Finding out what casino jargon means can be an uphill task. It’s not that the information isn’t out there, but you will usually find one word here and another, making comprehensive study a nightmare.
All that ends today.
We have put together a detailed list of standard online casino terms below. Read on to find out more.
A – Z
Click on any of the letters below to jump to the relevant terms in our Casino Dictionary.
A B C D E F G H I G K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ace | An Ace in blackjack can have a value of both 1 or 11. |
| Ace Deuce | A Player rolls an Ace Deuce when they roll a 3. |
| Ace Rich | A term to describe the deck or shoe when there have been few aces dealt out so far, therefore increasing the expectation of receiving one soon. |
| Aces | A Player rolls Aces when they roll a 2. |
| Action | This refers to the total amount of money that a player will wager during one gambling session. It can also be used to describe a specific bet or wager during a game. |
| Active Payline | Bets are put on paylines. You can select your paylines in some slots while others have predetermined ones. |
| Advantage | In blackjack, the casino is said to have an advantage over the player, which is a statistical theoretical edge that is expressed as a percentage of the wager. Card counting in blackjack can shift the advantage towards the player. |
| Advantage Player | A blackjack player who uses a strategy to gain a mathematical edge or advantage over the casino. |
| All Ways | As the name suggests, this is a slot with paylines that go both ways. Typically, these are video games played online, and participants perceive them to be extremely lucrative. |
| All-in | When a player wagers all of their chips on one hand. Here, a player will state, “I’m all in,” and place all their previously unwagered chips into the pot. |
| American Roulette | A version with two zero pockets, a “0” and a “00,” as well as the numbers 1-36 included. In comparison to European roulette, the house has a bigger advantage in American roulette. |
| Anchorman | On a blackjack table, the anchorman is the last player to act before the dealer, and they are usually seated closest to the dealer’s right. |
| Annuity Winner | A slot jackpot that is paid out over a period of time. It is possible to win a jackpot that is paid out in one lump payment. |
| Ante | A minimum amount asked of each player at the start of a betting round. This amount is required regardless if the player is participating in the round or not. |
| Any Craps | Any Craps refers to a bet where the player wagers that the outcome of the next roll will either be 2, 3, or 12. |
| Apron | The apron is the outside perimeter of the layout indicated on the craps table felt. |
| Autospin | Allows slot players to set a predetermined number of spins under a stake level. Favored by those who play online. |
B
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Baccarat | Baccarat is named after the worst possible hand in the game, where either the bank or a player has a total of 0. |
| Back Counting | Back counting or wonging is a system of counting cards from behind the table when you’re a spectator. |
| Back Off | Most casinos employ a policy where they ask players to ‘back off’ from playing blackjack or limit bets placed. This does not constitute an outright ban from the casino but is an initial step in that direction. |
| Backtrack | The wheel’s outer rim, where the ball is spun around. |
| Bad beat | An expression used in poker when a player with a strong hand loses to a player with a weak hand by mere chance or luck of the deal. |
| Banco | Banco is a Spanish word that translates to ‘Bank’. This refers to the dealer during a game of Baccarat. Players bet against the dealer by calling ‘Banco’. |
| Bank Craps | The actual name for the casino version of craps is Bank Craps. |
| Banker Bet | The Banker bet has the best house edge out of all possible bets in Baccarat, with odds being very close to 1:1. |
| Bankroll | The money a player has to play with. |
| Banque | A French variant of Baccarat that is played on two tables. The Banker sits in the middle and plays with one hand against two hands on each side. |
| Bar | These are some of the most common slot symbols from the golden age of gaming. Both the shape and the word “BAR” are printed in white on them. Their origin can be found here. |
| Barred | Some players can be permanently barred from a casino property, particularly if they are card counters and have already been 86’d. |
| Basic Slot | In the spirit of old-school slots, these games have a single payline and very few extras. |
| Basic Strategy | A basic strategy is said to be the best strategy for playing blackjack. It allows players to make the most profitable decisions on their hands, by taking into account the other cards present in hand and in the dealer’s hand. |
| Bet | The amount of money that is wagered on a slot spin, a card game hand, or any other outcome of a casino game. |
| Bet Behind | Some blackjack games such as live dealer blackjack have the option to gamble on other players’ hands. This is a type of side bet that is common when tables are full and which adds large multiplayer scalability. |
| Bet Correlation | Bet correlation is the relationship between card point values and the effect of removal of cards. It is used as a tool to predict how well a card counting system predicts good betting situations. |
| Bet Max | The maximum amount of money that can be wagered. |
| Bet Min | The minimum amount of money that can be wagered. |
| Bet on the layout | A wager that can be placed anywhere on the table’s numbers. |
| Bet One | On your slot, wagering only one unit/credit per spin |
| Bet Spread | Bet Spread is defined as the amount of the maximum and minimum bets that a player can make during a game of blackjack. A 1-5 bet spread refers to a betting strategy of a 1 unit minimum per hand and a maximum of 5 units per hand. |
| Betting System | Players will use betting systems or strategies in blackjack to effectively manage and increase their bankroll. There are many types of systems, based on either negative or positive progressions. Two of the most popular betting systems are Paroli and Parlay. |
| Biased numbers | In terms of probability, these are the numbers that have been statistically demonstrated to be more successful than others. |
| Biased Wheel | Roulette with an unbalanced wheel, whether it’s in an actual casino or in a live studio. |
| Big 6 | Big 6 is an even money bet in craps where a six will be rolled before a seven is rolled. |
| Big 8 | Big 8 is an even money bet in craps where an eight will be rolled before a seven is rolled. |
| Big Blind | A forced wager that must be made by the player who is seated in the second position of the round according to action. |
| Big Hit | Slang for a “huge win,” which is often the slot’s highest jackpot. A “hit” is a successful combination in the slot game. |
| Big Red | Big Red generally refers to the number 7 in craps, or a bet that players make where they expect a 7 to appear. |
| Black Book | Every land-based and online casino has a black book, a list of players banned from playing blackjack. |
| Black Chip | a $100 chip |
