What Does Monkey Mean in Blackjack? | Slang Explained
๐๏ธ Key Takeaways
- Learn what "monkey" means at the blackjack table: any card worth 10, from the 10 itself to the jack, queen and king.
- Discover the most likely origin of the term in baccarat, where those same cards count as zero.
- See the effect of a monkey on every starting total, from a perfect 21 on 11 to a bust on a stiff hand.
- Avoid the two classic mistakes of chasing a monkey: splitting tens and doubling hard 16 to 18.
- Find out why shouting for a monkey changes nothing, since the dealer has no idea what the next card is.
- Pick up a dozen other table terms, plus the British meaning of "a monkey" as £500.
Spend an evening at a busy blackjack table and you will hear someone shout "monkey" before the next card lands. It is not a side bet or a special rule, just slang for the card most players want to see.
This guide explains what the word means, where it most likely comes from and how players use it. We also cover table etiquette, the other slang you will hear and what a monkey means outside the casino.
๐ What "Monkey" Means in Blackjack
A monkey is any card worth 10 in blackjack. That covers the jack, queen, king and the 10 itself in all four suits, not just the picture cards.
Four of the thirteen ranks count as 10, so roughly 4 in every 13 cards in a fresh shoe are monkeys. No other value turns up as often, which is why players talk about this card more than any other.
The word is pure table talk, and it never appears in the official rules. You will hear it most at busy land-based tables, although live dealer chat rooms use it too.
The value of every other card is explained in our blackjack card values article.
๐ Where the Word Comes From
Nobody has proven where "monkey" started, but the most likely source is baccarat. In that game, tens and picture cards count as zero, so they leave a hand's total unchanged.
One theory holds that a Cantonese expression for these "nothing" cards sounded like "monkey" to English-speaking players. It is a likely story rather than a proven one, but it explains how a baccarat word reached blackjack, where the same cards are worth the most.
Slang spreads by ear, so written records of its early use are rare. That is why any origin story, including this one, should be treated as the best explanation available rather than settled history.
๐ด Monkey in Baccarat Today
Baccarat players still use the word, but for them a monkey is worth nothing. A hand's score is the last digit of its total, so a zero leaves a 6 as a 6 and an 8 as an 8.
That makes the call work both ways at the baccarat table. Players hope for a monkey on the side they back when its total is already strong, and on the opposing side when its draw could improve it.
๐ข What a Monkey Does to Each Hand
Whether a monkey is good news depends entirely on what you already hold. This table shows the result of drawing one on each type of hand:
| Your hand | After a monkey | Good or bad? |
| A single ace (first two cards) | Blackjack | The best result in the game |
| Hard 11 | 21 | Ideal, which is why 11 is a common double |
| Hard 10 | 20 | Very strong |
| Hard 9 | 19 | Strong |
| Hard 4 to 8 | 14 to 18 | Mixed, and you may need another card |
| Hard 12 to 21 | Bust | The worst card you can draw |
| Soft total (an ace counted as 11) | The same number, now hard | No gain, but no bust either |
The soft-hand row surprises many players. Draw a monkey on A-6 and the ace falls back to 1, so the hand is still 17, only now it is hard.
The same logic explains why players call "no monkey" just as often as "monkey". On any hard total of 12 or more, it is the one value that is guaranteed to bust you.
๐ฃ๏ธ How Players Use It at the Table
Players call for a monkey whenever a ten-value card would help them, and wish one on the dealer when it would hurt. These are the calls heard most often:
- "Monkey!" on 10 or 11: the player wants a 10 to land on 20 or 21, often after doubling.
- "Monkey for the dealer!": the dealer has a stiff hand such as 15 or 16, and the table wants a 10 to bust it.
- "No monkey!" on 12 to 16: the player has to hit and needs anything but a 10.
- "Paint!": a close cousin of the monkey call, asking for a picture card in particular.
The dealer call is the one that unites a table. Since the dealer must keep drawing on 16 or less, every player still in the hand is cheering for the same card at that moment.
๐ซ Why the Call Changes Nothing
Shouting for a monkey never changes the card that comes out. Dealers do not know the next card either, so a calm or rushed dealer tells you nothing about it.
A hand's result is decided by the shuffle, long before anyone at the table speaks. The call is part of the fun, and it should never be part of your decision.
