Scare Card
The dealer’s up-card, when it has a high value.
Scratch
To request a hit.
Second Base
A player seated between other players (neither first nor last). Also used to refer to a player who is sitting dead center, directly across from the dealer.
Second Dealing
A technique, generally cheating, when the dealer delivers cards the second, rather than the first, card.
Settlement
The financial resolution of a hand, including the payoff or collection of wagers.
Shill
A casino employee who poses as a player to attract customers.
Shoe
A piece of gaming equipment used to hold multiple decks of cards.
Shuffle Up
Shuffling the deck before the cut card appears. Typically done to eliminate a counter’s advantage (and drive him away).
Shuffle
The process of re-mixing the cards. Typically effected by cutting and riffling the deck.
Silver
Refers to silver dollars or metal gaming tokens (in houses where these are used instead of white $1 cheques).
Single Deck
A game played with one 52-card deck.
Size Into
To use a stack of cheques that has already been counted as a measure for another stack that has not.
Soft Hand
A hand in which an ace is counted as 11 (and can be converted to 1 later)
Soft Game
A game in which many of the players are unskilled.
Spanish Deck
A deck of 48 cards. Identical to the standard (French) deck, without the tens (ie., 2-9, face cards, and aces in each suit).
Splitting Pairs
An option that allows a player to split his first two cards into two separate hands when cards of the same index are dealt.
Spots
The areas of the layout designated for making wagers.
Spread the Deck
To lay the cards face-up on the table, spread out so that prospective players may inspect them to ensure the decks are complete. This is typically done when a table is opened.
Stack — A stack of 20 cheques in the rack.
Stand
An indication that the player is satisfied with his hand and does not want any more hits.
Stay
Same as stand, above.
Steaming
Said of a player who is making mistakes because he is upset.
Straighten the Rack
To arrange the cheques in the rack, placing them into 20-cheque stacks so that the pit boss can easily count its total value.
Stripping (a deck)
A method of shuffling that consists of dropping a few cards alternately from the top and bottom of the deck.
Suit
One of the four categories of cards — diamonds, spaced, clubs, and hearts.
Suited Blackjack
A blackjack in which the ace and ten-value card are of the same suit.
Surrender
An option to abandon a hand and reclaim half of the original wager. Typically allowed only after the initial deal (when the hand has not been hit). If surrender is allowed after hits have been taken, it’s called “Late Surrender.”
Sweeten (a Bet)
To increase a wager (when it is permissible to do so).
Table Inventory Slip (TIS)
A form that is used by the casino to record the total value in the rack when a table is opened or closed.
Take (a card)
When a player takes a hit contrary to basic strategy, he is said to have “taken” that card from the next hand that should have been hit. This does not affect the odds at all, though a third-base player who “takes” the dealer’s bust card will draw glares from the other players when the dealer makes a hand.
Tell
A mannerism, usually unconscious, exhibited by the dealer that suggests the value of his hole card. Since the dealer must check the hole card when an ace or a ten is showing, reading a dealer’s tell can enable a player to know when the dealer has a pat hand (or, since that is assumed, to tell when he does not).
Third Base
The last player to the dealer’s right, who is the last to receive his cards. Erroneously believed to have a significant impact on the outcome of the dealer’s hand.
Time and a Half
The 3:2 payoff on a blackjack.
Tip
A gratuity given to the dealer or wait staff by a player.
Toke
A tip made in the form of a wager placed for the dealer—if the hand wins, the dealer collects the original tip plus its winnings. Shortened from “token bet,” a toke is sometimes called a “toke bet”
Toke Box
A container (usually) fastened to the back of the table, into which the dealer places his tips. Separate from the “drop box” into which the house’s money (plus paperwork, etc.) are placed.
Too Many
Expression: when a hit breaks a hand.
Tough Player
A player who, through luck or skill, is expected to win a significant amount from the casino.
Tray
A device that may be used to carry cheques.
True Count
An estimation of the percentage of high cards remaining to be dealt, adjusted for the number of decks in the game.
Unbreakable (Hand)
A hand that cannot be broken with the next hit, regardless of the value of the card.
Unit
The dollar amount of a player’s basic bet: most often (but not always) one chip.
Upcard
The card in the dealer’s hand that is placed face up.
Value Bet
A situation in which a wager is placed with the mathematical expectation of winning.
Veil
A pattern of behavior used to disguise a player’s skill. Most experienced card counters will use some sort of veil that can vary from props (a strategy card that he refers to as if he doesn’t know how to play), mannerisms (varying his betting patterns regularly), or speech (talking about “gut feelings” and “streaks”
Walked With (amount)
An expression that refers to the amount of cheques a player took away from a game. It is usually, though not always, in reference to the player’s winnings.
Wash
Mixing the cards face-down prior to the regular shuffle. This is usually done when a fresh deck is put into play.
White (cheque)
A $1 cheque.
Wipe
A one-handed motion that removes cheques from the bottom of a stack.