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Terms> General, Horse Racing, Casino, Poker, Video Poker, Craps, Keno, Auto

ALL OUT: A horse that is trying to the best of his ability.

ALSO-ELIGIBLE: A horse entered in the race but who cannot start unless another horse is scratched.

ALSO-RAN: A horse that finishes out of the money.

BACKSTRETCH: The straight way on the far side of the track.

BEARING IN (or OUT): Failing to maintain a straight course, veering to the left or right. Can be caused by injury, fatigue, outside distractions, or poor riding.

BLANKET FINISH: When the horses finish so close for the win you could theoretically put a single blanket across them.

BLINKERS: Equipment worn on the bridle to restrict a horse's vision on the sides to help maintain attention and avoid distractions.

BLOWOUT: A short fast workout, usually a day or two before a race, designed to sharpen a horse's speed.

BOARD: The tote board on which odds, betting pools and other race information is displayed.

BOBBLE: A bad step away from the starting gate, sometimes caused by the ground breaking away from under a horse and causing him to duck his head or go to his knees.

BOLT: Sudden veering from a straight course.

BREEZE: Working a horse at a moderate speed; less effort than handily.

BULLET WORK: The best workout time for the distance on a given day at a track.

BULL RING: Small racetrack less than one mile around.

BUTE: Phenylbutazone a commonly used analgesic for horses.

CAULK: Projection on the bottom of a shoe to give the horse better traction, especially on a wet track.

CHECKED: A horse pulled up by his jockey for an instant because he is cut off or in tight quarters.

CHUTE: Extension of the backstretch or homestretch to allow a longer straight run at the start.

CLOSER: A horse that runs best in the latter part of the race, coming from off the pace.

CLUBHOUSE TURN: Generally the turn immediately after the finish line and closest to the clubhouse.

COLORS: Racing silks, the jacket and cap worn by jockeys. Silks can be generic and provided by the track or specific to one owner.

COUPLED: Two or more horses running as an entry in a single betting unit.

CUPPY: A track surface which breaks away under a horse's hoof.

DEAD-HEAT: Two or more horses finishing in an exact tie at the finish.

DEAD TRACK: Racing surface lacking resiliency.

DISTANCED: Well beaten, finishing a long distance behind the winner.

DOGS: Wooden barrier (or rubber traffic cones) placed a certain distance out from the inner rail, to protect the inner part of the track (usually the turf course) from traffic during workouts to save it for racing.

DRIVING: Strong urging by rider.

EASED: The jockey stops the horse during the race so he can't finish, usually due to an injury or equipment problem.

EASILY: Running or winning without being pressed by the jockey or opposition.

ENTRY: Two or more horses owned by the same stable or (in some cases) trained by the same trainer and running as a single betting unit.

EVENLY: Neither gaining nor losing position or distance during a race.

EXTENDED: Forced to run at top speed.

FALTERED: Used for a horse that was in contention early and drops back in the late stages. It is more drastic than weakened but less drastic than stopped.

FAST TRACK: The optimum condition for a dirt track, dry, fast and even.

FIRM: A optimum condition for a turf course corresponding to fast on a dirt track.

FIRST TURN: Bend in the track beyond the starting point.

FLATTEN OUT: When a horse drops his head almost on straight line with body, generally from exhaustion.

FRONT-RUNNER: A horse that usually leads (or tries to lead) the field for as far as he can.

FURLONG: One-eighth of a mile; 220 yards; 660 feet.

GOOD TRACK: Condition between fast and slow, generally a bit wet.

GRADUATE: Winning for the first time.

HANDILY: Working or racing with moderate effort, but more effort than breezing.

HAND RIDE: The jockey urges a horse with the hands and arms without using the whip.

HEAD OF THE STRETCH: Beginning of the straight run for the finish.

HEAVY: Condition of track when wet similar to muddy but slower.

HUNG: A horse holding the same position, unable to make up distance on the winner.

IN HAND: Running under moderate control, at less than best pace.

IMPOST: Weight carried or assigned.

LENGTH: Length of a horse from nose to tail, about 8 feet.

