As a casino fan even if you know the odds of each game, it is imperative to know the common jargons and terminology that are used in casino games and at online casinos. This is your casino dictionary. These terms are part and parcel of each game and whether it is blackjack, roulette, craps, poker or video poker, or even slots, you must be familiar with the lingo. We will provide you with a ready reminder that you can use as a casino dictionary and perhaps have it displayed close enough to your monitor so that you can refer to it when you have any doubts. This list is not exhaustive but it does cover most of the commonly used terms, which you would usually hear at the casino. We are giving you the A-Z of the most commonly used casino terminology.
A: Action – the amount of money betted and when referring to a game of poker it is the money placed in the pot.
Ante – is used in a game of poker referring to a small portion of the minimum wager that each player is required to put into the pot prior to starting a new hand.
B: Bankroll – a player's total amount of money set aside for gambling.
Bust – is to exceed the magical number of 21 in a game of blackjack, resulting in a losing hand.
Bingo – is a popular casino game played at many online bingo sites. To play the game you have to buy a bingo ticket and compare the numbers on it with numbers that are randomly called out by the casino. Online bingo is played for great prices at many bingo sites on the internet. To win at bingo, make sure you have a top bingo strategy that will make your time playing bingo online very enjoyable indeed.
Written for anyone interested in gaming, this dictionary provides an easy-to-use resource that defines casino industry terms and phrases, and makes sense of confusing jargon and buzz words. Moving beyond a traditional glossary or dictionary, the book includes both gaming and business terms and gives readers the tools to communicate effectively.
- Casino glossary G to Q, gambling terms, meaning of words: Terminology, Jargon, Slang, Vocabulary. G Gambler's Anonymous (www.gamblersanonymous.org) - A support group that assists problem gamblers and addicted/compulsive gamblers. George - A player who tips the dealers often and generously.
- Casino Dictionary / Glossary of Terms: Select the letter of the casino term below: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z. Suggest terms for our casino dictionary. Glossary, terminology, jargon, slang and gambling terms used in casino's with the meaning and definitions of the words explained: 'A' A Bite: Request made by a player for a loan.
C: Card counting – a strategy used in blackjack to lower the house edge by keeping track of the percentage of high to low cards from the last time the pack was shuffled.
Chips – they are round tokens that are used in casino gambling instead of cash.
D: Dealer – a casino employee who deals at various games and plays on behalf of the casino.
Deck – is another word for a pack of cards.
E: Even bet – a wager that pays you back and equal amount you wagered, in addition to your original bet
F: Face cards – the picture cards like king, queen jack in a pack of cards
Play games for real rewards. Flush – is a term used in poker and is a hand comprising of five cards of a single suit.
G: Gross earnings – total payout in addition to your original stake.
H: Hand – refers to the cards that you have in your hand or everything that occurs in a card between shuffles of the pack.
House advantage – is the casino's edge over the player in any casino game.
I: Inside bet – a wager in roulette on a single number inclusive of 0 or 00, or a combination of numbers
Inside straight – is another type of bet in a game of roulette
J: Jackpot – an enormous win on a slot machine.
Joker – is the 53rd card in pack, which is at times used as a wild card.
K: Keno board – a large electronic board that presents the winning keno numbers
L: Limit – the maximum amount a player may bet on at a specific event
M: Monkey – an idiomatic expression for a card having the face value of ten
N: Nut – the overheads for running a casino
O: Odds – the ratio of possibilities or the amount a wager pays
P: Payline – the line on a slot machine window where the symbols from each reel line up.
Pass line bet – is the most important of all bets in a game of craps, which is made before the come out roll.
Q: Qualifier – a certain criteria which has to be met to qualify for the jackpot in slots, or in a game of poker the minimum standard hand you require to qualify for part of the pot
R: RNG – the random number generator that denotes a computer chip inside a slot machine generating thousands of numbers every moment.
Rake – is the money that a casino normally charges for each hand of poker, and is normally a percentage or a flat amount that is taken from the pot after each round of wagering. Casino extreme promotions.
S: Stake – the amount of money a player is prepared to play within a single sitting.
Shuffle – is an action done by the dealer prior to each hand wherein he merges the order of the cards
T: Three of a kind – term used in a game of poker to say three cards having the same value
U: Up card – the dealer's uncovered card that is face up for all players to see before they begin to play their hands in a game of blackjack
V: VIP – a person who bets large amounts and is worthy of red carpet treatment
W: Wild card – a joker or other card that can be substituted to finish a hand.
Whale – is a nick name for a high roller
Z: Zombie – a gambler who does not exhibit any emotion regardless of whatever the outcome may be.
