Casino Glossary

New to casinos? Learn the language of gambling with our comprehensive glossary of terms used in land-based and online casinos.

General Terms

Action
The total amount of money wagered by a player during a gaming session.
Bankroll
The total amount of money a player has set aside for gambling.
Buy-In
The minimum amount required to enter a game or tournament.
Cage
The cashier area in a casino where chips are exchanged for cash.
Card Counting
A strategy in blackjack where players track high and low cards to gain an advantage.
Cashback
A percentage of losses returned to players as a promotional incentive.
Chip
A token used to represent money in casino games.
Comp
Complimentary items or services given to players by the casino (meals, rooms, shows).
Croupier
A French term for a casino dealer, commonly used in European casinos.
Drop
The total amount of money exchanged for chips at a gaming table.
Edge
The mathematical advantage the house has over players, expressed as a percentage.
Expected Value
The average amount a player can expect to win or lose on a bet over time.
Eye in the Sky
The casino's surveillance system monitoring gaming floors from above.
Gambler's Fallacy
The mistaken belief that past random events affect future outcomes.
Grind
Playing for extended periods with small, consistent bets.
High Roller
A player who consistently wagers large amounts of money.
Hold
The percentage of money wagered that the casino keeps as profit.
Host
A casino employee who manages relationships with VIP players.
House
The casino or gambling establishment.
Junket
An organized trip for gamblers, often with travel and accommodations provided.
Limit
The minimum and maximum betting amounts allowed at a game.
Marker
A line of credit extended by the casino to a player.
Odds
The probability of winning a bet, often expressed as a ratio.
Payout
The amount paid to a winner, expressed as a ratio or percentage.
Pit
An area of table games supervised by pit bosses.
Pit Boss
A casino supervisor who oversees table games in a specific area.
Player's Club
A loyalty program that rewards players with points and perks.
RTP
Return to Player - the percentage of wagered money a game pays back over time.
Session
A single period of gambling from start to finish.
Stake
The amount of money wagered on a bet.
Tilt
Playing recklessly due to emotional frustration after losses.
Toke
A tip or gratuity given to casino dealers.
Variance
The statistical measure of how results deviate from expected outcomes.
VIP
Very Important Player - high-value customers who receive special treatment.
Whale
An extremely high-stakes gambler who bets very large sums.

Table Games

Ante
An initial bet required before cards are dealt in some games.
Baccarat
A card game where players bet on whether the player or banker hand will win.
Banker
In baccarat, the hand that plays second and follows specific drawing rules.
Blackjack
A hand totaling 21 with the first two cards, typically an ace and a 10-value card.
Box Cars
In craps, a roll of double sixes (12).
Burn Card
A card discarded from the top of the deck before dealing begins.
Bust
In blackjack, to go over 21 and lose the hand.
Come Bet
In craps, a bet placed after the point is established, similar to a pass line bet.
Come Out Roll
In craps, the first roll of the dice to establish a point.
Craps
A dice game where players bet on the outcome of rolls.
Don't Pass
In craps, betting against the shooter - the opposite of a pass line bet.
Double Down
In blackjack, doubling your bet in exchange for receiving only one more card.
En Prison
A roulette rule allowing a second chance when the ball lands on zero.
Even Money
A bet that pays 1:1 - win the same amount wagered.
Hard Hand
In blackjack, a hand without an ace or with an ace valued at 1.
Hit
In blackjack, to request another card from the dealer.
Insurance
A side bet in blackjack when the dealer shows an ace.
La Partage
A roulette rule returning half your bet when the ball lands on zero.
Natural
A blackjack (21) dealt with the initial two cards, or an 8 or 9 in baccarat.
Pass Line
In craps, the basic bet that the shooter will win.
Point
In craps, the number established by the come out roll (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10).
Push
A tie between the player and dealer where the bet is returned.
Roulette
A game where players bet on where a ball will land on a spinning wheel.
Seven Out
In craps, rolling a 7 after the point is established, ending the round.
Shoe
A device holding multiple decks of cards for dealing.
Shooter
The player rolling the dice in craps.
Snake Eyes
In craps, a roll of double ones (2).
Soft Hand
In blackjack, a hand with an ace that can be valued at 11.
Split
In blackjack, dividing a pair into two separate hands.
Stand
In blackjack, to refuse additional cards and keep your current hand.
Surrender
In blackjack, forfeiting half your bet to end the hand early.
Tie
In baccarat, a bet that both hands will have equal totals.

