[English pronunciation]Twist Bust? Bulls? British card game?

Question

Hello happy card playersI've been watching an episode of /Clocking off/, in which at one point a group of women are playing cards. They speak in turns; two of them say "twist", and then the third one says "bust". Well, I think I heard "bust", pronounced in a quite typical northern accent I wasn't quite sure the first time whether I'd heard "bust" or "bulls". Anyway, I think it was "bust", because the women all start sniggering, and as one of them has just had an operation to fix her breasts, it fits the context.Did I hear "bust" right? And what card game is that? Isabelle Cecchini

Usenet · Accepted Answer

Isabelle Cecchini wibbled
[nq:1]Hello happy card players I've been watching an episode of /Clocking off/, in which at one point a group of ... operation to fix her *******, it fits the context. Did I hear "bust" right? And what card game is that?[/nq]
Yes, you heard right. They're playing Pontoon/21/Blackjack/whatever you want to call it. Twist gets you an extra card, bust means the hand totals over 21 and is therefore void.
Jac

Usenet · Answer

Thus spake Isabelle Cecchini:
[nq:1]Hello happy card players I've been watching an episode of /Clocking off/, in which at one point a group of ... operation to fix her *******, it fits the context. Did I hear "bust" right? And what card game is that?[/nq]
You heard "bust". The game is Twenty-one. Also called Pontoon.
Simon R. Hughes

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Isabelle Cecchini wibbled[/nq]
[nq:2]Hello happy card players I've been watching an episode of ... I hear "bust" right? And what card game is that?[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, you heard right. They're playing Pontoon/21/Blackjack/whatever you want to call it. Twist gets you an extra card, bust means the hand totals over 21 and is therefore void.[/nq]
"bust" is a variant of "broken". I suppose the hand is broken by going over 21.
"I dropped a glass on the floor, and now it's bust."

David
I say what it occurs to me to say.
==
The address is valid today, but I change it periodically.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]"bust" is a variant of "broken". I suppose the hand is broken by going over 21. "I dropped a glass on the floor, and now it's bust."[/nq]
"Variant" meaning "synonym"? I would say that "bust" is a variant of "burst." M-W.com calls it an "alteration":
Main Entry: 2 bust
Etymology: alteration of burst
Date: 1806
Main Entry: 1 burst
Etymology: Middle English bersten, from Old English berstan; akin to Old High German brestan to burst
Date: before 12th century
Main Entry: 1 break
Etymology: Middle English breken, from Old English brecan; akin to Old High German brehhan to break, Latin frangere
Date: before 12th century

Bust Donna Richoux

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Isabelle Cecchini wibbled[/nq]
[nq:2]I've been watching an episode of /Clocking off/, in which ... I hear "bust" right? And what card game is that?[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, you heard right. They're playing Pontoon/21/Blackjack/whatever you want to call it. Twist gets you an extra card, bust means the hand totals over 21 and is therefore void.[/nq]
Interesting. In America we certainly use "bust", but I've never heard "twist". The action here is called "hitting", and the direction, when given verbally, is "hit me". The other actions are "standing", "splitting", and "doubling (down)".

Evan Kirshenbaum + HP Laboratories >Those who study history are doomed
1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 >to watch others repeat it.Palo Alto, CA 94304
(650)857-7572
http://www.kirshenbaum.net/

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Isabelle Cecchini wibbled Yes, you heard right. They're playing Pontoon/21/Blackjack/whatever ... means the hand totals over 21 and is therefore void.[/nq]
[nq:1]Interesting. In America we certainly use "bust", but I've never heard "twist". The action here is called "hitting", and the direction, when given verbally, is "hit me".[/nq]
In pontoon there are two ways to draw a card, called "twist" and "buy". A twisted card costs nothing but is turned face up so that everyone can see what it is. A bought (for anything up to the original stake) card comes face down. It's obvious where the name "twist" comes from.
[nq:1]The other actions are "standing",[/nq]
"Sticking"
[nq:1]"splitting"[/nq]
Ditto.
[nq:1], and "doubling (down)".[/nq]
Not sure what that is.

