative-expectation game.
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