After having read these common terms used in various games at a casino, I am sure you are pretty conversant with casino game terminology. The next time you are at a casino and mingle with the professional and the beginner, you will be more than comfortable when such words and phrases are used while you play your favorite game. Do remember that such slang add to the fun and excitement of the game, without which these games may not be so appealing and attractive.
A to F . * G to Q . R to Z
G
Gambler's Anonymous (www.gamblersanonymous.org) - A support group that assists problem gamblers and addicted/compulsive gamblers.
George - A player who tips the dealers often and generously. A good tipper.
Going All-In (Also known as 'All-In') - In cardroom poker, to call with (to bet) all your chips. If another player bets more chips than you have in a No Limit game, you can go All-in and stake your total stack against an equivalent amount of your opponent's stack.
Grease - A bribe.
Gross Winnings - The total payout (including your stake).
H
Hand - Refers to the cards that you hold, or to everything that happens in a card game between shuffles of the deck.
Hard Count - Activity in which coin (hard) currency is counted. It is usually done in a special room under tight security. Counting the change from slot machines.
Hard Hand - In blackjack, any hand that does not contain an Ace valued at 11. (You can value an Ace 1 or 11 to suit you).
Hard Way Bet (or The Hardway Bet) - In the game of Craps making a hard way bet means going for the total of the two dice on doubles. Say you wanted to go for a hard six, the only way to do it is with two threes. It is called the hard way because it is not easy to hit. There are only four hard way combinations: hard 4 (2x2), hard 6 (3x3), hard 8 (4x4), and hard 10 (5x5). These are not anytime one-roll wagers. Hard ways win if the selected hard way is rolled before a seven appears or before an 'easy way' combination of the hard way total is hit. So if you have a bet on a hard 4 and a 3 and 1 (easy 4) comes up before two twos (hard 4), you lose your hard way bet.
High Poker - Standard poker, as compared to low poker or lowball. In high poker, high hands win.
High Roller - A player that wagers big bets.
Hit - In blackjack, to take another card. The card received is also called a hit.
Holding Your Own - Neither winning nor losing, just breaking even.
Hole Card - In blackjack, the facedown card that the dealer gets. In stud and hold‘em poker, the facedown cards dealt to each player.
Honeymoon Period - In gambling, new players often go through a 'honeymoon period' where they win all the time when they start gambling. Also known as 'Beginners Luck', and sometimes referred to as 'Winning Phase'.
Hot - A player who is on a winning streak, or a slot machine that is paying out.
House - A casino or gambling center/centre. Also the operators of a gambling game.
House Edge - The casino in-built advantage, usually gained by paying less than the odds.
I
Inside Bets - A roulette bet placed on any number, or small combination of numbers.
Insurance - In blackjack, a side bet that the dealer has a natural. Insurance is offered only when the dealers up card is an ace. The insurance bet wins double if the dealer has a natural, but loses if the dealer does
Irregular Playing Patterns - This generally refers to what is known as 'bonus abuse'. Online casinos that offer bonuses may require the player to play a certain number of spins/hands, or wager a certain amount of cash to qualify for the bonus. Irregular betting patterns are signs of players who aren't playing regularly (i.e. to win money) but are trying to meet those requirements with minimal risk of losing money in order to claim the bonuses.
IVT - Interactive Video Terminals
J
Jackpot - A big win on a slot machine.
Jacks or Better - In videopoker games the payout starts at a certain level ranking of hands. When playing Jacks or Better, if you get a pair of Jacks or a higher ranking, you win. You don't win anything on a pair of tens or lower.
Joker - The 53rd card in a deck, sometimes used as a wild card.
Juice - (USA) Vig. or Vigorish. Commission taken by the house .
Junket - Casino Junkets or Casino Complimentary Travel are trips offered to gambling customers, called VIP players, for travel to and play at a particular casino. Depending on the player, the hosting casino will pay some or all of the VIP player's travel and accommodation costs in exchange for undertaking to play at the casino during the players stay. VIP players are usually obliged to agree to minimum deposit in advance, normally in the region of $5000, and commit to a number of hours playing at the paying casino.
K
Kalooki (also, Kalookie, Kaluki, kaloochi, Caloochi) - Kalooki is a card game the same as Rummy, with a number of minor exceptions. Kalooki is a game often played with wild cards. There are many variants of Kalooki and the rules may differ depending on where the game is played or which version of Kalooki is being played.
Kicker - In a draw poker game, an odd high card held that doesn't contribute to a straight or a flush, usually an ace or a king.
L
Ladderman – Casino employee who oversees the baccarat game. Personnel working this game are two dealers seated together at the center of the table, a caller standing at the table across from the dealers, and the ladderman, supervising the action from a chair above the table.
