The complete list of Casino Terms, Poker glossary and Slots Glossary – Heps you become a poker player and a better slots player. A – Casino Terms Action: The amount of money wagered. In poker, the action is the placing of money into the pot or pool to be played.
Blackjack also called a 'natural 21'
- Welcome to CasinosOnline Glossary of common casino terms and definitions. Here you can find explanations for every term and concept that you might encounter during your casino play. Knowing some of the right terminology is extremely beneficial when you play most casino games both offline and online.
- Find a specific word or phrase in our casino dictionary or just study the whole word list and make sure you know the correct casino lingo by heart. Stating that there is a special casino language might be to stretch it, but knowing the terms used by the dealer and other players too for that matter, is essential for you to play the games right.
The following is a glossary of terms used in the card game blackjack. This is not intended to be a formal dictionary; precise usage details and multiple closely related senses are omitted here in favor of concise treatment of the basics.[1][2]
8[edit]
- Being told by a casino that you are being removed, generally due to suspected advantage play.
B[edit]
- balanced count
- Any counting system which has an exact balance between plus cards and minus cards. In such a system, if the deck were counted down to the bottom, the resulting sum would be zero.
- blackjack
- 1. A card game in which players attempt to approach 21 but not exceed it
- 2. The best possible hand in the game blackjack, made up of an ace and a card valued at 10 (namely, 10, J, Q, K).
- bust
- Having a total over 21.
- bust card
- The individual card that brings the hand's total over 21.
- basic strategy
- A collection of actions that will offer the best odds off the top of the deck. These actions vary when different rules are applied to the game.
C[edit]
- cut card
- A brightly colored plastic card that serves to mark the point after which the dealer will reshuffle the cards, and used by a player to cut the cards prior to dealing.
D[edit]
- double or double down
- After seeing their hand, a player can Double by placing an additional bet equal to their original bet and subsequently drawing one and only one additional card. This move may only be used on the first two cards.
E[edit]
- even money
- When the dealer shows an ace and the player has a blackjack, the player can opt for even money and is paid immediately at 1:1. This is just a version of insurance, not a different bet. If the dealer has blackjack, the hand is a push, but the player receives two times the value of the insurance, which is the same as the original bet. If the dealer does not have blackjack, the player wins 1.5 times the value of the original bet but loses the value of the insurance, and still ends up with the value of the original bet.
F[edit]
- first base
- The betting spot located to the dealer's left, which is first to receive cards.
- A bonus or automatic win in some games when a hand contains five cards without busting.
H[edit]
- hard hand
- A hand in which there is a chance the player will bust on a hit.
- hit
- To ask for another card. If that extra card makes the total over 21, then the player busts.
- hole card
- A dealer card that is dealt face down and not revealed to players until after they have acted upon their hands.
I[edit]
- insurance
- When the dealer shows an ace, the player can choose to place a side bet of up to half the value of the original bet. If the dealer has blackjack, the bet pays 2:1. If the dealer does not have blackjack, the player loses the wager.
N[edit]
- natural
- Receiving a sum of 21 in the first two cards. A blackjack.
P[edit]
- penetration
- A number or fraction that represents how many cards/decks will be dealt before shuffling in contrast to the total number of cards/decks in play. It may be expressed in percentage form or as a fraction where the denominator is always the total number of decks in play such as '4.5/6' or '75% penetration'.
- pitch game
- A blackjack game dealt from the hand of the dealer, normally using 1 or 2 decks
- push
- A tie; the player and dealer have hands with the same total below 22.
S[edit]
- shoe
- A device used to hold multiple decks of cards typically 4, 6 or 8. Cards are dealt one at a time from the shoe.
- shoe game
- A blackjack game which is dealt from a shoe. Shoe games typically use more than 2 decks.
- soft
- A soft hand is a hand that includes an ace valued as 11, as opposed to 1.
- split
- If a player is dealt two cards of the same rank, they can choose to play each of them separately, putting up a bet for each one.
- stand
- To stop asking for more cards.
- stiff
- Any hard hand where the possibility to exceed 21 exists by drawing an additional card namely 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16
- surrender
- To surrender is to abandon your hand, while recovering half of your initial bet.
T[edit]
- third base
- The betting spot located on the dealer's right which is last to act.
U[edit]
- upcard
- The card that the dealer is showing.
References[edit]
- ^Dalton, Michael. 'The Encyclopedia of Casino Twenty-One - Blackjack Review Network'. Blackjack Review Network. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- ^'Glossary of terms'. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Glossary_of_blackjack_terms&oldid=975818866'
Playing games and gambling in casinos has been a pastime of people for many centuries. In its impressive and varied history casinos have grown and expanded with the number and types of different games available growing year upon year. As the casino business has developed so has its language with many interesting terms and jargon being used to describe games, betting types and actions commonly found in the industry. In modern times the industry has enjoyed continued growth, and now you don’t even have to enter a casino to play the games with a wealth of them available to play online, either by yourself, or interacting with other players from across the globe.