| Blackjack | Blackjack is not only the name of one of the most popular casino card games, but it also refers to the perfect hand of this game – an Ace and a 10 or picture card for a combined value of 21. When dealers hit a Blackjack it results in an automatic win against the players. When a player hits Blackjack, they land a win of 3:2. |
| Blind | A forced wager that must be played by the first and second person to the left of the dealer. |
| Block bet | Covering a section of the roulette betting area with a large number of numbers. |
| Bluff / Bluffing | When a player pretends to have a better hand than they do to entice the other player(s) to fold. |
| Bones | During a craps game, some players may colloquially refer to dice as ‘bones’. |
| Bonus Round (Game/Feature) | Any gambling fan’s favorite part of a slot. Additional rules and bigger prizes are often found in the Bonus round, separate from the main game. |
| Bottom Pair | A term used when one of the two hole cards matches the bottom card on the board. |
| Bowl | Every craps table has a bowl located next to the stickman that holds the dice. |
| Box | A blackjack table has a box in front of the player where their bets are placed. |
| Box Numbers | Box Numbers are the place numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10. |
| Boxcars | One of the most recognizable outcomes of a dice roll is a pair of sixes, which is called Boxcars in craps. It is also sometimes referred to as Midnight, Twelve Craps, or Cornrows. |
| Boxman | A Boxman acts as the table supervisor during craps, and ensures that all is in order during gameplay. |
| Branded Slots | Animated slot games based on well-known brands. Branded slots contain characters from popular television shows, movies, and books. |
| Brown/Chocolate Chip | a $5,000 chip |
| Burn Card | Prior to any card being dealt, the dealer places the first card to one side and face down. This is known as the ‘burn card’, and is designed to make it impossible for the first player to know what the first card is going to be. |
| Burning | At the start of each game, the first three to six cards of the shuffled deck are discarded or burned. |
| Bust | A player’s hand can go bust if it loses or goes over the hand total of 21. |
| Bust Card | The singular card in blackjack that results in either the player or the dealer’s hand going bust. |
| Bust It | A type of blackjack side bet that is sometimes also called ‘Buster’ or ‘Bust bonus’, which covers the scenario when the dealer busts with three cards or more. |
| Button | A token that identifies the player who will be playing from the dealer position. The button helps determine which player(s) are the blinds. |
| Buy a Feature | Payouts are similar in that they allow players to access restricted features in some slot games. |
| Buy a Pay | The highest prizes on some slots are only available if you wager a particular amount. To compete for the grand prize, one must purchase the right to do so. See buying a feature in comparison. |
C
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Call / Calling | When a player matches the last wager made. *NOTE* You must call in order to raise. |
| Caller | An important role during a game of Baccarat. This person is a casino staff member who turns the cards, calls out game results, and deals out additional cards when required. |
| Card Counting | Some players use card counting as a strategy to keep mental track of the value of the cards dealt in order to potentially establish what and when the remaining cards may appear to the player. |
| Card Roulette | A variation that employs a conventional deck of cards with two jokers. Between European roulette and American roulette, the house edge is the same. |
| Carousel | A cluster of slots is a grouping of machines on the casino floor that are situated near together. |
| Cascading Reels | Online slots have recently added a new function that has proved popular. During a winning combination, the winning symbols would burst, leaving up space for new ones that may potentially trigger an extra win.. Basically, it’s an updated version of the original. Can be discovered in Finn and the Swirly Spin video games. |
| Cash Out | At the end of a gaming session, players can withdraw their winnings by cashing out. This consists of converting credits won into real money. |
| Cashback | Regular players might earn money back as a kind of cashback. Depending on the circumstances, it can be a typical casino promotion, a perk for members of a loyalty program, or a prize for those with a slots club card. |
| Casino Bonus | The best online casinos always offer new players a Welcome Casino Bonus, which includes offers such as matching of the first deposit, free spins on select slot games, and more. |
| Certified Slots | Those are the slots that have a guaranteed RTP of at least 98% to 100%. As a rule, they are clearly marked. |
| Change only | Crap games played with ‘Change Only’ means that cash must be converted into gambling chips, as these must be used for placing any craps bets. |
| Charlie | Charlie’ or ‘Six Card Charlie’ is a rule in blackjack that covers a scenario in which a player reaches a certain number of cards (usually 5 or 7) without going bust. This leads to an automatic win. |
| Check | An action a player can use to not place a wager when it is their turn. This action can only be used if there have been no previous wagers or raises in the round. |
| Check Raise | When a player checks the previous wager and then raises within the same round of bets. |
| Cheque change | Players can often split a chip into smaller chip denominations at the check change. |
| Cheques | Baccarat played in land-based casinos utilizes special chips called cheques. |
| Cheval | A specific type of bet that is mainly found in European Baccarat. A Cheval bet is won when both active players win the bets. The bet is lost if both players lose the bet, and it remains intact if one player loses and the other wins their bet. |
| Chip Down | This occurs when players decrease their bet from what was wagered in the previous hand. |
| Chip Up | Players can chip up or increase their bet from their previous hand. |
| Chips | Chips are tokens used by players to place their wagers. Each chip represents a valued denomination in currency. Different colored chips hold different values. |
| Classic Slots | Three-reel, one-payline slots are the most common. Retro slots, as they’re sometimes called, are still very popular, and there is a slew of them available online. |
| Coin | In the past, slots were played with actual coins, but this is no longer practicable, especially when playing them online. – You can still measure your wager in coins or credits on most slots. |
| Coin Size | The amount of money you’re wagering in terms of a coin’s value. As a general rule, most slots enable you to choose how many coins you want to bet on each pay line. |
| Coin Slot | For the time being, a coin-operated slot It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find slot machines with this type of theme. |
| Cold Deck | Some blackjack shoe boxes are said to contain cold decks when they are constantly spewing out bad cards that lead to significant losses. |
| Cold Dice | Sometimes, dice shooters may enter a cold streak where they are not making any of their points. |