LUG (in or out): Action of a tiring horse, bearing in or out, failing to keep a straight course.

MORNING GLORY: Horse who performs well in morning workouts but fails to fire in actual races.

MORNING LINE: Approximate odds quoted before wagering begins.

MUDDY: Deep condition of racetrack after being soaked with water. Horses who run will on wet tracks are generally referred to as mudders.

NECK: Unit of measurement, about the length of a horse's neck; a quarter of a length.

NOSE: Smallest advantage a horse can win by. In England called a short head.

ON THE BIT: When a horse is eager to run.

OVERWEIGHT: Surplus weight carried by a horse when the rider cannot make the assigned weight.

PADDOCK: Area where horses are saddled and kept before post time.

PASTEBOARD TRACK: Lightning fast racing strip.

POLE: Markers at measured distances around the track, marking the distance from the finish. The quarter pole, for instance, is a quarter of a mile from the finish, not from the start.

POST: Starting point or position in starting gate.

POOL: Mutuel pool, the total sum bet on a race or a particular bet.

POST PARADE: Horses going from paddock to starting gate past the stands.

POST POSITION: Position of stall in starting gate from which a horse starts.

POST TIME: Designated time for a race to start.

RIDDEN OUT: Finishing a race without rider urging him to do his utmost.

SADDLE CLOTH: Cloth under the saddle on which number denoting post position is displayed.

SCALE OF WEIGHTS: Fixed weights to be carried by horses in a race according to age, distance, sex, and time of year.

SCRATCH: To be taken out of a race.

SHADOW ROLL: Usually a lamb's wool roll half way up the horse's face to keep him from seeing his own shadow.

SILKS: See colors.

SLOPPY: A track that is wet on surface with firm bottom.

SLOW: A track with some moisture in it that is not fast, between good and heavy.

STARTING GATE: Mechanical device with stalls for horses to stand in until the starter releases the doors in front to begin the race.

STEADIED: A horse being taken in hand by his rider, usually because of being in close quarters.

STICK: A jockey's whip, also called a bat.

STICKERS: Calks on shoes that give a horse better traction in mud or on soft tracks.

STRETCH: Final straight portion of the racetrack to the finish.

STRETCH RUNNER: Horse who finishes fast in the stretch.

STRETCH TURN: Bend of track into homestretch.

TAKEN UP: A horse pulled up sharply by his rider because of being in close quarters.

TONGUE STRAP OR TIE: Cloth or rubber strap used to tie down a horse's tongue to prevent it from choking in a race or workout.

TRACK RECORD: Fastest time for a distance at a particular track.

TURF COURSE: Grass course.

UNDER WRAPS: Horse under stout restraint in a race or workout.

WARMING UP: Galloping horse on way to post.

WASHY: Horse breaking out in nervous sweat before race, sometimes to the point it will be dripping from his belly.

WHIP: Instrument, usually of leather, with which rider strikes horse to increase his speed.

General Casino Terminology

Action - The amount of money wagered (put into action) by a player during an entire playing session.

Active Player - In poker, one who is still in play.

Add-on - In poker, the facility to buy additional chips in tournaments.

Aggregate Limit - Total payout liability of a casino during any one game.

Aggregate Winnings - Cumulative or total winnings.

Arm - A term used in the game of craps to denote a player who is so skilled at throwing the dice that they are able to alter the conventional odds of the game. Such a player is said to be 'an arm'. Whether or not such individuals actually exist or are simply the product of game legend is debatable. However, it is worth noting that the casino craps dealers are very adamant about the dice being thrown against the far wall of the table to ensure a completely random outcome.

Baccarat - Also called Punto Banco and Chemin De Fer (similar to Baccarat but requires skill). A table game using 6 or 8 decks of cards which does not require skill.

Banker -  In card games, the dealer. In some card games, each player becomes a banker/dealer in turn.

