We've attempted
to compile a list of the most commonly used casino and gaming
terms in this glossary. All the gambling terminology
and their respective meanings. In our A-Z Glossary
you will find the meaning of terms that is used at land based
and online casinos alike.
21:
Another name for the game, “Blackjack”
A
Action: The
total amount of money bet over a period of time.
Aggregate: Maximum total paid to all players
for a game (Keno)
All-in: To place ones remaining chips in a
pot (Poker)
American Wheel: A wheel with a 0 and a 100
Anchor: The right seat nearest to the dealer
(Last to be dealt) (Blackjack)
Ante: Contribution of each player, towards
the pot of the game (Poker)
Ante: A Players initial deposit in games such
as Three Stud Poker and Caribbean Stud
Any Craps: It is a bet, that the next roll
will come up 2, 3 or 12
Any Seven: It is a bet that the next roll will
come up 7
Arm: The lever which is attached to the right
side of the slot machine (commonly known as the “One armed
bandit”
Automatic Shuffler: These are the machines
which shuffle cards automatically
B
Backdoor: It
is a hand in Texas Hold’em which makes use of both of
the final 2 community cards (Poker)
Back hand: It is the five-card, high hand placed
closer to the dealer (Pai gow poker)
Back Line: The don’t pass line
Back the bet: Its to make a free odds bet (Craps)
Bad bet: It’s the process where one loses
with a strong hand, which was based on probability and should
have won
Bank: A row of slot machines
Bank: It is the person who covers all the casino’s
bets
Bank hand: The second of 2 hands dealt, having
a lower house edge than the player hand
Bankroll: Its all the money the player uses
for betting
Bar: This is when one refuses to give service
to a player
Basic Strategy: It’s a basic strategy,
based on an expected value, that minimizes the house edge
Bet against the dice: A bet that the shooter
will lose (Craps)
Bet blind: To place a bet, without seeing the
cards (Poker)
Bet with the dice: It is a bet that the shooter
will win (Craps)
Biased wheel: This is a wheel which favors
a certain section of numbers, due to manufacturing faults (Roulette)
Big 6 or Big 8: It’s a bet that a 6 or
an 8 will be rolled before a 7 (Craps)
Blackjack: A hand that totals 21 on the players
first two cards
Blank: It’s the ticket with the numbers
1-80, used to be marked the numbers to be played (Keno)
Blind: A required bet in poker which is made
before any cards are dealt
Bluff: This is when one raises with an substandard
hand, hoping that the other players will be fooled into folding
superior hands
Board: This is the electronic display of the
game in action (Keno)
Board: The community cards in a hold’em
game (Poker)
Bonus Poker: A jacks or Better variation in
Video Poker
Bookie: A person who runs an illegal book in
Sports betting
Boxcars: A roll of 12 in Craps
Boxman: This is the supervisor who sits in
the center, in front of the chips and between the two dealers
at a Craps game
Bring-in: A forced bet in stud games (Poker)
Brush: A poker room host
Burn card(s): A card(s) which is discarded
without being used in the play
Bust: To have an hand which exceeds 21
Button: This is a white disk which is placed
next to the dealer for purposes of order of play (Poker)
Buy bet: To bet on a point number that is paid
at true odds (Craps)
Buy in: This is the process of exchanging cash
for chips to play
C
C & E: A
one-roll bet that the next throw will be any craps (2,3,12 or
11)
Cage: The casino cashier window
Call: To match a bet made by another player
Caller: The dealer in Baccarat who announces
the results of the rolls
Cap: To make the last raise on a betting round
(Poker)
Cap: To secretly add chips to a winning bet
Card Counting: A technique of play intended
to increase the player’s advantage. This is usually don
by keeping track of cards already dealt (Blackjack)
Carousel: This is a bank of machines of the
same type, linked to a progressive jackpot
Cashback: A rebate on money played at the casino
Casino Advantage: The statistical advantage
the casino has on basically every wager
Casino Host: A casino employee who assists
players (Specially high rollers)
Casino Manager: The chief executive in charge
of the casino
Catch: This is to have the numbers selected
by a player in a Keno game, drawn during the game
Center Bets: The proposition bets in the center
of the Craps table that holds a large negative probability of
a player
Certified: This is a slot machine with a mark
that guarantees a certain percentage payback
Change Color: To trade in a certain group of
chips, for an other amount (Smaller chips or larger chips)
Change person: The employee at a casino which
changes cash for tokens (Slots)
Chasing: This is a type of system, in which
