Here’s everything you need to know about Casino Terminology. This dictionary is alphabetically categorized, but you can also search for your keywords according to your preferred game if you scroll down. You’ll be able to use and recognize this terminology at the best online casinos in PA!
A – Z
A
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| ABC Poker | Playing poker “by the book”, basic poker playing style. |
| Ace | A roll of 1 or 11. |
| Aces | A roll of 2. |
| Ace Deuce | A roll of 3. |
| Ace Rich | A sign showing the possibility of increasing the expectation of receiving an ace soon. |
| Advantage | The statistically theoretical edge one side has over the other. |
| Advantage Player | A player who knows how to use strategy to obtain a mathematical advantage over the casino. |
| Anchorman | This is the last player to act before the dealer when sitting at a blackjack table. |
| Active Payline | A payline where your bet is placed. Sometimes, the player is allowed to choose their own payline but in most cases, they are predetermined. |
| Autospin | This is an online option that allows slot players to set a number of spins under a stake level. |
| Action | A player’s total playing time is shown here. It may relate to the total amount of money wagered during a casino session or the total amount of time spent using your online account. |
| All-In | When a player decides to bet the whole pot/chips on one bet/hand. |
| Ante | A minimum amount a player must bet before the game begins, usually a small amount. |
| Any Craps | A roll of 2, 3 or 12. |
| Apron | The outside layer of a craps table. |
B
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bet | The amount of money that is wagered on a spin. |
| Back Counting | Counting cards as a watcher from behind the table. |
| Barred | Not allowed to be/play at an online casino. |
| Back Off | This occurs when players are asked not to play anymore due to reasons like card counting. This happens right before getting barred. |
| Balanced Count | A card counting system in which the amount of the negative cards is the same as the amount of positive cards. |
| Basic Strategy | The optimal playing strategy for a game. A basic strategy maximizes your chances of winning. |
| Bankroll | The money you have available to play with. |
| Bet Correlation | The correlation between card values and the effect of removal of cards. It is used to predict how well a counting system predicts good betting situations, and can approach 1.00 (100% correlation). |
| Bet Spread | The amount of the maximum and minimum bets a player is making during a blackjack playing session. When counting, the larger the spread, the more money you expect to make. |
| Betting System | Any betting strategy that will help the players to manage and increase their bankroll. |
| Biased numbers | In terms of probability, these are the numbers that have been statistically demonstrated to be more successful than others. |
| Big Player | The Big Player is the member of a card counting team who make big bets when counting is favorable. They depend on ‘spotters’ to call them in. |
| Black Book | A document of players who are barred from playing. |
| Black Chip | A chip valued at $100. |
| Brown/Chocolate Chip | A chip valued at $5000. |
| Burn Card | Prior to any card being dealt, the dealer places the first card to one side and face down. This is known as the ‘burn card’, and is designed to make it impossible for the first player to know what the first card is going to be. |
| Backdoor | When a player obtains a river card and other card on the turn to make a hand. |
| Bad Beat | An expression used in poker when a player with a strong hand loses to a player with a weak hand by mere chance or luck of the deal. |
| Burning | At the start of each game, the first three to six card of the shuffled deck are discarded or burned. |
C
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Cash Out | At the end of a gaming session, players can withdraw their winnings by cashing out. This consists of converting credits won into real money. |
| Casino Bonus | The best online casinos always offer new players a Welcome Casino Bonus, which includes offers such as matching of the first deposit, free spins on select slot games, and more. |
| Credits | Online casino games such as slot are played using credits, which is real money that is converted into credits that can be used to play that specific slot game. |
| Card Counting | Some players use card counting as a strategy to keep mental track of the value of the cards dealt in order to potentially establish what and when the remaining cards may appear to the player. |
| Cashback | Regular players might earn money back as a kind of cashback. Depending on the circumstances, it can be a typical casino promotion, a perk for members of a loyalty program, or a prize for those with a slots club card. |
| Cold Slot | A word used to describe a slot that has a poor payout percentage or a long losing streak. The term “tight slot” is also used. In contrast, there are hot slots. This strategy is no longer regarded to be viable, as it relies on playing cold slots before they become hot. |
| Comps | Regular slot players are eligible for a variety of rewards. Freebies at land-based casinos would include things like free hotel rooms and meals, but those at online casinos are more likely to include things like comp points. |
