Online Casino Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Action - The money wagered by a player during an entire gambling session.
Active Player - A poker term for a player who is still in the game.
Add-on - In poker, the possibility to buy additional chips during a tournament.
Aggregate Limit - A casino's total payout limit during a single game.
Aggregate Winnings - Total winnings.
All or Nothing - In Keno, a ticket which only pays when either all of the selected numbers are drawn or none of the selected numbers are drawn.
Anchor Man - In Blackjack, the player wagering on the last box on the table is said to be "anchoring" the game.
Ante - In card games, a bet required to start a hand. The initial compulsory bet prior to receiving your cards in Caribbean Stud Poker.
Any Craps - One-roll dice bet covering 2, 3, and 12.
Any Seven - One-roll dice bet covering any 7.
Arm - In Craps, a player with such skill at throwing the dice that he or she can alter the game's conventional odds. A player like this is said to be 'an arm,' and is usually not appreciated by the dealer.
Audition - An examination a dealer must pass before a casino hires him or her.
Baccarat - A table game utilizing 6 or 8 decks of cards which does not require any skill. Akin to the skill game Chemin de Fer. Sometimes called Punto Banco.
Back Line - In Craps, the equivalent of Don't Pass Line.
Bag - British casino term for "thousand.' Three bag, as an example, is three thousand.
Banker - The dealer in a card game.
Bank Roll - Also known as Roll, this refers to the total cash that a player (or the casino) has in order to support the wagers they make.
Bar the 12 - In Craps, this transforms the 12 into a Push on the Don't Pass Line.
Barred - Same as Banned. A player is no longer permitted into the casino.
Base - The area on a Craps table where most of the wagers are placed.
Base Dealer - Craps dealer responsible for one of the Bases.
Basic Strategy - The correct way to play Blackjack according to statistics.
Bet - Wager.
Betting Limits - The minimum & maximum amounts of cash which a player can place on one bet. Different games and different casinos commonly have different betting limits.
Betting Right - A Craps term meaning 'betting with the shooter.'
Betting Wrong - A Craps term meaning 'betting against the shooter.'
Bingo - A prize game whereby contestants purchase cards with numbers on them in a 5x5 grid corresponding to the letters in the word BINGO. Numbers are chosen at random, and the first player to complete the word BINGO in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line wins.
Black Book - A list of players forbidden to enter any casino in Nevada.
Blackjack - A card game whereby participants play against the dealer and try to get as close to twenty-one as possible, but without going over. Also, Blackjack is a hand in which the first two cards total precisely 21.
Blind Bet - In poker, a wager made without the player actually seeing any of his/her cards.
Blinds - A forced bet in Texas Holdem Poker.
Boxing - In horse racing, a single ticket comprising more than one parlay.
Book - To accept a wager.
Box - In Craps, the area of the Craps table which the Boxman controls.
Boxman - In Craps, the casino staff member in charge of the Craps table.
Break - In Blackjack, to go over 21.
Break Even Point - Theoretical gambling term signaling the point at which, if you played forever, your wagers and payoffs would equal each other.
Buck - A $100 bet.
Bug - A joker.
Bump - Same as to raise.
Burn Cards - Undealt cards put in the discard tray after the dealer has shuffled & cut the deck.
Bust - Blackjack term meaning to exceed 21. The same as Break.
Buy In - To purchase chips. To exchange cash for chips. Also, the amount of money used to purchase chips at table games.
Call - In Poker, to match the current wager.
Call Bet - Any bet made verbally.
Camouflage - Anything a gambler does to hide his or her actions from the casino.
Capping - Placing extra chips on a bet after dealing has started. Illegal, and a serious type of player cheating.
Card Shark - A term for an expert card player.
Caribbean Stud Poker - A form of 5-card poker in which players compete against the house.
Carousel - A group of slot machines organized in a circle, with a change person situated in the middle to exchange cash into coins for the players.
Carpet Joint - Slang expression for a luxury casino.
Case Money - Emergency cash.
Cashier's Cage - A casino's cash desk where the cashier exchanges players' chips for cash when a gambling session has been completed.
Casino Advantage - The edge (statistical or otherwise) that a casino has over gamblers.
Casino Rate - A discounted hotel room cost sometimes offered to customers by a casino.
Catch - In Keno, when a number you have chosen is drawn.
Change Color - To exchange any one-color denomination chip for another color chip.
Chase - To place another wager with the hope of regaining money originally lost.
Check - In a casino, another word for Chip. In Poker, to stay in the game without placing a bet.
Chemin De Fer - A table game utilizing 6 or 8 card decks, similar to Baccarat though requiring skill.
