Casino Terms Dictionary
The complete list of Casino Terms, Poker glossary, and Slots Glossary – Heps you become a poker player and a better slots player. A – Casino Terms Action: The amount of money wagered. In poker, the action is the placing of money into the pot or pool to be played. CASINO GLOSSARY COMMON CASINO TERMS EXPLAINED. Those new to the world of online gaming may be coming across industry-related terms they’ve not seen before. It’s kind of like a foreign language but not too difficult to learn, especially when you’ve got Casino Bloke, a pal that speaks it fluently.
COMMON CASINO TERMS EXPLAINED
Those new to the world of online gaming may be coming across industry-related terms they’ve not seen before. It’s kind of like a foreign language but not too difficult to learn, especially when you’ve got Casino Bloke, a pal that speaks it fluently.
Visiting online casino scene for the very first time can make one feel as if they have entered a foreign country. Wherever they turn, there will be familiar words which in this universe clearly have a different meaning or expressions that are never, ever used in everyday life. Being bombarded by terms such as ante, craps, flop, house edge, RTP and payline without understanding what any of them mean may be intimidating.
Don’t run away, though! Even seasoned players have felt lost and confused to start with, and look them now! We have compiled a glossary of common casino terms to help you learn the basics of this weird and wonderful language before you go out and continue learning on your own.
To avoid creating further confusion, explanations are kept short and written in plain language – hopefully fully understandable even to those with zero casino experience. If you find yourself baffled by some other expressions not included in this list, let Casino Bloke know and he will make sure to add it to his casino glossary asap (as soon as possible).
More* A to F . G to Q . R to Z
A
Action - The amount of money wagered (put into action) by a player during an entire playing session.
Active Player - In poker, one who is still in play.
Add-on - In poker, the facility to buy additional chips in tournaments.
Aggregate Limit - Total payout liability of a casino during any one game.
Aggregate Winnings - Cumulative or total winnings.
All-in (Also known as 'Going All-In') - In cardroom poker, to call with (to bet) all your chips. If another player bets more chips than you have in a No Limit game, you can go All-in and stake your total stack against an equivalent amount of your opponent's stack.
All or Nothing - In Keno, a ticket that only pays if either all picked numbers are drawn or none of the picked numbers are drawn.
Ante - In card games, a bet required to begin a hand. The initial compulsory bet before you receive your cards in Casino Stud Poker.
Arcade Casino - See 'Automat Club' below
Arm - A term used in the game of craps to denote a player who is so skilled at throwing the dice that they are able to alter the conventional odds of the game. Such a player is said to be 'an arm'. Whether or not such individuals actually exist or are simply the product of game legend is debatable. However, it is worth noting that the casino craps dealers are very adamant about the dice being thrown against the far wall of the table to ensure a completely random outcome.
Automat Club - Also known as Videomat Casino, Arcade Casino, Slot Hall, is a gambling hall that offers automatic games that do not require a casino operator. Examples: slot/video machines, electronic touch-bet roulette, electronic Derby horse racing, etc. They are normally open 24 hours or from 10am daily, entry is free, no registration required, the dress code is casual, and there is an in-house bar or snack bar.
B
Baccarat - Also called Punto Banco and Chemin De Fer (similar to Baccarat but requires skill). A table game using 6 or 8 decks of cards which does not require skill. See Baccarat on this site.
Banca Francesa - Literally means French Bank, is a dice game common in Portuguese casinos. The game is played with three dice on a large table. In a way it is similar to the card game Punto Banco or Baccarat. There are only three types of bets you can place: 'Big' or 'Small' or 'Aces'. Big is when the total points of the three dice is 14, 15 or 16. Small is when the total points of the three dice is 5, 6 or 7. Aces is when the total points of the three dice is 3 (one dot per dice). The dealer will be re-rolling the dice until one of these results shows up. Big and Small both pay even money while Aces pays 61 to 1.
Banker - In card games, the dealer. In some card games, each player becomes a banker/dealer in turn.
Bankroll - Also known as 'roll' or 'wad' (colloquial). It pertains to the total money that either the player or the casino has on hand to back their wagering activities. A player's bankroll can be classified as existing on several different levels. At the highest level it pertains to all money specifically set aside to support all gambling activities. A subset of this bankroll is the players traveling bankroll, or the amount of money carried along to support gambling on a particular trip. The traveling bankroll can be further divided into a specific lesser amounts for each day of the trip, or into even smaller amounts called table sitting or session playing stakes which predetermine how much will be risked during any given session or table sitting. These different types of bankrolls often figure into the overall money management strategy the player uses to keep control over their gambling cash activity.
