These are some common gambling terms and terminology we encounter in gambling world.
(Note: Not all terms are listed.)
CasinoAction: The total amount of monies wagered by players at a table.
Advantage: The numerical chance that a casino has over the player of winning. Also known as 'casino advantage' or 'house edge'.
American Roulette: Roulette game where the wheel has two zeroes, thus increasing the house advantage.
Ante: Money that all players must put into a hand whether they play or not.
Antigua and Barbuda: A common online casino jurisdiction provider.
Atlantic City: A Blackjack variation game.
Baccarat: Old, usually high-roller's card game in which players aim to get the hand closest to nine.
Bad beat: A hand that a player loses where the odds were good that they should have won. Also known as a 'bad break'.
Bankroll: The amount of money a person has to gamble.
Base: Area near players on a table where bets are usually made and paid.
Betting limits: A minimum and maximum amount of money that can be wagered be each player at a card or table game.
Black: One of two colors you can bet on in Roulette, the other being red.
Blackjack: Card game where players try to get a hand closest to or equaling 21 in order to win; also the name of the hand that equals 21.
Blacklist: A list of unscrupulous players that are not allowed to gamble at a certain online casino.
Bonus: Money given to a player for various reasons, such as being a new player, loyal or VIP player.
Boss Media: One of the more popular online casino software providers.
Boxman: Casino dealer in charge of a game of craps.
Burn card: A card that is placed to the side and not played in a table game.
Bust: A Blackjack term that means you have gone over 21 and are out of the game.
Call: To match another players' bet at a card table.
Card counting: Technique used by professionals at Blackjack tables in an attempt to negate the house advantage.
Caribbean Stud: Poker game where the players use best five-card hand to go against the dealer (house) as opposed to other players like most Poker games.
Chasing losses: Term for when a player experiences a bad beat and continues to play in a reckless manor, trying to make up for the loss.
Chips: Unit of currency at most table and card games in a casino. Value can vary from game to game.
Comp points: Points earned at online casino
Craps: Dice game with multiple bets as to when the person throwing the dice will hit certain numbers.
Credits: Another term for a unit of money, sometimes also called chips.
Curacao: Small country in the Netherland Antilles that gives out online casino jurisdictions.
Cyberstud: An increasingly popular Poker variation.
Dealer: Person in charge of dealing cards at a particular game.
Deposit: A payment made to an online casino in order to play. This plus any bonus is considered your bankroll.
Demo version: Games offered by some online casinos that be viewed and/or played without a real money wager.
Edge: Statistical advantage that the house has over a player in any given game.
eCOGRA: The biggest and strictest of the online casino watchdog groups that make sure each online casino that bears its seal is honest, safe and reliable.
Encryption: A security measure taken by online casinos to make sure all transactions are safe from hackers.
Flash: One type of no-download casino software.
Free bonus: Rare bonus offered by handful of online casinos that does not require a deposit in order to receive it.
Free play: "Fun" versions of the games that an online casino offers that can be played without a wager.
European Roulette: Roulette game with a single zero on the wheel, also known as 'single zero' Roulette.
Even Money: A casino game where the payout is 1:1.
Face cards: In a deck of cards, the Aces, Kings, Queens and Jacks.
Gambler's Anonymous: Group that specializes in helping problem or addicted gamblers recover.
Gibraltar: Tiny UK country that gives out online casino jurisdictions.
Hard hand: Common Blackjack term for a hand not containing an ace.
Hit: In Blackjack, term used to indicate you wish to take another card into your hand.
Hole card: In Blackjack, the dealer's face-down card.
House: Common term for the casino itself.
IGC: International Gaming Council, an online casino watchdog group that casinos may join after being audited for fairness.
iGlobal Media: A very popular online casino software provider.
Java: One type of no-download software.
Jurisdictions: A country that allows online casinos to register with them in order to be certified and legal. Online casinos must then adhere to all the gambling laws of that jurisdiction.
Kahnawake: A common jurisdiction for online casinos.
Let It Ride: A poker game.
Match bonus: Bonus given by online casino that matches a certain amount of your deposit.
Microgaming: One of the best online casino software companies.
Odds: The amount a particular bet pays out, such as 1:1 and so on.
OddsOn: One of the better software companies that many online casinos use for their games.
OPA: Online Player's Association, which independently audits many online casinos to make sure their payout percentages are accurate.
Pai Gow: Yet another in a long line of Poker variations.