Laying the Odds - There are two fundamental forms of wagering, 'taking the odds' and 'laying the odds'. In most forms of sports betting, some odds are so high in favour of the likely winner that winning wagers get paid an amount less than the amount wagered by some percentage, and this is what is meant by 'laying the odds'. In most casino games the player is 'taking the odds' by wagering an amount that is less than they will receive if they win, that is; if you wager $1 you would win more than $1.
Layout - Cloth on a gaming table. Markings tell you where you can place your bets.
Load up - To play the maximum number of coins per spin that a slot machine or video game will allow.
Lobby - The lobby is a portal within your casino software that lets you choose which game you want to play and gives you access to all the latest news and promotions.
Long Run - The number of rounds of play, hands or spins, needed for the ratio of wins to losses to reach a point where they are changed very little by the cumulative effect of outcomes.
Loose - Referred to slot machines that have a generous payout.
Low Poker - Also called lowball, is poker in which the pot is awarded to the hand with the lowest poker value.
Luminar or LuminAR - Illuminated roulette table made by John Huxley, suppliers of casino equipment. The LuminAR roulette table is eye-catching by illuminating the winning sections through the layout using high intensity LED's. The effect is very similar to the Touch-bet Roulette flashing winning sections.
M
Marker - A check/cheque that can be written at the gaming tables by a player who has established credit with the casino. An IOU.
Martingale - Betting system based on doubling-up after each loss. See the Martingale System on this site.
Match Play - The competition system used in tournaments (usually card games) in which two participants play a series of games which ends when one player accumulates a required number of points. Each game could be worth one, two, or more points.
Maximum Bet - The highest bet you are allowed to make. Also in slot machines, a button that lets you bet the maximum coin size and the maximum number of coins taking into account the total number of paylines.
Mechanic - Slang meaning a dealer who cheats.
Megalats Jackpot - A Jackpot system (similar to the Mystery Jackpot) operated in the Bumerangs gaming clubs (www.bumerangs.lv) now owned by Olympic Casino, in Latvia, which unites their gaming machines spread over several Bumerangs gaming clubs (see www.megalats.lv). When playing on any of the gaming machines, in addition to winnings on the particular gaming machine, the player has an opportunity to win the Megalats Jackpot accumulation irrespective of the combination of bets and winnings. Unlike the progressive Jackpot system (where the accumulation is granted when, playing for the highest stakes and the maximum possible combination is hit), Megalats works according to the mystery system: any player can win who has dropped at least one token and played on a machine connected to the system. The more it is played on machines connected to the Megalats system, the greater the Megalats accumulation gets. Additionally you can find the Jackpot system 'Minilats', which connects only the gaming machines in the club it is played in.
Mini-Baccarat - The scaled-down version of baccarat, played with fewer players, dealers, and formality but following the same rules as baccarat.
Minilats Jackpot - A smaller version of Megalats Jackpot. See 'Megalats Jackpot' above.
Money Put In Action - This is not the actual dollar amount of money you bring to the table to play with. Suppose that you sat down at a roulette table with a $100 and proceeded to play 90 spins over, say, three hours, betting $10 on each spin of the wheel. If you multiply 90 spins by $10 totals $900. This would be the amount of 'money you put into action' even though your actual bankroll was only $100. This is one of the criteria some casinos use to assess your rating and eligibility for comps.
Multi-Player Casino - A feature offered by online casinos that lets you play against other players.
MVG - Most Valued Guest, a title for loyal casino customers. A form of VIP membership club.
Mystery Jackpot - See 'Megalats Jackpot' above.
N
Natural - In blackjack, a natural is a two-card hand of twenty-one points. In baccarat a natural is a two-card total of eight, or nine.
Negative Expectation - The long-run disadvantage or loss of a given situation without reference to any particular outcome; that is, what you figure to lose on average after a considerable time of play, or after a large number of repetitions of the same situation.
Net Winnings - Total payout less your stake.
Non-negotiable Chips - Promotional casino chips that cannot be exchanged for cash.
Non-value Chip - A gaming chip which the dollar value is determined by the amount of the buy-in and the amount of chips taken (example: in roulette). Thus, a buy-in of $300.00 for 60 chips equals a value of $5.00 per chip. In roulette, this is uaually established by the 'Table Minimum Bet' amount displayed on the table.
Number Pool - The range of numbers from which you select the ones you want to play. A typical lottery pool ranges from 1 to 60, and the keno pool is 1 to 80. A Bingo pool can be 1 to 75 or 1 to 90.
Nut - Either the overhead costs of running a casino, or the fixed amount that a gambler decides to win in a day.
O
Odds - Ratio of probabilities. The casino's view of the chance of a player winning. The figure or fraction by which the casino offers to multiply a bettor's stake, which the bettor is entitled to receive (plus his or her own stake) if they win.