| Cold Numbers | There are at least 37 numbers that haven’t come up in a spin. |
| Croupier | Person in charge of receiving and paying out winning bets at a casino. – a businessman |
| Chips | Chips are tokens used by players to place their wagers. Each chip represents a valued denomination in currency. Different coloured chips hold different values. |
| Call / Calling | When a player matches the last wager made. *NOTE* You must call in order to raise. |
| Check | An action a player can use to not place a wager when it is their turn. This action can only be used if there have been no previous wagers or raises in the round. |
D
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Denomination | Casino credits or coins come in a variety of denominations or values. |
| Dealer | The person in blackjack who deals the cards and manages the entire game. |
| Deck | A standard 52-card deck is used in blackjack, with some casinos often shuffling more than one deck together. |
| Deck Penetration | Deck penetration is the percentage of cards that are played out of an entire deck or shoe before reshuffling. |
| Deviation | Players using a basic strategy can make changes or deviations at certain times, mostly based on the count at the time. |
| Discards | In blackjack, cards that have been dealt are referred to as discards. These are placed to one side until a new shoe is requested, after which discards are reshuffled and reused. |
| Discards Tray | The dealer will place dealt cards into a discard tray located on the table. |
| Drop | The amount of money a player has deposited. |
E
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Expected Value | The Expected Value refers to the statistical amount that any given time period is worth. In reality, results rarely equal the player’s expected value in the short term. However, given enough time the actual results do inevitably catch up with the Expected Value. |
| Even money | Using any combination other than doubles to roll an even number. Only applies to numbers 4, 6, 8, and 10. |
F
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Feature | The best online casino games come with a variety of bonus features that generally improve over gameplay and also add more potential winnings. |
| Face Card | Face card refer to the Jack, Queen, or King in a deck of cards. |
| First Base | Players that sit on the dealer’s far left are sat at First Base, and they will always receive the first hand. |
| Flat Bet | Flat bets occur when players bet the same amount of money on each successive hand. |
| Flop | The first three community cards placed on the table face-up by the dealer. This action is performed after the initial round of placing wagers. After the flop, another action round of wagering will take place. |
| Fold | When a player gives up on a round and forfeits their wagers in the pot. |
| Fever five | A five-sided roll, often known as five fever. |
| Free odds | Simply called odds, they are the wagers that can be made or laid on the Pass/Come or Don’t Pass/Don’t Come. These are compensated at genuine parity. |
H
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Hole Card | The Hole Card is the face down card that the dealer receives during the initial deal |
| House Edge | Casino games have a house edge which refers to the expected advantage that the casino has in a game. In blackjack, the house edge is generally set a bit over 1%. |
| Hold Percentage | The inverse, or return to player rate, is what you’re looking for. The casino retains a portion of all wagers made at a particular slots. To put it another way, this is the boundary of the home. |
M
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Maximum Bet | When playing an online slot, there is a fixed maximum bet. This is the highest possible amount that can be wagered on all active paylines and with the highest possible coin denomination. |
| Minimum Bet | A minimum bet is also possible in online slots, which can be applied both to a single payline or by wagering the lowest possible coin value on all paylines. |
| Multiplier | Any winning payline that includes this special symbol will boost the reward. More than one multiplier sign is possible. There are certain slots that include them in the regular game, while others only include them in the bonus rounds of those games. More information can be found on this page. |
N
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| No Hole Card | European casinos make use of a ‘No Hole Card’, which is the dealer’s second card that is not drawn until the players have played their hands. |
W
| Casino Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Wager | This is the amount of money a player has to put forward to be able to play. |
| Win | One of the possible outcomes of casino games in a win. This can include the matching of symbols aligned on an active payline in slots, a certain sequence of cards in card games, or any other outcome as dictated by the online casino game rules. |
Lingo per game – Find the term you are looking for the game type you want to play
Now that I’ve listed all the general terms you need to know about, here are the game-specific terms that aren’t so general. Each term you’ll see under a table, is specifically used for a particular game.