Payline: Slot machine term for the lines across or diagonally
Payout: The amount of money paid out from a game or machine as a win.
Payout percentage: The percentage of each dollar taken in at an online casino that is returned to the player as a win.
PIN number: Number required by many online casinos to be entered into their system before they will process a withdrawal.
Platform: The type of software, such as download, Java or Flash.
PlayTech: One of the best online casino software companies.
Player: The gambler at a casino.
Poker Room: A separate area or site that is earmarked simply for the playing of Poker and its many variations.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers: A world-renowned accounting firm that does many online casino audits.
Progressive: A game that has a very large jackpot that can be won by playing max coins.
Promotions: Contests, sweepstakes or other giveaways that online casinos use as either a loyalty perk or to lure more new customers their way.
Red: One of the betting colors in Roulette, the other being black
Reels: Wheels inside of a Slot machine that have symbols. Certain symbol combinations determine whether you are a winner or not.
Referral bonus: Bonus given to a player who gets another person to sign up for the casino.
Right Bettor: In craps, a player who bets with the shooter.
RNG: Stands for Random Number Generator, and is a computer program that randomly assigns wins and losses for online casinos games in order to keep them fair.
RTG: One of the best online casino software companies.
Roulette: Table game with a wheel in which gamblers make a bet based on what number and/or color they think the ball will land on.
Shooter: In craps, the person whose turn it is to roll the dice.
Slots: Machine game with reels and lines that determine whether each spin is a winner or not.
Soft hand: Common Blackjack term for a hand containing an ace.
Spanish Blackjack: A variation on the traditional Blackjack game.
Stand: Common Blackjack term for keeping your hand as-is and not taking more cards into it.
Steaming: Industry term for when a play experiences a bad beat and is angry over it, resulting in poor subsequent play.
Strategy: A plan that a player has to try to win at a particular game or casino.
Stud Poker: Any Poker game played without a draw.
Super Fun 21: A Blackjack variation.
Surrender: Rare Blackjack variation where you may give up the hand before it's over and only lose half your bet.
Up card: The dealer's card in Blackjack that is exposed.
Vegas Downtown: A popular Blackjack game.
Vegas Strip: A Blackjack variation.
Video Poker: Combination of five-card Poker and a Slot machine.
Viper: The upscale version of the Microgaming software.
Wagering requirement: The amount of times a bonus must be bet in order to cash it out.
WaterLogic: One of the best online casino software companies.
Withdrawal: A request to receive your payouts from an online casino.
Wrong Bettor: In craps, a person who bets with the house.
RoulettesAction: The amount of money wagered over a given period of time.
Adrenotrend system: Classification of systems that wager on the side that won previously. Another name for a streak method of betting.
Alenbert system: A progressive system of betting where you increase your bet by one unit after a loss and decrease your bet by one unit after a win.
American Wheel: A roulette wheel with 38 slots numbered 1 to 36 plus two zeros, 0 and 00.
Backtrack: The outer, stationary rim of the roulette wheel where the ball is spun. Also called the ball-track.
Ball-track: The outer, stationary rim of the roulette wheel where the ball is spun. Also called the backtrack.
Biased numbers: A Big Number that continues through long-term analysis and produced by Biased Wheels.
Biased wheel: A roulette wheel that has an imperfection that causes certain numbers or sections of numbers to appear at a higher frequency than probability allows for.
Big number: A number that has hit more than its theoretical average.
Black bet: A wager on the black color numbers with a payout of 1 to1.
Bottom track: The slanting, stationary, inner area of a roulette wheel down which the ball slides before bouncing onto the wheel head and into a pocket.
Cancellation betting system: A betting system using a series of numbers that cancels numbers after winning a bet and adds numbers after losing a bet. One specific type of Cancellation System is known as the LaBouchere System.
Capping a bet: Illegally adding more chips to a bet that has already won. It is a form of Past Posting.
Carr: French for Corner bet.
Chameleon strategy: Looking for players who have been winning and then mimicking their betting patterns in the hope that they will continue to be lucky, have found biased wheels, or are visual wheel trackers.
Chasing losses: Increasing your bets in order to recoup what you’ve lost.
Cheval: French for Split bet
Choppy game: A game where neither the player nor the house has been winning consistently. Or, a game where no discernible streaks nor patterns have been appearing.
Cold table: Any table where you and/or other players have been losing.