On tilt - Going 'on tilt' is a bad reaction to an unlucky hand resulting in uncontrolled wild play.
Open - In poker, the player who bets first.
Outside Bets - Roulette bets located on the outside part of the layout. They involve betting 12 or 18 numbers with one chip.
Overlay - A good bet where the player has an edge over the casino.
P
Paint - A Jack, Queen or King. Picture card. Face card.
Palette - The tool (usually a long flat wooden baton) used in the Baccarat game to move cards on the table.
Paroli - In French roulette, 'Paroli' is an order given to the croupier meaning to press the bet with the win, or to 'let it ride'. Paroli is also the name of a betting system which increases the bet as you win.
Pass - In card games, to not bet, to fold.
Pat - In draw poker, a hand that does not need any more hands. In blackjack, an unbusted hand worth at least 17 points.
Payline - The line on a slot machine window on which the symbols from each reel must line up. Slot machines can have as many as 20 paylines, although most have only one.
Payoff - The return or payback the player receives for his or her wager.
Payoff Odds - The form of odds that are conventionally posted in the casinos. Payoff odds specify how much a winning wager will be paid for each wager or chip that was bet. The casinos post the 'payoff odds' in terms of the number of chips won relative to the number of chips bet.
Payoff Schedule - See 'Payout Table' below
Payout - The amount of money paid out to you as a win.
Payout Percentage - Also referred to as the payback percentage, the percent of each dollar played in a video or slot machine that the machine is programmed to return to the player. Payback percentage is 100 percent minus the house edge.
Payout Table - A posting somewhere on the front of a slot or videopoker machine that tells you what each winning hand will pay for the number of coins or credits played.
Pigeon - An uneducated, naive, or unsophisticated gambler.
Pit - An area of a casino in which a group of table games are arranged, where the center area is restricted to dealers and other casino personnel.
Pit Boss - A supervisor who oversees a gaming area. Usually supervises more than one table at the same time.
Pit Manager - A pit manager is in charge of all the table games, enforcing casino policy. He deals with any problems that may arise during the shift where a crucial decision must be made that may lead to a customer being dissatisfied or angry. Also, he handles Comps and dodges undeserving customers who are trying to get free Room, Food, Beverage (free RFB).
Playing the Rush - A poker term referring to a player who has just enjoyed a short-run of good luck marked by winning a very large pot of money in one hand or winning several hands in close succession. If the player subsequently begins to play more loosely or more aggressively they are said to be 'playing the rush'.
Plug - A shuffling technique that is sometimes employed in card games like blackjack where the game is often dealt from a multi-deck shoe. When freshly shuffled cards are brought back into action a substantial portion of the cards are kept out of play by the insertion of a cut-card at the back of the deck or shoe. The placement of the cut card marks the place where play will be stopped and the cards are again shuffled. During the play, used cards are stacked in a discard tray. When the cut-card is reached, the game is stopped, and the remaining un-dealt cards are inserted somewhere into the middle of the cards that have already been stacked up in the discard tray. The cards so inserted are referred to as a 'plug'. Such action is called 'plugging' the deck.
Pocket Cards - In poker where some of the player's cards are dealt to them face down. These cards are called pocket cards.
Point (The Point) - The number that is established on the come-out roll. Only place numbers (4,5,6,8,9,10) can become the point. The shooter will attempt to repeat throwing the point before throwing a 7 in order to win that round of betting.
Poker - Basically a card game. But poker isn't just a card game, it is many card games. The majority of poker games do share some common features, especially betting in rounds and the ranking of hands. Poker is commonly played in cardrooms (often within casinos) and in private home games. The games played in cardrooms seem to divide into stud games, draw games, and flop games. In home games, however, anything goes, including games that seem to have no reason to be called poker. The varieties played in home games probably number in the hundreds. Some common cardroom games include Texas Hold'em, Seven Card Stud, Omaha, Razz, Lowball, and Pineapple.
Pokies - Term used as slang in Australia and New Zeland short for videopoker machines, also as a generic word for poker, slot and fruit machine games.
Pot - In a poker game, the amount of money that accumulates in the middle of the table as each player antes, bets, and raises. The pot goes to the winner of the hand.
Press a Bet - Adding the winnings over the current bet, to 'let it ride'.
Pressing - A player is pressing the bet when they let winnings ride by wagering them along with the original bet.
Probability - A mathematical calculation that establishes the likelihood that an event will occur. Probabilities are expressed as numbers between 0 and 1. The probability of an impossible event is 0, while an event that is certain to occur has a probability of 1.
Progression Betting - A system of betting applied to many games where bet-size is systematically changed, up or down, across as series of rounds of play according to some predetermined formula.