Baccarat terminology
Check out these important Baccarat terms.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Banque | A French variant of Baccarat that is played on two tables. The Banker sits in the middle and plays with one hand against two hands on each side. |
| Banco Prime | When more than one player has called ‘Banco’ during a game, the priority is given to the player to the Banker’s right. |
| Chemin De Fer | One of the most popular Baccarat variations |
| Caller | An important role during a game of Baccarat. This person is a casino staff member who turns the cards, calls out game results, and deals out additional cards when required. |
| Carte | In traditional Baccarat games, players use the word ‘Carte’ when asking the dealer for another card. |
| Cheval | A specific type of bet that is mainly found in European Baccarat. A Cheval bet is won when both active players win the bets. The bet is lost if both players lose the bet, and it remains intact if one player loses and the other wins their bet. |
| Cheques | Baccarat that is played in land-based casinos utilises special chips called cheques. |
| Commission | In most Baccarat games, the casino takes a 5% commission on the winnings each time a player wins on a ‘Banker’ bet. |
| Coup | A French word that is used to describe one round of Baccarat. |
| Croupier | Another name given to the dealer – the person that hands out the cards and is in charge of the deck during gameplay. |
| Cut | When the dealer ‘cuts’ the deck, they divide it in half after it has been shuffled. The deck is then combined once again before dealing cards. |
| Cut Card | When playing at a land-based casino, dealers use a plastic card to cut the deck of cards. |
| Deux Tableau | A French term that translates to ‘Two Tables’, which is another name for Baccarat Banque variant. |
| Discard Tray | Any cards that are discarded during gameplay are placed in the discard tray. |
| Down Card | A face down card that remains in that position until the play has been called. |
| Dragon Bonus | A winning one if a chosen hand wins by at least four points. |
| Edge Sorting | Edge sorting is used in Baccarat to identify card values on the basis of tiny differences on the back of the cards that appear during the manufacturing process. |
| Fading | This casino term is used when placing bets against a person. In Baccarat, this is only applicable in land-based games. |
| Flat Bet | Players can place a flat bet during Baccarat when they want to wager the same amount irrespective if the hand is a win or a loss. |
| La Grande | Natural Baccarat totaling nine. |
| La Petite | Natural Baccarat, totaling eight. |
| Monkey | A slang used for a face card or a ten |
| Mini Baccarat | American Baccarat can be played on smaller mini baccarat tables where gameplay is often more relaxed and much faster. Mini baccarat tables are limited to around 7 players and is the preferred choice for those that have an average bankroll size and are looking for tables with reasonable limits. |
| Muck | This is the discard pile where all used cards are deposited, including hands that have been folded. |
| Natural | A natural hand is landed in Baccarat when the two first cards dealt total eight or a nine. A natural eight is a winning hand that ends that round, and is only succeeded by a natural nine which is the best hand in Baccarat. |
| Palette | Palette. |
| Punto | Punto is a term derived from punter, and is used to describe the player. |
| Punto en Blanco | Punto Banco is one of the most widespread Baccarat variations. |
| Push | There are cases in Baccarat where bets are neither winning nor losing, so they are classified as push bets. The amounts wagered by players are ‘pushed’ and returned. |
| Railroad | Railroad is an informal way of referring to the Chemin de Fer Baccarat version, of which it is a direct translation. It is sometimes also called Chemmy. |
| Shills | At land-based casinos, there are casino staff who are referred to as shills, and are tasked with promoting Baccarat to clients. |
| Shoe | Some of the best land-based casinos use an automatic dealing machine called a shoe, which can deal up to 8 decks. |
| Shooter | The bank is sometimes referred to as the Shooter. |
| Shuffle Up | Dealer are said to shuffle up the deck of cards before the game begins. |
| Skill | People can pass a ‘skill’ or ‘joke’ during Baccarat to indicate that a player is having a good run. |
| Standoff | In cases where both the Player and the Banker have hands with an equal value, they are joined in a tie or are said to be having a standoff. |
| Super Pan Nine | Super Pan Nine is a popular Baccarat variant at poker casinos in Los Angeles. It is different from other forms of Baccarat as one player act as the Bank. |
| Table of Play | Baccarat employs a set of rules called Table of Play, which denote the various scores allowing players to receive a third card. |
| Tie | The Tie Bet is one of the three possible bets in Baccarat. When a hand ends in a tie, it becomes a push in the absence of a tie bet. This wager has the highest base house edge, which also give it the best payout. |
| Upcard | A card that has been turned face-up during a game of Baccarat. |
| Vigorish | Baccarat works with a commission, or a vigorish, which is a percentage fee that is taken by the casino from the winnings of. a successful wager. |
Blackjack terminology
Learn more about Blackjack using these terms.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bet Behind | The option to gamble on other players’ hands. It’s especially popular in Live Blackjack games when tables are full and there is no seat available. It adds large multiplayer scalability to the game and an increased winning potential. See ‘Side Bet’. |
| Bust | To lose / to go over a hand total of 21. |
| Bust Card | The individual card that results in the player’s or dealer’s hand going over 21. |