Mike Barnes
Cheshire, England

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]"bust" is a variant of "broken". I suppose the hand ... dropped a glass on the floor, and now it's bust."[/nq]
[nq:1]"Variant" meaning "synonym"? I would say that "bust" is a variant of "burst." M-W.com calls it an "alteration": Main Entry: ... breken, from Old English brecan; akin to Old High German brehhan to break, Latin frangere Date: before 12th century[/nq]
Not quite a synonym; there's a difference. I think "bust" is more final than "broken", although it's very subtle.
I don't relate "bust" to "burst" at all.

David
==
Does exactly what it says on the tin.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Isabelle Cecchini wibbled Yes, you heard right. They're playing Pontoon/21/Blackjack/whatever ... means the hand totals over 21 and is therefore void.[/nq]
[nq:1]Interesting. In America we certainly use "bust", but I've never heard "twist". The action here is called "hitting", and the direction, when given verbally, is "hit me". The other actions are "standing", "splitting", and "doubling (down)".[/nq]
Blackjack rules are slightly different from Pontoon. The Blackjack dealer has no discretion - below a certain value she must draw another card, etc. The Pontoon dealer may use her discretion. In Pontoon, the players' original two cards are not visible to anybody else until after the dealer has played, although of course any card which is "twisted" is seen. And five cards totalling 21 or less beats every other hand except Pontoon (Ace plus a face card).

In the "amateur" game, not in a casino, the gaining of a Pontoon makes you the dealer.

David
==
Does exactly what it says on the tin.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Interesting. In America we certainly use "bust", but I've never ... "hitting", and the direction, when given verbally, is "hit me".[/nq]
[nq:1]In pontoon there are two ways to draw a card, called "twist" and "buy". A twisted card costs nothing but ... bought (for anything up to the original stake) card comes face down. It's obvious where the name "twist" comes from.[/nq]
That wouldn't make a difference in American blackjack, as all play is against the house, which plays by set rules. Indeed, it's common in casinos I've played in for all cards except the dealer's hold card to be dealt face up. (The exception is with two-deck games where seeing the other players' hands would give too much information about what's remaining in the shoe.)
[nq:2], and "doubling (down)".[/nq]
[nq:1]Not sure what that is.[/nq]
Depending on house rules, on some hands you are allowed to double your wager as your first action following being dealt two cards. You then receive a single extra card, and your turn ends there. Most casinos allow you to double on hands of 10 or 11, some will allow it on 9 as well, and some will allow it on any initial hand. The basic strategy is to double on a total of 9 (if allowed) against a dealer's three through six, double on a ten against nine or lower,, and double on eleven against anything but an ace. (With minor variations for different numbers of decks. With four or more decks, you don't double nine against two, and with a single deck (yeah, right), you double eight against five or six.)
The difference in rules really comes into play when you are dealt a soft hand (a hand containing an ace). Then there are situations in which you double soft 13 through soft 18 (always against five or six, against four with 15 or higher, and against three with 17 or 18).

Basic strategy charts can be found at
http://www.thegamblersedge.com/bjack/basic.htm
Of course, if you are counting cards, there are minor variations to the strategy.

Evan Kirshenbaum + HP Laboratories >Usenet is like Tetris for people
1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 >who still remember how to read.Palo Alto, CA 94304
(650)857-7572
http://www.kirshenbaum.net/

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2], and "doubling (down)".[/nq]
[nq:1]Not sure what that is.[/nq]
Going double down means you double your stake and take only one card.

If you had a nine and a duece, for example, you might go double down thinking that any face card or ten would give you 21 and a winner.

Either that, or something to do with twins that I'm not familiar with.

[English pronunciation]Twist Bust? Bulls? British card game?

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