Color up: To exchange smaller denomination chips for larger denomination chips at a table.
Column bet: One of the three longer divisions of the layout containing 12 numbers.
Colonne: The French term for Column Bet.
Combination bet: A bet with one chip or more chips on two or more numbers.
Corner bet: A bet on four numbers
Croupier: The person who operates the roulette table.
d’Alembert betting system: A system of betting where you increase your bet by one unit after a loss and decrease your bet by one unit after a win.
Derniere: A French term for last and refers to the last group of 12 numbers in the Dozen Bet.
Dozen bet: One of three dozen numbers on the layout, 1-12, 13-24, 25-36.
Double up system of betting: A betting system whereby bets are doubled after a loss in hopes of recouping the previous loss.
Double-zero: 00 number slot on the roulette wheel. Only found on American roulette wheels.
Douzaine: French term for the Dozen Bet.
En plein: French for Straight up bet.
En prison: French phrase. A rule applied to even money bets only. When the outcome is zero, some casinos will allow the player to either take back half his bet or leave the bet (in prison) for another spin. In the second case, if the following spin the outcome is again zero, then the whole bet is lost.
European wheel: A roulette wheel with 37 slots numbered 1 to 36 plus one zero, 0.
Even bet: A wager on even numbers with a 1 to 1 payoff.
Even money: A bet that pays off at one to one. In roulette Red, Black, Odd, Even, Low, and High bets all pay even money.
Fibonacci betting system: A progressive betting system where each bet is a combination of the two previous numbers.
Flat bettor: A player who never varies the size of his bets, and bets the same amount each time.
Five number bet Common with American double zero roulette wheels. It is a bet covering 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3.
French wheel: A wheel containing just one zero.
Gaffed Wheel: A wheel that has been rigged.
Golden Numbers: Numbers that have hit out of all proportion to their probability.
Grand Martingale: A variant of the Martingale System where you double your bets and add one extra unit after a loss.
High bet: An even money bet for the top half (1-18) of the numbers
Impair: French term for the Odd Bet.
Inside bet: A bet anywhere on the number betting area of the roulette layout.
La partage: French phrase. A rule similar to the en prison rule, only in this case the player loses half the bet and does not have the option of leaving the bet en prison for another spin. This refers to the ‘outside’ even-money bets Red/Black, High/Low, Odd/Even and applies when the outcome is zero.
LaBouchere betting system: A type of Cancellation Betting System where numbers are cancelled out from a user-defined string of numbers after a win and added to the string after a loss. The string of numbers determines the next amount to bet.
Layout strategies: Betting systems and strategies that try to overcome the house edge simply by placing different types of bets, without trying to determine if the wheel or dealer is biased.
Line bet: A wager that one of six numbers will win.
Low bet: An even money bet for the bottom half (19-36) of the numbers.
Manque: French term for Low Bet.
Martingale betting system: A type of Double-Up System whereby you double your bets after every loss. Meaning that when you win, you’ll win back all of your loss, plus the payoff for the original wager.
Money plays: The call that alerts the dealer and the pit that you are betting cash and not chips.
Negative progression: Any system of wagering where you increase bets after a loss.
Noir: French term for Black Bet.
Non-value chip: A gaming chip for which the dollar value is determined by the amount of the buy-in and the amount of chips taken. This is usually established by the “Table Minimum Bet” amount displayed on the table.
Odd bet: A wager on odd numbers with a 1 to 1 payoff.
Orphans: French phrase. Common in European casinos. It’s a bet on three specific numbers 6, 34 and 17 that are neighbors on the wheel, but far apart on the layout.
Orphelins: French phrase. Common in European casinos. It’s a bet on a specific group of numbers on a section of the roulette wheel that are neighbors on the wheel, but apart on the layout.
Oustide bet: Bets on the non-number sections of the roulette layout.
Pair: French term for Even Bet.
Passe: French term for High Bet.
Positive progression: Any system of wagering where you increase bets after a win.
Premiere: French term for first and refers to the first group of 12 numbers in the Dozen Bet.
Quarter bet: A wager that one of four numbers will be hit on the next spin.
Red bet: A wager on the red color numbers with a payout of 1 to 1.
Reverse-LaBouchere betting system: A system of playing the LaBouchere System “in reverse”. That is, you cancel numbers after each loss and add them after each win.
Reverse-Martingale betting system: A system of playing the Martingale System “in reverse”. That is, you double-up after each win instead of after each loss.