Progressive - A slot machine whose potential jackpot increases with each coin that is played. When the progressive jackpot finally hits, the amount resets to the starting number.
Pull Tab, Pulltab - A game similar to the lottery game. Tickets sell for 25 cents or 50 cents or even more and typically offer prizes ranging from free tickets to $500. Each ticket has perforated windows which open revealing symbols similar to those found on slot machines or some lottery games.
Punch Board - Another lottery-type game. The player punches out a slot on a board for a chance to win a merchandise prize. Punch boards offering cash prizes are also common.
Punto Banco - European name for Baccarat; Punto is for Player and Banco is for Bank
Push - A tie hand between a dealer and a player. A round of play where neither the player nor the casino wins.
Q
Queen Theatre - A term used in electronic roulette (touchbet roulette) because of the way the seating is laid out. Altogether 24 players can play the Queen Theatre electronic roulette at the same time. The central part of the roulette with its wheel is designed for 8 players around it, whilst 16 players play from the 'theatre', a second line around the first circle of 8 players.
Quads - In poker, four of a kind.
Qualifier - In poker, the minimum ranking a hand must have in order for it to be eligible to take part of the pot.
Quartet - Quartet Pool are conducted by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club. The investor is required to select the first four place-getters in a selected event in the correct order. Generally fields are confined to 14 starters.
Medical Term Dictionary
A to F . * G to Q . R to Z
Play games for real rewards. Flush – is a term used in poker and is a hand comprising of five cards of a single suit.
G: Gross earnings – total payout in addition to your original stake.
H: Hand – refers to the cards that you have in your hand or everything that occurs in a card between shuffles of the pack.
House advantage – is the casino's edge over the player in any casino game.
I: Inside bet – a wager in roulette on a single number inclusive of 0 or 00, or a combination of numbers
Inside straight – is another type of bet in a game of roulette
J: Jackpot – an enormous win on a slot machine.
Joker – is the 53rd card in pack, which is at times used as a wild card.
K: Keno board – a large electronic board that presents the winning keno numbers
L: Limit – the maximum amount a player may bet on at a specific event
M: Monkey – an idiomatic expression for a card having the face value of ten
N: Nut – the overheads for running a casino
O: Odds – the ratio of possibilities or the amount a wager pays
P: Payline – the line on a slot machine window where the symbols from each reel line up.
Pass line bet – is the most important of all bets in a game of craps, which is made before the come out roll.
Q: Qualifier – a certain criteria which has to be met to qualify for the jackpot in slots, or in a game of poker the minimum standard hand you require to qualify for part of the pot
R: RNG – the random number generator that denotes a computer chip inside a slot machine generating thousands of numbers every moment.
Rake – is the money that a casino normally charges for each hand of poker, and is normally a percentage or a flat amount that is taken from the pot after each round of wagering. Casino extreme promotions.
S: Stake – the amount of money a player is prepared to play within a single sitting.
Shuffle – is an action done by the dealer prior to each hand wherein he merges the order of the cards
T: Three of a kind – term used in a game of poker to say three cards having the same value
U: Up card – the dealer's uncovered card that is face up for all players to see before they begin to play their hands in a game of blackjack
V: VIP – a person who bets large amounts and is worthy of red carpet treatment
W: Wild card – a joker or other card that can be substituted to finish a hand.
Whale – is a nick name for a high roller
Z: Zombie – a gambler who does not exhibit any emotion regardless of whatever the outcome may be.
After having read these common terms used in various games at a casino, I am sure you are pretty conversant with casino game terminology. The next time you are at a casino and mingle with the professional and the beginner, you will be more than comfortable when such words and phrases are used while you play your favorite game. Do remember that such slang add to the fun and excitement of the game, without which these games may not be so appealing and attractive.
A to F . * G to Q . R to Z
G
Gambler's Anonymous (www.gamblersanonymous.org) - A support group that assists problem gamblers and addicted/compulsive gamblers.
George - A player who tips the dealers often and generously. A good tipper.
Going All-In (Also known as 'All-In') - In cardroom poker, to call with (to bet) all your chips. If another player bets more chips than you have in a No Limit game, you can go All-in and stake your total stack against an equivalent amount of your opponent's stack.
Grease - A bribe.
Gross Winnings - The total payout (including your stake).
H
Hand - Refers to the cards that you hold, or to everything that happens in a card game between shuffles of the deck.
Hard Count - Activity in which coin (hard) currency is counted. It is usually done in a special room under tight security. Counting the change from slot machines.
Hard Hand - In blackjack, any hand that does not contain an Ace valued at 11. (You can value an Ace 1 or 11 to suit you).