Bankroll - Also known as 'roll' or 'wad' (colloquial). It pertains to the total money that either the player or the casino has on hand to back their wagering activities. A player's bankroll can be classified as existing on several different levels. At the highest level it pertains to all money specifically set aside to support all gambling activities. A subset of this bankroll is the players traveling bankroll, or the amount of money carried along to support gambling on a particular trip. The traveling bankroll can be further divided into a specific lesser amounts for each day of the trip, or into even smaller amounts called table sitting or session playing stakes which predetermine how much will be risked during any given session or table sitting. These different types of bankrolls often figure into the overall money management strategy the player uses to keep control over their gambling cash activity.

Barred - Same as Banned. Not allowed to enter the casino premises permanently.

Bet -  Wager.

Betting Limits - In a table game, the minimum and maximum amounts of money that a player can wager on one bet. You cannot wager less than the minimum or more than the maximum amount posted. Some casinos, in special cases, may extend the maximum limit at a table on request by the player.

Black Book - The list of undesirable people who are forbidden to enter any casino in Nevada.

Blind Bet - In poker, a bet posted without the player sees any of his/her cards.

Blinds - A forced bet in Hold'em Poker.

Boxing - In horse racing, a single ticket comprised of more than one parlay.

Break-Even Point - The break-even point is the point at which if you played forever, the bets you made would approximately equal the payoffs you would receive.

Buck - A $100 wager.

Bug - A joker.

Bump - To raise.

Burn Cards - Remove cards from the top of the deck, not to be dealt, and place them in the discard tray after a shuffle and cut.

Buy in, Buy-in - Converting cash into chips. The amount of cash used to purchase casino chips before entering a table game: blackjack, poker, craps, roulette, etc.

Camouflage - Anything a skilled gambler does to conceal their activities from the casino. Camouflage can include mixing in playing and betting behavior that mimics typical gamblers, or using disguises, appearing to be drunk, or any number of other possible ploys intended to throw the casino's scrutiny off.

Capping - Referred to capping of bets. Placing extra chips on top of initial bet after the deal has begun. It is a serious form of cheating by a player.

Card Counting  - Used in blackjack game. Recording (in memory) played cards (usually high cards) so as to establish a conditional probability advantage on the remaining cards against the dealer.

Card Sharp - A person who is an expert at cards.

Carousel - A group of slot machines that are positioned in a ring, enabling a change person (to change bank-notes into coins) to stand in the center.

Carpet Joint - US slang for a luxury gambling casino.

Case money - Emergency money.

Cashier’s Cage - The casino cash desk for cashing in the chips.

Casino Advantage - The edge that the House (casino) has over the players.

Casino Rate - A reduced hotel-room rate (price) that the casinos offer to good customers.

Chase - Having lost money on a bet, 'chasing' is having another bet simply to try and get back the loss.

Check - In casino gambling, a check is another term for a chip. In poker, a player can 'check' in order to stay in the game but not bet.

Chemin De Fer - (French) A table game using 6 or 8 decks of cards, similar to Baccarat but requires skill.

Chips - Round plastic discs. Casinos require that you use chips for betting. They are purchased at the gaming tables and exchanged at the cashier's booth or cage.

Coat-tail - Bet the same numbers as someone who is winning at the moment.

Cold - A player on a losing streak, or a slot machine that is not paying out.

Color Up - When a player exchanges smaller denomination chips for larger denomination chips.

Comps - Complimentary gifts given by the casino to entice players to gamble. Typical comps include free hotel room, meals and beverages.

Copy - In Pai-Gow Poker, when a player and the banker have the same two-card hand, or the same five-card hand. The banker wins all copies.

Cracking The Nut - Making enough money on a gambling venture to cover all expenses plus a reasonable net profit.

Craps - Casino dice table-game.

Credit Button - In slot machines or video machines, the button that allows players to bank coins in the form of credits.

Croupier -  French word for Dealer, used in the games of baccarat and roulette.

Cut - In card games following a shuffle before the start of a new round of play, when the dealer or player divides a deck into two parts and inverts them, using a cut card (see below).

Cut Card - A faceless card of different color, usually red or black, that is used to cut a deck of cards.

Deal - To give out the cards during a card game.

Deuce - A two in dice.

Dice - Two identical numbered cubes. (see Die below)

Die - Singular for dice, a cube with numbers on each side, 1 to 6.

