Casino Terminology: A Glossary of Common Casino Terms

The casino has its own unique language, a colorful mix of slang, jargon, and technical terms. To a newcomer, it can be a bit intimidating. This glossary will help you to understand the language of the casino and feel more at home on the gaming floor.

A

• Action: The total amount of money that a player bets over a certain period of time.
• Advantage Player: A player who uses skill and strategy to gain a mathematical advantage over the casino.
• All-In: In poker, to bet all of your remaining chips.
• Ante: A small bet that is required of all players before a hand begins.

B

• Bankroll: The total amount of money that a player has set aside for gambling.
• Basic Strategy: A set of rules that dictates the optimal way to play every hand in blackjack.
• Betting Limits: The minimum and maximum amounts of money that a player can bet on a single hand or spin.
• Bonus: A promotional offer that is given to players by a casino.
• Burn Card: A card that is removed from the top of the deck before a hand begins.
• Bust: In blackjack, to have a hand with a total value of more than 21.

C

• Cage: The area of the casino where you can exchange your chips for cash.
• Card Counting: A technique that is used to determine whether the next hand in blackjack is likely to give an advantage to the player or the dealer.
• Carousel: A group of slot machines that are arranged in a circle.
• Chips: The tokens that are used to make bets in a casino.
• Cold Streak: A run of bad luck.
• Comp: A complimentary item or service that is given to a player by the casino.
• Croupier: The French term for a dealer.

D

• Dealer: The casino employee who is responsible for running a table game.
• Deuce: A two.
• Double Down: In blackjack, to double your initial bet and receive only one more card.
• Down Card: A card that is dealt face down.

E

• Edge: The advantage that the casino has in a game.
• Even Money: A bet that pays out at 1 to 1.

F

• Face Cards: The King, Queen, and Jack.
• Fill: In poker, to get the card you need to complete a straight or a flush.
• Fish: An inexperienced or unskilled poker player.
• Flop: In Texas Hold'em, the first three community cards that are dealt face up.
• Fold: In poker, to forfeit your hand and any chance of winning the pot.

H

• Hand: The cards that are held by a player.
• High Roller: A player who bets large amounts of money.
• Hit: In blackjack, to request another card.
• Hole Card: In blackjack, the dealer's down card.
• Hot Streak: A run of good luck.
• House: The casino.
• House Edge: The mathematical advantage that the casino has in a game.

I

• Inside Bet: In roulette, a bet on a specific number or a small group of numbers.
• Insurance: In blackjack, a side bet that the dealer has blackjack.

J

• Jackpot: A large prize that is offered in a slot machine or other game.

L

• Lobby: The area of an online casino where you can choose which game to play.
• Loose Slot: A slot machine that is said to pay out more frequently.

M

• Marker: An IOU that is signed by a player.
• Maximum Bet: The highest amount of money that you can bet on a single hand or spin.
• Minimum Bet: The lowest amount of money that you can bet on a single hand or spin.

O

• Odds: The probability of a particular outcome occurring.
• Outside Bet: In roulette, a bet on a large group of numbers.

P

• Pat Hand: In video poker, a hand that does not need to be improved.
• Payline: The line on a slot machine where the symbols must land to form a winning combination.
• Payout: The amount of money that is paid out for a winning bet.
• Pit: The area of the casino where the table games are located.
• Pit Boss: The casino employee who is in charge of the pit.
• Push: A tie.

R

• Rake: The commission that is taken by the house in a poker game.
• RNG: Random Number Generator. The software that is used to ensure that the outcome of online casino games is random and fair.
• River: In Texas Hold'em, the fifth and final community card.

S

• Shark: A skilled and experienced poker player.
• Shoe: A device that is used to hold multiple decks of cards.
• Shuffle: To mix the cards in a random order.
• Slot Machine: A machine that is used to play a game of chance.
• Split: In blackjack, to separate two cards of the same value into two separate hands.
• Stand: In blackjack, to keep your current hand and end your turn.
• Surrender: In blackjack, to forfeit your hand and half of your bet.

T

• Tell: A clue that a poker player gives about the strength of their hand.
• Tight Slot: A slot machine that is said to pay out less frequently.
• Toke: A tip that is given to a dealer.
• Turn: In Texas Hold'em, the fourth community card.

U

• Upcard: The dealer's face-up card.

V

• Vigorish (Vig): The commission that is taken by the house in a poker game or a sports bet.

W

• Whale: A player who bets very large amounts of money.

Internal Linking Suggestions:

• Link to individual game guides where specific terms are used.
• Link to "A Beginner's Guide to Visiting a Casino".