| Cold Numbers | There are at least 37 numbers that haven’t come up in a spin. |
| Cold Slot | A word used to describe a slot that has a poor payout percentage or a long losing streak. The term “tight slot” is also used. In contrast, there are hot slots. This strategy is no longer regarded to be viable, as it relies on playing cold slots before they become hot. |
| Color Up | When playing at a blackjack table, some players may ask the dealer to convert some low denomination chips into higher ones. As these are generally more colorful, this is called coloring up. |
| Color up | Players can change their chips to larger denominations in what is referred to as color up. |
| Column Bet | A stake that covers nearly a third of the wheel and pays out at a 2:1 ratio. |
| Come Bet | A Come Bet is a type of bet in craps that is exactly like the pass line bet, but it has to be made before the come out roll. |
| Come Out Roll | During a game of craps, the Come Out Roll refers to the first roll of the dice during a betting round. |
| Commission | In most Baccarat games, the casino takes a 5% commission on the winnings each time a player wins on a ‘Banker’ bet. |
| Community Cards | Community cards are cards that are dealt face up and used by all players. |
| Comps | Regular slot players are eligible for a variety of rewards. Freebies at land-based casinos would include things like free hotel rooms and meals, but those at online casinos are more likely to include things like comp points. |
| Console Slot Machines | Slots that are slightly inclined toward the player’s center of gravity. Because they are deemed more comfortable. |
| Corner Bet | European Roulette offers an 8.1:1 return on four corner bets with a 10.8 percent chance of winning. |
| Coup | A French word that is used to describe one round of Baccarat. |
| Crapless Craps | Crapless craps is a variant of this game where the 2, 3, 11, and 12 are treated as point numbers, the same as 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. |
| Crazy 7 | A side bet in blackjack where players bet that other players will get trip 7s on their first three cards, where a suited Three of a Kind is the best possible outcome. |
| Credits | Online casino games such as slots are played using credits, which is real money that is converted into credits that can be used to play that specific slot game. |
| Croupier | Person in charge of receiving and paying out winning bets at a casino. – a dealer |
| CSM | CSM is an acronym of ‘Continuous Shuffling Machine’, a tool used by some casinos to keep their card decks consistently shuffled to prevent card counting. |
| Cut | When the dealer ‘cuts’ the deck, they divide it in half after it has been shuffled. The deck is then combined once again before dealing cards. |
| Cut Card | When playing at a land-based casino, dealers use a plastic card to cut the deck of cards. |
D
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| D9 | When a player double downs on a 9, 10, or 11. |
| DA9 | When a player doubles down on any two cards |
| DAS | When a player doubles after a split, or doubles down after a hand is split. |
| Dead Table | A table that is empty and unoccupied. |
| Dealer | The person in blackjack who deals the cards and manages the entire game. |
| Dealer Pair | A type of blackjack side bet that pays out when the dealer gets a mixed, color, or suited pair, with the return varying depending on which type of pair is landed. |
| Dealer Peek | In cases where the dealer’s Up card is an Ace or a 10, they can peek to check for Blackjack. |
| Deck | A standard 52-card deck is used in blackjack, with some casinos often shuffling more than one deck together. |
| Deck Penetration | Deck penetration is the percentage of cards that are played out of an entire deck or shoe before reshuffling. |
| Denomination | Casino credits or coins come in a variety of denominations or values. |
| Deviation | Players using a basic strategy can make changes or deviations at certain times, mostly based on the count at the time. |
| Discards | In blackjack, cards that have been dealt are referred to as discards. These are placed to one side until a new shoe is requested, after which discards are reshuffled and reused. |
| Discards Tray | The dealer will place dealt cards into a discard tray located on the table. |
| Don’t Come Bet | A Don’t Come Bet is a type of don’t pass bet in craps that is made after the come out roll. |
| Don’t Pass Bet | A Don’t Pass Bet is the opposite of the Pass Bet. During the come out, the don’t pass bet loses on a seven or eleven, but wins on either a two or three. |
| Double Zero | This pocket is unique to American roulette wheels and is only found on those. |
| Double (Down) | Deck penetration is the percentage of cards that are played out of an entire deck or shoe before reshuffling. |
| Double Ball Roulette | Two balls instead of one are used in this variation of European roulette. |
| Double Pitch | When the dice remain on the axis, which occurs infrequently (less than 5% of rolls), but one turns two faces more than the other. If players set their dice with the same face, such as a hard way or 3V set, the roll is almost certain to result in a seven. |
| Double Street Bet | A bet consists of four individual bets, two on separate streets, one on a corner bet, and one straight up number.. There are six numbers in a street, each of which pays out 5:1. |
| Down Card | A face down card that remains in that position until the play has been called. |
| Dozen Bet | 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36 are the three groupings of 12 numbers that can be bet on. The dozen bet pays off at a 2:1 odds. |
| Dragon Bonus | A type of side bet in Baccarat where a player will win if the chosen hand wins a round by at least four points. |
| Draw | A player can draw or request another card to be dealt. |
| Drop | The amount of money a player has deposited. |
| Drops | Symbols fall into position instead of spinning on a slot machine’s reels. |
E
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Early Surrender | A player can announce an early surrender in blackjack after receiving only two cards. This happens especially when the player has a natural hand and the dealer has an Ace up card. |
| Easy way | Using any combination other than doubles to roll an even number. Only applies to numbers 4, 6, 8, and 10. |
| Edge Sorting | Edge sorting is used in Baccarat to identify card values on the basis of tiny differences on the back of the cards that appear during the manufacturing process. |
| European Roulette | A version that has only one zero in the pocket. Roulette in its earliest form. |
| Even money | Even money is a wagering proposition with equal odds – the bettor has the same chance of winning or losing the same amount of money. |
| Expected Value | The Expected Value refers to the statistical amount that any given time period is worth. In reality, results rarely equal the player’s expected value in the short term. However, given enough time the actual results do inevitably catch up with the Expected Value. |
| Eyeballs | Eyeballs is a term used in craps to refer to rolling two aces or ones for a total of two. |
F