| Bust It | A type of blackjack side bet that is sometimes also called ‘Buster’ or ‘Bust bonus’, which covers the scenario when the dealer busts with three cards or more. |
| Camouflage Play | Some skilled players prefer to not make their professional approach apparent, so they use camouflage play by deliberately making mistakes to hide their skills. |
| Charlie | Charlie’ or ‘Six Card Charlie’ is a rule in blackjack that cover a scenario in which a player reaches a certain number of cards (usually 5 or 7) without going bust. This leads to an automatic win. |
| Chip Down | This occurs when players decrease their bet from what was wagered in the previous hand. |
| Chip Up | Players can chip up or increase their bet from their previous hand. |
| CSM | CSM is an acronym of ‘Continuous Shuffling Machine’, a tool used by some casinos to keep their card decks consistently shuffled to prevent card counting. |
| Cold Deck | Some blackjack shoe boxes are said to contain cold decks when they are constantly spewing out bad cards that lead to significant losses. |
| Color Up | When playing at a blackjack table, some players may ask the dealer to convert some low denomination chips into higher ones. As these are generally more colorful, this is called coloring up. |
| Crazy 7 | A side bet in blackjack where players bet that other players will get trip 7s on their first three cards, where a suited Three of a Kind is the best possible outcome. |
| D9 | When a player double downs on a 9, 10, or 11. |
| DA9 | When a player doubles down on any two cards. |
| DAS | When a player doubles after split, or double downs after a hand is split. |
| Green Chip | A $25 chip. |
| Hi-Lo (High-Low) | Hi-Lo is a card counting system that is noted as being one of the best available. It employs the basic principle of card counting, by assigning negative, positive, or zero point value of the cards in the deck. |
| Hit 17 (H17) | A specific rule in blackjack where the dealer takes a hit when they have a soft 17. |
| Hot 3 | A side bet in Infinite Blackjack by Evolution that is similar to Lucky Lucky, where the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s up card and win for the total points of 19 or 21. |
| Insurance | A side bet in blackjack that is only offered when the dealer has an Ace. This has a payout of 2:1 if the dealer gets Blackjack. |
| Lucky Lucky | A side bet in blackjack that utilizes the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s up card. Various winning combinations using these three cards can be made, such as a suited 7s to a total of 19, each with different payouts. |
| Monkey | A Monkey card has a value of 10. |
| Multi-deck | The majority of blackjack games use multi-decks, which range from 6 to 8 decks at a time. |
| N0 | N-zero is the theoretical number of rounds in blackjack that are needed to overcome 2/3s of the variance and hit a goal of being ahead by one standard deviation. |
| Natural (21) (Blackjack) | A ‘Natural 21’ or ‘Natural’ is an alternative name for a hand of Blackjack, with a payout of around 3:2. |
| NDAS | Some players can opt to No Double After Split (NDAS). |
| NRSA | No resplit Aces |
| Pink Chip | A $2.50 chip. |
| Ploppy | A Ploppy is a slang term for a terrible blackjack player, coined by Frank Scoblete. |
| Red Chip | A $5 chip. |
| Six Card Charlie | Same as ‘Charlie’. |
| Top 3 | A side bet in blackjack that is used in conjunction with 21+3. As per the latter, the player’s initial two cards and the dealer’s up card are combined for a three-card poker hand. |
| Whale | A whale is a blackjack player who plays at high limits. |
| Wonging | Wonging in blackjack happens when you back count and only bet when you have the edge. |
| Yellow/Orange/Pumpkin Chip | A $1,000 chip. |
| 21 + 3 | A side bet in Blackjack that makes use of the player’s initial two cards and the dealer’s up card, which combine to form a three-card poker hand. |
| 86’d | No Blackjack player wants to hear ’86’d’, as this means that you are being removed from the casino property. |
| 10 Count Strategy | 10 count strategy is a card counting strategy in blackjack where players keep track of the odds of receiving a 10-value card. The higher the count reaches, the better the chance of landing a 10. |
Craps terminology
With Craps being the only dice game legal in PA, learn more about it through these terms.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ballerina Special | A Player rolls a Ballerina Special when they roll double two’s. |
| Bank Craps | The actual name for the casino version of craps is Bank Craps. |
| Barber Pole | During a game of craps, a player can stack their casino chips of different denominations in a way called a Barber Pole. |
| Big 6 | Big 6 is an even money bet in craps where a six will be rolled before a seven is rolled. |
| Big 8 | Big 8 is an even money bet in craps where an eight will be rolled before a seven is rolled. |
| Bones | During a craps game, some players may colloquially refer to dice as ‘bones’. |
| Bowl | Every craps table has a bowl located next to the stickman that holds the dice. |
| Boxcars | One of the most recognisable outcomes of a dice roll is a pair of sixes, which is called Boxcars in craps. It is also sometimes referred to as Midnight, Twelve Craps, or Cornrows. |
| Boxman | A Boxman acts as the table supervisor uring craps, and ensure that all is in order during gameplay. |
| Box Numbers | Box Numbers are the place numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10. |
| Center Field | Nine is called the centerfield in craps as it is located in the middle of the table layout. |
| Change only | Crap games played with ‘Change Only’ means that cash must be converted into gambling chips, as these must be used for placing any craps bets. |
| Cheque change | Players can often split a chip into smaller chip denominations at the cheque change. |
| Come Bet | A Come Bet is a type of bet in craps that is exactly like the pass line bet, but is has to be made before the come out roll. |