Barred - Same as Banned. Not allowed to enter the casino premises permanently.
Beef - A dispute or claim involving a player and his bookmaker or a casino dealer. A dispute over the outcome of a bet. A problematic situation involving a bet.
Example of usage: In many casinos, putting paper currency on the pass line (craps game) indicates to the dealer that the cash is betting, and when the dice roll turning a losing outcome, you have got little recourse and are at the mercy of the person manning the box convincing him that you wanted to exchange the money into chips. If the dealer takes the bank note you dropped in front of you on the layout as a lost bet, but NOT on any of the other possible wagers, then you have a legitimate beef. The casino film recording can be reviewed but that does not immunize you for your failure to tell the dealer you want chips in exchange for your currency.
Beginners Luck - In gambling, new players often are on a winning streak when they start gambling. Also known as the 'Honeymoon Period'.
Bet - Wager.
Betting Limits - In a table game, the minimum and maximum amounts of money that a player can wager on one bet. You cannot wager less than the minimum or more than the maximum amount posted. Some casinos, in special cases, may extend the maximum limit at a table on request by the player.
Bingo - Bingo is a prize game played in halls. Basically, players buy cards with numbers on them in a 5 x 5 grid corresponding to the five letters in the word B-I-N-G-O. Numbers such as B-2 or 0-68 are then drawn at random (out of a possible 75 in American Bingo, and 90 in British and Australian Bingo) until one player completes a 'Bingo' line with five numbers in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal row on one of their cards and wins the prize. Bingo rules and payouts and play variations vary from place to place.
Black Book - The list of undesirable people who are forbidden to enter any casino in Nevada.
Blind Bet - In poker, a bet posted without the player sees any of his/her cards.
Blinds - A forced bet in Hold'em Poker.
Brit Brag - A 3-card poker game, with variations. Has many combinations and options open to the player.
Bonus - Money that could be given to you for free for various reasons such as when signing up to an online casino.
Boule (La Boule) - Originally referred to as the 'little game', Boule is basically a simplified version of Roulette, popular in French casinos. The game features a table and a wheel with only 9 numbers and 3 different colours on which you can bet. The wheel is spun and a small rubber ball bounces around the wheel before settling into one of the coloured holes to determine the outcome. The game is simple and fast.
Boxing - In horse racing, a single ticket comprised of more than one parlay.
Break-Even Point - The break-even point is the point at which if you played forever, the bets you made would approximately equal the payoffs you would receive.
Brick - A card that appears not to help a player's poker hand. A 'blank' in 7-card stud poker.
BritBrag - A poker game with a three-card hand played against the casino, also known as 3-card Casino Brag and 3-card Poker.
Buck - A $100 wager.
Bug - A joker.
Bump - To raise.
Burn Cards - Remove cards from the top of the deck, not to be dealt, and place them in the discard tray after a shuffle and cut.
Buy in, Buy-in - Converting cash into chips. The amount of cash used to purchase casino chips before entering a table game: blackjack, poker, craps, roulette, etc.
C
Call - In Poker, to call is to match the current bet.
Camouflage - Anything a skilled gambler does to conceal their activities from the casino. Camouflage can include mixing in playing and betting behavior that mimics typical gamblers, or using disguises, appearing to be drunk, or any number of other possible ploys intended to throw the casino's scrutiny off.
Capping - Referred to capping of bets. Placing extra chips on top of initial bet after the deal has begun. It is a serious form of cheating by a player.
Card Counting - Used in blackjack game. Recording (in memory) played cards (usually high cards) so as to establish a conditional probability advantage on the remaining cards against the dealer.
Card Sharp - A person who is an expert at cards.
Card Washing - A card shuffling technique where the dealer spreads the cards on the table face down and then proceeds to mix them around with his hands flat in a face-washing-like action before gathering them up and performing a more normal shuffle. Card washing is intended to remove any consistencies in the sequencing among the cards that new decks of cards have, or that were produced in play prior to the present shuffle. In standard table poker the cards are washed after every hand before they are subjected to a more conventional shuffling. In blackjack and baccarat, the the cards are washed when old decks are taken out of play and fresh new decks brought in to replace them.
Caribbean Stud Poker - Also called 'Casino Stud Poker', A casino table game based on the standard 5-card stud poker game played on a Blackjack-type table. Some casinos also offer a progressive jackpot paid to high ranking hands. This table game is played with one deck of cards.
Carousel - A group of slot machines that are positioned in a ring, enabling a change person (to change bank-notes into coins) to stand in the center.