Chips - Round plastic discs representing various denominations of money.
Chip Tray - The tray near to the dealer which holds the table's chips.
Coat Tail - To bet the same numbers as someone who is currently winning.
Cold - To be Cold is to be experiencing a losing streak.
Color Up - To trade smaller-denomination chips for bigger denomination chips. Also known as to Color Out.
Combination Way Ticket - A Keno term for a ticket betting groups of numbers in different ways, providing the player with a wider range of winning combinations.
Comps - Complimentary gifts given by casinos to players to encourage them to gamble. In land-based casinos this typically includes food & beverages. Online casinos provide cash-valued points.
Come Bet - In Craps, a wager placed on the Come Line.
Come Line - In Craps, place on the table where a Come Bet is placed.
Come Out Roll - In Craps, a shooter's first roll in any given round. Establishes the Point.
Copy - A Push in Pai Gow Poker, where the player and banker have the same two-card or five-card hand. Unlike a Push, however, the house wins in the event of a copy.
Counting Cards - Memorizing played cards in a game of Blackjack in order to have an advantage against the dealer on the remaining cards not played.
Cracking The Nut - Winning enough cash on a gambling trip to cover all the expenses plus bring home a little profit.
Craps - A casino game played using dice.
Craps Out - A Craps term for a roll of 2, 3, or 12 on the Come Out Roll.
Credit - In slot & video machines, the button permitting players to play coins in the form of credits.
Crew - In Craps, the dealers assigned to a game or table.
Crossroader - One who cheats. Slang.
Croupier - Alternate word for Dealer, used in Baccarat & Roulette.
Cut - To divide a card deck into 2 parts.
Cut Card - A faceless plastic card used for cutting a deck of cards.
D'Alenbert System - A scoring plan in which one unit is added for a losing bet & one subtracted for a winning bet.
Deal - To distribute the cards in a card game.
Dealer - Casino staff member who deals. Sometimes called the Banker.
Deuce - A 2 in dice.
Dice - 2 identical numbered cubes.
Die - Singular form of dice.
Dime - A $10-valued chip.
Dime Bet - A $1000 bet.
Discard Tray - A tray near the dealer for cards played or discarded.
Dollar Bet - A $100 bet.
Don't Come Bet - In Craps, equal to a Don't Pass Bet, but that it is placed after the initial Come Out Roll.
Don't Come Line - In Craps, the place on the table where a Don't Come Bet is placed.
Don't Pass Bet - In Craps, a wager placed before the initial Come Out Roll, betting that a 7 will be rolled before the Point is repeated.
Don't Pass Line - In Craps, the area on the table where a Don't Pass Bet is placed.
Double Down - A Blackjack betting option permitting a player to receive one card, and only one card, to try and beat the dealer. Should the player's hand beats the dealer's, the player wins double his original bet.
Double Up - Gambling strategy whereby the player doubles his bet after a loss in order to try to win back his/her money. Also sometimes called the Martingale System.
Down Card - A card with its face down.
Down to the Felt - Out of cash, broke. Slang.
Draw - To draw a card for completing a hand. Typically used in Poker games.
Drop - Money lost during gambling.
Drop Box - On a table, the box used as a sort of safe for money, chips and markers.
Edge - An advantage. Usually used to indicate an advantage a casino has over a player.
En Prison - In Roulette, the money remaining on the table in some casinos following a 1 to 1 bet when a zero or double zero appears. A form of bonus.
Even Money Bet - A bet having 1 to 1 odds. The payoff amount matches the wager.
Expected Win Rate - In slot machines, the percentage of all money wagered which a player can reasonably expect to win back with time.
Eyes in the Sky - Overhead surveillance video camera a casinos.
Face Cards - The King, Queen & Jack in any suit of cards.
Fifth Street - In 7-card stud poker, the 3rd round of betting. Termed Fifth Street because players have five cards.
Fill - In Poker, to draw a card that makes a 5-card hand.
Fill Up - In Poker, to attain a Full House.
Firing - Wagering a large amount of money.
First Base - In Blackjack, the seat nearest to the shoe, which is dealt to first.
Flat Betting - A betting strategy whereby the same amount is always bet, without raising or lowering the amount.
Flat Top - A fixed-jackpot slot machine. The opposite to a Progressive.
Float - The bank at the table.
Floorman - A casino manager.
Flop - In certain forms of Poker, including Texas HoldEm Poker, the first three cards which are dealt all at once, face up.
Foul - In Pai Gow Poker, when the 2-card hand is greater than the 5-card hand, or when the hands contain the wrong number of cards. Result equals automatic loss.
Fourth Street - In seven-card stud poker, the second round of wagering. Called Fourth Street because players hold four cards.
