Glossary of Casino & Gambling Terms

Whether you’re a seasoned player at the casino tables, a fan of online betting, or just curious about the world of gambling, understanding casino and gambling terms is vital. From card game jargon to slot machine slang, this collection of terms will help you navigate through the exciting atmosphere of casinos and gambling. We have compiled for you hundreds of key terms used in the world of gambling. Getting acquainted with this vocabulary will not only enrich your gambling experience but also enable you to communicate effectively with fellow enthusiasts and professionals. If you’re interested in a specific term or wish to expand your understanding, you can explore each term further by clicking on it, thereby gaining a deeper insight into the gambling world.

• Action: Total amount of money wagered by a player during a session.
• Action Gambler: A player who enjoys the thrill of betting large.
• Action Player: A player who consistently bets large amounts.
• Advantage Player: A player who legally exploits games for profit.
• Aggregate Limit: Total payout liability of a casino during any one game.
• All or Nothing: A ticket that only pays if all events win, or none of them do.
• Anchor: The last player to act in a blackjack game, seated farthest from the dealer.
• Ante: Initial bet required in some card games to start the play.
• Baccarat: A card game where players aim to get a hand total closest to nine.
• Back Counting: Counting cards without actually playing.
• Backline Betting: When a player bets on another player’s hand in card games.
• Bad Beat: Losing a bet or hand that you were initially favored to win.
• Bank: The stack of chips used by the dealer or house.
• Banker: The dealer or the main holder of the game in certain card games.
• Banker Bet: A wager on the banker hand in baccarat.
• Bankroll: Total amount of money a player intends to gamble with.
• Barber Pole: In craps, a bet made with uneven stacks of chips.
• Barred: When a player is banned from a casino.
• Base Dealer: Dealer responsible for one side of a craps table.
• Betting Spread: The difference between the highest and lowest bets a player makes.
• Black Book: A list of banned players.
• Black Chip: A casino chip worth $100.
• Blind Bet: A bet made without looking at one’s cards.
• Bluff: Betting with a weak hand hoping to scare off other players.
• Box: Area on the craps table for Come or Don’t Come bets.
• Boxman: Casino employee supervising the craps table.
• Break: In blackjack, when both the player and dealer bust.
• Breaking Hand: A hand in blackjack that can be busted with a one-card draw.
• Brick and Mortar: Traditional land-based casinos, as opposed to online.
• Bridge: The stand on which the croupier rests the stick in craps.
• Buck: A $100 bet.
• Buffalo: Betting every Hardway and Any Seven in craps.
• Burn Card: The first card dealt from the shoe or deck, discarded unseen.
• Bust: In blackjack, when a hand’s value exceeds 21.
• Bust Out: To lose all of one’s money.
• Button: A disk used to indicate the dealer or the last to act in poker.
• Buy-In: The amount of money required to enter a game or tournament.
• Cage: The location in the casino where cash, chips, and coin are stored.
• Camouflage: Strategy players use to hide their skill level or strategy.
• Camouflage Betting: Varying bets or play to avoid detection as a skilled player.
• Capping: Cheating by adding more chips to an original bet after it’s won.
• Card Shark: An expert card player.
• Card Washing: A dealer action to mix the cards, used before shuffling.
• Carousel: A group of slot machines organized in a circle.
• Case Bet: The last of your gambling money.
• Case Money: Emergency money.
• Cash Ladder: Feature in slots where players can stop a light on a prize.
• Cashback: A casino bonus that returns a portion of your losses.
• Cashier’s Cage: Area in the casino where players cash in their chips.
• Chase:  To bet more in an attempt to win back losses.
• Check:  In poker, to pass without betting.
• Chips: Casino currency used to place bets.
• Cocktail Waitress: Casino staff serving complimentary drinks.
• Coin Board: In slots, the board displaying available jackpots.
• Cold Deck: A deck introduced into play by a cheater.
• Cold Streak: A prolonged period of losing in a game.
• Cold Table: A table where players are on a losing streak.
• Color Up: Exchanging many smaller-valued chips for fewer larger denominations.