Carpet Joint - US slang for a luxury gambling casino.
Case money - Emergency money.
Cashcheck - A feature used by some online casinos software that allows you to review your financial transaction history.
Cashier’s Cage - The casino cash desk for cashing in the chips.
Casino - The word 'casino' initially meant a public music and dance hall. By the second half of the 19th century casinos developed into a place with gambling halls. The best example of a casino as a gambling location is Monte Carlo in Monaco. Casino Monte Carlo was opened in 1863 and since that time it has been an important source of revenue for the small state of Monaco.
Casino Advantage - The edge that the House (casino) has over the players.
Casino Hold'em Poker - A card game based on Texas Hold'em poker, the difference is that players bet against the house (the casino) rather than against other players.
Casino Rate - A reduced hotel-room rate (price) that the casinos offer to good customers.
Catch - In keno, to catch a number means that a number you have marked on your keno ticket has been drawn.
Chase - Having lost money on a bet, 'chasing' is having another bet simply to try and get back the loss.
Check - In casino gambling, a check is another term for a chip. In poker, a player can 'check' in order to stay in the game but not bet.
Chemin De Fer - (French) A table game using 6 or 8 decks of cards, similar to Baccarat but requires skill. See Chemin de fer on this site.
Chip, Chips - Round plastic discs. Casinos require that you use chips for betting. They are purchased at the gaming tables and exchanged at the cashier's booth or cage.
Chip Tray - The tray in front of a dealer that holds that table’s inventory of chips.
Chips - Round tokens that are used on casino gaming tables in lieu of cash.
Coat-tail - Bet the same numbers as someone who is winning at the moment.
Cold - A player on a losing streak, or a slot machine that is not paying out.
Color Up - When a player exchanges smaller denomination chips for larger denomination chips.
Combination Way Ticket - In keno, a ticket in which groups of numbers are bet several different ways, allowing the player to spread money over more combinations.
Comps - Complimentary gifts given by the casino to entice players to gamble. Typical comps include free hotel room, meals and beverages.
Copy - In Pai-Gow Poker, when a player and the banker have the same two-card hand, or the same five-card hand. The banker wins all copies.
Cracking The Nut - Making enough money on a gambling venture to cover all expenses plus a reasonable net profit.
Craps - Casino dice table-game.
Credit - In online casinos, wagers are expressed in credits. 1 credit equals to 1 unit.
Credit Button - In slot machines or video machines, the button that allows players to bank coins in the form of credits.
Crossroader - An old term used to denote a cheat originated in the Old West practice of cheating at saloons located at crossroads. The term is still used today for casino cheats.
Croupier - French word for Dealer, used in the games of baccarat and roulette.
CSM - Continuous Shuffling Machines, introduced by casinos as an anti card counters in Blackjack.
Cut - In card games following a shuffle before the start of a new round of play, when the dealer or player divides a deck into two parts and inverts them, using a cut card (see below).
Cut Card - A faceless card of different color, usually red or black, that is used to cut a deck of cards.
D
D'Alembert System - A staking plan where one unit is added for a losing bet and one deducted for a winning bet.
Deal - To give out the cards during a card game.
Deposit - A payment you make usually to online casinos using a credit card, a web wallet or one of the online payment systems, in order to play casino games for real.
Deuce - A two in dice.
Dice - Two identical numbered cubes. (see Die below)
Die - Singular for dice, a cube with numbers on each side, 1 to 6.
Dime Bet - A $1,000 wager.
Discard Tray - A tray on the dealer’s right side that holds all the cards that have been played or discarded in card games like Baccarat, Blackjack and Poker.
Dollar Bet - A $100 wager.
Dolly - Unlike the French roulette where the croupier simply points with the stick on the winning number on the table, in the American roulette the croupier uses a marker made of wood or plastic and places it on the table in the square of the winning number. The score marker is called 'dolly' because it has the outline that looks like a doll. Its functionality is primarily to help the players know the winning number until all winnings are paid.
Double Or Nothing - An even-money bet. A bet that pays off exactly the amount wagered.
Doubling Down - A betting option in blackjack where the player's opening two-card hand is turned face up and player's original wager is doubled. The player is then dealt one additional card only, to complete the hand. In the event that the player beats the dealer's hand or the dealer busts, then the player wins twice the amount of their original wager. If the player loses, then the player loses twice the amount of their original wager.
Doubling-up - The basis of some widely used systems. After a loss the player doubles the size of his previous bet hoping to win back the money lost and make a profit. Also known as the Martingale System.
Down Card - A face down card.
Down to the Felt - Totally out of money, broke.