| Come Out Roll | During a game of craps, the Come Out Roll refers to the first roll of the dice during a betting round. |
| Cold Dice | Sometimes, dice shooters may enter a cold streak where they are not making any of their points. |
| Colour up | Players can change their chips to larger denominations in what is referred to as colour up. |
| Crapless Craps | Crapless craps is a variant of this game where the 2, 3, 11, and 12 are treated as point numbers, same as 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. |
| Die Rich Craps | Die Rich Craps is a smaller variant of this game that uses a single die and has far less wagering options. |
| Don’t Come Bet | A Don’t Come Bet is a type of don’t pass bet in craps that is made after the come out roll. |
| Don’t Pass Bet | A Don’t Pass Bet is the opposite of the Pass Bet. During the come out, the don’t pass bet loses on a seven or eleven, but wins on either a two or three. |
| Duker or Duke | Some craps tables can get more interesting when high-rollers join in and start betting big money. This is referred to as Duke or Duker, and it usually occurs when more than one high betting player are seated at the table, with dealers also ending up using up to four or five denominations of gambling chips. |
| Double Pitch | When the dice remain on axis, which occurs infrequently (less than 5% of rolls), but one turns two faces more than the other. If players set their dice with the same face, such as a hard ways or 3V set, the roll is almost certain to result in a seven. |
| Eyeballs | Eyeballs is a term used in craps to refer to rolling two aces or ones for a total of two. |
| Fever five | A five-sided roll, often known as five fever. |
| Free odds | Simply called odds, they are the wagers that can be made or laid on the Pass/Come or Don’t Pass/Don’t Come. These are compensated at genuine parity. |
| George | A decent tipper. |
| Hi-Lo-Yo | Two, 11, or 12 on a single roll bet |
| Lay Bet | A lay bet is a type of craps bet in which a player bets that a seven will be rolled before the point is reached. |
| Low Limit Craps | Assist individuals in playing their favorite dice game and betting the sums they can afford. |
| Monster Roll | There are two types of monster rolls: those that run longer than twenty minutes, and those in which everyone wins a lot of money. |
| New York Craps | Bank Craps in the Eastern United States, The Bahamas, and England is a popular variation of the game Bank Craps utilizes a different table and structure, referred to as a double-end dealer. |
| Nina | On the other hand, betting on a nine |
| Right Bettor | Craps players that wager on the pass line rather than the don’t pass line are being referred to here. |
| Seven Out | After the point has been established, the craps shooter rolls a seven. You can’t shoot again if this happens. |
| Simplified Craps | Craps in a simple form, with no additional side bets. |
| Snake Eyes | To get snake eyes at craps, you roll two ones or two on the dice. |
| Stickman | The person at the craps table who is in charge of handing back the dice to the shooter and announcing the outcome of the dice roll. Proposition bets are also placed and paid out by the stickman. |
| Yo | Yo, or Yo-Eleven, is craps slang for the number eleven to distinguish it from the number seven. |
Dice terminology
- Craps is just one of many games used by dice since ancient times. Here’s what else you need to know about basic Dice terminology:
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Double | When a player rolls two dice that land showing the same value, this is known as a Double. |
| Sum | The aggregated results of multiple rolled dice. |
| Side | Also the name given to any facet of a die. |
| Head | The number displayed on the top side when the die is resting. |
| Foot | The number on the bottom of the die that can’t be seen when resting. |
| Cocked | When a die is displaying an indeterminate result, usually because it has landed on an uneven surface, this is known as a Crocked roll. |
| Roll | A Roll is the action of throwing the die during a game, usually performed with the hands. |
| Pip | The small inked holes on the side of traditional dice are known as the Pips and indicate a die’s facet’s value. |
Game Shows terminology
- Game shows have taken the iGaming industry by storm in recent years. Get up to speed with all the useful lingo of this fast-growing segment so that you don’t get left in the dark:
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Host | Your affable hosts will conduct Game Shoes before your very eyes and even converse in conversation if they’re feeling talkative. |
| Wheel | Wheels, like the one used in Evolution‘s Dream Catcher, are central to many Game Shows. They bring lucrative multipliers to proceedings while also offering the chance to trigger additional bonus extras. |
| Streaming | Game Shows rely on cutting-edge streaming technology to broadcast games in real-time to players located all over the world. |
| TV Show | You’ll find many Game Shows take inspiration from their small-screen counterparts, transporting players straight to the hot seat and allowing them to experience the rush of big money prizes for themselves. |
Poker terminology
Ready to play some Poker? Before you do, here are the terms you need to know.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Backdoor | When a player makes a hand with the last two cards dealt. This play is often unintentional. |
| Bad beat | An expression used in poker when a player with a strong hand loses to a player with a weak hand by mere chance or luck of the deal. |
| Big Blind | A forced wager that must be made by the player who is seated in the second position of the round according to action. |
| Bluff / Bluffing | When a player pretends to have a better hand than they do to entice the other player(s) to fold. |
| Bottom Pair | A term used when one of the two hole cards match the bottom card on the board. |
| Call / Calling | When a player matches the last wager made. *NOTE* You must call in order to raise. |