a person increases bets in order to recuperate previous losses
Check: Choosing not to bet, with the option
to call or raise later in the round
Check-raise: To check, then raise on the same
round of betting in poker
Checks: Casino chips
Chemin de fer: European kind of Baccarat
Chung: A plastic marker in Pai gow poker representing
the banker’s hand
Closing line: The final point spread in sports
betting
Cocked dice: This is when the dice of a Craps
table are thrown and land on their sides, against the table
Coin-in: The amount of money played through
a machine (Slots, video poker)
Cold: A piece of gambling equipment, which
players associate with losing
Column bet: This is a bet, that any number
in one of the three columns of 12 number will come up (Keno)
Combination ticket: A single ticket on which
the player has marked at least two groups of numbers which form
several combinations to allow more ways to play (Keno)
Come bet: A bet in Craps, made after the come-out-roll
Come-out roll: The initial roll at a Craps
table, which determines the point
Commission: A percentage of winning bets, which
are taken by the house
Community cards: Cards, which are, placed face
up in front of the dealer. These cards are part of all the players’
hands (Poker)
Comps: These are free rewards which one gains
after spending a certain amount at a casino
Copy: This is a term used when the player and
the banker at a Pai gow poker table have the same value in their
hands
Corner bet: A single wager on four numbers
at the same time. This is made by placing the chips in the “cross”
between the four numbers (roulette)
Countdown: This is a number on a card reader
indicating the number of coins necessary to earn a comp point
(Slots and video poker)
Covering the spread: A winning bet if, after
subtracting the point spread from the favorite’s score,
the team bet on has the higher score (Sports betting)
Crap out: This is when one throws a 2,3 or
a twelve on the come-out-roll in Craps
Craps: 2,3 and twelve
Crew: These are the casinos employees which
work at a Baccarat or Craps table
Croupier: This is a European term for the dealer
of a Baccarat or Roulette table
Cut card: This is a colored card used to cut
the deck of cards as well as to indicate the point at which
the dealer must reshuffle the cards
Cut the deck: To divide the deck in two, placing
the front cards behind
D
Deuce: A 2
in a deck of cards or the two spots on a die
Die: A six sided cube, with dots on each side,
representing the number 1 to 6
Dog: A player of team which is not favored
to win
Dollar: This is a chip worth $100
Don’t come bet: A bet made after the
come-out-roll (Craps)
Don’t pass bet: A bet that the shooter
in a Craps game will roll craps
Double Down: When a player doubles in Blackjack
his original wager and receives one more card
Double Exposure: This is a variation in Blackjack
where both dealer’s cards are face-up
Double odds: An odds bet equal to twice the
original come/don’t come or pass/don’t pass bet
(Craps)
Draw: To have an extra card to dealt to a players
hand
Drawing hand: A practical hand which needs
cards to improve it (Poker)
Drop: The total amount of money wagered at
a table
Drop box: A box below the slot of a table,
into which money of players is dropped
Duplicate ticket: Found in Keno. This is a
casino-produced copy of a player’s ticket, returned to
the player, after the player has placed his/her bet (Keno)
E
Early surrender:
An option which allows the player to give up half the bet, whether
or not the dealer has 21 (Blackjack)
Easy way: A roll of 4,6,8 or 10 made without
doubles in a game of craps
Edge: This is an mathematical benefit the casino
usually holds
En Prison: This is a different option included
in European Roulette table. In this game, when the 0 comes up,
the bets are kept for the next spin
European wheel: this is a wheel with 37 pockets
and does not include an 00 pocket
Even money: This is offered to Blackjack players
when the dealer’s upper card is an ace
Expectation: The percentage of money a player
can expect to win or lose
Eye in the sky: These are the surveillance cameras, situated
on the casino’s ceiling
F
Face card:
This is a King, queen or jack
Favorite: The team favored to win in sports
betting
Field bet: A bet in Craps that the next roll
will be a 2.3.4.9.10,11 or 12
Fifth street: The round of betting in Poker,
after the fifth card has been dealt
First base: The first player to the left of
the dealer which is the first to be dealt cards
Fixed limit: A betting structure in Poker,
where a maximum amount is allowed during each round of betting
Flat top: A slot machine which has a fixed
non-progressive amount as its top payoff
Floorperson: A pit supervisor which reports
to the pit superior
Flop: The first three community cards in a