• Coloring Up: Exchanging smaller denominations of chips for larger ones.
• Come Bet: In craps, a bet made after the point is established.
• Comp Points: Points earned while playing, redeemable for cash or prizes.
• Complementary: Free services or items given to players, often called “comps”.
• Comps: Freebies offered by casinos to valuable players.
• Copy: In Pai Gow Poker, when the player and banker have the same hand.
• Count Down: To sort chips after a game.
• Cracking the Nut: Earning enough gambling profits to cover all expenses.
• Crap Out: In craps, when the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12 on the come-out roll.
• Crossroader: Old term for a cheat.
• Croupier: Casino dealer, typically in roulette or baccarat.
• Cut Card: Plastic card used to cut the deck in card games.
• Cutting: Splitting the deck after shuffling before the start of a game.
• D’Alembert System: A betting system where one unit is added for a loss, and one subtracted for a win.
• Dead Man’s Hand: In poker, two pair – Aces and Eights.
• Deal: Distributing cards to players.
• Dealer’s Signature: When a roulette dealer develops a consistent pattern of spins.
• Deposit Bonus: A bonus given on the amount you deposit into a casino account.
• Deuce: The number two or a card with a rank of two.
• Dirty Money: Money that’s been bet and is temporarily not in play.
• Discard Tray: A tray on the dealer’s right side that holds discarded cards.
• Don’t Come Bet: In craps, a bet against the dice after the point is established.
• Don’t Pass Bet: In craps, betting against the shooter.
• Double Down: In blackjack, to double the initial bet in exchange for one more card.
• Double or Nothing: An even-money bet.
• Down Card: A card dealt face down.
• Draw: Taking additional cards, like in poker or blackjack.
• Drop: Money lost or the total amount of money exchanged for chips.
• Drop Box: Box on a gaming table where cash and chips are deposited.
• Early Cash Out: Withdrawing money before meeting wager requirements of a bonus.
• Early Surrender: Giving up half your wager before the dealer checks for blackjack.
• Edge: The advantage in a game, typically referring to the house.
• Edge Sorting: A controversial method where players determine face-down card values.
• En Prison: Roulette rule where even-money bets are held over if the ball lands on zero.
• Encore: Asking for another card to be dealt, typically in baccarat.
• Even Money: A 1:1 bet.
• Even Money Bet: A bet with 1:1 odds.
• Expected Value (EV): The potential long-term return on a bet.
• Expected Win Rate: Percentage of the total amount of money wagered that a player expects to win.
• Eye in the Sky: Surveillance cameras in a casino.
• Face Card: King, Queen, or Jack in a deck of cards.
• Face Down Game: Card games where the first card dealt is face down.
• Facing Cards: In blackjack, a King, Queen, or Jack.
• Fading: Betting against someone.
• False Shuffle: When the dealer gives the appearance of shuffling, but doesn’t.
• Fifth Street: In stud poker, the third round of betting.
• Firing: Betting large amounts.
• Fish: A novice player who loses often.
• Flash: Accidentally showing a card.
• Flat Betting: Betting the same amount repeatedly.
• Flat Top: A slot machine with a fixed top jackpot.
• Floorman: Casino supervisor who oversees the dealers.
• Flop: In poker, the first three community cards dealt face up.
• Four Corners: Betting on numbers in the corner of the roulette table.
• Fractional Slot: Slot machines that accept coins less than a dollar.
• Front Money: Depositing money at the casino cashier for use in games.
• Gagging: Making a bad bet on purpose.
• Gambler’s Fallacy: Belief that past events can affect future outcomes in games of chance.
• Gaming Board: Regulatory agency
• George: A player who tips generously.
• Grease: A bribe or tip given to a dealer.
• Greens: Green casino chips generally valued at $25.
• Grind: Winning small amounts over a long period.
• Gutshot: In poker, drawing to an inside straight.
• Hard Hand: In blackjack, a hand without an Ace or with an Ace valued as 1.
• High Bet: A bet that the next roll will be a certain high number.
• High Limit: Games in which large bets are allowed.