Hard Way Bet (or The Hardway Bet) - In the game of Craps making a hard way bet means going for the total of the two dice on doubles. Say you wanted to go for a hard six, the only way to do it is with two threes. It is called the hard way because it is not easy to hit. There are only four hard way combinations: hard 4 (2x2), hard 6 (3x3), hard 8 (4x4), and hard 10 (5x5). These are not anytime one-roll wagers. Hard ways win if the selected hard way is rolled before a seven appears or before an 'easy way' combination of the hard way total is hit. So if you have a bet on a hard 4 and a 3 and 1 (easy 4) comes up before two twos (hard 4), you lose your hard way bet.
High Poker - Standard poker, as compared to low poker or lowball. In high poker, high hands win.
High Roller - A player that wagers big bets.
Hit - In blackjack, to take another card. The card received is also called a hit.
Holding Your Own - Neither winning nor losing, just breaking even.
Hole Card - In blackjack, the facedown card that the dealer gets. In stud and hold‘em poker, the facedown cards dealt to each player.
Honeymoon Period - In gambling, new players often go through a 'honeymoon period' where they win all the time when they start gambling. Also known as 'Beginners Luck', and sometimes referred to as 'Winning Phase'.
Hot - A player who is on a winning streak, or a slot machine that is paying out.
House - A casino or gambling center/centre. Also the operators of a gambling game.
House Edge - The casino in-built advantage, usually gained by paying less than the odds.
I
Inside Bets - A roulette bet placed on any number, or small combination of numbers.
Insurance - In blackjack, a side bet that the dealer has a natural. Insurance is offered only when the dealers up card is an ace. The insurance bet wins double if the dealer has a natural, but loses if the dealer does
Irregular Playing Patterns - This generally refers to what is known as 'bonus abuse'. Online casinos that offer bonuses may require the player to play a certain number of spins/hands, or wager a certain amount of cash to qualify for the bonus. Irregular betting patterns are signs of players who aren't playing regularly (i.e. to win money) but are trying to meet those requirements with minimal risk of losing money in order to claim the bonuses.
IVT - Interactive Video Terminals
J
Jackpot - A big win on a slot machine.
Jacks or Better - In videopoker games the payout starts at a certain level ranking of hands. When playing Jacks or Better, if you get a pair of Jacks or a higher ranking, you win. You don't win anything on a pair of tens or lower.
Joker - The 53rd card in a deck, sometimes used as a wild card.
Juice - (USA) Vig. or Vigorish. Commission taken by the house .
Junket - Casino Junkets or Casino Complimentary Travel are trips offered to gambling customers, called VIP players, for travel to and play at a particular casino. Depending on the player, the hosting casino will pay some or all of the VIP player's travel and accommodation costs in exchange for undertaking to play at the casino during the players stay. VIP players are usually obliged to agree to minimum deposit in advance, normally in the region of $5000, and commit to a number of hours playing at the paying casino.
K
Kalooki (also, Kalookie, Kaluki, kaloochi, Caloochi) - Kalooki is a card game the same as Rummy, with a number of minor exceptions. Kalooki is a game often played with wild cards. There are many variants of Kalooki and the rules may differ depending on where the game is played or which version of Kalooki is being played.
Kicker - In a draw poker game, an odd high card held that doesn't contribute to a straight or a flush, usually an ace or a king.
L
Ladderman – Casino employee who oversees the baccarat game. Personnel working this game are two dealers seated together at the center of the table, a caller standing at the table across from the dealers, and the ladderman, supervising the action from a chair above the table.
Laying the Odds - There are two fundamental forms of wagering, 'taking the odds' and 'laying the odds'. In most forms of sports betting, some odds are so high in favour of the likely winner that winning wagers get paid an amount less than the amount wagered by some percentage, and this is what is meant by 'laying the odds'. In most casino games the player is 'taking the odds' by wagering an amount that is less than they will receive if they win, that is; if you wager $1 you would win more than $1.
Layout - Cloth on a gaming table. Markings tell you where you can place your bets.
Load up - To play the maximum number of coins per spin that a slot machine or video game will allow.
Lobby - The lobby is a portal within your casino software that lets you choose which game you want to play and gives you access to all the latest news and promotions.
Long Run - The number of rounds of play, hands or spins, needed for the ratio of wins to losses to reach a point where they are changed very little by the cumulative effect of outcomes.
Loose - Referred to slot machines that have a generous payout.
Low Poker - Also called lowball, is poker in which the pot is awarded to the hand with the lowest poker value.
Luminar or LuminAR - Illuminated roulette table made by John Huxley, suppliers of casino equipment. The LuminAR roulette table is eye-catching by illuminating the winning sections through the layout using high intensity LED's. The effect is very similar to the Touch-bet Roulette flashing winning sections.
M
Marker - A check/cheque that can be written at the gaming tables by a player who has established credit with the casino. An IOU.