| Check Raise | When a player checks the previous wager and then raises within the same round of bets. |
| Community Cards | Community cards are cards that are dealt face up and used by all players. |
| Counterfeit | Counterfeiting is when a player’s hand isn’t improved by the community cards, making it more difficult for them to hold the best hand in the round. |
| Flop | The first three community cards placed on the table face-up by the dealer. This action is performed after the initial round of placing wagers. After the flop, another action round of wagering will take place. |
| Fold | When a player gives up on a round and forfeits their wagers in the pot. |
| Foul | A hand determined by the dealer as one that cannot be played in this round. A player with a foul hand cannot win any portion of the pot of that round. |
| Free Card | A free card occurs when a player does not have to wager more during the action round before the dealer plays the next card. |
| High Card | When there are no matches during the round, the highest card in the round is the winner. If two players have the same high card, they will refer to their next highest card. |
| House | The casino hosting the game or tournament is referred to as the House. |
| Jackpot | When a player wins a substantial amount of money while playing, it is often referred to as “hitting the jackpot.” |
| Kicker | The hole card that helps determine the winner of a round in case of a tie. For example, both players tie on a pair of Aces, the player with the highest hole card in their hand will be the winner of the round. |
| Limp | When a player calls the minimum wager required in order to play in the round. |
| No Limit | When players can wager as much as they would like on a game. |
| Nuts | When a player has the best hand possible in any point of the game. |
| Off-Suited | When a player is dealt two cards of differing suits. |
| Offsuit | When cards are of different suits, they are off-suited. The suits are Spades, Diamonds, Hearts, Clubs. |
| Omaha | A poker variation that involves each player receiving four face-down cards and playing with five community cards. Players attempt to make the best hand possible by using two of their face-down cards to go with three of the community cards on the table. |
| Outrun | Outrun or outdraw refers to when a player draws a better hand than their opponent(s). |
| Over-Pair | When a player has a pocket pair that is higher than any of the community cards on the table. |
| Overcard | A player’s hole card that ranks higher than any of the community cards on the table. |
| Pay Off | When a player calls the final round of wagering even if they are unsure they hold the best hand. |
| Play the Board | When a player chooses to play their hand by predominantly using the community cards on the table due to their hand being lower than the cards displayed. |
| Pre Flop | The initial round of wagering that happens before the flop. |
| Quads | When a player has four of a kind. |
| Raise | When a player increases the previous bet made. |
| River | The community card dealt after the “turn.” This is the final community card shown by the dealer. Afterwards, another round of wagering will take place before the “showdown.” |
| Shark | A very good or skilled poker player. |
| Showdown / Heads Up | The action that takes place directly after the final round of wagering following the river. Players left in the game will show their hands to determine the winner(s) of the round. |
| Side Card | A side card is also referred to as the kicker. This card will help determine the winner of the round in case of a tie. |
| Small Blind | The amount placed into the pot by the person directly to the left of the dealer. Blinds are determined by the position of the “button.” |
| Texas Hold’Em | The most popular and most common poker variation found at casinos. The game is played with each player receiving two hole cards and the dealer displaying five community cards. The players must play both hole cards to create the best hand possible in order to win. |
| Tilt | When a player begins to play poorly due to lack of judgement and their emotions taking over during the game. |
| Turn | The fourth face-up community card displayed by the dealer. This round follows the “flop” and comes before the “river.” After the “turn,” another round of wagering will commence. |
| Under the Gun | This is the person that is first to act in the round of wagering. |
| Underdog | The player with the worst hand based on probability. |
| Video Poker | A computerized version of a poker game that uses RNG software. |
Roulette terminology
Here are the most important Roulette terms you should learn.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Inside bet | Inside Roulette bets are the bets placed on the numbers within the Roulette wheel. These bets have lower odds of winning, but their payout is high. |
| Outside bet | A wager that is not an inside wager. |
| Red or Black | A wager based on the two colors of a roulette wheel (red and black) except for the green zero color. (One-to-one odds) |
| Odd or Even | A bet on whether an odd or even number will win. (One-to-one odds) |
| High or Low | An equal-to-one wager on either all low numbers (1-18) or all high numbers (19-36) with the same odds (19-36). (One-to-one odds) |
| Column Bet | A stake that covers nearly a third of the wheel and pays out at a 2:1 ratio. |
| Dozen Bet | 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36 are the three groupings of 12 numbers that can be bet on. The dozen bet pays off at a 2:1 odds. |
| Six Line Bet | 6-number wager that pays out 5:1. |
| Line Bet | With a 16 percent probability of winning, a wager on six numbers and two lines of three numbers on the betting grid pays out 5:1. |
| Double Street Bet | A bet consists of four individual bets, two on separate streets, one on a corner bet, and one straight up number.. There are six numbers in a street, each of which pays out 5:1. |