If you are an avid casino game player you may be familiar with some of the terms that are used, whether specific to a particular type of game such as poker or blackjack, or more general terms used in the gambling world. However those who are new to the thrill of the casino may not be so familiar, and it is easy to get confused when these terms are used, so it’s good to familiarise yourself with them to make sure you stay on top of your game! Below we have listed some of the most common slang terms used in the casino which you can study, memorise, or print out and keep with you to use as a handy reference guide when playing. You can also visit onlinecasinobluebook.com for more casino explanation on terms and slang! Once you have studied up on your casino slang terms why not take the Lingo of the casino quiz with Ladbrokes?!
Action – this is a casino term used to describe the placing of bets by player(s) in a game. It is most commonly used in card games and is easily remembered as the betting is the ‘action’ that the players have to make to be in the game. Alternatively a dealer in a poker card game can use the term to refer to which player is now in a position to bet.
Ante: This is a very useful phrase to know when it comes to gambling! The Ante is a bet that a player must make before other players can bet, so there is always money in the pot. It is used to force action by other players and keeps the game moving. Without the anti no one would be forced to bet so hands could be played where no money is won or lost which is not the point of the game!
Bankroll: It’s a good idea before you enter a casino or start playing online to have a bankroll. This refers to the entire sum of cash that you are willing to gamble with. A top tip is to never go over this to ensure you are always gambling within your means! If you don’t do this you might be referred to as a Pigeon, Plunker or Steamer – a person who continues to chase his or her losses.
Betting Limits -a fairly self explanatory term used to describe the specific limit that a player can bet with. Slotting machines often have betting limits i.e. 10/20 cents or $1 a go, and the ‘max bet’ is the multiple of this that you can bet up to, for example there may be a betting limit of $1 and the max bet is 5 x this, so $5.
A Blind bet -another easy term to remember that you will often hear in poker games where a player bets without knowing what card will come up next.
The Cage -this is where the casino keeps all its money! Jogos poker online.
ColourUp – this refers to chips you get at a casino to use in a variety of games. If you colour up, you are asking the dealer to exchange smaller value chips for larger ones. Often people do this at the end of their games to make it easier to exchange their chips for cash!
Eye-in-the-sky – these are the surveillance cameras that keep an eye on everything going on in the casino. Although casinos have many staff members and security guards who watch over players ensuring that they spot anyone who may be cheating, or behaving inappropriately, surveillance cameras are used as an extra measure to keep everything safe and secure.
Fish – if you are new to gambling you may well be referred to as a ‘fish’. It is a cheeky (but affectionate) way of describing someone who is new to the gambling world.
Hit me – used in blackjack to indicate to the dealer that the player wants another card
Junket – if you hear this term being used then keep your eyes peeled! A junket refers to a group of big, experienced, high rolling players who have been flown in especially on a charted plane at the casinos expense.
Overlay – if you hear this word you are in for a treat! Overlay means that the gambling situation is in favour of the gambler i.e you are more than likely to receive more money than you bet, if you win.
Shill – this is an interesting one. Essentially a shill is a filler player. They are paid by the house to sit in on games to make up numbers. They are commonly used in poker games. This is also called a ‘prop’ or ‘proposition player’.
Toke -A tip for the dealer. This is customary in larger casinos, and is expected if you have done pretty well while gambling at that particular table. Often dealers make the majority of their wages this way, so it is important to remember that if you leave with a good return on your investment. You might also hear someone being referred to as a George which means they tip well, or a Stiff for someone who does not!
Medical Term Dictionary
Whales – a fantastic term used to describe players that are so rich they can happily lose millions in the casino seemingly without a care in the world. You rarely see a Whale around a regular casino playing table, and, as with actual Whales they are a very rare breed with only around 250 in the world!
Turkey – another term that you certainly don’t want to be called in the casino, or anywhere for that matter! A Turkey refers to someone who acts unpleasantly towards the dealer, usually because they are losing or think they know the rules better!
86’d (eighty-sixed) – Let’s hope you don’t hear this term being used too often! To be 86’d means getting thrown out of the casino for underhand or undesirable behaviour!
Casino Terms And Definitions
Of course these are just some of the most commonly used slang terms you may hear while in a casino, or playing online. While there are many others, hopefully by understanding these you will have a better idea of how to play the most popular games and what to look out for to make your gambling experience an even more enjoyable and successful one.