If you’re new to online casino games and are still learning about the various types of casino games, you’re likely to have come across a few new terms. Knowing the casino jargon when playing casino table games will not only help give you a better understanding of the game but it’ll also allow you to enjoy live casinos online with other players.
Learn some of the basic and popular casino terminology, including essential terms for blackjack, poker, roulette and more, here.
A to Z of Casino Terms
A
Action: The total sum of money wagered (put into action) by a player throughout their session.
Add-on: Extra chips that every player can buy at a specific point in a poker tournament.
All-in: When a player bets all their chips at once during a game of poker.
American roulette: The version of roulette that has zero and double zero on the roulette wheel.
Ante: A small bet made by players before a hand of cards is dealt.
Arm: A term used in craps to describe a highly skilled player.
B
Baccarat: A casino table game played between a player and a banker.
Bad beat: When you have a strong hand that is expected to win, but you still lose.
Banker: The dealer in card games who is responsible for paying out winnings and collecting losing bets.
Bankroll: The amount of money a player is willing to spend during a session or the total amount they have to gamble during a particular period.
Bet: The amount wagered.
Betting limits: The minimum and maximum amounts of money that a player can wager on one bet.
Blind bet: In poker, a bet posted without the player seeing any of their cards.
Blinds: A forced bet in Hold’em poker.
Bonus: Money that could be given to you for free for various reasons, such as when signing up with an online casino.
Bump: To raise your bet.
Burn card: The card that’s taken off the top of the deck by the dealer before revealing one or more board cards in poker.
Buy-in: The amount of money needed to enter a table game or tournament.
C
Call: To match the current bet during a poker game.
Calling station: A poker player who calls regularly.
Cashback: A percentage of the money that you spent and lost at a casino that you receive back.
Casino Hold’em poker: A card game based on Texas Hold’em poker, where players bet against the casino rather than other players.
Chase: The attempt to win back money after a losing bet or streak.
Check: An action in poker whereby the player stays in the game without placing a bet on their hand.
Chemin de Fer: A variant of baccarat.
Chip: Tokens (usually in the form of round plastic discs) of various denominations used to make bets.
Cold: A player on a losing streak or a game that isn’t rewarding players with winnings. Often used to describe slot machines.
Craps: A casino dice game.
Credit: In online casinos, wagers are expressed in credits.
Croupier: The dealer in baccarat and roulette.
D
Dealer: The casino employee who deals the cards during a card game.
Deposit: A payment made to a casino online to play casino games on their platform.
Double down: Double your original bet and receive one more card in a game of blackjack. You are unable to hit again after you double down.
Double or nothing: An even-money bet that pays off exactly the amount wagered.
Down to the felt: When a gambler runs out of casino chips and money.
Drop: Money collected by the dealer that was lost during a game and now belongs to the casino.
E
Edge: An advantage over an opponent.
Even-money bet: A wager where the player has a chance to win back the amount that they bet. An even-money bet doubles the player’s initial wager if they win.
Eye in the sky: The security cameras in a casino that are usually mounted to a ceiling.
F
Face cards: The jack, queen and king of any suit of cards.
Face-down: A card dealt face-down without its value exposed.
Face-up: A card dealt face-up, with its value exposed.
Firing: A player wagering large sums.
First base: The position on the far left of the dealer in blackjack.
Fish: A weak poker player that other players can easily beat.
Flat betting: A way of betting where the same amount is bet on each wager.
Flop: The first three community cards in Hold‘em and Omaha poker, dealt all at once, face-up.
Flush: A poker hand where all the cards have the same suit.
Fold: Forfeiting your hand, a term used predominantly in poker.
Free spin: When a player gets to spin the reel of a slot without having to pay.
Full house: A poker hand that consists of a pair and a three-of-a-kind.
G
Gambler’s fallacy: The incorrect belief that previous events will affect future events in pure games of chance, such as slots.
George: A player who tips the dealers generously.
Grind: To play a lot. In poker, it specifically means to play a lot in low-stakes games, with the aim being to make a reasonable profit by the end of a session.
Gross winnings: The total payout (including your stake.)
H
Hand: Refers to the cards that you hold during a game.
High card: The highest value card that is not part of a pair or stronger combination in a poker hand.
High roller: A player who wagers large bets.
Hit: Drawing an additional card during a game of blackjack.
Hole card: This refers to the face-down card that the dealer gets in blackjack and to the face-down cards dealt to each player in stud and Hold‘em poker.
Hot: A player who is winning a lot or a game that is paying out a lot.
House: A casino or gambling center.
House edge: The mathematical advantage the casino has over players.
House rules: The terms of play imposed by the casino.