Draw - Relates to the poker games. Basically it means to draw a card (e.g. if you need a card to make a straight, you are on a 'straight draw' or are 'drawing to a straight'. In 'draw poker' game, it means the second round of cards that are dealt. The word draw has slightly different meanings in different contexts, although generally it has something to do with receiving more cards, with the hope of improving your hand. Draw games are games where at some point during the hand you are allowed to discard some or all of your cards, to be replaced from the deck. Drawing two is thus exchanging two of your cards. 'The draw' is the point during the game at which players may do this. By default, when someone asks you if you want to play some draw, they usually mean five card draw. In other poker games, drawing simply means staying in the game with the hope of improving your hand when more cards come. When you stay in a hand with the hope of improving, you are said to be 'on a draw'.
Drop - Money lost.
Drop Box - On a gaming table, the box that serves as a repository for cash, markers, and chips.
E
eCOGRA - (e-Commerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) eCOGRA provides player assurance and online casino regulation by ensuring that eCOGRA approved online casinos deliver an honest and professional service. eCOGRA's Seal, displayed on the homepage of approved sites, shows that the casino and poker room operator is committed to player protection, fair gaming and responsible conduct.
Edge - An advantage over an opponent.
Encryption - A software security measure taken by online casinos to ensure that online transactions are safe from hackers.
En Prison - (French word) The stake left on the table in roulette for another spin after backing an 'Even-money' bet and the outcome was zero or double zero. It is like a bonus, offered in some casinos.
Even Money Bet - A bet with odds of 1:1. A bet that pays you back the same amount that you wagered, plus your original wager.
Expected Win Rate - In slot machines, the percentage on the total amount of money wagered that you can expect to win back over time.
Eye in the Sky - Slang for video surveillance cameras used by casinos, usually placed on the ceiling above the gaming area.
Face Cards - The Jack, Queen, and King of any suit of cards.
F
Ficheur - In the American Roulette each player gets chips with different colours so that they do not mix. The croupiers have at their disposal a sophisticated mechanism, also known as Ficheur, which is able to mechanically separate coloured chips making them always readily available to use.
Fifth Street - In seven-card stud, the third round of betting is called fifth street because players have five cards. In Texas Hold‘em poker, fifth street is the fifth card on board and the final round of betting.
Fill - In poker, to draw a card that makes a five-card hand (straight, flush, full house, straight flush).
Fill up - In poker, to fill a full house.
Finales - A type of group bets on numbers ending with the same digit. Examples: Final 7 means bet on the numbers 7, 17 and 27 (three chips). Final 2 means bet on the numbers 2, 12, 22 and 32 (four chips).
Finale Schnaps - In French roulette, an order given to the croupier to place a bet on numbers 11, 22 and 33.
Firing - Betting a lot. A player who is Firing is wagering large sums.
First Base - At the blackjack table, the position on the far left of the dealer is considered to be first base and is the first position dealt with.
Fish - A player who loses money. (It is said that 'If you can't spot the fish at the table, YOU are the fish.) See also 'Shark'.
Flash - A type of no-download casino software where you can play instantly.
Flat Betting - A way of betting where the same amount is bet on each wager. For example, if a player always bets $10 on each hand or spin and never raised or lowered their bet, they would be said to be flat betting.
Flat Top - A slot machine whose jackpot is always a fixed amount, as opposed to a progressive.
Flea - An annoying person who wants something for nothing. One who expects to be comped for a small wager.
Flop - In poker games, such as hold'em and omaha, where five community cards are dealt. The first three of these cards are dealt all at once, face up, and are called the flop. Games with a flop can be called flop games.
Foul - In Pai-Gow Poker, a hand is fouled when the two-card low hand is set higher than the five-card high hand, or when the hands are set with the wrong number of cards. A fouled hand is a losing hand.
Fourth Street - In Seven-card Stud poker, the second round of betting is called fourth street because players have four cards. In Texas Hold‘em poker, fourth street is the fourth card on board and the third round of betting.
Front Money - Cash or bank checks/cheques deposited with the casino to establish credit for a player who bets against that money.
* A to F . G to Q . R to Z
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Casino Terms Dictionary Glossary
Topics covered include game rules, how to play, how to win, winning strategy, betting systems, gambling tips, glossary (terminology), on: Blackjack (black jack), Roulette, Poker classic and variants including Texas Hold'em poker, Craps (dice casino game), Slots and Videopoker (video poker), Baccarat, Keno, Lotto/Lottery, Powerball, Bingo, Sports betting, Horse racing, Greyhound racing, and new games.