A helpful blackjack glossary

Around the table

A hard hand has no ace, or an ace that must count as 1. A soft hand contains an ace that can still count as 11. Blackjack is an ace plus a ten-value card on the first two cards. It usually pays 3:2, not 6:5. Prefer 3:2 tables.

Double means you double the stake and take exactly one more card. Split turns a pair into two hands. Insurance is a side bet that the dealer has blackjack. It is usually a poor bet. Surrender, where offered, lets you give up half the stake.