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Face Card | Face cards refer to the Jack, Queen, or King in a deck of cards. |
| Face Cards | In Baccarat and other card games, face cards are used to collectively refer to Jacks, Queens, and Kings of any suit. |
| Fading | This casino term is used when placing bets against a person. In Baccarat, this is only applicable in land-based games. |
| Feature | Usually refers to the various perks that a game has to offer. The feature would be the most lucrative bonus round. |
| Fever five | A five-sided roll, often known as five fever. |
| Fibonacci | After a loss, you increase your bets in an attempt to recoup some of the money you’ve lost. |
| First Base | Players that sit on the dealer’s far left are seated at First Base, and they will always receive the first hand. |
| Five Liner | A traditional slot with 5 paylines rather than 1. Typically, there are two diagonals and three horizontals. |
| Five Number Bet | The 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 on an American roulette wheel are known as a “numbers bet.” With such poor odds, it’s hard to argue that this is a good wager. |
| Flat Bet | Flat bets occur when players bet the same amount of money on each successive hand. |
| Flop | The first three community cards placed on the table face-up by the dealer. This action is performed after the initial round of placing wagers. After the flop, another action round of wagering will take place. |
| Fold | When a player gives up on a round and forfeits their wagers in the pot. |
| Foul | A hand determined by the dealer as one that cannot be played in this round. A player with a foul hand cannot win any portion of the pot of that round. |
| Four number bet | As in American Roulette, this wager covers all three zeros on a European Roulette wheel: 0, 1, and 3. This has an 8:1 return. |
| Free Card | A free card occurs when a player does not have to wager more during the action round before the dealer plays the next card. |
| Free odds | Simply called odds, they are the wagers that can be made or laid on the Pass/Come or Don’t Pass/Don’t Come. These are compensated at genuine parity. |
| Free Spins | A free spins bonus is one of the most prevalent types of in-game rewards when playing slots. Bonus rounds can be triggered by scatter symbols and provide you free spins with winnings based on your previous bet. Some casinos feature an additional bonus as part of their new player welcome package in online gambling. |
| Free-to-Play | When you visit a land-based casino, you may get the opportunity to check out slots for free, which are referred to as “free play.” Free slot demonstrations are more commonly used in online casinos than in brick-and-mortar establishments. |
| French Roulette | European Roulette with the possibility of La Partage and En Prison. |
G
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Gamble Feature | Slot machines in the United Kingdom are referred to as “slots” by many. It’s based on the fruit symbols that appeared on the vast majority of slot machine models in the ’20s. |
| George | To bet heavily on other players. Can also be used for a decent tipper. |
| Green Chip | A $25 chip. |
| Green Pockets | Slots zero and two on the roulette wheel, respectively. |
H
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Hammer a Machine | Playing the same slot again in an attempt to win a progressive jackpot or get on a winning streak is known as “repetition.” |
| Hand | The cards dealt to players during one round of Baccarat. |
| Hard Hand | A hand in blackjack that does not contain an Ace is referred to as a ‘Hard Hand’ as it can only have a total value. A Hard 17 occurs with a 10 and a 7, while a Hard 16 occurs with a 10, a 5, and an Ace. |
| Hard Total | A ‘Hard Total’ in blackjack is the total of any number of cards in a hand that counts Aces as 1. |
| Hard Way | Four, six, eight, or ten are the only numbers that may be bet on in craps and it only pays out if two dice reveal the same number. |
| Hi-Lo (High-Low) | Hi-Lo is a card counting system that is noted as being one of the best available. It employs the basic principle of card counting, by assigning negative, positive, or zero point value of the cards in the deck. It can also mean a single roll wager for two or twelve. |
| Hi-Lo-Yo | Two, 11, or 12 on a single roll bet |
| High Card | When there are no matches during the round, the highest card in the round is the winner. If two players have the same high card, they will refer to their next highest card. |
| High or Low | An equal-to-one wager on either all low numbers (1-18) or all high numbers (19-36) with the same odds (19-36). (One-to-one odds) |
| High Point Craps | Craps with an interesting twist, where the numbers 2 and 3 are completely ignored. |
| Hit | Refers to drawing a card. |
| Hit (slots) | Every successful combination in a slot is a ‘hit’ because you ‘struck’ a winning combination. |
| Hit 17 (H17) | A specific rule in blackjack where the dealer takes a hit when they have a soft 17. |
| Hit and Run | At land-based casinos, this is a common strategy employed by slot players. A few spins on a slot. is all it takes for you to decide whether or not it’s worth your time. |
| Hit Frequency | When it comes to slots, the hit rate is a theoretical number that tells you how often you can anticipate to get lucky. Games with a lower hot frequency will have a higher frequency of payouts, but smaller ones. Inseparable from variation and extremely difficult to evaluate. |
| Hold Percentage | The inverse, or return to player rate, is what you’re looking for. The casino retains a portion of all wagers made at a particular slot. To put it another way, this is the boundary of the home. |
| Hole Cards | Hole cards are the face-down cards in front of each player. |
| Hopper | A receptacle holding coins that can be withdrawn from land-based slots. Although it is no longer used in most modern computers, it can be found in older models. |
| Hot 3 | A side bet in Infinite Blackjack by Evolution that is similar to Lucky Lucky, where the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s up card and win for the total points of 19 or 21. |
| Hot Slots | Fast and frequent payouts can be found in those games. Theoretically, since each game’s random number generator (RNG) is preprogrammed to award a specific percentage of wins, it will eventually do so. However, locating the hot slots is no longer regarded to be a realistic technique for many online poker players. |
| House | The casino hosting the game or tournament is referred to as the House. |
| House Edge | Casino games have a house edge which refers to the expected advantage that the casino has in a game. In blackjack, the house edge is generally set a bit over 1%. |
I
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| i-Slot | A bonus game in which you may store your progress and pick up where you left off later on in the game is known as a save and resume slot game. |
| Icons | Slot symbols are known by this term. |
| Index | When card counting, the Index refers to the integers indicated in the Deviations chart for Stand 17 or Hit 17, which are used to determine whether a player should deviate from their basic strategy. If the True count is equal to the Index, the deviation should proceed. |