Front Line - In Craps, the same as a Pass Line.
Front Money - Deposit made with the casino to establish a player's credit.
George - A gambler who is a good tipper.
Grease - To bribe. Slang.
Gross Winnings - Total payout, including the original bet. Opposite to Net Winnings.
Hand - The cards a gambler is holding.
Hard Count - Counting real money, as opposed to chips.
Hard Hand - In Blackjack, any hand that doesn't contain an ace valuing 11.
Hard Way Bet - In Craps, a wager that attempts to predict the total of both dice on doubles.
High Poker - Standard poker. Poker where high hands win. Opposite of Low Poker.
High Roller - A player betting large sums of money.
Hit - To take another card.
Hold Your Own - To break even. Not winning nor losing.
Hole Card - In Blackjack, the card the dealer gets face down. Any cards dealt face down.
Horn Bet - In Craps, a one-roll wager combining 2, 3, 11, and 12.
Hot - To be hot is to be having a winning streak.
House - Same as casino, dealer, or banker.
House Edge - A casino's inherent advantage over players.
Inside Bet - In Roulette, a wager placed on the inside of the table: on a single number or combination of numbers.
Insurance - In Blackjack, a side bet that the dealer has a Natural (a 2-card hand totaling 21.) Offered only when a dealer's face-up card is an ace.
Jackpot - In slot machines, a large win.
Jacks or Better - In Poker, a winning hand having a pair of Jacks or higher.
Joker - A Wild Card, or the fifty-third card in a deck.
Juice - The commission received by the casino. Also called Vigorish.
Kicker - In Draw Poker, an odd high card which doesn't contribute to a Straight or a Flush.
Laying the Odds - Betting on a probable winner in spite of a payoff less than the amount wagered. Common in sports wagering where there's a clear favorite. The opposite of Taking the Odds.
Layout - The surface on a gambling table including the areas where players place bets.
Let It Ride - To increase a wager by two. To Press.
Load Up - To play the maximum number of coins in slot machines or video poker.
Long Run - Theoretical term describing the ultimate balancing-out of wins and losses over a long period of time.
Loose - Slot machines with high payoffs. Slang.
Low Poker - A form of poker whereby the lowest hand wins. Also known as Lowball. Opposite of High Poker.
Lumpy - A dealer whose dealing is not smooth.
Marker - A check written at a table by a gambler with established credit at the casino. View 'Front Money.'
Martingale System - Betting system where a player doubles up after a loss.
Match Play - Gambling system used in competitive play (usually tournaments) where players compete against one another until one participant reaches a fixed number of points.
Mechanic - A dealer who is not honest.
Mini-Baccarat - A smaller form of Baccarat with fewer players & dealers.
Money - A term referring to $500. Used on occasion.
Money Put In Action - Term for all money played during a playing session, including winnings after each game or round. Not used to indicate just the money first wagered.
Monkey - Term occasionally used for a card having a value of 10.
Natural - In Blackjack, a 2-card hand totaling 21.
Negative Expectation - Theoretical term meaning an predicted gambling loss over a long period of time. See House Edge.
Net Winnings - Total winnings, less a player's original wager. Opposite to Gross Winnings.
Nickel - A chip worth $5.
Non-Negotiable Chip - A promotional chip that can't be exchanged for cash.
Non-Value Chip - A chip with a value determined by the Buy In amount, as opposed to a fixed-value chip.
Number Pool - The whole range of numbers offered in a game like Keno.
Nut - The amount of money a player sets out to win before quitting.
Odds - The amount a wager pays off. For example, 10 to 1, 3 to 1, 30 to 1, etc.
Off - Term used for losing wagers.
Off-Track Betting - Betting by gamblers not in fact present at a race track.
On Tilt - Negative reaction to a losing poker hand, results in poor judgment.
One-Roll Bet - In Craps, a bet that will win or lose depending on a single roll of the dice.
Open - In Poker, the first player to wager.
Outside Bet - In Roulette, a bet placed on the outside of the table where 12 or 18 numbers are bet on at a time. Opposite to Inside Bet.
Overlay - A bet where the gambler enjoys an advantage over the casino.
Paint - Same as a Face Card. A King, Queen, or Jack of any suit.
Palette - Tool typically used by a Baccarat dealer to move cards on the table.
Pass - To not wager. To fold.
Pass Line - In Craps, the place on the table where a Pass Line Bet is placed.
Pass Line Bet - In Craps, a wager placed before the Come Out Roll which the Point will repeat.
Pat - In Draw Poker, a hand that does not require any more cards. In Blackjack, a hand worth a minimum of 17 points but no more than 21.
