Are you new to online casino betting or looking for a refresher on some key terms?
Our comprehensive online casino terms and glossary guide will teach you how to use and understand all of the most important gambling terminology.
A
Action: The process of making bets. Also the total sum of bets in any situation.
Aggregate limit: The casino’s total obligation to pay out bets in any one game.
Aggregate winnings: The total amount of winning bets paid into a player’s account.
All-in: In poker, when a player bets all their chips at once.
Ante: A small bet made by all players before a hand of cards is dealt, particularly in poker tournaments.
B
Baccarat: A casino table game of chance played between a player and a banker. Each side receives two cards, with a possibility for a third card depending on their total. The hand with the higher value, up to nine points, wins.
Banker: Usually the dealer, who is responsible for paying out winnings and collecting losing bets.
Bankroll: The amount of money a player decides to put into play in any given session, or the total amount of money at a player’s disposal for betting.
Bet: Any amount wagered.
Betting limit: The high end of what a player may wager.
Black chip: A betting token worth $100.
Bonus: Cash offered by a casino as a reward or inducement to play.
Blind bet: A bet made in poker before a player sees their cards. All players take turns making blind bets for set amounts, which forces others to place bets or fold.
Blackjack: A casino table game played against a dealer. Each participant receives two cards to start, with the aim of getting as close as possible to a total value of 21. Going over 21 results in an automatic loss.
Bluff: Betting in poker with a hand of little or no value.
Board: Exposed cards in table games or community cards used by all players.
Brick: A card in a round of poker that does not improve a player’s hand.
Burn card: In poker, a card that’s taken off the top of the deck before one or more board cards are revealed by the dealer.
C
Call: A poker term that describes matching a bet already made.
Cannon: A player who consistently bets big, especially at poker.
Card shark or sharp: A highly skilled player.
Card wash: An extra shuffle before cards are dealt, done at the request of a player.
Check: An action in poker of staying in a hand but declining the option to bet. Chips may also be referred to as checks.
Cooler: A bad run of cards or a generally unlucky player.
Commission: A set percentage or amount raked by the casino in some table games.
Cowboy: Slang term for a king card in table games or poker.
Craps: A casino table game that uses dice, in which players place bets based on what they believe the outcome of the next roll will be.
Croupier: A roulette dealer (or online simulation).
D
Dealer: A casino employee (or online simulation) that distributes cards to players, pays out winnings and rakes in losing bets.
Down card: A card dealt face-down.
Drop: The house rake or money collected by a dealer that is the casino’s take or profit.
Deuce: A card with a value of 2.
E
Edge: The casino’s advantage, usually measured by percentage. Also describes a player’s skill over others.
Even money: A payout of one-to-one.
Expected win rate: The percentage of the total money a player is expected to win or lose.
F
Face card: A king, queen or jack.
Face-down: A card dealt without its value exposed.
Face-up: A card dealt with its value exposed.
Fish: A player who makes ill-advised bets. Also a newcomer to gambling.
Flat bet: When the same amount is bet each time.
Flop: The first three common or community cards in hold ’em poker, used by all players.
Fold: To surrender a hand without playing any further.
G
Green chip: A betting token worth $25.
Grinder: A skilled, patient player who seldom bets unless they believe they have an advantage.
Gross winnings: The total amount returned to a player from winning bets.
H
Hand: Cards dealt to a player.
High-roller: A big bettor.
Hit: An action in blackjack to draw an additional card.
Hole card: A concealed card dealt to players and held face-down.
Hot table: A game where most of the players are winning.
House: Another name for a casino.
House edge: The advantage that favours the casino in all games.
House rules: Terms of play imposed by the casino.
I
Inside bet: Bets made on a number or series of numbers in roulette (as opposed to betting on the winning colour, or whether the number will be odd or even).
Insurance: A side bet in blackjack, offered when the dealer shows an ace.
J
Jackson five: Two cards, a jack and a five.
Jackpot: A large prize pool or individual win.
Johnnies: A pair of cards that are both jacks.
Juice: The casino’s cut or fee from any game. Also called the vigorish, or simply the vig.
K
Keno: A lottery-style casino game.
L
Ladies: A pair of cards that are both queens.