| Inside bet | Inside Roulette bets are the bets placed on the numbers within the Roulette wheel. These bets have lower odds of winning, but their payout is high. |
| Inside number | Four digits are mentioned in this passage. |
| Instant Winner | This is a jackpot that is paid out in lump sum to the lucky winner. In contrast, an annuity winner would be paid over a period of time. |
| Insurance | A side bet in blackjack that is only offered when the dealer has an Ace. This has a payout of 2:1 if the dealer gets Blackjack. |
| Insurance Correlation | Insurance Correlation refers to the relationship between a strategy’s card tag values and the value of cards in insurance situations. |
J
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Jackpot | When a player wins a substantial amount of money while playing, it is often referred to as “hitting the jackpot.” |
K
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Kicker | The hole card that helps determine the winner of a round in case of a tie. For example, if both players tie on a pair of Aces, the player with the highest hole card in their hand will be the winner of the round. |
L
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Late Surrender | Players announce a late surrender when the dealer has checked for blackjack. When this happens, no further decisions can be taken at the cost of half the initial stake placed. |
| Lay Bet | A lay bet is a type of craps bet in which a player bets that a seven will be rolled before the point is reached. |
| Layout | Each Baccarat table has a special layout that clearly highlights a series of boxes where players can place their bets on either the Player, Banker, or a Tie. |
| Level | A strategy level refers to the number of different values assigned to cards. Level 2 and 3 counting strategies are noted as being more efficient but more difficult to employ. Other level counting strategies such as 4 & 5 also exist. |
| Lever | Instead of ‘Spin’ buttons, old-school slots have levers. Because they lack mechanical components, they are no more than a button in most current video slots. |
| Lightning Roulette | Players can enjoy the thrill of conventional roulette with the extra bonus of increasing their earnings in a new twist on the game. Lucky Numbers and Lucky Payouts are generated at random, giving players more opportunities to win (multipliers of 50x, 100x, 200x, 300x, 400x and 500x) |
| Limp | When a player calls the minimum wager required in order to play in the round. |
| Line | You can check out the pay stub. |
| Line Bet | What you’re willing to risk per payline. In the case of a 10-payline slot, your line bet is $1 if you’re wagering $10. |
| Linked Progressive Jackpot | A progressive jackpot slot network that connects many casinos. As more and more people place wagers on any of the linked progressive slots, the prize amount grows larger. |
| Loose Slot | Slots lingo that refers to a game that has a tendency to pay out a lot of money. Similar to the hot slots. |
| Loss Bet | Any bet does is done against the banker is known as a loss bet, as these carry a higher house edge. |
| Low Limit Craps | Assist individuals in playing their favorite dice game and betting the sums they can afford. |
| Lucky Lucky | A side bet in blackjack that utilizes the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s up card. Various winning combinations using these three cards can be made, such as a suited 7s to a total of 19, each with different payouts. |
M
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Marker | The device that the croupier uses to mark the winning number after each spin. |
| Martingale system | After a lost bet, this well-known strategy calls for doubling your stake. |
| Maximum Bet | The maximum bet you may make on a slot, using the highest coin value and all active paylines. Playing all potential paylines is generally recommended as a slot strategy. |
| Megabucks | A well-known brand of Las Vegas slots with the largest land-based progressive jackpot network. While Mega Moolah is the Guinness World Record holder for the greatest online win, Megabucks slots are the uncontested kings of land-based jackpots. |
| Mini Baccarat | American Baccarat can be played on smaller mini baccarat tables where gameplay is often more relaxed and much faster. Mini baccarat tables are limited to around 7 players and is the preferred choice for those that have an average bankroll size and are looking for tables with reasonable limits. |
| Mini Roulette | A smaller wheel with only 13 digits is available as an alternative (0-12). |
| Minimum Bet | The smallest amount of money you can wager on a game. A single payline or placing the minimal line wager on all paylines are examples of situations when this strategy can be used. Minimum bets allow for the most amount of spins possible on a budget. |
| Monkey | A Monkey card has a value of 10. |
| Muck | This is the discard pile where all used cards are deposited, including hands that have been folded. |
| Mucker | The use of an additional croupier at a roulette table during peak hours. |
| Multi-deck | The majority of blackjack games use multi-decks, which range from 6 to 8 decks at a time. |
| Multi-Line | Slots with several paylines. Paylines on modern video slots are frequently many. You can have fixed or changeable (selectable) lines depending on whether you may choose how many are active. |
| Multi-Way | It makes no difference whether your winning symbols align from left to right or right to left when playing multi-way slots. Multi-way payouts can significantly boost your chances of winning. |
| Multiplier | Any winning payline that includes this special symbol will boost the reward. More than one multiplier sign is possible. There are certain slots that include them in the regular game, while others only include them in the bonus rounds of those games. More information can be found on this page. |
N
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| N0 | N-zero is the theoretical number of rounds in blackjack that are needed to overcome 2/3s of the variance and hit a goal of being ahead by one standard deviation. |
| Natural (Baccarat) | A natural hand is landed in Baccarat when the two first cards dealt total eight or a nine. A natural eight is a winning hand that ends that round, and is only succeeded by a natural nine which is the best hand in Baccarat. |
| Natural | The come out roll is either a 7 or an 11. |
| Natural (21) (Blackjack) | A ‘Natural 21’ or ‘Natural’ is an alternative name for a hand of Blackjack, with a payout of around 3:2. |
| NDAS | Some players can opt to No Double After Split (NDAS). |
| Negative Progression | The Martingale system and Fibonacci are examples of a betting strategy in which you increase your bet after a loss. |
| New York Craps | Bank Craps in the Eastern United States, The Bahamas, and England is a popular variation of the game Bank Craps utilizes a different table and structure, referred to as a double-end dealer. |
| Nina | On the other hand, betting on a nine |
| No Limit | When players can wager as much as they would like on a game. |
| NRSA | No resplit Aces |
