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.
Terms in this set (25). Gambling = Playing a game of risk for the thrill of the action and the chance of making money. An alternative term for the casino. House Edge: The built-in advantage that the casino has in all games. It is usually gained by paying out at odds slightly below the true odds of winning, and is expressed as a house edge. A game with a 2% house edge, for example, should net the casino a $2 profit for every $100 wagered in the long run.
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!
Gambling Money Terms Definition
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'.
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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!
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!
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.
Action: Having a wager on a game.
ATS ('against the [point] spread'): If a team is 5-2 ATS, it means it has a 5-2 record against the point spread, or more commonly referred to simply as the 'spread.'
Backdoor cover: When a team scores points at the end of a game to cover the spread unexpectedly.
Bad beat: Losing a bet you should have won. It's especially used when the betting result is decided late in the game to change the side that covers the spread. Also used in poker, such as when a player way ahead in the expected win percentage loses on the river (last card).
Beard: Someone who places a wager for another person (aka 'runner').
Book: Short for sportsbook or bookmaker; person or establishment that takes bets from customers.
Bookie: A person who accepts bets illegally and charges vig.
Buying points: Some bookies or sportsbooks will allow customers to alter the set line and then adjust odds. For example, a bettor might decide he wants to have his team as a 3-point underdog instead of the set line of 2.5. He has then 'bought' half a point, and the odds of his bet will be changed.
Chalk: The favorite in the game. People said to be 'chalk' bettors typically bet the favorite.
Circle game: A game for which the betting limits are lowered, usually because of injuries and/or weather.
Closing line: The final line before the game or event begins.
Consensus pick: Derived from data accumulated from a variety of sportsbooks in PickCenter. The pick, and its percentage, provides insight as to what side the public is taking in a game.
Cover: The betting result on a point-spread wager. For a favorite to cover, it has to win by more than the spread; an underdog covers by winning outright or losing by less than the spread.
Dime: Jargon for a $1,000 bet. If you bet 'three dimes,' that means a $3,000 wager.
'Dog: Short for underdog.
Dollar: Jargon for a $100 bet. Usually used with bookies; if you bet 'five dollars,' that means a $500 wager.
Edge: An advantage. Sports bettors might feel they have an edge on a book if they think its lines aren't accurate.
Even money: Odds that are considered 50-50. You put up $1 to win $1.
Exotic: Any wager other than a straight bet or parlay; can also be called a 'prop' or 'proposition wager.'
Favorite: The expected straight-up winner in a game or event. Depending on the sport, the favorite will lay either odds or points. For example, in a football game, if a team is a 2.5-point favorite, it will have to win by three points or more to be an ATS winner.
Fixed: A participant in a particular game who alters the result of that game or match to a completely or partially predetermined result. The participant did not play honestly or fairly because of an undue outside influence.
Futures bet: A long-term wager that typically relates to a team's season-long success. Common futures bets include betting a team to win a championship at the outset of a season, or betting whether the team will win or lose more games than a set line at the start of the season.
Halftime bet: A bet made after the first half ended and before the second half begins (football and basketball primarily). The oddsmaker generally starts with half of the game side/total and adjusts based on what happened in the first half.
Handicapper: A person trying to predict the winners of an event.
Handle: The amount of money taken by a book on an event or the total amount of money wagered.
Hedging: Betting the opposing side of your original bet, to either ensure some profit or minimize potential loss. This is typically done with futures bets, but can also be done on individual games with halftime bets or in-game wagering.
High roller: A high-stakes gambler.
Hook: A half-point. If a team is a 7.5-point favorite, it is said to be 'laying seven and a hook.'
In-game wagering: A service offered by books in which bettors can place multiple bets in real time, as the game is occurring.
Juice: The commission the bookie or bookmaker takes. Standard is 10 percent. Also called the 'vig/vigorish.'
Layoff: Money bet by a sportsbook with another sportsbook or bookmaker to reduce that book's liability.
Limit: The maximum bet taken by a book. If a book has a $10,000 limit, it'll take that bet but the book will then decide whether it's going to adjust the line before the bettor can bet again.
Lock: A guaranteed win in the eyes of the person who made the wager.
Middle: When a line moves, a bettor can try to 'middle' a wager and win both sides with minimal risk. Suppose a bettor bets one team as a 2.5-point favorite, then the line moves to 3.5 points. She can then bet the opposite team at 3.5 and hope the favorite wins by three points. She would then win both sides of the bet.
Money line (noun), money-line (modifier): A bet in which your team only needs to win. The point spread is replaced by odds.
Gambling Money Terms Dictionary
Mush: A bettor or gambler who is considered to be bad luck.
Nickel: Jargon for a $500 bet. Usually used with bookies; if you bet 'a nickel,' that means a $500 wager.
Oddsmaker (also linemaker): The person who sets the odds. Some people use it synonymous with 'bookmaker' and often the same person will perform the role at a given book, but it can be separate if the oddsmaker is just setting the lines for the people who will eventually book the bets.
Off the board: When a book or bookie has taken a bet down and is no longer accepting action or wagers on the game. This can happen if there is a late injury or some uncertainty regarding who will be participating.
Over/under: A term that can be used to describe the total combined points in a game (the Ravens-Steelers over/under is 40 points) or the number of games a team will win in a season (the Broncos' over/under win total is 11.5). Also used in prop bets.
Parlay: A wager in which multiple teams are bet, either against the spread or on the money line. For the wager to win (or pay out), all of them must cover/win. The more teams you bet, the greater the odds.
Pick 'em Dawson city poker run games. : A game with no favorite or underdog. The point spread is zero, and the winner of the game is also the spread winner.
Point spread (or just 'spread'): The number of points by which the supposed better team is favored over the underdog.
Proposition (or prop) bet: A special or exotic wager that's not normally on the betting board, such as which team will score first or how many yards a player will gain. Sometimes called a 'game within a game.' These are especially popular on major events, with the Super Bowl being the ultimate prop betting event.
Push: When a result lands on the betting number and all wagers are refunded. For example, a 3-point favorite wins by exactly three points. Return on investment (ROI): In PickCenter, ROI is the amount (according to numberFire) that a bettor should expect to get back on a spread pick.
Runner: Someone who makes bets for another person (aka 'beard').
Sharp: A professional, sophisticated sports bettor.
Spread: Short for point spread.
Square: A casual gambler. Someone who typically isn't using sophisticated reasoning to make a wager.
Steam: When a line is moving unusually fast. It can be a result of a group or syndicate of bettors all getting their bets in at the same time. It can also occur when a respected handicapper gives a bet his followers all jump on, or based on people reacting to news such as an injury or weather conditions.
Straight up: The expected outright winner of the money line in an event or game, not contingent on the point spread.
Teaser: Betting multiple teams and adjusting the point spread in all the games in the bettor's favor. All games have to be picked correctly to win the wager.
Total: The perceived expected point, run or goal total in a game. For example, in a football game, if the total is 41 points, bettors can bet 'over' or 'under' on that perceived total.
Tout (service): a person (or group of people) who either sells or gives away picks on games or events.
Underdog: The team that is expected to lose straight up. You can either bet that the team will lose by less than the predicted amount (ATS), or get better than even-money odds that it will win the game outright. For example, if a team is a 2-1 underdog, you can bet $100 that the team will win. If it wins, you win $200 plus receive your original $100 wager back.
Vig/vigorish: The commission the bookie or bookmaker takes; also called the 'juice.' Standard is 10 percent.
Wager: A bet.
Welch: To not pay off a losing bet.
Wiseguy: A professional bettor. Another term for a 'sharp.'