I
Inside bets: A roulette bet placed on a number or series of numbers rather than betting on the winning color or whether the winning number will be odd or even.
Insurance: A side bet offered when the dealer shows an ace in blackjack.
J
Jackpot: A large prize pool or individual win.
K
Kicker: A card that is used to break a tie in poker.
L
Ladderman: The casino employee who oversees the baccarat game. During this game, there are two dealers seated together at the center of the table, a caller standing at the table across from the dealers and the ladderman, who supervises the action from a chair above the table.
Limp: To call after the big blind has been placed.
Live dealer games: A genre of online casino games where the game is hosted by a real dealer and is streamed live to players. The game software allows players to place bets, interact with the dealer and perform other actions.
Low roller: A player who makes small bets.
M
Match play: A competition system used in card-based tournaments in which two participants play a series of games that only ends when one player accumulates the required number of points.
Multiplayer casino: A feature offered by online casinos that lets you play against other players.
N
Natural: The cards in blackjack or baccarat that automatically win.
No-Limit, or NL: When a player can bet all their chips at any time, most often seen in poker.
Nosebleed: A game with very high stakes.
Nuts: The best possible hand in poker, blackjack or baccarat.
O
Odds: The statistical chance of winning or losing a bet expressed in a fraction or percentage.
Out: A card that will improve a player’s hand.
Overlay: Odds that benefit the player more than they do the house.
P
Pass: To fold during card games.
Payout: The amount of money paid out to the player when they win.
Playing the rush: A poker term that refers to players who begin playing more loosely or aggressively after a big win in an attempt to continue winning.
Playthrough requirements: The conditions you must meet in order to withdraw any winnings from a bonus or promotional offer.
Pocket cards: Also known as hole cards, these are the cards dealt face-down in poker.
Poker: A strategy-based card game that offers a wide number of variations, such as Texas Hold’em, Seven-card Stud, Omaha, Razz, Lowball and Pineapple.
Pot: The amount of money that accumulates during a poker game as each player antes, bets and raises. The pot goes to the winner of the hand.
Press: To place a larger wager than expected.
Probability: A mathematical calculation that establishes the likelihood that an event will occur.
Push: A draw in blackjack.
Q
Quads: Four cards of the same denomination in poker.
Qualifier: The minimum ranking a hand must have to be eligible to take part of the pot during a game of poker.
R
Rail: Someone who is spectating a casino game.
Rank: The worth of a set of cards in poker.
Re-bet: To place another wager of the same amount from a previous round or game.
Return: The amount a player has earned from a wager.
River: The last community card to be dealt in a game of poker.
Roulette: A casino table game that uses a spinning wheel with numbers from 1 to 36 on which players bet on the potential landing of the ball.
Random Number Generator, or RNG: Refers to a computer-based program used by online casinos to generate a random result.
Royal flush: The five highest cards of the same suit — 10, jack, queen, king and ace; the best possible hand in poker.
S
Shark: A highly skilled player.
Showdown: The final round of poker between two players where both are required to reveal their hands to decide a winner.
Shuffling: Card mixing techniques used to prepare a deck for play.
Steaming: A term used in blackjack when a player has become frustrated with how badly the events of a session of play have turned out. Similar to going on tilt in poker.
Stud poker: One of the two basic forms of poker game. The other is draw poker.
Suit: Any one of the four types of cards: clubs, diamonds, hearts or spades.
Stand: To draw no further cards.
Straight flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit in poker.
T
Tank: A person who is taking their time to make a decision.
Tapping out: Losing one’s entire gambling bankroll and having to stop playing.
Tell: Subtle hints a player unknowingly conveys that can be used to determine whether they have a good or bad hand.
Three-of-a-kind: Three cards of the same rank. Also referred to as “trips.”
Tilt: A term used in poker to indicate a state of frustration, usually after a big loss, where a player starts making emotional decisions and adopts a less-than-optimal strategy.
Toke: Short for “token,” a tip given to the dealer in the form of money or chips.
Tournament: A competitive game between a group of players over a period of time.
U
Underlay: A bad or unfavorable bet.
V
Vigorish: The casino edge, fee or commission taken by the house.
VIP: A Very Important Person. Usually a high roller.
W
Wager: Another term for a bet.
Wild card: A joker or another predetermined card that can be used in the place of any other card to complete your hand in card games.
Wild royal flush: A royal flush that makes use of a wild card.
Discover the Best Games To Play at a Casino With BetMGM
Now that you have a better understanding of casino lingo and perhaps even how to play casino table games, it’s time to put your knowledge and skills into practice at BetMGM. You’ll discover a range of popular casino games online, including live dealer online casino games, slot games and more.
Register at BetMGM to join in all the exciting gambling action.
