Are you a first-timer in casino games? Have you got a passion for casinos but find it hard to understand the casino terms used in casino games, including the slang terms?
Well, worry, not. We all were where you are right now. However, after reading some of the best casino game guides and showing interest in playing casino games, just the same way as you do, we were able to master the game and all gamble terms commonly used in the casino.
Being smart as we are, we will help you master basic casino terms, and you will not feel embarrassed with gambling terms in front of people, just the same way we did.
We have designed this simple but detailed gambling glossary to help you understand gambling jargon and the commonly used casino terms.
Let us keep the ball rolling by listing and explaining the casino terms used in the gambling industry.
Shall we?
Casino Terms Explained
We have tried to list the terms alphabetically to make navigation easier for you.
Let’s get started.
A
Action: This casino term has different meanings. It might mean casino play or the total amount of funds deposited into play. It might also refer to a dealer expression telling players it is their turn to play.
Active Player: This is a poker term used to refer to someone who is still in the game- the player who has not folded.
Advance Deposit Wagering: ADW is increasingly becoming popular in the US. Mostly, it applies to horse racing in the US. It refers to a gambling technique, where players are required to deposit funds into their accounts before placing bets.
Advantage Gambling/Play: This refers to standard methods (no cheating) used by the player to gain an advantage while gambling. The player is advantaged over the casino or other players. Most casinos do not welcome advantage play. In some cases, the advantage play can get you banned.
Aggregate Limit: A maximum amount of money that is paid out to a participant during a game.
Aggregate Winnings: These are the total winnings.
American Roulette: Refers to a roulette variant with a wheel of 38 pockets (one of which is the double zero).
Ante: It is a compulsory stake required from each participant before starting a hand, mostly used in poker and card games.
Arbitrage Betting: Refers to a betting technique where a bettor can place multiple bets in one event with a view of making profits regardless of the results. Other names of arbitrage betting are “miracle bets,” “sure bets,” “arbs,” “sure wins,” or “sports arbitrage.” It is a term used mostly in sports betting.
B
Banker: It is a term used in casino referring to players betting against at the table. Typically, the banker rotates every or every other turn.
Bankroll: It’s the total amount of money a player has put aside for gambling. It is also the total amount of cash that the casino has at hand to use in their wagering activities.
Barred: This refers to when you have been banned entirely from entering the casino’s premises.
Beef: This is the occasion when you have a dispute with your bookmaker or the casino’s dealer. This mostly occurs due to the outcome of the bet.
Beginners Luck: This is used when a beginner outshines experienced players. In gambling, most new players are always on the winning streak. A winning streak refers to continuous, uninterrupted wins in games (without losses or ties/draws)
Bet receipt: This is where a player’s unique bet number is documented to prove that that player is the one who placed the bet.
Betting Limits: Betting limits refer to the minimum or maximum amount of money that players can bet or wager on one bet. Bettors are restricted from placing bets lesser than the minimum amount or higher than the full amount expected. However, some casinos might extend the maximum limit on special requests.
Bingo: It’s a price game where players buy cards with numbers on them in 5×5, corresponding to the five letters in the word B-I-N-G-O. Each player matches the numbers printed in the cards with the numbers drawn or marked by the game caller, also known as the host.
Blackjack: It is a card game that compares a player or more and a dealer such that each participant competes against the dealer.
Blind Bet: This is a bet placed without the player seeing any of his or her cards. This kind of bet is mainly found in poker games.
Bonus: Extra funds are funded into the player’s account by an online casino as an incentive for opening an account and depositing or as a reward when a participant wage a certain amount on games. Different casinos offer different bonuses and promotions.
Bookmaker: Refers to an organization or person who accepts bets from players. They are also responsible for receiving and paying out wagers on odds agreed during betting. Another name they are known with is booker.
C
Call: In poker, matching the current bet is what you refer to as a call.
Camouflage: To camouflage in gambling is when skilled players do anything possible within their means to hide their activities from the casino to throw off a casino’s examination. Some players would go to the extent of acting like drunkards to avoid that scrutiny.
Card Counting: It is a casino card game strategy used in blackjack casino games to evaluate whether the next hand will give the player or the dealer an advantage.
Card Sharp: If you are an expert in cards, you can be referred to as a card sharp. This means that you are outstanding at card games. A card sharp is an alternative term for a card shark.
Card Washing: A term used to explain the card washing technique where the dealer places all the cards such that the cards face down on the surface and shuffles (randomly mixing up a deck of cards) them in a face-like-washing motion on the surface of the table before performing the real shuffle. It’s usually done to avoid inconsistencies that might have emerged during the previous hand.
Casino Token: It is a cumulative term that is used to describe chips, checks, plates, and coins that are used in casinos in place of hard currency. Casino tokens can be cashed or bought.
Carpet Joint: A slang term used in the US to mean a luxury gambling casino.