Slots

Autoplay
A feature that spins the reels automatically for a set number of times.
Bonus Round
A special feature in a slot game offering additional winning opportunities.
Cascading Reels
Winning symbols disappear and new ones fall into place for additional wins.
Classic Slot
Traditional 3-reel slots inspired by original mechanical machines.
Expanding Wild
A wild symbol that expands to cover an entire reel.
Free Spins
Spins awarded without requiring additional wagers.
Hit Frequency
How often a slot machine lands a winning combination.
Jackpot
The top prize in a slot machine game.
Max Bet
The maximum amount that can be wagered on a single spin.
Megaways
A slot mechanic with varying symbols per reel, creating thousands of ways to win.
Multiplier
A feature that multiplies your winnings by a specified amount.
Payline
A line across the reels where matching symbols must land to win.
Paytable
A chart showing the value of each symbol and game rules.
Progressive
A jackpot that increases over time as more players contribute.
Reels
The vertical sections of a slot machine that spin and display symbols.
Respins
Additional spins triggered by specific symbol combinations.
Scatter
A symbol that pays regardless of position and often triggers bonuses.
Sticky Wild
A wild symbol that remains in place for subsequent spins.
Video Slot
Modern slots with advanced graphics, animations, and bonus features.
Volatility
How often and how much a slot pays out; high volatility means bigger but rarer wins.
Ways to Win
A payout system where matching symbols on adjacent reels win regardless of position.
Wild
A symbol that substitutes for other symbols to complete winning combinations.

Poker

All-In
Betting all of your remaining chips.
Bad Beat
Losing a hand despite being a statistical favorite to win.
Big Blind
The larger of two forced bets, placed by the player two seats left of the dealer.
Blinds
Forced bets placed before cards are dealt to start action.
Bluff
Betting or raising with a weak hand to make opponents fold.
Board
The community cards face-up in the center of the table.
Button
A marker indicating the dealer position, rotating each hand.
Call
Matching the current bet to stay in the hand.
Check
Passing the action to the next player without betting.
Check-Raise
Checking initially, then raising after an opponent bets.
Community Cards
Shared cards that all players can use to make their hand.
Drawing Dead
Having no possible cards that could give you a winning hand.
Fish
An inexperienced or unskilled poker player.
Flop
The first three community cards dealt face-up in Texas Hold'em.
Flush
A hand containing five cards of the same suit.
Fold
Surrendering your cards and forfeiting your bets.
Full House
A hand containing three of a kind and a pair.
Heads-Up
A poker game or situation with only two players.
Hole Cards
The private cards dealt face-down to each player.
Kicker
A side card used to break ties between similar hands.
Muck
To discard your hand without showing it.
Nuts
The best possible hand given the community cards.
Omaha
A poker variant where players receive four hole cards and must use exactly two.
Outs
Cards remaining in the deck that could improve your hand.
Pocket Pair
Two hole cards of the same rank.
Position
Your seat relative to the dealer, affecting when you act.
Pot
The total amount of chips wagered in a hand.
Pot Odds
The ratio of the current pot size to the cost of calling a bet.
Raise
Increasing the current bet amount.
Rake
The commission taken by the casino from each poker pot.
River
The fifth and final community card in Texas Hold'em.
Royal Flush
The highest poker hand: A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit.
Shark
A skilled, experienced poker player.
Showdown
When remaining players reveal their hands to determine the winner.
Small Blind
The smaller of two forced bets, placed by the player left of the dealer.
Straight
Five consecutive cards of any suit.
Tell
A physical or behavioral clue that reveals information about a player's hand.
Texas Hold'em
The most popular poker variant where players get two hole cards and share five community cards.
Turn
The fourth community card in Texas Hold'em.
Under the Gun
The position immediately left of the big blind, first to act preflop.

Online Casino

Affiliate
A website or person who promotes online casinos for commission.
Autoplay Ban
Regulations in some jurisdictions prohibiting automatic slot spins.
Bitcoin Casino
An online casino that accepts cryptocurrency for deposits and withdrawals.
Bonus
Extra funds or free spins offered by online casinos as promotions.
Bonus Abuse
Exploiting bonus terms in ways not intended by the casino.
Cashable Bonus
A bonus that can be withdrawn after meeting wagering requirements.
Demo Mode
Playing slot games for free without risking real money.
Deposit Limit
A responsible gambling tool limiting how much you can deposit.
Deposit Match
A bonus that matches a percentage of your deposit amount.
Game Provider
Companies that create and license casino games to operators.
Geoblocking
Technology that restricts access to online casinos based on location.
iGaming
The online gambling industry, including casinos, sports betting, and poker.
Instant Play
Playing casino games directly in a web browser without downloading.
KYC
Know Your Customer - identity verification required by online casinos.
License
Official authorization from a regulatory body to operate an online casino.
Live Dealer
Real dealers operating games via video stream in real-time.
Loyalty Program
A rewards system that gives points or perks for regular play.
Max Win
The maximum amount that can be won from a single game or bonus.
Mobile Casino
An online casino optimized for play on smartphones and tablets.
No Deposit Bonus
A bonus given without requiring a deposit.
Pending Time
The waiting period before a withdrawal is processed.
Provably Fair
A cryptographic method allowing players to verify game fairness.
Reload Bonus
A bonus offered on deposits after the initial welcome bonus.
Responsible Gambling
Tools and practices to help players gamble safely.
RNG
Random Number Generator - software ensuring fair and random game outcomes.
Self-Exclusion
A program allowing players to ban themselves from gambling.
Sticky Bonus
A bonus that cannot be withdrawn, only used for wagering.
VPN
Virtual Private Network - often prohibited for accessing online casinos.
Wagering Requirement
The number of times you must bet a bonus before withdrawing.
Withdrawal
The process of cashing out winnings from your casino account.
Withdrawal Limit
The maximum amount that can be withdrawn in a given period.