โ ๏ธ Mistakes Made While Chasing a Monkey
Wanting a monkey can also tempt players into bad plays. Two are worth avoiding every time:
- Never split tens: 20 already beats most dealer hands, so breaking it up to chase two more monkeys throws value away.
- Never double hard 16 to 18: a monkey busts all three totals, and it is the value you are most likely to draw.
For the right move on every hand, check our blackjack cheat sheet.
๐ค Table Etiquette When Calling a Monkey
Calling for a monkey is welcome at most tables, as long as it stays good-natured. A few habits keep it that way:
- Use hand signals for your decision: dealers act on a tap to hit and a wave to stand, because the cameras record gestures, not shouts.
- Keep the volume friendly: one cheerful call adds to the game, while constant shouting puts other players off.
- Never blame another player: nobody knows the next card, so someone else's hit cannot steal "your" monkey over time.
- Take a dealer's banter in good spirit: they have no control over the shoe, whatever card turns up.
Online live dealer tables follow the same idea in the chat box. A quick "monkey please" is fine, but your actual move always goes through the game buttons.
๐ Other Blackjack Slang
Monkey is only one part of the table vocabulary. Here are the other terms that come up most often:
| Term | Meaning |
| Paint | A jack, queen or king, named after the picture on the card |
| Stiff | A hard total from 12 to 16, which one card can bust |
| Snapper | Another name for a natural: an ace with any monkey |
| Bust | Going over 21, which loses the hand at once |
| Push | A hand that ties with the dealer, so your bet comes back |
| Upcard | The dealer's card that is dealt face up |
| Hole card | The dealer's face-down card |
| Shoe | The dealing box used for multi-deck games |
| Burn card | A card discarded unseen after the shuffle, before play begins |
| First base | The seat on the dealer's left, which receives cards first |
| Third base | The last seat to act before the dealer, on the dealer's right |
| Toke | A tip for the dealer, often placed as a small bet for them |
For a full list, see our blackjack terms guide.
๐ท "A Monkey" Outside the Casino
In British slang, "a monkey" has a separate meaning: £500. A London punter who says they lost a monkey is talking about money, not cards.
It belongs to a family of money slang you may still hear in UK betting shops. The most common terms are these:
- Pony: £25.
- Ton: £100.
- Monkey: £500.
- Grand: £1,000.
So "a monkey on the monkey" would be a £500 bet on a ten-value card, although no blackjack table offers that wager. Context always tells you which meaning a player has in mind.
๐ VistaGamble's Honest Assessment
Knowing the slang will not win you hands, but it makes a busy table easier to follow. Here is what the word does and does not do for you.
โ The Positives
- Easier table talk: you understand the calls and the banter straight away.
- A useful reminder: 10 is the most common value, which is worth keeping in mind whenever you could bust.
- Free fun: a well-timed call adds to the atmosphere without costing anything.
โ The Negatives
- Cards stay random: calling for a monkey cannot change what comes out of the shoe.
- Can feed bad plays: chasing a monkey leads some players to split tens or double stiff hands.
- Uncertain history: the baccarat origin is likely, but it has never been proven.
๐ Conclusion
A monkey is simply blackjack slang for a ten-value card, and players call for one when it would turn their hand into 20 or 21. The word most likely came from baccarat, while in Britain "a monkey" also means £500.
Enjoy the call, but leave the decisions to basic strategy. Keep your tens together, never double on a hard 16, 17 or 18, and remember the dealer knows no more about the next card than you do.
Frequently Asked Questionsโ
Why do people say monkey in blackjack?
Players shout it when they want a ten-value card, usually while holding 10 or 11 or hoping the dealer busts. It is table slang that adds to the fun of the game.
What cards count as a monkey?
A monkey is any ten-value card, whether it is a king, queen, jack or 10. All four ranks count, not only the picture cards.
Where does the term monkey come from?
The most likely source is baccarat, where tens and picture cards count as zero. The exact origin has never been proven.
Does calling for a monkey change the next card?
No, calling for a monkey has no effect on the cards. The dealer does not know the next card either.
What happens if you draw a monkey on a soft hand?
Your total stays the same, because the ace drops to 1 and the hand becomes hard. A soft 17 that takes a monkey is still 17.
What does a monkey mean in British slang?
In UK slang, a monkey is £500. It has nothing to do with the blackjack meaning of a ten-value card.
Should you ever split tens in blackjack?
No, never split tens. Your 20 is one of the strongest hands in the game, so splitting it gives up a likely win.