Limit: An imposed cap on the value of a bet.
Lobby: A page on a casino website where players can access all games.
Long shot: A bet that doesn’t hit often but pays big when it does.
Low-roller: A player who makes small bets.
M
Maximum bet: The highest amount that can be bet.
Me and Betty: Two cards, a six and a nine.
Minimum bet: The lowest amount that can be bet.
Monster: A hand of cards with a huge value.
N
Natural: Cards in blackjack or baccarat that automatically win.
No-limit: When a player can bet all their chips at any time, which is usually seen in poker.
Nuts: The best possible hand in poker, blackjack or baccarat.
O
Odds: The amount paid in return for a wager or the statistical chance at winning or losing a bet.
Optimal strategy: The best way to play that will result in a win.
Omaha: A poker game similar to hold ’em, but with four cards dealt to players instead of two.
Orange chip: A betting token worth $1,000.
Out: A card that will improve a player’s hand.
P
Paint: Another term for face cards — kings, queens and jacks.
Parlay: To take the winnings from one bet and make another bet with it.
Payout table: A guide that shows the amount that bets will pay at some table games.
Pigeon: A bad player.
Pineapple: A version of hold ’em poker where all players are dealt three cards.
Pocket cards: Also known as hole cards, these are dealt face-down to players in poker.
Pot limit: A variation of poker betting where players can bet or raise by the total amount already in the pot.
Pot odds: The return offered on a winning bet, relative to its size.
Progressive jackpot: A prize pool that grows over time.
Punto banco: Another term for baccarat.
Purple chip: A betting token worth $500. Also known as a Barney.
Q
Quads: Four cards of the same denomination.
Quick pick: A keno term for playing random numbers chosen by a computer.
R
Rag: A card that does not improve a player’s hand.
Random number/card generator: A computer program used by online casinos to randomly pick winning numbers or cards.
Red chip: A betting token worth $5.
Reload bonus: Extra money paid by online casinos to customers who top up their accounts.
River: The fifth and final common or community card dealt in hold ’em poker or similar games.
Roulette: A casino table game that uses a spinning wheel with numbers from one to 36.
Royal flush: The five highest cards of the same suit — 10, jack, queen, king and ace.
S
San Francisco busboy: Two cards — a queen and a three.
Semi-bluff: Betting a poker hand that may not be the best at that point, but has a reasonable chance to improve.
Shark: A highly skilled player.
Short-stacked: Playing with limited chips.
Shuffle: To mix cards face-down on the table, making the subsequent deal more random.
Side bet: A special bet that can be made in some table games that is not the main wager.
Sign-up bonus: Extra money offered by online casinos to attract new players.
Smooth call: Calling a bet with a poker hand that is strong enough to raise with.
Split: To separate two cards of the same denomination in blackjack, thus making two hands.
Stake: The amount of money put into play in any one session. Also the size of a bet.
Stand: To draw no further cards.
Straight flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit.
T
Tapped out: To lose all your money.
Tell: A poker term referring to subtle clues or hints that a player unknowingly conveys about the strength or weakness of their hand.
Texas hold ’em: The most popular type of poker. Each player receives two face-down cards that can be used to form the best possible hand with the face-up cards shared by all players.
Trey: A card with a value of three.
Turn: The fourth community or common card in hold ’em poker, which is available to all players.
U
Underdog: A hand that is not a favourite to win.
Underwater: A losing session of gambling.
Unit: A bettor’s standard amount to wager. The value of a unit varies from one bettor to the next based on how much money they’re willing to play with.
Up card: A card dealt face-up.
V
V.I.P.: A very important person who bets large amounts and is considered a high-value player by a casino.
W
Wager: Another term for a bet.
Wash: Another term for a push, when neither the casino nor player is paid. Also a description for mixing cards in a table game before they’re shuffled.
Whale: Another term for a high-value player, usually one that takes more losses than wins.
White chip: A betting token worth $1.
Withdrawal: Taking money out of an online casino account.
X-Y-Z
No terms.
is a Toronto-based freelance writer who writes casino content for NorthStar Bets. He is also a freelance Contributing Columnist for The Star. NorthStar Bets is owned by NordStar Capital, which also owns Torstar, the Star's parent company.