Dime Bet - A $1,000 wager.

Discard Tray - A tray on the dealer’s right side that holds all the cards that have been played or discarded in card games like Baccarat, Blackjack and Poker.

Dollar Bet - A $100 wager.

Doubling Down - A betting option in blackjack where the player's opening two-card hand is turned face up and player's original wager is doubled. The player is then dealt one additional card only, to complete the hand. In the event that the player beats the dealer's hand or the dealer busts, then the player wins twice the amount of their original wager. If the player loses, then the player loses twice the amount of their original wager.

Doubling-up - The basis of some widely used systems. After a loss the player doubles the size of his previous bet hoping to win back the money lost and make a profit. Also known as the Martingale System.

Down Card - A face down card.

Down to the Felt - Totally out of money, broke.

Draw - Relates to the poker games. Basically it means to draw a card (e.g. if you need a card to make a straight, you are on a 'straight draw' or are 'drawing to a straight'. In 'draw poker' game, it means the second round of cards that are dealt. The word draw has slightly different meanings in different contexts, although generally it has something to do with receiving more cards, with the hope of improving your hand. Draw games are games where at some point during the hand you are allowed to discard some or all of your cards, to be replaced from the deck. Drawing two is thus exchanging two of your cards. 'The draw' is the point during the game at which players may do this. By default, when someone asks you if you want to play some draw, they usually mean five card draw. In other poker games, drawing simply means staying in the game with the hope of improving your hand when more cards come. When you stay in a hand with the hope of improving, you are said to be 'on a draw'.

Drop - Money lost.

Drop Box - On a gaming table, the box that serves as a repository for cash, markers, and chips.

Edge - An advantage over an opponent.

Even Money Bet - A bet with odds of 1:1. A bet that pays you back the same amount that you wagered, plus your original wager.

Expected Win Rate - In slot machines, the percentage on the total amount of money wagered that you can expect to win back over time.

Eye in the Sky - Slang for video surveillance cameras used by casinos, usually placed on the ceiling above the gaming area.

Face Cards - The Jack, Queen, and King of any suit of cards. Firing - Betting a lot. A player who is Firing is wagering large sums.

First Base - At the blackjack table, the position on the far left of the dealer is considered to be first base and is the first position dealt with.

Flat Betting - A way of betting where the same amount is bet on each wager. For example, if a player always bets $10 on each hand or spin and never raised or lowered their bet, they would be said to be flat betting.

Front Money - Cash or bank checks/cheques deposited with the casino to establish credit for a player who bets against that money.

Grease - A bribe.

Gross Winnings - The total payout (including your stake).

Hand - Refers to the cards that you hold, or to everything that happens in a card game between shuffles of the deck.

Hard Count - Activity in which coin (hard) currency is counted. It is usually done in a special room under tight security. Counting the change from slot machines.

Hard Hand - In blackjack, any hand that does not contain an Ace valued at 11. (You can value an Ace 1 or 11 to suit you).

High Poker -  Standard poker, as compared to low poker or lowball. In high poker, high hands win.

High Roller - A player that wagers big bets.

Hit - In blackjack, to take another card. The card received is also called a hit.

Holding Your Own - Neither winning nor losing, just breaking even.

Hot - A player who is on a winning streak, or a slot machine that is paying out.

House - A casino or gambling center/centre. Also the operators of a gambling game.

House Edge - The casino in-built advantage, usually gained by paying less than the odds.

Inside Bets - A roulette bet placed on any number, or small combination of numbers. Insurance - In blackjack, a side bet that the dealer has a natural. Insurance is offered only when the dealers up card is an ace. The insurance bet wins double if the dealer has a natural, but loses if the dealer does not. Jackpot - A big win on a slot machine.

Joker - The 53rd card in a deck, sometimes used as a wild card.

