- Bankroll
- The total amount of money (or play chips) you've set aside for playing, separate from money for other things.
- Blackjack (Natural)
- An Ace plus a 10-value card as your first two cards — the best possible hand, usually paid 3:2.
- Bust
- Going over a total of 21, which loses the hand immediately regardless of what happens afterward.
- Double Down
- Doubling your bet in exchange for exactly one more card, after which you must stand.
- Hard Hand
- A hand with no Ace, or where the Ace can only count as 1 without busting.
- Hit
- Taking another card.
- Hole Card
- The dealer's face-down card, revealed only after all players have acted (in most American-style games).
- House Edge
- The casino's long-run average advantage over players, expressed as a percentage of total bets. See our Odds & House Edge page.
- Insurance
- A side bet, offered when the dealer shows an Ace, that pays out if the dealer has blackjack.
- Push
- A tie — your total matches the dealer's, and your original bet is returned with no win or loss.
- Shoe
- The dealing device holding multiple shuffled decks (commonly 4–8) used in most casino blackjack games.
- Soft Hand
- A hand containing an Ace counted as 11 (e.g. Ace + 6 = "soft 17") — it can't bust on the next card since the Ace can drop to 1 if needed.
- Split
- Dividing a pair into two separate hands, each with its own equal bet, played independently.
- Stand
- Taking no more cards and locking in your current total.
- Surrender
- Forfeiting half your bet to end the hand immediately, offered at some tables after seeing your first two cards.
- Upcard
- The dealer's face-up card, visible to all players before they act.
Want these terms in context? Read the full How to Play guide, or jump straight to the Free Practice Table to see them in action.