| Bankroll | The money a player plans to bet with. |
| Basic Strategy | A computer developed method for playing blackjack that may be easily memorized by a player without counting cards. |
| Breaking hand (Stiff) | A hand that will go over 21 with a one-card draw, such as a hard 12,13,14,15 or 16. |
| Burned | Discarded; what is done to the top card after the deck is cut so that the player can't see it's value. |
| Busted | To overdraw to a total greater than 21 an immediate lose. |
| Counting | A method developed in order to keep track of the cards remaining in the game. |
| Doubling down | The possibility of doubling-up a bet when the player feels he can win when being dealt only one additional card. |
| Draw | To obtain additional cards to the original two cards. |
| Face card | King, Queen or Jack. |
| First base | The first seat left to the dealer. |
| Hard count | The true face value of the cards being played with. |
| Hard hand | A hand without an ace, or a hand with an ace that can only be counted as one. |
| Hit | The request to receive another card from the dealer. |
| Hole card | The dealer's face down card. |
| Insurance | A side bet offered to the player by the house, when the dealer's face-up card is an ace, that the dealer has a 10 as his hole card, making blackjack. Pays 2 to 1. |
| Natural | A total of 21 in only two cards. Automatic winner pays 3 to 2. |
| Pat hand | A hand with a total value of 17 to 21. |
| Pit boss | The person in charge of the blackjack games. |
| Point count | The net value of the card count at the end of a hand. |
| Press | To increase the size of the successive bet. |
| Push | A tie between the dealer and player in which no money changes hands. |
| Shoe | A dealing box for multiple-deck games. |
| Soft hand | A hand with an ace, which can be counted as 11. |
| Splitting pairs | An option the player has when dealt two original cards of the same value of splitting the two cards and playing each hand individually. |
| Stand | What a player does when he is satisfied with his existing cards and does not want any more |
| Surrender | The ability of the player to give up only half his bet when the player believes he cannot beat the dealer. Must be done before any cards are drawn, and is not offered in all casinos. |
| Third base | The seat immediately to the right of the dealer, last to be dealt. |
| Toke | The tip atuity given to dealers from players. |
| "21" | The winning total in blackjack. Another name for blackjack. |
| Up card | The dealer's face-up card. |
INCREASING YOUR ODDS...