| Block bet | Covering a section of the roulette betting area with a large number of numbers. |
| Five Number Bet | The 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 on an American roulette wheel are known as a “numbers bet.” With such poor odds, it’s hard to argue that this is a good wager. |
| Four Number Bet | As in American Roulette, this wager covers all three zeros on a European Roulette wheel: 0, 1, and 3. This has an 8:1 return. |
| Corner Bet | European Roulette offers an 8.1:1 return on four corner bets with a 10.8 percent chance of winning. |
| Street Bet | A street is a group of numbers placed on the roulette wheel’s betting surface. This bet has an 8 percent probability of winning at 11:1 odds. |
| Split Bet | A wager on two numbers that are adjacent to one another on the table. The odds on this wager are 17:1. |
| Straight (up) Bet | An all-or-nothing wager pays 35:1. |
| Single number Bet | Straight (up) Bet pays 35:1 like Straight (up) Bet. |
| Bet on the layout | A wager that can be placed anywhere on the table’s numbers. |
| La Partage | Rule that all even-money bets are instantly split into two and half your original wager is repaid if the ball lands in zero immediately splits. Even-money wagers now have a house advantage of just 1.35 percent. |
| En Prison | Even-money wagers were subject to this restriction in French roulette. It is possible for certain online casinos to allow players to either take half their wager or leave it “imprisoned” for another spin when a zero is struck. If the next spin returns a zero, the entire bet is wiped out. |
| Orphans | On the wheel, a wager on six, 34, and 17 is possible. |
| Red Bet | An Outside Bet with a return of 1 to 1 at even money. |
| Martingale system | After a lost bet, this well-known strategy calls for doubling your stake. |
| Doubele up system | Double your wager after each loss with the Martingale strategy. |
| Negative Progression | The Martingale system and Fibonacci are examples of a betting strategy in which you increase your bet after a loss. |
| Reverse Martingale | For every loss, you double your wager and for every win, you reduce your stake by one-half. |
| Fibonacci | After a loss, you increase your bets in an attempt to recoup some of the money you’ve lost. |
| The James Bond strategy | A roulette strategy based on three bets that cover more than 67% of the possible outcomes. |
| Positive Progression | When you win a bet, you increase your bet. |
| Visual Wheel Tracking | Measuring a roulette wheel’s spin speed and attributes in order to get an advantage and anticipate where it is likely to fall |
| American Roulette | A version with two zero pockets, a “0” and a “00,” as well as the numbers 1-36 included. In comparison to European roulette, the house has a bigger advantage in American roulette. |
| European Roulette | A version that has only one zero in the pocket. Roulette in its earliest form. |
| French Roulette | European Roulette with the possibility of La Partage and En Prison. |
| Card Roulette | A variation that employs a conventional deck of cards with two jokers. Between European roulette and American roulette, the house edge is the same. |
| Double Ball Roulette | Two balls instead of one are used in this variation of European roulette. |
| Lightning Roulette | Players can enjoy the thrill of conventional roulette with the extra bonus of increasing their earnings in a new twist on the game. Lucky Numbers and Lucky Payouts are generated at random, giving players more opportunities to win (multipliers of 50x, 100x, 200x, 300x, 400x and 500x) |
| Mini Roulette | A smaller wheel with only 13 digits is available as an alternative (0-12). |
Slots terminology
Slots are the most popular type of online casino game in PA. Here are all the terms you need to know about.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| All Ways | As the name suggests, this is a slot with paylines that go both ways. Typically, these are video games played online, and participants perceive them to be extremely lucrative. |
| Annuity Winner | A slot jackpot that is paid out over a period of time. It is possible to win a jackpot that is paid out in one lump payment. |
| AWP | Classic slots featuring fruit symbols are referred to as ‘Amusement with Prizes’ |
| Buy a Pay | The highest prizes on some slots are only available if you wager a particular amount. To compete for the grand prize, one must purchase the right to do so. See buying a feature in comparison. |
| Buy a Feature | Payouts are similar in that they allow players to access restricted features in some slot games. |
| Bet Max | The maximum amount of money that can be wagered. |
| Bet Min | The minimum amount of money that can be wagered. |
| Branded Slots | Animated slot games based on well-known brands. Branded slots contain characters from popular television shows, movies, and books. |
| Cashback | Regular players might earn money back as a kind of cashback. Depending on the circumstances, it can be a typical casino promotion, a perk for members of a loyalty program, or a prize for those with a slots club card. |
| Comps | Regular slot players are eligible for a variety of rewards. Freebies at land-based casinos would include things like free hotel rooms and meals, but those at online casinos are more likely to include things like comp points. |
| Certified Slots | Those are the slots that have a guaranteed RTP of at least 98% to 100%. As a rule, they are clearly marked. |
| Coin Slot | For the time being, a coin-operated slot It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find slot machines with this type of theme. |
| Drops | Symbols fall into position instead of spinning on a slot machine’s reels. |
| Free Spins | A free spins bonus is one of the most prevalent types of in-game rewards when playing slots. Bonus rounds can be triggered by scatter symbols and provide you free spins with winnings based on your previous bet. Some casinos feature an additional bonus as part of their new player welcome package in online gambling. |