• High Roller: A player known for betting large amounts of money.
• High Roller Room: Special area in a casino where big bettors play.
• High-Low Bet: In roulette, betting on a group of numbers either 1-18 or 19-36.
• Hit: In blackjack, to request another card.
• Hole Card: In blackjack, the face-down card of the dealer.
• Hop Bet: In craps, a one-roll bet on a specific dice combination.
• Hopper: The part of a slot machine that holds the coins.
• Horn Bet: In craps, a bet on 2, 3, 11, and 12 for the next roll.
• Hot Shooter: In craps, a player on a winning streak.
• Hot Streak: A prolonged period of winning in a game.
• Hot Table: A table where players are on a winning streak.
• House Edge: The statistical advantage the casino has in a game.
• House Limit: The maximum amount a casino will allow you to bet before the game starts.
• House Way: The set rules a casino dealer must follow when playing their hand.
• Implied Odds: Potential future returns on bets in poker.
• Inside Bet: In roulette, a bet placed on the numbered part of the grid.
• Insurance Bet: In blackjack, a side bet that the dealer has a blackjack.
• Isolating: Raising with the intent to go heads up against a single opponent in poker.
• Jackpot: The grand prize or the largest payout in a game.
• Jackpot Jump: Slot feature where the jackpot increases in value.
• Joker: A card in a deck that doesn’t have a suit or rank, often used as a wild card.
• Juice: The commission taken by the house.
• Kelly Criterion: A mathematical formula to determine bet size for optimal growth.
• Kicker: In poker, an unpaired card that determines the better of two hands.
• Kitty: A pool of money built by collecting small amounts from certain pots.
• Ladderman: The casino employee supervising a baccarat game.
• Late Surrender: Surrendering your hand after the dealer checks for blackjack.
• Lay Bet: Betting that a point will not be rolled before a 7 in craps.
• Layout: The printed details on a gaming table indicating where to place the bets.
• Load Up: Betting the maximum amount allowed.
• Lock: A bet considered a sure win.
• Loose: Term describing a slot machine with a generous payout.
• Loose/Tight Machine: Slot machine that pays out frequently/infrequently.
• Low Limit: Games where only small bets are allowed.
• Lump Sum: Winnings paid all at once, rather than in instalments.
• Marker: Credit provided by the casino.
• Martingale System: Doubling one’s bet after every loss.
• Match Bonus: Casino bonus equal to the deposit amount.
• Match Play: A promotion allowing players to match their bet with a coupon.
• Mechanic: A dealer or player who cheats using sleight of hand.
• Mechanic’s Grip: A way of holding the cards that aids in cheating.
• Mechanical Slot: Traditional slot machines with actual spinning reels.
• Megalats: A linked system of progressive slots with huge jackpots.
• Muck: To discard or throw away your hand.
• Multi-Hand Game: Casino games that allow the player to play several hands at once.
• Multi-Player Game: Games where multiple players play at the same time.
• Multiplier: Slot feature where wins can be multiplied up to a certain amount.
• Multiplier Slot Machine: Slot machine where the payout increases with each coin played.
• Mystery Jackpot: A jackpot that pays out at a specific and undisclosed point.
• Natural: In blackjack, an Ace with a 10, Jack, Queen, or King.
• Nickel Slot: Slot machine that allows a maximum bet of five coins.
• Nina Ross: Slang for the number nine in craps.
• Non-Negotiable Chip: Promotional chips that can be bet but not cashed out.
• Non-Sticky Bonus: A type of bonus that can be withdrawn after wagering requirements are met.
• Nut: The amount a player tries to win for a session.
• Odds: The likelihood of a specific outcome, typically a bet’s payout.
• Odds Bet: In craps, a bet after the point has been established.
• On Tilt: Playing poorly due to emotions.
• Outside Bet: In roulette, a bet on larger combinations, like red/black.
• Overlay: When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the bettor, not the house.
• Paddle: The plastic tool used by dealers to push money into the drop box.
• Paint: Slang for any face card in deck games.
• Painting the Deck: Slang for the act of shuffling the deck.
