Jackpot
A big win on a slot machine.
Jacks Or Better
In video poker games, the payout starts at a certain level ranking of hands. When playing Jacks or Better, if you get a pair of Jacks or a higher ranking, you win. You don't win anything on a pair of tens or lower.
Junket
An organized group of people that travel to casinos to gamble together. In some cases these players may be subsidized by another casino.
K
Keno
A game not unlike Bingo however players select 10 numbers out of 80 and make a wager on how many of their selected numbers will be called.
Keno Board
A large board that displays the winning keno numbers.
Keno Lounge
The area in a casino where players can sit and enjoy their game of Keno.
Keno Writer
The casino employee in charge of taking and paying out the bets in the Keno Lounge.
Kwik-Pik
A Keno Ticket that has had the numbers randomly selected by a computer.
Kicker
In a draw poker game, an odd high card held that doesn't contribute to a straight or a flush, usually an ace or a king.
L
Let It Ride
A poker game.
Limit Poker
The most common variety of poker, where the size of the bets are pre-determined. For example, in a "10-20" game, the bets and raises can be only $10 in the early rounds and $20 in the late rounds. Compare to No-limit poker.
Loose/Tight Slots
A loose slot indicates a machine with a higher payout over a period of time. Conversely, tight slots have a lower payout over a period of time and thus have a higher advantage over the player.
M
Mini-Baccarat
A scaled-down version of baccarat, played with fewer players, dealers, and formality but following the same rules as baccarat.
Miss
To hold a drawing hand but not receive the card you needed to improve. For example, someone holding four hearts and whose final card is a spade has "missed his draw."
Monkey
Colloquial term for a card with the face value of ten.
N
Narrowing the Field
To bet or raise in the hopes that you will drive out some players whose hands are currently worse than yours, but who might improve if allowed to stay in.
Natural in blackjack
An ace and a ten-value card in the original hand. In Baccarat - an eight or nine dealt in the first two hands. A natural may also be referred to as a blackjack.
No-Limit poker
Considered the most skillful and most dangerous form of poker, where any player
can bet all of his chips at any time.
Non-negotiable
A promotional chip that can't be exchanged for cash.
Nut
A fixed amount that a gambler sets out to win.
O
Odds
Ratio of probabilities.
On Tilt
An adverse reaction to an unlucky situation that can cause a player to beging to play wildly and out of control.
Open
In poker, the player who bets first.
Outside Bets
Roulette bets located on the outside part of the layout.
Overlay
A good bet where you have an edge over the casino.
P
Pair
Any two cards that have the same rank. See Poker Hand Rankings.
Palette
The tool (usually a long flat wooden baton) used in the Baccarat game to move cards on the table.
Pass
Not to bet, to fold.
Pass Line
In Craps, the line in front of the players for bets made that a point will be rolled before a seven.
Pat
In draw poker, a hand that does not need any more hands. In blackjack, an unbusted hand worth at least 17 points.
Pay Cycle
A theoretical expression that reflects the number of plays required for the machine to cycle through all possible winning and non-winning combinations.
Payline
The line on a slot machine window on which the symbols from each reel must line up. Slot machines can have multiple pay lines.
Payoff
Your payback; the return you see on a wager.
Payout Table
A posting somewhere on the front of a slot or video poker machine, that tells you what each winning hand will pay for the number of coins or credits played.
Pit Boss
The person who supervises all the games and casino personnel associated with a pit during a particular work shift. Pit bosses are in place to watch for cheating, settle disputes, and give comps to big bettors.
Place Bet
In Craps, a bet made after a point is established, for play on the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 - or any combination of the numbers stated.
Point
In Craps, the number that must be repeated before a seven is thrown in order for a pass line bet or come out bet to win.
Pot
In a poker game, the amount of money that accumulates in the middle of the table as each player antes, bets, and raises.
Pressing
A player is pressing the bet when they let winnings ride by wagering them along with the original bet.
Progressive
A slot machine whose potential jackpot increases with each coin that is played. When the progressive jackpot finally hits, the amount resets to the starting number. See Casino Games Rules & Strategies section.
Push
A tie hand between a dealer and a player; no money changes hands. A push at blackjack occurs when both the player and the dealer have a unbusted hands with the same total points.
Q
Quads
Four of a kind.
Qualifier
In poker, the minimum standard a hand must meet in order for it to be eligible for part of the pot.