Poker game, faced up in front of the dealer
Flush: This is found in Poker. Five cards of
the same suit
Fold: To drop out of play (Poker)
Form: This is a horse’s previous performance,
analyzed by handicappers (Sports betting)
Foul: A hand which is disqualified
Four-flush: It is when a player has four cards
of the same suit in Poker. One would need one more card of the
same suit to make a flush
Fourth street: A round of betting after fourth
card is dealt in poker
Free odds: After a point is reached, players
could decide to back their pass, don’t pass, come or don’t
come wagers, paid at true odds (Craps)
French wheel: See “European wheel”
Front hand: The two-card, second highest, which
is closest to dealer (Pai gow poker)
Full house: Hand consisting of three cards
of same rank and a pair (Poker)
Full odds: Maximum amount of free odds allowed
(Craps)
Full-pay: The highest-paying form of video
poker, also called 9/6 machines
Futures bet: A bet taken out on a sport event
that will take place in the future e.g. Super Bowl
G
Gambler’s fallacy:
A invalid assumption that events in the short term will mimic
long-term expectations
Gambler’s ruin: The concept of going
broke in a casino
Ghosts: A blank stop on a reel (Slots)
Greens: Chips worth $25 known as “quarters”
Grifter: A con-artist
Grind: How the casino causes players to lose
all their money
H
Hand-held:
Blackjack games dealt out by the dealer’s hand face-down
Handicapper: A better who studies data, usually
sport betting, to predict results
Handle: See “action”
Hard hand: Any hand in Blackjack which does
not contain an ace that has the value of 1
Hardway: A roll of 4,6,8 or 10 made doubles
(Craps)
Heads up: A pot made by only two players
Head-to-head: One-on-one with dealer
High hand: See “Backhand”
High-low split: It is where the pot is split
between the player with the winning high hand and the player
with a low hand
High roller: Big bettor
Hi-lo system: Basic card-counting system for
Blackjack
Hit: Drawing a card (Blackjack)
Hit frequency: The percentage of time slot
machine give payouts
Hold: The net win a casino realizes
Hole card: A player card dealt face down
Hop bet: A bet that the next roll will result
in a certain combination of the dice (Such as 2-2 or 3-5)
Hopper: The vessel under a slot machine that
holds coins
Horn bet: A bet in Craps, that the next roll
will be a 2,3,11 or 12 (the wager is made in multiples of four,
with one unit on each number
Horn high bet: A bet in craps, made of multiples
of five, with one unit on three of the horn numbers and two
on the high roller numbers
House: The casino
House edge: The mathematical benefit, the casino
has on most bets.
House odds: A certain proportion signifying
the connection between an amount won and the amount wagered
House ways: The casino’s regulations,
governing the setting of the banker’s hand
I
Inside: Bets
made in Roulette on the individual numbers, closest to the dealer
Inside straight: A potential hand in Poker,
which can be changed into a straight, by drawing an extra card
of a certain rank
Insurance: A side bet in Blackjack that the
dealer has “Blackjack” when showing his ace
J
Jokers Wild: This
is found in a Video poker game. It is a variation on Jacks or
Better, where there is a wild joker in the deck
Juice: The book’s profit in sports betting
Junket: A trip paid for by the casino for special
members
K
Keno runner: This
is an employee of the casino, who walks throughout the casino
providing Keno tickets for players, then placing bets for them
Keno writer: This is an employee of the casino who registers
the wagers and tickets of the players
Kicker: An unpaired card in Poker, which is
held in conjunction with one or more pairs
King: A single number marked on a Keno ticket,
played in conjunction with other groups of numbers on the same
ticket
L
Ladder man:
The casino supervisor in Baccarat who supervises the game from
a high chair
Lammers: These are the plastic markers signifying
the value of the players Roulette chips
Late surrender: An option in Blackjack which
allows the player to forfeit half of his bet, after the dealer
checks for “Blackjack”
Law of large numbers: This is a probability theory which states
that over a certain period of time, the observed outcome of
an event will conform to the expected outcome for that event
Lay bet: A bet in Craps that the shooter’s
point number won’t be rolled before a 7
Le grand naturel: A two-card total in Baccarat
of 9. This is the best hand
Le petit naturel: A two-card total in Baccarat
of 8. This is the second best hand
Line: This is the point spread in sports betting
Line bet: This is a bet in either the pass or don’t pass
line. This bet is required in order to throw the dice
Line bet: This is a six-number bet, covering