Payline - The line on a slot machine where symbols must line up.
Payoff - The return paid on a winning wager.
Payoff Odds - The odds accorded to different wagers in casinos, with different payoff values.
Payout Percentage - The percent of every dollar played in a slot machine or video poker which is programmed to be returned to the player.
Payout Table - A posting that indicates to a player what a winning hand will pay.
Pigeon - A naive player. Slang.
Pit - An area in a casino where table games are arranged around a central area that is reserved for dealers and casino staff.
Pit Boss - A casino employee who oversees the Pit as a supervisor of the whole area.
Pit Manager - Slightly different from a Pit Boss. A Pit Manager handles all problems and enforces casino policy.
Player - Someone who gambles in a casino.
Playing the Rush - A term for a poker player who's won a lot of money in a little amount of time.
Plug - A card shuffling technique regularly used in Blackjack.
Pocket Cards - In Poker, cards dealt face down.
Poker - A card game with many variations whereby players attempt to arrange a winning hand according to each individual game's rules.
Point - in Craps, dice term for a number rolled on the Come-Out Roll if a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 are rolled. For a Pass Line Bet to win, the point must be repeated before the shooter rolls a 7.
Pot - In Poker, the amount of money that accumulates in the middle of the table. The pot goes to whoever wins the hand.
Press - To increase a wager by two. To Let It Ride.
Probability - A mathematical calculation establishing the likelihood that an event will happen.
Progression Betting - A type of betting whereby the size of the wager is changed according to a set formula.
Progressive - A slot machine with an increasing jackpot. Opposite of a Flat Top.
Proposition Bet - In Craps, a dice bet placed on various combinations.
Punch Board - Lottery-style game where players punch out a slot for a chance to win money or a prize.
Punter - Another term for Gambler.
Punto Banco - Same as Baccarat.
Push - A tie between a player & a dealer. Money is usually returned in the event of a push.
Quads - In Poker, another name for 4-of-a-kind.
Qualifier - In Poker, a hand's minimum rank in order to be a winner.
Quarter - Any chip worth $25.
Rack - A container for carrying chips and/or tokens in a casino.
Rake - A fee charged by the casino for each round of poker, generally calculated by percentage.
Rank - In Poker, a card-hand's value.
Rated - Term applied to high-skilled players.
RFB - Room, Food & Beverages. See Comps.
Riffling - A common shuffling process whereby the dealer intermixes two halves of a deck of cards.
Right Bettor - In Craps, a person wagering on the Pass Line.
River - In Poker, the name of the final card dealt in a hand.
Round - One cycle of a game and all the bets that are placed during that cycle. Each round varies depending on the game. In Roulette, a round is a single spin of the wheel. In Poker, a round includes everything from the time initial wagers are placed to when a winner's been determined.
RVP - Recreational Vehicle Parking.
Sawdust Joint - A non-luxurious gambling environment. Opposite of Carpet Joint. Slang.
Sawbuck - 10 dollars.
Scared Money - Money a player cannot afford to lose. Slang.
Session - A period of gambling.
Set - In Pai Gow Poker, the splitting of a 7-card hand into two hands of five & two.
Seven-Out - In Craps, rolling a 7 when the Point has been set.
Seventh Street - In 7-card stud poker, the fifth (and final) round of betting. Referred to as Seventh Street because players have 7 cards.
Shark - Someone who cheats, or an very skilled card player. Slang.
Shill - A person employed by the casino to begin a game, or to fill empty chairs at a table.
Shiner - A mirror or similar reflecting object for illegally viewing hidden cards.
Shoe - A wooden box which holds and dispenses cards at a table.
Shooter - In Craps, the player who rolls the dice.
Short Run - A short series of wagers or events in any game.
Showdown - In Poker, the term for the end of a game when players reveal their cards to determine the winner.
Shuffle Tracking - An illegal type of observation used mainly in Blackjack. See Counting Cards.
Shuffle Up - Premature shuffling.
Shuffling - Mixing cards to ensure fairness. The term encompasses many shuffling techniques.
Shutter - In Bingo, the name of the flap on a Bingo card used to mark each number as it's called.
Silver Mining - Searching for coins remaining in slot machines.
Single - A simple wager placed on just one event or selection. Also known as a Straight Bet.
Singleton - In Poker, a card which is the only one of its rank.
Sixth Street - In 7-card stud, the 4th betting round. Called Sixth Street because players each possess six cards.
Skin - A dollar.
Skin Game - In Poker, a game having more than one cheater.
Skinning the Hand - Technique utilized by cheaters in Poker to unload extra cards.
Skoon - A dollar.
