Pat Hand

Meaning and Definition of Pat in Gambling

The term pat denotes a specific status of a hand within the gaming frameworks of blackjack and draw poker. In the context of blackjack, a pat hand is defined as a non-busted total of 17 points or greater, signifying a state where the participant elects to cease further card acquisition. Within draw poker protocols, the designation refers to a hand where the player maintains their original distribution without requesting additional cards. Regulatory compliance requires that these operational definitions are clearly communicated to ensure the integrity of player decisions and the standardized application of house rules.