Case money: While gambling, a player’s bankroll can run out of cash. That’s why you need emergency money just in case it happens. The emergency money is what is called case money.
Cashier’s cage: A place in the casino where you cash in the chips.
Casino: A casino is a facility that offers gambling services. They are mostly built near hotels, resorts, ships, and other tourist attraction sites.
Chase: The act of trying to recover lost money in a bet is also known as chasing. You can always recover your lost money by placing another bet.
Chips: They are round plastic discs that the casino requires you to use while betting. You can buy them at the gaming tables and exchange them at the cashier’s cage at the end of the game after winning.
Comp Points: Are incentives given to the players by casinos to motivate them to gamble. Examples are; meal and beverage vouchers, free hotel rooms, or branded casino merchandise like t-shirts, caps, or umbrellas.
D
Dealer: A person who has been employed by the casino to assist players at the gambling tables. Their key responsibilities are distributing bets and payouts.
Deposit: Funds players put into their online casino accounts to play for real money.
Double or Nothing: Refers to an accurate or an even bet. It is where it pays off an exact amount of money wagered.
Double Down: It is where a player places the same amount as the previous bet, and in the event where he or she beats the dealer’s hand, he wins double the amount of their initial bet. If he or she does not win, he loses double the amount of their initial bet. This is mostly used in blackjack games.
Double up: Refers to when players double the amount they used in the previous bet to win back the cash lost on their first bet.
Download Casino: An online casino type that requires players to download software for them to play.
Draw: In poker games, you are said to be in a ‘draw’ when you stay in the game with the hope of getting more cards to improve your hand.
Dropbox: The place where all the money, chips, and markers are kept in the gambling table.
E
Edge: When a player is at the edge, it implies that he is on an advantage over the opponent. Not that there is a difference between Edge and House Edge.
En Prison: En Prison is like a bonus offered in some casinos. When the roulette spins and stops at zero, the player receives the total bet back. You can only receive the stake back if the whole bet was for even money.
Even Money: It is a bet that pays the player back the amount they wagered together with their original bet. It is a bet with odds of 1:1.
F
Face cards: They are cards used in casino gambling games because they bear human faces images. They include any Jack, Kings, and Queens in a deck of cards.
Flat Betting: Refers to when a specific player is known for placing a certain amount of bet in all his games, like, for example, always using 10 dollars to bet in all games. This form of betting requires blackjack players to remain consistent and bet using the same amount from time to time.
Flea: A player who annoyingly wants to be given incentives for a smaller wager.
Fish: In most cases, new players are termed as ‘fish’ on the table. This is because they quickly tend to lose money.
Firing: The act of a player making lots of bets using large sums of money.
Fold: When you remove or eliminate yourself from the bet when the gambling process is ongoing.
G
George: Also known as a tipper. Refers to a player who often tips the dealers generously.
Grease: Casino term for a bribe.
Grinding out: It is when a player is consistently playing at the gambling table.
Gross Winnings: The total payouts, including your stakes.
Groom Porter: A groom porter is the owner of a gaming hall or a casino operator.
H
Hand: Refers to the cards you hold or have been dealt with during a game.
Hard Count:: It is the casino activity where hard currency is counted, and it is usually done under high security.
High Roller: A high roller is a player who places big bets.
Hit: When you want to take another card, you instruct the dealer to let them know that you need an extra card. That instruction is the term referred to as a hit.
Honeymoon Period: It is the period in gambling when new players frequently win. Also known as the beginner’s luck.
House: A house is another term for a casino—a gambling center.
House Edge: House Edge implies that the casino is advantaged over players’ games. Note the difference between House Edge and Edge.
I
Inside Bets: Are roulette bets that aim at placing a bet on a specific number on the roulette table.
Insurance: It s a bet set aside that is distinct to the original stake of a gambler, offered only when a dealer’s upcard is an ace acting as a safety net against opponent blackjack.
Instant Casino: It is a version of an online casino that does not require players to download software for them to play. You play straight from the browser.
J
Jackpot: A jackpot is a big win on a slot machine or a grand prize that you can win in a game. They are mostly offered in a slot machine and video poker games.
Jacks or Better: This is a video poker expression meaning a pair of jacks or high ranking cards gets a player a win.
Joker: A joker is often used as a wild card. It is usually the 53rd card.
Junket: These are casino comp points usually for cardholders and VIP players that include free amenities like hotel entertainment, air entertainment, dining entertainment, and many more.
K
Kicker: A card that does not participate in deciding the hand’s rank but is usable in breaking ties between the same position’s hands.
Keno: A lottery-like game, trendy in Canada, where wagering by players is done by choosing numbers ranging from 1 to 80.
L
Late Betting: Late betting is when you attempt to bet after the dealer has announced the time of placing wagers is over. It is impossible in online betting because the system has been set to command the software to stop any player from placing a bet when the timeline has ended.