| Nudge | A bonus feature that would allow you to change the position of the slot reels. However, it is more common in online slots than in UK fruit machines. |
| Nuts | When a player has the best hand possible in any point of the game. |
O
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Odd or Even | A bet on whether an odd or even number will win. (One-to-one odds) |
| Off | To indicate that a craps player is inactive, a lammer or marker puck is placed on their bets. |
| Off-Suited | When a player is dealt two cards of differing suits. |
| Omaha | A poker variation that involves each player receiving four face-down cards and playing with five community cards. Players attempt to make the best hand possible by using two of their face-down cards to go with three of the community cards on the table. |
| One-Armed Bandit | Name for slots in the past. Classic slots with levers are often associated with this term. |
| Online Slot | Slot games have been going online with great success since 1994. The earliest online slots were just computerized reproductions of popular land-based games, but the industry took off quickly, and the great majority of slot games are now available online. To discover more, please visit our slot database. |
| Orphans | On the wheel, a wager on six, 34, and 17 is possible. |
| Out | Outs refers to the number of cards that remain in the deck that can improve a player’s hand or help them obtain “nuts.” |
| Outside bet | A wager that is not an inside wager. |
| Outside number | Making a wager on 4, 5, 9, and 10. |
| Over-Pair | When a player has a pocket pair that is higher than any of the community cards on the table. |
| Overcard | A player’s hole card that ranks higher than any of the community cards on the table. |
P
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Paint | A slang term for Face cards |
| Pair | A two-card hand that contains equal value cards. Pairs can be split during gameplay. |
| Palette | During a game of Baccarat at a land-based casino, croupiers use a long wooden palette to move cards around the table. |
| Parlay | Let your winnings ride on the next stake, known as a parlay, in craps. |
| Pass | A pass happens when a player gets a win in a game of Baccarat. |
| Pay Off | When a player calls the final round of wagering even if they are unsure they hold the best hand. |
| Payback Percentage | Return To Player. |
| Payline | The positions in which a winning combination of symbols is formed by matching symbols. Because of the increased number of paylines in current online slots, paylines used to be genuine straight lines, but this is no longer the case. |
| Payout | It’s the prize money you get if you hit the jackpot. |
| Paytable | Payout table is another name for this. You may see how much money you can win by getting the right symbol combinations. |
| Penny Slots | Machines on land with low bet levels — in this example, based on pennies. If there is more than one payline, you will almost always have to play far more than a penny to activate them all. |
| Perfect Pair | A side bet in blackjack that is also referred to as ‘Any Pair’. This uses the player’s two initial cards, and the bet is automatically lost should a pair not be present. If a pair is present, different payouts are rewarded with the lowest starting at a Mixed Pair (same value, different color), a Colored Paid (same value, same color), and the best being a Perfect Pair (two identical cards). |
| Perfect Play | Perfect Play occurs when players play their hand according to a widely accepted blackjack strategy. |
| Pink Chip | A $2.50 chip. |
| Pit (Blackjack) | The pit is the area on a blackjack table where the players sit around. |
| Pit | Most casinos have an exclusive section for VIPs or high-rollers to play Baccarat at higher stakes. |
| Place Bet | Dice gamble that a specific dice roll will occur before a roll of seven. |
| Play the Board | When a player chooses to play their hand by predominantly using the community cards on the table due to their hand being lower than the cards displayed. |
| Player Bet | The Player Bet is one of the three main bets in Baccarat games, and it is the one with the second best house edge at close to 1:1. Wagers are placed for the Player’s hand to win. |
| Player Pair | A side bet in blackjack that pays out when the player get a pair, with returns varying depending on the type of pair. |
| Ploppy | A Ploppy is a slang term for a terrible blackjack player, coined by Frank Scoblete. |
| Pockets | The areas of the roulette wheel on which the ball is allowed to land when playing the game. |
| Point | It is mandatory for the craps shooter to roll a point on the come out roll if they roll a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 on the first roll. |
| Pokies | The Australian term for slots. |
| Positive Progression | Positive Progression is a blackjack strategy that sees players increasing their bets after landing a win. This is aimed at maximizing profits during winning streaks and reducing losses when things run cold. |
| Pot | The told amount of chips/tokens wagered in the round. The pot is measured in total currency being wagered. |
| Pot Limit | When the game’s maximum wager allowed is equal to the current total of the pot. |
| Pre Flop | The initial round of wagering that happens before the flop. |
| Primary Jackpot | The most money you can win on a slot is this. |
| Progressive Jackpot | There are no fixed jackpots in progressive jackpot games. In the main game, the RTP of progressive jackpot slots is often lower because each bet goes toward establishing a growing progressive prize. If the slot is linked to a progressive network, then all games contribute to the common jackpot, which is the largest payout in slot gaming.. |
| Prop Bets | A single-roll wager is known as a prop bet. Either you win or you lose based on the next roll. |
| Punto | Punto is a term derived from punter, and is used to describe the player. |
| Purple/Barney Chip | A $500 chip. |
| Push | A ‘Push’ happens when the player and the dealer both have hands on the same value. In some cases, this results in the player’s bet being returned. |
Q
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Quads | When a player has four of a kind. |
| Quarter bet | Similar to the Corner Bet. |
R
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Railroad | Railroad is an informal way of referring to the Chemin de Fer Baccarat version, of which it is a direct translation. It is sometimes also called Chemmy. |
| Raise | When a player increases the previous bet made. |
| Random Number Generator (RNG) | A slot game’s algorithm for determining when a winning combination will appear. In modern video slots, programs create long strings of random numbers, some of which correlate to winning symbols. You can only win if you push the spin button at the exact instant when the sequence of numbers is formed. |
| Red Bet | An Outside Bet with a return of 1 to 1 at even money. |
| Red Chip | A $5 chip. |
| Red or Black | A wager based on the two colors of a roulette wheel (red and black) except for the green zero color. (One-to-one odds) |
| Reels | The symbols are shown on rotating drums that revolve in unison. Although modern slots can have any number of reels, most are 3- and 5-reel machines. |