| Free-to-Play | When you visit a land-based casino, you may get the opportunity to check out slots for free, which are referred to as “free play.” Free slot demonstrations are more commonly used in online casinos than in brick-and-mortar establishments. |
| Fixed Value Slots | Slots in which the total wager is fixed and you cannot adjust the quantity or denomination of coins bet. |
| Five Liner | A traditional slot with 5 paylines rather than 1. Typically, there are two diagonals and three horizontals. |
| Hit Frequency | When it comes to slots, the hit rate is a theoretical number that tells you how often you can anticipate to get lucky. Games with a lower hot frequency will have a higher frequency of payouts, but smaller ones. Inseparable from variation and extremely difficult to evaluate. |
| Hot Slots | Fast and frequent payouts can be found in those games. Theoretically, since each game’s random number generator (RNG) is preprogrammed to award a specific percentage of wins, it will eventually do so. However, locating the hot slots is no longer regarded to be a realistic technique for many online poker players. |
| Hopper | A receptacle holding coins that can be withdrawn from land-based slots. Although it is no longer used in most modern computers, it can be found in older models. |
| Hammer a Machine | Playing the same slot again in an attempt to win a progressive jackpot or get on a winning streak is known as “repetition.” |
| Loose Slot | Slots lingo that refers to a game that has a tendency to pay out a lot of money. Similar to the hot slots. |
| Lever | Instead of ‘Spin’ buttons, old-school slots have levers. Because they lack mechanical components, they are no more than a button in most current video slots. |
| Linked Progressive Jackpot | A progressive jackpot slot network that connects many casinos. As more and more people place wagers on any of the linked progressive slots, the prize amount grows larger. |
| Nudge | A bonus feature that would allow you to change the position of the slot reels. However, it is more common in online slots than in UK fruit machines. |
| One-Armed Bandit | Name for slots in the past. Classic slots with levers are often associated with this term. |
| Payback Percentage | Return To Player. |
| Paytable | Payout table is another name for this. You may see how much money you can win by getting the right symbol combinations. |
| Primary Jackpot | The most money you can win on a slot is this. |
| Penny Slots | Machines on land with low bet levels — in this example, based on pennies. If there is more than one payline, you will almost always have to play far more than a penny to activate them all. |
| Reels | The symbols are shown on rotating drums that revolve in unison. Although modern slots can have any number of reels, most are 3- and 5-reel machines. |
| Rows | The slot screen’s horizontal lines of symbolism. The number of active paylines, not the number of rows, is what matters in slot games. |
| Slot tournament | A game of chance in which participants compete against each other on slots. Some of the more frequent formats and rules for slot tournaments are listed in our guide to playing slots. |
| Streaky Slots | Slots that are said to have varying degrees of success. Modern RNG software has made it more difficult for streaky slots to exist. |
| Spin | When you press the spin button, the slots will go through one round of spinning. Classic slots had a lever that was replaced by a button. |
| Symbols | On the slot reels, the symbols. When playing a slot, not only is the visual appeal vital, but so is the gaming aspect. Numerous peculiar symbols can be seen in today’s video slots. |
| Total Bet | All of the money you’ve put into the game. |
| Trail | Games with this functionality include some slots. As the game progresses, the player will be able to unlock more prizes. |
| Tumbling Reels | Cascading reels are shown. |
| Variance | Volatility is referred to as this. |
| Volatility | The volatility of a slot game, also known as variance, can be high, medium, or low. Low-volatility slots are considered low-risk since they pay out frequently, but the winnings are lower. As a result, you’re more likely to walk away empty-handed if you play high-volatility slots. Visit our page on slot volatility for more information. |
| Wild Symbol | A joker is a special slot symbol that can substitute for any other sign. When it appears on a payline, it can fill in for a symbol that has fallen out of place. With wilds, the player has a better chance of making a winning combination. |
| Wild Multiplier | A multiplier and a wild card in one. |
| Wide Are Progressive (WAP) | Those WAP jackpot slots are part of a network of slots throughout a large area, all linked together in a single pot for jackpot wins. The payouts in these games are typically larger – most online progressive jackpot slots may be classified as WAP. |
| Win-Both-Ways | If you’re looking for games with multiple ways to win, look no further than “multi-way slots.” |
Learning the Casino Lingo
When playing at an online casino, you’ll come across a lot of different terms that you need to know. If you’re new to online casinos, then you definitely need to understand a few keywords.
This dictionary page will help you understand and learn new words that you’ll find while playing online. All you need to do is search for your term if you already know what you’re looking for, or you can simply look under your preferred online casino game and find your term there!
Make sure you bookmark this page to always have it handy.
Frequently Asked Questions
On this page, you'll be able to find the top terminology tied to the online casino industry.
You'll be able to find terms according to a specific online casino game or general terms.
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