Slot Club Member - A frequent gambler who's given a card to use on slot machines.
Snake Eyes - In Craps, a roll of the dice resulting in a total of two.
Soft Count - Counting the Drop Box's contents.
Soft Count Room - The room in which a Soft Count is administered.
Soft Hand - In Blackjack, any hand including an ace which is counted as eleven.
Spinner - A winning streak.
Spooking - Form of cheating whereby two players work together to cheat the casino. Usually used in Blackjack, one player tries to see the dealer's Hole Card & then secretly passes this information to his or her partner seated at the table.
Spot - A number from 1 to 80 which a player selects on a Keno ticket. It also refers to the amount of numbers which are marked on a ticket.
Stack - A stack of chips, generally 20 chips in a column regularly used in Roulette.
Stand - To no longer accept any more cards. To Stay.
Standing Hand - In Blackjack, a hand with a total of 17 or more, but which may likely bust should the player hit once more. See Pat.
Stay - To refuse any additional cards. To Stand.
Steaming - A Blackjack synonym for On Tilt. A time of poor judgment by a player after a series of losses.
Stick Man - In Craps, the casino employee who calls the rolled numbers and controls the stick.
Stiff Hand - In Blackjack, a hand that is not Pat nor Standing. A hand totaling between 12 & 16, which could bust.
Straight Keno - Traditional Keno, played by marking numbers on a Keno ticket.
Streak Betting - Betting on a recent trend or streak. In streak betting, players increase their wagers as a result of what's going on in the game. Also called Progressive Betting.
Stripping - A card shuffling technique that reverses a deck's order, from the first card to the last.
Stud Poker - Type of Poker played with a combination of exposed cards & face down cards. Opposite of Draw Poker.
Suit - Any of the 4 types of cards in a deck: Clubs, Hearts, Spades or Diamonds.
Surrender - To give up a wager prior to a hand being finished.
System - A method of betting based on mathematics used in the hopes of getting an advantage.
TAB - Totalisator Agency Board, or off-track betting's regulating agency.
Table Hold - The sum total of all money won by a casino table game from all gamblers during an 8-hour session.
Table Stakes - In Poker, a limited amount of money available to a player for betting and raising: the cash on the table.
Table Test - A test a dealer must pass before being hired by a casino. See Audition.
Taking the Odds - Making a wager which is lower than the eventual payoff if the wager is successful. The opposite of Laying the Odds. Together, Taking the Odds & Laying the Odds constitute the two major forms of gambling.
Tapping Out - Losing it all, causing the player to stop playing.
Tell Play - Term associated with reading a dealer or player's body language or facial expressions to guess Hole Cards.
Third Base - In Blackjack, the seat which is played last, just before the dealer's hand is played.
Third Street - In 7-card stud, the 1st round of betting. Called Third Street because players have three cards.
Three-Card Monte - Popular 3-card game. Similar to Bragg.
Three of a Kind - In Poker, three cards with the same rank.
Ticket - A card.
Time Cut - Money charged for time played in a casino or poker room.
Tip - A gratuity.
Toke - Short for token. A tip given to the dealer in either money or chips.
Token - A casino coin used for playing slot machines.
Touch Wand - A device occasionally found on Video Keno machines to select numbers.
Tournament - A competition among gamblers for a set period of time, often with wide, varying rules.
Trips - 3 cards of the same rank.
True Odds - The actual odds of an event happening, taking into account a casino's edge.
Underlay - An unwise bet, or a wager whose likelihood of occurring doesn't correspond to the amount of money wagered on it.
Unit - Simplified gaming term denoting the smallest amount of money used in a bet. Using units eliminates the need to calculate actual dollar amounts in their various chip denominations.
Upcard - A dealer's exposed, or face up, card. Opposite of Hole Card.
Vigorish - A commission received by the casino. Also known as Vig or Juice.
VIP - Very Important Person. Generally a High Roller.
VLT - Video Lottery Terminal.
Wager - A bet.
Washing - A shuffling technique where the dealer spreads the cards on the table & mixes them in a style resembling washing. Afterwards, the dealer proceeds to shuffle the cards in a more traditional style.
Whale - Name given to an very high roller, somebody who wagers thousands of dollars on single bets.
White Meat - A term for profit. Slang.
Wild Card - A card which can be used to complete a hand in card games. Usually a joker.
Wired Cards - In poker, a Pair, Triples, or 4-of-a-Kind dealt back-to-back in one hand.
Working - In Craps, a term used for signalling that bets are in play.
World Bet - In Craps, a one-roll wager on the Horn, including the seven.
Wrong Bettor - In Craps, a gambler betting on the Don't Pass Line.
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