| Resplit | A hand can be resplit following an initial split. |
| Return to Player Rate (RTP) | The Return to Player (RTP) is a term that is used to describe the percentage of all the wagered money an online casino game such as a slot machine will pay back to players over time |
| Reverse Martingale | For every loss, you double your wager and for every win, you reduce your stake by one-half. |
| Right Bettor | Craps players that wager on the pass line rather than the don’t pass line are being referred to here. |
| Risk of Ruin | The mathematical chance of a player losing their entire bankroll is known as the risk of ruin. |
| River | The community card dealt after the “turn.” This is the final community card shown by the dealer. Afterwards, another round of wagering will take place before the “showdown.” |
| Roulette Chip | Roulette chips are the currency utilized in the game. In general, they are unmarked and come in a single denomination. |
| Round | A full game of blackjack is a round, which starts with no cards on the table when the player’s bets are placed. The round ends when hands have been played through and when bets have been paid out. |
| Rows | The slot screen’s horizontal lines of symbolism. The number of active paylines, not the number of rows, is what matters in slot games. |
| RSA | Resplit Aces (RSA) |
| Run | Players can place a side bet called a ‘Run’, where they wager on a series of hands. |
| Running Count | During card counting, the running count refers to the total value of the count at any given time, be it positive or negative. This is the overall total used to calculate the true count. |
S
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Scatter Symbol | So many new games now have scatter slots because of their popularity. Bonus symbols that appear in your game’s paytable are known as “scatter” symbols (scatter icons). |
| Seven Out | After the point has been established, the craps shooter rolls a seven. You can’t shoot again if this happens. |
| Shark | A very good or skilled poker player. |
| Shills | At land-based casinos, there are casino staff who are referred to as shills and are tasked with promoting Baccarat to clients. |
| Shoe | A shoe is a box on the blackjack table from where cards are placed and dealt. |
| Shoe Game | A game of blackjack is dealt from a shoe. Mutli0deck games are generally always shoe games, with single or double deck games being dealt by hand. |
| Shooter | Rolling the dice is done by this person. In order to roll the dice, the shooter must place a line bet. The bank is sometimes referred to as the Shooter |
| Showdown / Heads Up | The action that takes place directly after the final round of wagering following the river. Players left in the game will show their hands to determine the winner(s) of the round. |
| Shuffle Up | Dealers are said to shuffle up the deck of cards before the game begins. |
| Side Bet | A side bet is a type of bet in blackjack that is made apart from the player’s main bet. In order to make a side bet, a player must first place their main bet. Side bets have outcomes that are independent of the outcome of the main bet, which means that players can still win during a round of blackjack. |
| Side Card | A side card is also referred to as the kicker. This card will help determine the winner of the round in case of a tie. |
| Side Count | In a card counting system used by advanced players, a side count is used to find out how many Aces have been drawn. This is done when betting accuracy differs from playing accuracy. There are several side count techniques, such as special-purpose counts used for game with non-standard profitable-play options such as an over/under side bet. |
| Signature Slots | Slots made by a casino. |
| Simplified Craps | Craps in a simple form, with no additional side bets. |
| Single number bet | Straight (up) Bet pays 35:1 like a Straight (up) Bet. |
| Six Card Charlie | Same as ‘Charlie’. |
| Six Line Bet | 6-number wager that pays out 5:1. |
| Skill | People can pass a ‘skill’ or ‘joke’ during Baccarat to indicate that a player is having a good run. |
| Skill Bonus | Some slot bonuses necessitate a specific level of expertise – for example, some games may include a shooting game during the additional round. This is an unusual occurrence, as most slots are designed to be open to the general public. |
| Slot Club | It’s also called the “players club” and is a type of casino promotion geared toward returning customers. A slot club or a similar institution can be found in the majority of land-based casinos in Las Vegas. Most casinos provide you with a specific card that allows you to keep track of your winnings and comp points. |
| Slot Host | An employee in land-based casinos who is responsible for assisting customers and handling any concerns related to the club’s memberships and membership benefits. |
| Slot tournament | A game of chance in which participants compete against each other on slots. Some of the more frequent formats and rules for slot tournaments are listed in our guide to playing slots. |
| Small Blind | The amount placed into the pot by the person directly to the left of the dealer. Blinds are determined by the position of the “button.” |
| Snake Eyes | To get snake eyes at craps, you roll two ones or two on the dice. |
| Soft Hand | A soft hand occurs when someone has a hand that counts an Ace as an 11, such as a soft 17 with an Ace and a 6. |
| Soft Total | In situations where the Ace is used as an 11 and where the total does not exceed 21, this total is referred to as a ‘Soft Total’. |
| Spin | When you press the spin button, the slots will go through one round of spinning. Classic slots had a lever that was replaced by a button. |
| Split | When a player receives a pair in blackjack, they have the option of playing them as a pair or splitting them. If split, they receive a new card on both to start two new hands, but this requires them to wager an equal amount to the original bet. |
| Split Bet | A wager on two numbers that are adjacent to one another on the table. The odds on this wager are 17:1. |
| Square bet | Similar to the Corner Bet. |
| Stacked Symbols | These days, you’ll see them on online slots. A single reel is decked out with identical symbols stacked on top of one another in neighboring locations. The chances of hitting a winning combination are considerably improved when symbols are stacked. |
| Stacked Wilds | Wild symbols that stack vertically are similar to stacked symbols. Stacking wilds can enhance many paylines, which is an appealing aspect of the game. |
| Stand | When a player stands, they receive no more cards from the dealer. |
| Stand 17 (S17) | A specific rule in blackjack, where the dealer takes a stand when they have a soft 17. |
| Stand Off | In cases where the player has the same hand as the dealer, there is a standoff. This leads to a push. |
| Standard Deviation | Standard Deviation is a measure of how spread the numbers are and is used to determine how far or how often an outcome will deviate from the average. |
| Standing Hand | A hard hand that totals 17 or higher is a standing hand, so the player should stand. |
| Standoff | In cases where both the Player and the Banker have hands with an equal value, they are joined in a tie or are said to be having a standoff. |