Layer: A person who lays the odds. Also known as a bookmaker.
Layout: Refers to cloth on a gambling table where markings show where to place your bets.
Live Dealer Games: These are online casino games that are played against real dealers. The games are live-streamed; thus, players playing casino live dealer games can see the games and dealers on their gadgets using a live streaming video link. Players can also live chat with the dealer.
M
Marker: It is a check written or created at a gaming table by players who have established credit with the casino. Also known as an IOU.
Martingale: Is a betting system that often doubles up after a loss.
Maximum Bet: Refers to the highest amount wagered in a game. It is the opposite of Minimum Bet.
Minimum Bet: Refers to the lowest amount wagered in a game. It is the opposite of Maximum Bet.
Mechanic: A slang term used to refer to a dealer who is known to cheat.
Muck: Refers to when a hand is folded into the discard pile, facedown.
Multiplier: It Is a feature of a bonus in slot games where payouts can be multiplied in doubles, triple, or up to ten times on a bonus win.
N
No Limit: Refers to a card game that does not limit a player’s bet.
Net Winnings: They are the total payouts minus the players’ bets or wagers.
Nut: The overall costs of running a casino or a fixed amount of cash the players decide to win in a game.
O
Odds: The probabilities ratio on the chance of players landing a win adjusted to include profits.
Odds Compiler: This is a person responsible for setting the odds of an event by the bookmaker.
Open: It is the player who bets first in a poker game.
Outside Bets: These are bets found on the external platform of roulette. They are even-money bet games like even/odd. High/low, and black/red.
Overlay: Bet value which sees players getting an edge over the casino.
P
Payoff: Payoff is the cash you receive after winning a bet.
Pit: It is a part of a casino where several gambling tables are arranged, and the center area is strictly for dealers and casino personnel.
Pot: Refers to the amount of money that players have bet during a card game and will be won by only the most potent hand or in a situation where all the other players fold.
Pot Limit: This refers to when players in a card game are limited to only betting what is in the pot at that particular time.
Push: It is when both the dealer and player hold a tie. In this case, there is no winner, and the player will be given back all his stake in full.
R
Rack: It is a big plastic container that is used to transport and also count slot machine tokens, casino chips, and large-denomination coins.
Rake: Cash charged by the casino for each hand of poker. It’s usually taken from the pot after every round of betting with a percentage of 5-10%
Rated: The estimate of a player’s bankrolls or skill in gambling that the casino uses to determine the comp value.
S
Shark: An experienced player who pretends to be new in a game.
Shill: It is a term used for players who play actively in a game with no intention of making money. They are appointed by the casino to play on empty tables in a casino until real players join the game.
Shoe: A wooden box device used for holding and dispensing cards to be dealt with by the players.
Shuffle up: It is the untimely shuffling of cards by the dealer.
Stake: This is the amount of money placed on a bet. Also known as the wager.
T
Table Limit: The table limit is the minimum or maximum amount allowed at a gambling table in the casino. They are used to determine who plays at a gambling table.
Tic-Tac: When the bookmakers want to communicate amongst themselves in a casino, they use a sign language termed as tic-tac.
Table Hold: The money that the casino wins from players during an eight-hour shift is referred to as the table hold.
Tapping out: The situation when a player has lost his entire bankroll and is forced to opt-out of the game since he no longer has the cash to purchase a bet.
Toke: It is a tip given to the dealer by the player. It is often provided by the player who places the highest bets, also known as George.
U
Up-card: The dealers’ face-up card in Blackjack.
Underplay: It is a bet that is not favorable. Despite being unfavorable, they are still attractive because of the payout they offer.
Unit: Smallest wagering sum of money.
V
Video Poker: Online casino game based on 5-draw poker.
Vigorish: Often referred to as a vig. It is the amount charged by a bookie for accepting a bet.
W
Wager: It is the amount you place on one round of a game. They are also referred to as a bet.
Washing: This is when the dealer spreads out the cards face down, mix them up before shuffling.
Whale: A player who makes large bets or wagers. It is another casino term for a high roller.
White meat: Refers to profits you get from gambling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Casino Worker Called?
What a casino worker is called depends on what they do at the casino. If they work at the tables, placing bets for customers, they are called the croupier.
What is Another Word for Casino?
Another word for casino includes Gambling Den, Club, Monte Carlo, Big Store, Dance Hall, Clubhouse, Pool Hall, Dice Joint, Rotunda, Hall, Dive, Joint, Track, Roadhouse, Honky-Tonk, House, Saloon, and Bank.
What Do You Call a Big Gambler?
A big gambler is referred to as a Whale or a High Roller. The most commonly used term for a big gambler is High Roller.
Conclusion
The above casino terminologies and slang for betting terms are the most commonly used in the gambling industry. Master them, and enjoy the game!