• Pair Splitting: In blackjack, when a player splits a pair into two separate hands.
• Palette: The wooden tool used by croupiers to move cards on the table.
• Pass: Declining to bet or to fold.
• Pat: In draw poker, a hand that doesn’t need any more hands.
• Payline: The line on a slot machine where symbols must land for a win.
• Payout Percentage: The percentage of all money wagered in a game that will be paid out over time.
• Payout Table: A chart displaying the amount of money won for various combinations.
• Pigeon:
• Pit: Area in a casino with table games, managed by the pit boss.
• Pit Boss: Casino employee responsible for all the tables in a particular area.
• Pit Critter: Slang for a pit boss or manager.
• Pit Manager: Person in charge of the pit, overseeing games, dealers, and players.
• Playthrough Requirement: The amount you need to wager before bonus funds can be withdrawn.
• Pocket Cards: In poker, the cards dealt face-down to each player.
• Point: In craps, the number set on the come-out roll.
• Pot: The total amount of money bet in a round in poker.
• Press Bet: To double the bet amount
• Progressive Betting: Increasing or decreasing the size of the bet based on the previous outcome.
• Progressive Jackpot: A jackpot that grows as people play until someone wins.
• Promo Chip: Casino chip that can be used for betting but not cashed out.
• Punch Board: A type of lottery game.
• Punter: Another term for a gambler or player.
• Push: When a hand results in a tie and the bet is returned to the player.
• Pushing Stacks: When a dealer pushes the chips to a winning player.
• Quarter Drop: Slang for a machine that accepts quarters.
• Rabbit Hunting: In poker, asking to see the next card even after folding.
• Rack: A tray that holds casino chips.
• Rainbow Bet: Making bets all over the table.
• Rake: The amount taken from each poker pot by the house.
• Random Jackpot: A jackpot triggered at random, regardless of the combination on the reels.
• Rate Card: Card used to track a gambler’s action for comp purposes.
• Rated: When the casino tracks your play for comps.
• Rebuy: Purchasing more chips in poker tournaments.
• Reel Spinner: Slot machine with spinning reels.
• Reels: The vertical lines on a slot machine where the symbols appear.
• RFB: Room, food, and beverage comps.
• RNG: Random Number Generator used in online casinos.
• Royal Flush: The highest hand in poker, consisting of Ace-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit.
• Royal Match: A blackjack side bet that the first two cards will be of the same suit.
• Scared Money: Money that a player can’t afford to lose.
• Session: A period of play at a casino.
• Shill: A person paid by the casino to start games or fill empty seats.
• Shoe: Device from which multiple decks of cards are dealt.
• Shoe Game: Blackjack game dealt from a shoe.
• Silver Bet: Maximum bet on a silver slot machine.
• Slots Drop: Amount of money put into a slot machine.
• Slots Hold: Amount of money a slot machine keeps.
• Snake Eyes: In craps, a roll that results in two ones.
• Soft Total: In blackjack, a hand containing an Ace valued at 11.
• Stand: In blackjack, to decline additional cards.
• Stiff: A player who rarely tips.
• Stiff Card: In blackjack, cards ranked from 2 to 6.
• Stiff Hand: In blackjack, a hand with a value of 12 through 16.
• Surrender: In blackjack, to forfeit half of one’s bet and give up the hand.
• Table Hold: Amount won by the casino at a specific table.
• Tapped Out: When a gambler has lost all their money.
• Three of a Kind: In poker, three cards of the same rank.
• Tilt: Playing recklessly due to emotions.
• Toke: A tip given to the dealer.
• Toke Box: Box for dealer’s tips.
• Top Prize: Largest prize in a game.
• Upcard: The dealer’s first dealt card, face up, in blackjack.
• Vig (or Vigorish): The casino’s commission on bets, also known as the juice.
• Washing the Cards: Mixing the cards face down.
• Whale: A high roller who wagers very large amounts.
• Wild Card: A card that can be used as any other card for the best possible hand.
• Wonging: Watching a game of blackjack and then joining when the count is favorable.
• Zero Lounge: Area in a casino where games have no house edge.