Juice - (USA) Vig. or Vigorish. Commission taken by the house

Laying the Odds - There are two fundamental forms of wagering, 'taking the odds' and 'laying the odds'. In most forms of sports betting, some odds are so high in favour of the likely winner that winning wagers get paid an amount less than the amount wagered by some percentage, and this is what is meant by 'laying the odds'. In most casino games the player is 'taking the odds' by wagering an amount that is less than they will receive if they win, that is; if you wager $1 you would win more than $1.

Layout - Cloth on a gaming table. Markings tell you where you can place your bets.

Load up - To play the maximum number of coins per spin that a slot machine or video game will allow.

Long Run - The number of rounds of play, hands or spins, needed for the ratio of wins to losses to reach a point where they are changed very little by the cumulative effect of outcomes.

Loose - Referred to slot machines that have a generous payout.

Low Poker - Also called lowball, is poker in which the pot is awarded to the hand with the lowest poker value.

Marker - A check/cheque that can be written at the gaming tables by a player who has established credit with the casino. An IOU.

Martingale - Betting system based on doubling-up after each loss.

Match Play - The competition system used in tournaments (usually card games) in which two participants play a series of games which ends when one player accumulates a required number of points. Each game could be worth one, two, or more points.

Mechanic - Slang meaning a dealer who cheats.

Money Put In Action - This is not the actual dollar amount of money you bring to the table to play with. Suppose that you sat down at a roulette table with a $100 and proceeded to play 90 spins over, say, three hours, betting $10 on each spin of the wheel. If you multiply 90 spins by $10 totals $900. This would be the amount of 'money you put into action' even though your actual bankroll was only $100. This is one of the criteria some casinos use to assess your rating and eligibility for comps.

Natural - In blackjack, a natural is a two-card hand of twenty-one points. In baccarat a natural is a two-card total of eight, or nine.

Net Winnings - Total payout less your stake.

Number Pool - The range of numbers from which you select the ones you want to play. A typical lottery pool ranges from 1 to 60, and the keno pool is 1 to 80.

Nut - Either the overhead costs of running a casino, or the fixed amount that a gambler decides to win in a day.

Odds - Ratio of probabilities. The casino's view of the chance of a player winning. The figure or fraction by which the casino offers to multiply a bettor's stake, which the bettor is entitled to receive (plus his or her own stake) if they win.

Outside Bets - Roulette bets located on the outside part of the layout. They involve betting 12 or 18 numbers with one chip.

Overlay - A good bet where the player has an edge over the casino.

Paint - A Jack, Queen or King. Picture card. Face card.

Pigeon - An uneducated, naive, or unsophisticated gambler.

Pit - An area of a casino in which a group of table games are arranged, where the center area is restricted to dealers and other casino personnel.

Pit Boss - A supervisor who oversees a gaming area. Usually supervises more than one table at the same time.

Pit Manager - A pit manager is in charge of all the table games, enforcing casino policy. He deals with any problems that may arise during the shift where a crucial decision must be made that may lead to a customer being dissatisfied or angry. Also, he handles Comps and dodges undeserving customers who are trying to get free Room, Food, Beverage (free RFB).

Plug - A shuffling technique that is sometimes employed in card games like blackjack where the game is often dealt from a multi-deck shoe. When freshly shuffled cards are brought back into action a substantial portion of the cards are kept out of play by the insertion of a cut-card at the back of the deck or shoe. The placement of the cut card marks the place where play will be stopped and the cards are again shuffled. During the play, used cards are stacked in a discard tray. When the cut-card is reached, the game is stopped, and the remaining un-dealt cards are inserted somewhere into the middle of the cards that have already been stacked up in the discard tray. The cards so inserted are referred to as a 'plug'. Such action is called 'plugging' the deck. Pocket Cards - In poker where some of the player's cards are dealt to them face down. These cards are called pocket cards.

Poker -  Basically a card game. But poker isn't just a card game - it is many card games. The majority of poker games do share some common features, especially betting in rounds and the ranking of hands. Poker is commonly played in cardrooms (often within casinos) and in private home games. The games played in cardrooms seem to divide into stud games, draw games, and flop games. In home games, however, anything goes, including games that seem to have no reason to be called poker. The varieties played in home games probably number in the hundreds. Some common cardroom games include Texas Hold'em, Seven Card Stud, Omaha, Razz, Lowball, and Pineapple.