Martingale - Betting system based on doubling-up after each loss. See the Martingale System on this site.
Match Play - The competition system used in tournaments (usually card games) in which two participants play a series of games which ends when one player accumulates a required number of points. Each game could be worth one, two, or more points.
Maximum Bet - The highest bet you are allowed to make. Also in slot machines, a button that lets you bet the maximum coin size and the maximum number of coins taking into account the total number of paylines.
Mechanic - Slang meaning a dealer who cheats.
Megalats Jackpot - A Jackpot system (similar to the Mystery Jackpot) operated in the Bumerangs gaming clubs (www.bumerangs.lv) now owned by Olympic Casino, in Latvia, which unites their gaming machines spread over several Bumerangs gaming clubs (see www.megalats.lv). When playing on any of the gaming machines, in addition to winnings on the particular gaming machine, the player has an opportunity to win the Megalats Jackpot accumulation irrespective of the combination of bets and winnings. Unlike the progressive Jackpot system (where the accumulation is granted when, playing for the highest stakes and the maximum possible combination is hit), Megalats works according to the mystery system: any player can win who has dropped at least one token and played on a machine connected to the system. The more it is played on machines connected to the Megalats system, the greater the Megalats accumulation gets. Additionally you can find the Jackpot system 'Minilats', which connects only the gaming machines in the club it is played in.
Mini-Baccarat - The scaled-down version of baccarat, played with fewer players, dealers, and formality but following the same rules as baccarat.
Minilats Jackpot - A smaller version of Megalats Jackpot. See 'Megalats Jackpot' above.
Money Put In Action - This is not the actual dollar amount of money you bring to the table to play with. Suppose that you sat down at a roulette table with a $100 and proceeded to play 90 spins over, say, three hours, betting $10 on each spin of the wheel. If you multiply 90 spins by $10 totals $900. This would be the amount of 'money you put into action' even though your actual bankroll was only $100. This is one of the criteria some casinos use to assess your rating and eligibility for comps.
Multi-Player Casino - A feature offered by online casinos that lets you play against other players.
MVG - Most Valued Guest, a title for loyal casino customers. A form of VIP membership club.
Mystery Jackpot - See 'Megalats Jackpot' above.
N
Natural - In blackjack, a natural is a two-card hand of twenty-one points. In baccarat a natural is a two-card total of eight, or nine.
Negative Expectation - The long-run disadvantage or loss of a given situation without reference to any particular outcome; that is, what you figure to lose on average after a considerable time of play, or after a large number of repetitions of the same situation.
Net Winnings - Total payout less your stake.
Non-negotiable Chips - Promotional casino chips that cannot be exchanged for cash.
Non-value Chip - A gaming chip which the dollar value is determined by the amount of the buy-in and the amount of chips taken (example: in roulette). Thus, a buy-in of $300.00 for 60 chips equals a value of $5.00 per chip. In roulette, this is uaually established by the 'Table Minimum Bet' amount displayed on the table.
Number Pool - The range of numbers from which you select the ones you want to play. A typical lottery pool ranges from 1 to 60, and the keno pool is 1 to 80. A Bingo pool can be 1 to 75 or 1 to 90.
Nut - Either the overhead costs of running a casino, or the fixed amount that a gambler decides to win in a day.
O
Odds - Ratio of probabilities. The casino's view of the chance of a player winning. The figure or fraction by which the casino offers to multiply a bettor's stake, which the bettor is entitled to receive (plus his or her own stake) if they win.
On tilt - Going 'on tilt' is a bad reaction to an unlucky hand resulting in uncontrolled wild play.
Open - In poker, the player who bets first.
Outside Bets - Roulette bets located on the outside part of the layout. They involve betting 12 or 18 numbers with one chip.
Overlay - A good bet where the player has an edge over the casino.
P
Paint - A Jack, Queen or King. Picture card. Face card.
Palette - The tool (usually a long flat wooden baton) used in the Baccarat game to move cards on the table.
Paroli - In French roulette, 'Paroli' is an order given to the croupier meaning to press the bet with the win, or to 'let it ride'. Paroli is also the name of a betting system which increases the bet as you win.
Pass - In card games, to not bet, to fold.
Pat - In draw poker, a hand that does not need any more hands. In blackjack, an unbusted hand worth at least 17 points.
Payline - The line on a slot machine window on which the symbols from each reel must line up. Slot machines can have as many as 20 paylines, although most have only one.
Payoff - The return or payback the player receives for his or her wager.
Payoff Odds - The form of odds that are conventionally posted in the casinos. Payoff odds specify how much a winning wager will be paid for each wager or chip that was bet. The casinos post the 'payoff odds' in terms of the number of chips won relative to the number of chips bet.