two bordering rows of numbers
Linemaker: A person in sports betting which
sets odds and point spreads
Long shot: A team in sports betting, which
is unlikely to win
Loose machine: This is a Slot machine which
has been programmed with a hit frequency
Low hand: The two-card, second highest, which
is closest to the dealer (Pai gow poker)
Low poker: A game of Poker, in which the lowest
hand is the best
M
Make the point:
This is to roll the point number, that was determined by the
come-out-roll
Marker: An display of credit, established at
a casino
Matchplay: These are special promotional chips,
which are given to players to bet along with their regular chips
Middle: A pair of bets in sports betting, on
opposing teams using two lines which fluctuate by at least 1.5
points
Money line: A bet in sports betting, on which
team will win
Muck: A pile of burnt cards in Poker as well
as folded hands in front of the dealer
N
Natural: A
perfect hand in the following games: Blackjack, Baccarat and
Craps
Negative progression: this is any betting system
where the player increases bets after a loss
Nickels: Chips worth $5
No-limit: A variation in Poker where each player
may wager up to the quantity of chips he currently has on the
table
Number: Point spread in sports betting
Nuts: The top hand given the board in Poker
O
Oddsmaker:
A person in sports betting which sets odds and point spreads
Odds off: Odds bets in Craps, which are currently
not in play
One-armed bandits: Slot machines
On tilt: Playing irresponsibly, to recuperate
losses
Open: To make the first bet in Poker
Opening line: The opening line in sports betting
is the first point spreads released for a certain group of games
Outside: these are bets, which are made in
Roulette. These bets are made furthest from the dealer
Over-under: A bet in sports betting, this involves
a bet on whether the combined points scored by both teams will
be more of less than the posted number
P
Pack: This
is the full amount of cards in a deck
Paint: A face card
Pair plus: A separate, non-competitive bet
in Three Card Poker
Pari-mutuel: This is a betting system in sports
betting, in which each bet the players make, effect the odds
and the house takes a percentage of all the bets, before winners
are paid
Parlay: To increase a bet after a win
Parlay card: A bet in sports betting. This
bet is on a group of games that win, only if all events picked
up
Pass bet: A bet in Craps that the shooter will
roll a 7 or an 11 on the come-out-roll
Pat hand: A hand of cards which doesn’t
require any additional cards
Payline: These are the columns in the Slot
machine, which line up the symbols
Payoff: This is the player’s expectation
as percentage for a machine, such as Slots Roulette
Pay table: This is the display of payout for
each winning, which is listed on a Video poker machine
Penalty card: This is a discard that can affect
the predictable value of the cards detained
Penetration: A measure in Blackjack, of how
far the dealer will go into the pack, before reshuffling the
cards
Penny ante: A small stakes Poker game
Perfect play: This is a system in which a player
plays each hand according to computerized strategies (Video
Poker)
Pick: A bet in which neither team is a favorite
(Sport betting)
Pinch: To remove chips from a losing wager
Pip: The spot on a die
Pit: A group of gambling tables
Pit boss: This is a casino employee, which
is in charge of the pit
Place bet (to lose): A bet in Craps, that a 7 will be rolled
before a certain number placed comes up
Place bet (to win): A bet in Craps that a certain number placed
will be rolled before a 7 comes up
Play: This is the second required bet in Three
Card Poker to play out the hand
Player hand: The first of two hands dealt in
Baccarat
Player’s edge: This is a benefit the
players receives from an expectation game
Play the board: This is when one only uses
the community cards in Poker to make a hand
Pocket: A Poker player’s individual cards
Pocket: The slot in the Roulette wheel in which
the ball falls
Point: A number rolled on the come-out-roll
(Craps) (4,5,6,8,9 or 10)
Point box: This is one of the six numbered
boxes above the come line which is on an Craps table
Point spread: This is the quantity of points
in sports betting which must be added to the underdog’s
score or subtracted from the favorite’s score prior to
the bets on the game are determined
Pot: This is the total amount of money in a
Poker game which is at stake
Pot limit: This is the distinction where each
Poker player may wager up to the amount in the pot
Pot odds: A proportion of the total in the
pot, to the quantity which must be placed in it to continue
playing
Preferential shuffling: This is a Blackjack
system, which is used to outwit card-counters.