| Stickman | The person at the craps table who is in charge of handing back the dice to the shooter and announcing the outcome of the dice roll. Proposition bets are also placed and paid out by the stickman. |
| Stiff Hand | A hard hand with a value of between 12 and 16 is also called a ‘Stiff Hand’. |
| Straight (up) Bet | An all-or-nothing wager pays 35:1. |
| Streaky Slots | Slots That are said to have varying degrees of success. Modern RNG software has made it more difficult for streaky slots to exist. |
| Street Bet | A street is a group of numbers placed on the roulette wheel’s betting surface. This bet has an 8 per cent probability of winning at 11:1 odds. |
| Surrender | Players that think that they cannot beat the dealer have the option of forfeiting half their wager. |
| Symbols | On the slot reels, the symbols. When playing a slot, not only is the visual appeal vital but so is the gaming aspect. Numerous peculiar symbols can be seen in today’s video slots. |
T
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Table of Play | Baccarat employs a set of rules called Table of Play, which denote the various scores allowing players to receive a third card. |
| Taking the Odds | In craps, taking odds entails making an odds bet. |
| Texas Hold’Em | The most popular and most common poker variation found at casinos. The game is played with each player receiving two hole cards and the dealer displaying five community cards. The players must play both hole cards to create the best hand possible in order to win. |
| The Field Bet | Two, three, four, nine, ten, eleven or twelve in a craps bet. |
| Three-Liner | A 3-wheel slot that requires you to hit 3- matching symbols in order to win the jackpot. |
| Tie | Same as a ‘Stand Off’. The Tie Bet is one of the three possible bets in Baccarat. When a hand ends in a tie, it becomes a push in the absence of a tie bet. This wager has the highest base house edge, which also gives it the best payout. |
| Tight Slots | Cold slots and hot slots are both terms used to describe games that pay out less frequently and have negative streaks. |
| Tilt | When a player begins to play poorly due to a lack of judgment and their emotions taking over during the game. |
| Toke | Players can give tips or a toke at a casino. This is not a requirement, but it does happen in the cases of big wins. |
| Top 3 | A side bet in blackjack that is used in conjunction with 21+3. As per the latter, the player’s initial two cards and the dealer’s up card are combined for a three-card poker hand. |
| Total Bet | All of the money you’ve put into the game. |
| Trail | Games with this functionality include some slots. As the game progresses, the player will be able to unlock more prizes. |
| Trio Bet | Similar to the street Bet. |
| True Count | The True Count is calculated by dividing the running count by the number of decks left to be dealt. |
| Tumbling Reels | Cascading reels are shown. |
| Turn | The fourth face-up community card displayed by the dealer. This round follows the “flop” and comes before the “river.” After the “turn,” another round of wagering will commence. |
U
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Underdog | The player with the worst hand based on probability. |
| Upcard | A card that has been turned face-up during a game of Baccarat. |
V
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Variance | Another term for volatility. Variance in blackjack is defined as the difference between the expected advantage and the actual results produced. |
| Variance | Volatility is referred to as this. |
| Video Poker | A computerized version of a poker game that uses RNG software. |
| Video Slots | Since the 1980s, this has been the most popular type of slot game. It is common for video slots to have five reels and a big number of paylines, making them more visually appealing. After the 1978 release of the first video slot machine, Fortune Coin, video slots swiftly supplanted the more traditional mechanical slots in popularity. |
| Vigorish | Baccarat works with a commission, or a vigorish, which is a percentage fee that is taken by the casino from the winnings of a successful wager. |
| Virtual Reel | There are no mechanical reels in current slots; instead, the reels are virtual. More combinations and greater prizes can result as a result. |
| Volatility | The volatility of a slot game, also known as variance, can be high, medium, or low. Low-volatility slots are considered low-risk since they pay out frequently, but the winnings are lower. As a result, you’re more likely to walk away empty-handed if you play high-volatility slots. Visit our page on slot volatility for more information. |
W
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Wager | Observe the bet. |
| Whale | A whale is a blackjack player who plays at high limits. |
| Wheel | 37 or 38 colored and numbered slots on a horizontally spinning wheel. |
| Wide Area Progressive (WAP) | Those WAP jackpot slots are part of a network of slots throughout a large area, all linked together in a single pot for jackpot wins. The payouts in these games are typically larger – most online progressive jackpot slots may be classified as WAP. |
| Wild Multiplier | A multiplier and a wild card in one. |
| Wild Symbol | A joker is a special slot symbol that can substitute for any other sign. When it appears on a payline, it can fill in for a symbol that has fallen out of place. With wilds, the player has a better chance of making a winning combination. |
| Win | One of the possible outcomes of casino games is a win. This can include the matching of symbols aligned on an active payline in slots, a certain sequence of cards in card games, or any other outcome as dictated by the online casino game rules. |
| Win marker | On the roulette table, a marker is used to indicate the winning number. |
| Win-Both-Ways | If you’re looking for games with multiple ways to win, look no further than “multi-way slots.” |
| Wonging | Wonging in blackjack happens when you back count and only bet when you have the edge. |
| Wrong Bettor | Craps player who wagers against the pass line or the come-out roll. |
X
Table of all casino-related words starting with X (There’s nothing here for now, but we will update this section with more relevant words.)
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Y
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Yellow/Orange/Pumpkin Chip | A $1,000 chip. |
| Yo | Yo, or Yo-Eleven, is craps slang for the number eleven to distinguish it from the number seven. |
Z
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Zig-Zag | Most newer video slots have a greater number of paylines than traditional slots. As a result, paylines tend to zigzag these days. |
Learning Casino Lingo
Learning casino glossary is one the best ways to improve your gaming experience. Whether you are an online or live casino player is neither here nor there.
A clean grasp of casino terminology is vital for any casino player worth their salt. You will find that it also builds your confidence, allowing you to play a more relaxed game, either virtually or against other live casino players.
Dive into our casino dictionary and improve your game.