Rouge: French term for Red Bet.
Section shooting: The act of placing the ball in a given section of the wheel.
Section slicing: Dividing the wheel into sections based upon which numbers have been hitting for the purpose of discovering biases.
Sixainne: French for Six line bet.
Six line bet: A bet on six numbers.
Split bet: A bet on two numbers.
Straight up bet: A bet on one single number.
Street bet: A bet on three numbers.
Surrender: The option whereby a casino only takes half a player’s losing wager on the even-money bets when the 0 or 00 hits. Few US casinos offer this.
Tiers du cylindre: French phrase. Common in European casinos. It’s a bet on a specific group of numbers on a section of the roulette wheel that are paired neighbors on the layout.
Transversale: French for Street bet.
Trio Bet: A bet on three numbers.
Visual wheel tracking: The ability to judge where the ball will land by sight.
Voisins du zero: French phrase. Common in European casinos. It’s a bet on a specific group of numbers on a section of the roulette wheel neighboring the zero.
Wheel-clocking: There are two main definitions for or types of Wheel-Clocking. One is to keep track of the results of roulette spins to ascertain patterns and possibility of wheel bias. The other is to visually or electronically clock the speed of the wheel in an effort to predict where the ball will land.
Wheel roller: A roulette dealer or croupier.
Zero: 0 number slot on the roulette wheel.
Sports BettingAcross the Board: A method of wagering on a horse to win, place and show.
Action: A baseball wager where no pitcher is specified. Also refers to the number of bets being placed on a certain event.
ATS (Against The Spread): A method of referring to the result of an event that takes the pointspread into account. Also, the act of taking points rather than betting with the spread, or "laying" points.
Bad Beat: A wager that loses unexpectedly.
Beard: A friend or acquaintance used to place bets, to conceal the true identity of the real bettor.
Book: An establishment that accepts bets on the outcome of sporting events.
Bookmaker/Bookie: A person who takes wagers on sporting events.
Buck: $100 (as in a "buck" bet).
Buy (Points): When a player pays an additional price to receive half a point or more in his favor on a pointspread game.
Canadian Line: A combination pointspread and moneyline in hockey.
Chalk: The favored team, athlete or horse.
Chalk Player: Someone who usually only plays the favored teams, rarely betting on the underdogs. Also known as a "chalkeater."
Circled Game: A game where the limits are lowered, or betting options are restricted, usually due to injuries.
Cover: To beat the pointspread by the required number of points. When you win, you have "covered the spread."
Dead Heat: When two or more horses finish in a tie.
Dime: $1,000.
Dime Line: A line where the juice is 10 percent.
Dog: Short for "underdog."
Dog Player: A bettor who mostly plays the underdog.
Dollar: $100.
Double Action: An "if bet" that is processed when the precedent bet wins, ties or cancels.
Double Bet: A wager for twice the size of one's usual wager; also known as "double pop" or "doubling up."
Edge: A person's advantage when it comes to sports betting.
Even Money: A wager on which neither side lays any odds or vigorish.
Exotic: Any wager other than a straight bet or parlay, also called a prop or proposition.
Exposure: The maximum amount of money a sportsbook stands to lose on a game.
Favorite: The team expected to win an event. The quoted odds reflect the extent to which the choice is favored.
Fifty Cents: $50.
Figure: The amount owed to or by a bookmaker.
Final Four: The remaining four teams in the NCAA basketball tournament.
First Half Bet: A bet placed only on the first half of the game.
Futures: Bets placed on an event or outcome taking place some time in the future (e.g. betting during the season on the Super Bowl winner).
Getting Down: Making a bet.
Grand Salami: The grand total of goals scored in all the hockey games of the day. It can be wagered to go Over/Under.
Half-A-Dollar: $50
Half Time Bet: A bet placed only on the second half of the game.
Handicapper: One who studies and rates sporting events.
Handicapping: The attempt to predict the outcome of sporting events. Usually involves research.
Handle: The total amount of money bet on an event or group of events.
Hedging: Placing wagers on the opposite side in order to cut losses or guarantee a minimum amount of winnings.
Hook: A half-point.
Hot Game: A game that is drawing a lot of action on one side from knowledgeable handicappers.
Juice: The commission the bookie earns.
Laying the Points: Betting the favorite by giving up points.
Laying the Price: Betting the favorite by laying money odds.
Layoff: Money bet by a house with another bookmaker to reduce its liability.
