As with many games, Blackjack terms abound. If you really get into the game, you'll come to know these slang words and phrases. Here, however, are the basic Blackjack terms you need now to start enjoying Blackjack. Bankroll - Your bankroll is the amount of money you have available to wager. Basic Strategy - There are some generally accepted “rules” for how to play any given hand you are dealt. And while you do not have to follow basic strategy, the Dealer's plays—whether he hits or stands—are indeed predetermined, so it is a good thing to learn basic strategy. Blackjack - The name of the game, “Blackjack” technically refers to when your first two cards are an Ace and a 10-point card, which equal 21. Also known as a natural 21. Bust - Simply put, a bust is when a hand goes over 21 points. One of the Blackjack terms you’ll learn right away, since a bust is an automatic loss. Double Down – When you double down, you bet that you can win the hand on the next card. If you do so, you win double. You have the chance to double down after receiving your first two cards. Hard Hand - Any hand that does not include an Ace. Also any hand in which an Ace must count as a One. Hit - To take another card. One of the Blackjack terms that you’ve probably already learned from television and the movies! Insurance - Insurance is a side bet in Blackjack that you can make when the Dealer has an Ace in his hand. By taking insurance, you bet that the Dealer has Blackjack and put down an additional bet equal to half your original wager. If you win the insurance bet—that is, the Dealer has Blackjack—your payout rate is 2-to-1. Natural - Another term for “Blackjack,” when you are dealt an Ace and a 10-point card. Push – A tie hand between the player and the Dealer. Soft Hand – Any hand with an Ace that can be counted as either as either 1 or 11 points. Surrender - If you don't like the hand you've been dealt, you can surrender it, thereby giving up your hand, but only forfeiting half of your bet. Please note that this option is not available in every Blackjack game offered by Casino Elegance. Splitting Cards – When your first two cards have the same value, you can split them up into two separate hands and put the same original wager on the new hand. You then receive a new, second card for each hand, which gives you multiple hands in play. In certain Blackjack variations you can split cards more than once. Twenty-One - Another name for the game of Blackjack since the goal is to hit 21 without going over. As mentioned before, there are lots of other Blackjack terms, as well as general card terms, that will come up in game play, but these are the basics. Learn them and you'll have no trouble playing a hand of Blackjack! | 
