Gambling Terms: The Words You Need to Know the Meaning Of

November 28, 2019 Ken Johnson

Regardless of your fluency, not just in English but any language for that matter, each industry has its own specific lingo that consists of words you are unfamiliar with or think that you know their meaning within the context, only to end up embarrassing yourself. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that you are bad at the language. Your skills at it are just fine. Even if it is your mother tongue, it is completely normal to not know every specific word and its distinct meaning when used in an area of expertise you are unaccustomed to. Gambling is one of these areas, where no matter the game you partake in, you will face at least one or two gambling terms that will make you scratch your head and be like: “Huh?”. As we have been through the same back in the day when we started, we thought it would be a good idea to create a small but helpful vocab with some of the most widely-used terms you might encounter at any given casino visit. Iф you want to feel like a pro the next time you face your opponents on the floor make sure you’ve referred to these easy-to-learn and super practical gambling slang terms and impress everyone around you.

Gambling Terms Vocabulary

To make everything easier for you, we will divide this gambling vocabulary in accordance with the most popular games on a casino floor, rather than going down the alphabetical route. This way you will be able to find much easier what you are looking for in case you’re a fan of a particular game. In case you feel hungry for even more gambling terms slang regarding your favourite game or such that is not included here, you can always refer to or scout for additional sources of vocabulary about gambling that can always prove of utmost use to you and your peers.

1. Poker

Ante – Some casinos require an ante, which is a bet that is placed by all participants during the round prior to receiving their respective hands. The bets go to the pot. The term “up the ante” is derived from it, meaning raising the stakes.
All-in – This occurs when a player decides to bet every single chip he or she possesses into the pot.
Active Player – This is a reference to players that are still active in the hand and have yet to bet/raise/fold or all-in themselves.
Bad Beat – This is the term used for occasions when a person’s supposedly winning hand is beaten by an opponent’s lucky draw after the flop, turn, or river.
Blinds – The Big Blind and the Small Blind are basically forced bets that occur before each hand. Usually, the players on the left side of the dealer get the distinction of being the blinds. The small one is worth half of what the big one is. This type of betting encourages the players to play hands without being dealt a good hand first and to contribute to the pot, instead of folding until a great hand comes along.
Bluff – The art of deceiving your opponents, letting them believe you have the upper hand and are confidently misleading everybody, when in fact the cards in one’s hand are worthless.
Bump – Another word for raising the stakes.
Buy-in – The number of funds you are required to pay if you want to get a seat at a table of your choosing.
Call – When you hear someone murmur “Call” at a poker table, it means that this person is about to match the bet made by the previous player.
Cash out – Cash out is the process of quitting the current game and converting your amassed/remaining chips into cash.
Flop – As a noun, the flop means dealing the first 3 face-up community cards on the board. As a verb, it can either be the dealing of the first 3 cards dealer-wise or when a hand out has been made of those first 3 face-up cards player-wise.
Fold – To fold, means to give up on your hand and to quit the current dealing and pot. You can indicate it verbally or by silently discarding your cards to the discard pile.
No Limit – In no-limit games, there is no ceiling on the bets and the players can bet as much as they like, as long as they have it represented in front of them.
Pot Odds – Pot Odds refers to the ratio between the amount of cash in the pot and the amount you need to put in it in order to proceed with the game.
Raise – You raise when you want to increase the amount of the current bet/what the previous players have a bet.
River – River refers to the final community card that has been placed face-up. It’s the fifth one.
Turn – The face-up card that has been placed before the “River” card by itself. It’s the fourth community one.

2. Roulette

American Roulette vs European Roulette – The main and single difference that will help you distinguish between both is the addition of the double-zero section to the American roulette which is the one you are to most likely find throughout North, Central, and South America.
Betting System – Examples include the D’Alembert, Fibonacci, and Martingale systems and they are all progressive types, which means that each subsequent bet is determined by the outcome from the previous one.
Corner Bet – Betting on four numbers at the same time that are next to each other and by putting your chip or chips at the corner where they all meet. Also called “Carre” in French.
Column Bet – Placing a bet on one of the 3 main columns within the betting surface. Also known as “Colonne” in French.
En Prison – French for “in prison”. In this scenario, if the zero shows, you do not lose your bet. Instead, “It is imprisoned” for another spin and depending on the outcome from it, you either win the whole bet, or lose it.
Inside Bet – These bets are the ones you place on any of the printed numbers within the betting surface.
La Partage – Similar to the “En Prison”, however, here at stake is only half of the bet that is lost, without the chance of winning it back with an extra spin.
Odd bet – In case you want to bet that an odd number will win on the next turn, you place an Odd Bet.
Red Bet – Known as “Rouge” in French, this is a bet that is placed when you want to wager on the possibility of the next one being red.
Split Bet – Betting on one of two distinct numbers that will be hit the next time the wheel is spun.
Street Bet – Same methodology as the Split Bet the only difference being that you bet on one of three numbers, as opposed to one of two.
Tiers Du Cylindre – A common European bet that refers to betting on numbers that are paired neighbours on the roulette layout while being a group on a section of the wheel, as well.
Wheel Clocking – In case a player has doubts about the integrity of the outcomes, he or she is keeping track of the results of the wheel or “clocks the wheel” in order to establish if it has been rigged or not.

3. Blackjack

Advantage Player – This term refers to the player that is more advantageous compared to the casino from a mathematical perspective. This is achieved through innate exploitation of the game’s characteristics.
Back Counting – When players that don’t participate in the game observe from the side and keep count until they notice favourable odds.
Bankroll – All the money a player has at his/her disposal to gamble with
Break – Also known as “Bust” the blackjack folks call when a given hand exceeds 21.
Cashier’s Cage – The section of a given casino where all players exchange their own money for casino chips.
Colour for Colour – The payout of a win to a player with the same denomination as the one it was used in the wagering.
Correlate – In blackjack tournaments, when a player bets the exact same amount as one of his/her opponents.
Deck Penetration – Refers to the number of cards percentage-wise that have been dealt on the table before the deck reaches the shuffling phase.
Edge – Each bet comes with a certain part of it or an edge that the player can either lose or win.
Eye in the Sky – The surveillance system at a casino, installed cameras and anything else that is used for observation purposes on the premises.
First Base – The first player sitting on the dealer’s left side. Also, the first to begin playing.
Hard Hand – This applies for two scenarios: a hand has an ace in it but it counts as 1 rather than 11, or a hand has no ace in it at all.
Hit – Either when a dealer draws a card, or when a player requests one.
Insurance – This is a type of bet (optional) that is ensuring your hand against the dealer getting a blackjack in case an ace has been drawn. You are permitted to bet up to half of your original bet or 2:1 odds.
Kelly Betting – Also known as “Kelly Criterion”, “Kelly Strategy”, and “Kelly Formula”. This is a method of mathematically determining the size of the bets. It is used for minimising the risk of your betting strategy.
Martingale – A technique in which a player doubles his/her bet when losing with the aim of getting your original amount back once you eventually win.
Paint – This is a term describing any picture card in the deck: Jack, Queen, and a King.
Ploppy – A term referring to players that have no clue as to how to play and have zero understanding of blackjack strategies.
Stand – When a player decides not be dealt any more cards he or she is taking a stand.
Third Base – The last player who’s turn is it before the dealer’s.
Toke – A word that refers to the tip the dealer receives from any of the players.
Upcard – This is either one of the face-up cards that are part of the dealer’s initial duo.