Press: To include winnings in the next bet
Progressive jackpot: A constant growing amount
of money that is to be one at machines. (Slots and Video Poker)
Proposition bet: whichever of the sucker bets
in the center of the craps layout
Proposition players: These are players which
are self-funded and who are employed by the casino
Props: Unique proposition bets, developed around
particular events (Sports betting)
Puck: This is a black and white button on a
craps table, which is used to indicate the current point
Push: A tie
Put bet: A bet in a Craps game, made on the
pas line subsequent to the come-out-roll
Q
Quads: Four
of a kind
Qualify: A condition, which the dealer’s
hand must convene a minimum rank in order for the round to prolong
R
Raise: To enhance
the amount of a earlier bet (Poker)
Rake: The commission in a Poker game, which
is charged by the room on each pot
Rank: A card’s numerical value
Rating: The casino’s estimation of a
players action
Reds: $5 chips
Reels: These are the metal strips inside the
Slot machine which spin, when the arm is pulled
Represent: To play a Poker game, as if holding
a certain hand
Reraise: To make an supplementary raise in
the exact same round of betting
RFB: This is the abbreviation for room, food
and beverage
Rich deck: A blackjack deck, whose left over
card are favorable to remaining players
Ring game: A regular Poker game
River: The fifth and final community card in
a Poker game
RNG: This is the random number generator in
computerized machines
Royal flush: An ace-high straight flush in
Poker
S
Sandbaggin:
To check and then raise in the same round of betting in Poker
Scared money: Money a player cannot afford
to lose
Seven out: A Craps shooter’s loss caused
by a rolling 7, before making a point
Shill: A casino employee, playing with the
houses money
Shoe: A plastic box, which holds about 8 decks
of cards
Shoe games: These are games dealt face-up from
a shoe
Shooter: The Craps players who throws the dice
Short odds: Less than true odds
Short-play: Video Poker machines which pay
less than others of the same variation
Showdown: The completion of a Poker hand where
a winner is announced
Shuffle up: A frequency used to foil Blackjack
card counter (Continuous shuffling of cards)
Side bet: Secondary bet, made in accumulation
to the initial bet
Side pot: A second Poker pot which is formed
after a player goes all-in
Single odds: Odds bets allowed only up to the
value of the original pass/don’t pass
Slot club: This is a program, which is available
to Slot and Video Poker player. It provides them with comps
and cashbacks
Snake eyes: A roll in Craps which totals 2
Snapper: This is a slang term used for “Blackjack”
Soft hand: And Blackjack hand which contains
an ace which can be viewed as an 11
Split: This is when one divides a hand into
two, by putting down an extra bet
Split pot: A poker pot, which is shared by
two or more players
Sports book: An read inside the casino for
sports and race betting
Spot: A number marketed on a ticket that the
player is trying to grab
Spread limit: This is a betting structure in
Poker in which players mat bet any amount within a certain range
Stand: To refuse any further cards in Blackjack
Standardbred: A strong horse bred for racing
(Sports betting)
Standard deviation: A probability term describing
the amount of deviation in a forecast
Stick: The tool used to move the dice on the
Craps table
Stickman: The Craps dealer who announces the
number rolled
Stiff: A hard hand in Blackjack (12 to 16)
which is not likely to win, apart from the players decision
Stops: The reel’s symbols in the Slot
machine
Straight: Five cards in a sequence (Poker)
Straight flush: Five cards of the same suit,
in sequence
Straight ticket: The simplest group of numbers
which are selected in the Keno ticket
Street: The bet which is placed on a set of
three numbers on the Roulette table
String rise: A raise made in Poker. The player places some chips
in the pot in two waves
Sulky: A two-wheeled cart used in harness racing
Surrender: A very rare option available in
Blackjack, which allows a player to give up half the bet, before
drawing any cards
T
Table stakes:
A Poker rule, which prevents a player from going to his pocket
for more money, during a hand
Take down: This is when a bet is removed from a Craps table,
before the next roll of the dice
Taking time: A Poker player’s request to hold the play,
while deciding on a course of action
Teaser: Parlays in which the player is permitted
to regulate the line by adding or subtracting a certain number
of points from a point spread
Tell: A signal from a dealer, in which he gives
information about the value of a hand
Third base: The seat on the dealer right hand
side (Blackjack)
Thoroughbred: A horse which is bred for racing
and for endurance (Sports betting)
Throwing numbers: This is when a player makes
points in a Craps game, without sevening out
Tight machine: This is a Slot machine which
has been programmed with a low payout ratio
Time: this is when a Poker player requests
some time to think about the action he/she is about to undertake
Toke: A tip
Total return: Expected return for the whole
game, when played perfectly over the long run
Tote board: A computerized display providing
information about previous winning numbers at a Roulette game
Tout: A person who sells tips for upcoming
races (Sports betting)
Triple play: A variation in Poker, where the
original hand becomes three separate ones
Trips: Three of a kind in Poker
True odds: The mathematical probability of
any given event actually happening
Turn: The fourth community card in Poker
U
Underdog: The
team in sports betting which is not favored to win
Upcard: The dealer’s card which is not
face-up
V
Variability:
This is a short-term deviation from the expected outcome for
a given event
Variance: The measuring of the highs and lows
of a bankroll
Vigorish: This is a term which is used to describe
commissions which are taken by the house
Volatility: The short-term fluctuations in
payback
W
Wash: One bet,
which cancels out another
Way: A set of numbers which are played on a
Keno ticket
Whale: An extremely high roller
Wheel: This is the term which the casino uses
for Roulette
Working: Any bet which is currently in action
but which is not yet complete (Craps).