R
Raise
In poker, a player raises by matching the previous bet and then betting more, to increase the stake for remaining players.
Rake
The money that the casino charges for each hand of poker. It is usually a percentage (5-10%) or flat fee that is taken from the pot after each round of betting.
Rank
The worth of a set of cards.
Reels
A wheel inside a slot machine window on which the slot machine symbols are printed. There are usually three or five per machine.
Right Bettor
A person betting on the Pass Line.
Ring Game
A regular poker game rather than a tournament. Can be referred to as a live game because actual money is used rather than chips.
River
In Hold 'em or Omaha, the fifth and final community card. Also sometimes called fifth street.
RNG
The random number generator, which is a computer chip inside a slot machine. It is constantly generating thousands of numbers every second.
Rock
A player known to be very conservative, who usually bets or raises only when he has a very powerful hand.
Royal Flush
In poker, an ace-high straight flush; the best possible hand.
S
Seven-Out
Rolling a seven after the point has been established, thus losing the bet.
Shoe
The box in which the dealer places the shuffled cards from two or more decks. Cards are then dealt from the shoe.
Shooter
The person rolling the dice.
Singleton
In poker, a card that is the only one of its rank.
Slot Schedule
The details usually at the top of a slot machine detailing the type of machine,
denomination, and payout details.
Slow-play
To act weak when you hold an extremely powerful hand, in the hopes of luring in other players. For example, if in Holdem your hand was the 5-6 of clubs, and the flop came 2-3-4 of clubs, you would have an unbeatable hand. But if you bet and raised aggressively right away, everyone else might fold and you would win only a small pot. By merely checking or calling, you might lure other players into thinking their hands had a better chance, and win more money from them.
Small Blind
A bet that must be posted by the player one seat to the left of the button. It is usually equal to one half of the smaller betting limit in a game, for example, in a 10-20 game, the small blind would be $5. Occasionally, the small blind is some other fraction of the big blind. I have seen 15-30 games where the big blind is $15 and the small blind $10, and also 15-30 where the small blind is $5.
SnakeEyes
In craps, when you roll a two.
Soft Hand
A hand in blackjack that contains an ace counted as eleven.
Split Bet
A combination bet across two numbers on the inside of the roulette table.
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.
Stand
To refrain from taking another card.
Steal
In poker, to win the pot by bluffing.
Stickman
The dice dealer who calls the numbers rolled and controls the stick.
Straight
In poker, a hand consisting of five cards of consecutive ranks.
Straight Flush
In poker, a hand consisting of five cards of consecutive ranks of the same suit.
Stud Poker
A poker game with no draw.
Suits
Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs. In most forms of poker, suits are unimportant, except for decided who must begin the betting. At the end of a hand, if players hold identical cards, except that the suits are different, they are considered to hold identical hands and split the pot.
Surrender
In blackjack, to give up half your wager before the hand is complete, for the privilege of not playing out a hand, thus saving half the wager. In roulette, you effectively lose only half on an even-money bet when the ball lands on 0.
T
Table Stakes
In poker, the betting and raising stakes are limited to the amount of money a player has on the table in front of him or her.
Third Base
In blackjack, the spot nearest the dealer's right hand, which will be played last; before the dealer's hand is played.
Third Street
In seven-card stud, the first round of betting is called third street because the players have three cards.
Three Of A Kind
In poker, three cards of the same rank.See Poker Hand Rankings.
Two Pair
In Poker, two sets of pairs of the same card denomination. See Poker Hand Rankings.
U
Underlay
A bad or unfavorable bet. An event that has more money bet on its happening than can be justified by the probability of it happening.
Unit
Used to express the smallest wager without actually referring to the dollar value.
Upcard
the first card the Blackjack dealer deals himself that he places face-up for all players to see before they play their hands. The player's decision to draw or stand involves some consideration of the dealer's up card.
V
Vigorish
The casino edge, fee or commission taken by the house.
VIP
Very Important Person. A big bettor or High Roller.
VLT
Video Lottery Terminal.
W
Wild Card
A joker or other card that can be used like any other card to complete your hand.
Whale
A high roller.
Working
Dice term meaning that the bets are in place.
World Bet
A one-roll dice bet on the horn including the seven.
Wrong Bettor
A dice player that bets on the Don't Pass Line.