Limit: The maximum amount a bookmaker will allow you to bet before he changes the odds and/or the points.
Lines: Another word for odds.
Linemaker: The person who establishes the original and subsequent betting lines. Also known as "oddsmaker."
Listed Pitchers: A baseball bet which will be placed only if both of the pitchers scheduled to start a game actually start. If they don't, the bet is cancelled.
Lock: An easy winner.
Longshot: A team, athlete or horse perceived to be unlikely to win.
Middle: To win both sides of the same contest in a sports betting event. Wagering on the underdog at one pointspread and the favorite at a different pointspread and winning both sides.
Moneyline: A wager where no pointspread is involved.
Move the Line: A player pays an additional price to receive half a point or more in his favor on a pointspread game.
Nickel: $500.
Nickel Line: A sports wagering line where the juice is five percent.
No Action: A wager in which no money is lost nor won.
Off the Board : A game that the bookmaker is not offering action on at that moment.
Outlaw Line: The earliest line in sports betting. This is an overnight line that only a handful of players are allowed to bet into.
Over/Under: A bet on whether the combined total of the points/goals scored by the two teams will exceed or be less than a specified number.
Parlay: A bet on two or more teams or outcomes where the original stake and winnings are reinvested on the next wager. All selections must be correct for the parlay to win. In the event of a push or a game
cancellation, the parlay reverts to the next lower number (e.g. a 4-team parlay becomes a 3-team parlay).
Pick 'em: A game where neither team is favored.
Pointspread: The handicap, or head start, which the favorite gives to the underdog for betting purposes.
Press: To wager a larger amount than usual.
Prop (Proposition) Bet: A special wager offered by the sportsbook on unique and various topics. These wagers can be on sporting events, politics, and even trial outcomes. The wagers use the moneyline format of payoff odds and might include who scores the first touchdown in the Super Bowl, who will win the next presidential election, or whether or not someone on trial will be found guilty.
Price: The odds or pointspread.
Puckline: Giving odds of a goal spread in hockey instead of using a Canadian Line, where both a goal spread and moneyline are played.
Puppy: The underdog.
Push: When a contest ends with no winner or loser for wagering purposes.
Round Robin: A series of three or more teams in 2-team parlays.
Run down: All the lines for a specific date, sport, time, etc.
Runline: In baseball, a spread used instead of the moneyline.
Runner: One who places bets for another.
Scouts: Person(s) who waits for what he thinks is an unusually strong wager. Also known as a "sports player."
Sharp: A sophisticated or professional gambler.
Sides: The two teams or athletes playing - the underdog and the favorite.
Single Action: An "if bet" that's processed only if the precedent bet wins.
Spread: An abbreviated form of "pointspread."
Square: A novice when it comes to sports betting.
Steam: When a line starts to move rapidly. Most "steam games" do not necessarily reflect objective circumstances, but are games that draw a mass of bettors for some reason.
Store: A bookie or sports betting establishment.
Straight Bet: A wager on just one team, athlete or horse.
Taking the Points: Betting the underdog and its advantage in the pointspread.
Taking the Price: Betting the underdog and accepting money odds.
Teaser: A bet on two or more teams where the line on each team is adjusted in the favor of the bettor. Like a parlay, all selections must be correct for the teaser to win.
Ticket: A sports betting wager.
Tie: wager in which no money is lost nor won because the teams' scores were equal to the number of points in the given line.
Total: The combined amount of runs, points or goals scored by both teams during the game, including the overtime (see Over/Under).
Totals Bet: A proposition bet in which the bettor speculates that the total score by both teams in a game will be more or less than the line posted by the sportsbook.
Tout: Someone who sells his/her expertise on sports wagering.
Under: A wager that the total points scored by two teams will be under a certain figure.
Underdog: The team perceived to be most likely to lose. Also known as the "dog" for short.
Value: Getting the best odds on a wagering proposition; the highest possible edge.
Vigorish: The bookmaker's commission on a losing bet; also known as "juice" or "vig" for short.
Wiseguy: A well-informed or knowledgeable handicapper or bettor.
OthersBad Luck: An unfortunate state resulting from unfavorable outcomes.
Control (Self): Quality that allows you to stop yourself from doing things you want.
Depression: A state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behavior, feelings and sense of well-being.
Greed: An excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth.
Luck: Success apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions.
Rest: Rest
Tell me if you want to add some gambling terms.
