Casino Glossary Section

As this is a new site, the glossary will be a little thin. We would therefore like your help! If you would like to add another term to the glossary, please fill in the short form below.

Bankroll
The amount of money in a players account.

Card Counting
Used in Blackjack. Committing to memory the cards which have been played, in order to gain a more accurate picture of what cards are likely to be drawn, from the remainder of the deck.

Croupier
French word for dealer. Used in the games of Baccarat and Roulette.

Cut Card
A red or black plastic card, that is used to cut a deck of cards.

Double Down
Blackjack - To double down means your initial bet is doubled and you will receive one more card. You must stand after this card is dealt.

Doubling Up
1. Poker - to double the size of your stack in one go - usually by going heads up against some.
2. Doubling the size of your previous bet after it has lost, in the hope that you will win and cover your previous losses.

Fish
Someone who loses a lot of money (usually at poker). "If you can't spot the fish, you are the fish".

Flat Betting
Someone who always bets the same amount on each hand / spin.

House Edge
The casinos advantage over the players. If the house edge is 2%, it means that on average the house will make 2% on all bets, by e.g. the ball landing on 0 at roulette.

Hard Hand
Any hand in blackjack that does not contain an ace valued at eleven.

High Roller
A big spender at the Casinos. They will often receive complimentary rooms at the casino because of the huge sums they wager.

House Edge
The casinos advantage for any particular game. In other words, the percentage of total bets they should theoretically "win" from the punters.

Inside Bet
In roulette, any bet which is is placed on the main, numbered section of the board.

Insurance
In blackjack, insurance (a further bet, half that of the original stake) is offered when the dealer's up card is an ace. The insurance bet wins double if the dealer has 21, but loses if the dealer does not.

Natural
A natural is when you hit 21 with your first two cards at Blackjack.

Outside Bet
In Roulette, bets placed on the outside part of the board. The bets placed involve varying combinations of 12-18 numbers.

Outside Numbers
In Craps - numbers 4, 5, 9 and 10.

Overlay
A bet where you have an edge over the casino.

Palette
A paddle used on the Baccarat table to scoop the cards.

Payout Percentage
Relating to slot machines, this is the percentage of total stakes which the machine is programmed to pay out. This figure will be 100% minus the house edge.

Pit
The area in between a cluster of gambling tables. Only casino staff are allowed in this area.

Point
In craps, a dice term for the number rolled on the 'Come Out Roll' if a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled. The point has to be repeated before a seven rolls for the 'Pass Line' bets to win.

Quarters
$25 Chips.

RFB
When a high roller is given free Room, Food, and Beverages.

Riffling
A card shuffling technique.

Shooter
The person rolling the dice.

Snake Eyes
When you roll a 2 in craps.

Soft Hand
In blackjack - a hand that contains an ace counted as eleven.

Spot
Any number from 1 to 80 that a player selects on a keno ticket. It also refers to the number of numbers that are marked on a ticket.

Surrender
In Blackjack, you give up half your stack to pull out of the hand.

Tapping Out
Losing your entire bankroll and therefore having to stop gambling.

Underlay
A bad or unfavorable bet.

Washing
A shuffling technique where the dealer places all the cards face down on the table and shuffles them with the palms of his hands, before collecting them and shuffling them in a normal manner.