Blackjack Glossary of Terms

• Anchor - Last seat taken to the dealer's right.
• Banker - In a card game, dealer or the players who books the action of the other players at the table.
• Bankroll - The total amount of money you have to gambling with.
• Basic Strategy - In blackjack, basic strategy is the set of plays that you should make which will maximize your winnings.
• Blackjack - Total of 21 on your initial two-card hand.
• Bust - (aka Break) Exceeding the hand total of 21.
• Camouflage - Anything a skilled gambler does to conceal their activities from the casino. Camouflage can include mixing in playing and betting behavior that mimics typical gamblers, or using disguises, appearing to be drunk, or any number of other possible ploys intended to throw the casino's scrutiny off.
• Card Counting - Remembering played cards (usually high cards) to gain an advantage over the dealer.
• Cut - splitting the deck of cards before they are dealt to each player.
• Deal - Distributing cards during a hand.
• Discard Tray - A tray on the dealer’s right side that holds all the cards that have been played.
• Draw - (aka Hit) Adding a new card to your current hand.
• Double Down - Double your initial bet following the initial two-card deal.
• Early Surrender - Surrender allowed before the dealer checks for blackjack.
• Face Cards - Jacks, Queens and Kings.
• First Base - First taken seat to dealer's left (where the first card is dealt).
• Hard Hand - (aka Hard Total) A hand that can only be given one value, unlike a hand with an Ace that can have more than one value.
• Hit - (aka Draw) Asking for a new card to your current hand.
• Hole Card - The facedown card that the dealer gets.
• Insurance - Side bet up to half the initial bet against the dealer having a natural 21. Insurance is offered only when the dealers up card is an Ace. The insurance bet wins double if the dealer has a natural, but loses if the dealer does not.
• Late Surrender - Surrender allowed only if the dealer does not have blackjack.
• Natural - Two-card hand of 21 points.
• Push - (aka Tie) Both player and dealer have the same hand total so the player keeps their bet.
• Shoe - Device used for holding and dispensing the cards to be dealt.
• Shuffle - At the start of each game when the dealer mixes up the order of the cards is said to shuffle the cards.
• Shuffle Up - Premature shuffling by the dealer to discourage card counting.
• Soft Hand - Hand containing an ace counted as 11.
• Split Hand - Split the initial two-card hand (which are of equal value) into two separate hands to play them separately.
• Stand or Stay - Not taking another card.
• Stiff Hand - Hand with little chance of winning and that may bust if hit once, which include hard twelve through sixteen.
• Surrender - Giving up your hand and lose only half the bet.
• Third Base - Last taken seat to the dealer's right.
• Tie - (Also Push or Stand-off.) Both player and dealer have the same hand total - player keeps bet.
• Upcard - The dealer's first dealt card, placed face up for all the players to see before they play their hands.