Payoff Schedule - See 'Payout Table' below
Payout - The amount of money paid out to you as a win.
Payout Percentage - Also referred to as the payback percentage, the percent of each dollar played in a video or slot machine that the machine is programmed to return to the player. Payback percentage is 100 percent minus the house edge.
Payout Table - A posting somewhere on the front of a slot or videopoker machine that tells you what each winning hand will pay for the number of coins or credits played.
Pigeon - An uneducated, naive, or unsophisticated gambler.
Pit - An area of a casino in which a group of table games are arranged, where the center area is restricted to dealers and other casino personnel.
Pit Boss - A supervisor who oversees a gaming area. Usually supervises more than one table at the same time.
Pit Manager - A pit manager is in charge of all the table games, enforcing casino policy. He deals with any problems that may arise during the shift where a crucial decision must be made that may lead to a customer being dissatisfied or angry. Also, he handles Comps and dodges undeserving customers who are trying to get free Room, Food, Beverage (free RFB).
Playing the Rush - A poker term referring to a player who has just enjoyed a short-run of good luck marked by winning a very large pot of money in one hand or winning several hands in close succession. If the player subsequently begins to play more loosely or more aggressively they are said to be 'playing the rush'.
Plug - A shuffling technique that is sometimes employed in card games like blackjack where the game is often dealt from a multi-deck shoe. When freshly shuffled cards are brought back into action a substantial portion of the cards are kept out of play by the insertion of a cut-card at the back of the deck or shoe. The placement of the cut card marks the place where play will be stopped and the cards are again shuffled. During the play, used cards are stacked in a discard tray. When the cut-card is reached, the game is stopped, and the remaining un-dealt cards are inserted somewhere into the middle of the cards that have already been stacked up in the discard tray. The cards so inserted are referred to as a 'plug'. Such action is called 'plugging' the deck.
Pocket Cards - In poker where some of the player's cards are dealt to them face down. These cards are called pocket cards.
Point (The Point) - The number that is established on the come-out roll. Only place numbers (4,5,6,8,9,10) can become the point. The shooter will attempt to repeat throwing the point before throwing a 7 in order to win that round of betting.
Poker - Basically a card game. But poker isn't just a card game, it is many card games. The majority of poker games do share some common features, especially betting in rounds and the ranking of hands. Poker is commonly played in cardrooms (often within casinos) and in private home games. The games played in cardrooms seem to divide into stud games, draw games, and flop games. In home games, however, anything goes, including games that seem to have no reason to be called poker. The varieties played in home games probably number in the hundreds. Some common cardroom games include Texas Hold'em, Seven Card Stud, Omaha, Razz, Lowball, and Pineapple.
Pokies - Term used as slang in Australia and New Zeland short for videopoker machines, also as a generic word for poker, slot and fruit machine games.
Pot - In a poker game, the amount of money that accumulates in the middle of the table as each player antes, bets, and raises. The pot goes to the winner of the hand.
Press a Bet - Adding the winnings over the current bet, to 'let it ride'.
Pressing - A player is pressing the bet when they let winnings ride by wagering them along with the original bet.
Probability - A mathematical calculation that establishes the likelihood that an event will occur. Probabilities are expressed as numbers between 0 and 1. The probability of an impossible event is 0, while an event that is certain to occur has a probability of 1.
Progression Betting - A system of betting applied to many games where bet-size is systematically changed, up or down, across as series of rounds of play according to some predetermined formula.
Progressive - A slot machine whose potential jackpot increases with each coin that is played. When the progressive jackpot finally hits, the amount resets to the starting number.
Pull Tab, Pulltab - A game similar to the lottery game. Tickets sell for 25 cents or 50 cents or even more and typically offer prizes ranging from free tickets to $500. Each ticket has perforated windows which open revealing symbols similar to those found on slot machines or some lottery games.
Punch Board - Another lottery-type game. The player punches out a slot on a board for a chance to win a merchandise prize. Punch boards offering cash prizes are also common.
Punto Banco - European name for Baccarat; Punto is for Player and Banco is for Bank
Push - A tie hand between a dealer and a player. A round of play where neither the player nor the casino wins.
Q
Queen Theatre - A term used in electronic roulette (touchbet roulette) because of the way the seating is laid out. Altogether 24 players can play the Queen Theatre electronic roulette at the same time. The central part of the roulette with its wheel is designed for 8 players around it, whilst 16 players play from the 'theatre', a second line around the first circle of 8 players.
Quads - In poker, four of a kind.
Qualifier - In poker, the minimum ranking a hand must have in order for it to be eligible to take part of the pot.
Quartet - Quartet Pool are conducted by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club. The investor is required to select the first four place-getters in a selected event in the correct order. Generally fields are confined to 14 starters.
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