Press a Bet - Adding the winnings over the current bet, to 'let it ride'.

Pressing - A player is pressing the bet when they let winnings ride by wagering them along with the original bet.

Probability - A mathematical calculation that establishes the likelihood that an event will occur. Probabilities are expressed as numbers between 0 and 1. The probability of an impossible event is 0, while an event that is certain to occur has a probability of 1.

Progression Betting - A system of betting applied to many games where bet-size is systematically changed, up or down, across as series of rounds of play according to some predetermined formula.

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.

Pull Tab, Pulltab - A game similar to the lottery game. Tickets sell for 25 cents or 50 cents or even more and typically offer prizes ranging from free tickets to $500. Each ticket has perforated windows which open revealing symbols similar to those found on slot machines or some lottery games.

Punch Board - Another lottery-type game. The player punches out a slot on a board for a chance to win a merchandise prize. Punch boards offering cash prizes are also common.

Push - A tie hand between a dealer and a player. A round of play where neither the player nor the casino wins. Qualifier - In poker, the minimum ranking a hand must have in order for it to be eligible to take part of the pot.

Rack - A plastic container in which you can transport and count large-denominational coins, slot machine tokens, and casino plastic chips.

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 - In poker, the worth of a set of cards.

Rated - Determination by the casino that a player's skill level is above average or on a professional level. A player's rating may be stored on computer and referred to the pit.

RFB - Comped with free Room, Food, and Beverages.

Riffling (Card Riffling) - A commonly used shuffling process. To accomplish a riffle, the deck is divided roughly in half and the two halves are interleaved by pulling the card corners up with the thumbs and letting the two halves 'riffle' together. Riffling is also sometimes called 'zipping' the cards. Like card Stripping (see below), the riffling process can span a range from a fine riffle to a coarse riffle.

Round of Play - A round or hand of play can consist of a single wager or several wagers made during the time of a short wagering event. For example, in poker the round of play (wagering event) begins with the dealing of the cards and ends when the winning player takes the pot. In casino craps a round of play begins with the 'come out' roll and ends when the passline wagers are decided. This may take one or several rolls of the dice. In between, the player might have multiple wagers riding on several different numbers and other betting options. All wagers made between the time of the come out roll and the decision roll are considered to be part of that round of play. In roulette each spin is counted as a round of play, no matter how many bets you place.

RVP - Recreational Vehicle Parking.

Sawdust Joint (US) - A term for a non-luxury gambling club.

Sawbuck - Ten dollars.

Scared Money - Money that you cannot afford to lose.

Session - A period of play or a table sitting at any gambling game.

Sharker, Sharper, or Sharp (Cardsharp) -  A cheater.

Shill - A person who actively plays in the game for the house, club, or casino. Usually seen at a Baccarat table to fill empty seats, until more real players join in.

Shiner - A tiny mirror or any reflecting device used by a cheater to see unexposed cards. A reflecting device used to try and glimpse the dealer's hole card.

Shoe - Device, usually a wooden box, used for holding and dispensing playing cards to be dealt. Shoe games are typically composed of six or eight decks of cards.

Short Run - A short series of wagers or game events.

Shuffle Tracking - A high level blackjack playing strategy used by card counters.

Shuffle Up - Premature shuffling of playing cards by the dealer.

Shuffling (Card Shuffling) - Is a generic term which encompasses all card mixing techniques used to prepare a deck or a shoe for continued play. All casino shuffling processes employ a combination of mixing techniques. These may include 'Stripping' or 'washing' the cards as well as 'riffling', 'boxing', 'plugging', 'cutting' and other off-spring techniques. All shuffling processes employ multiple riffles of 'clumps', 'picks', or 'grabs' to achieve some level of randomization. The shoe games, which use multiple decks of cards (4, 6, or 8 decks), will often employ the most intricate riffling patterns of all. In these, the picks are riffled together and then re-picked and re-riffled in complex symmetric patterns.

Silver Mining - Also called Slot Walking. The practice of looking for coins left in unattended slot machines.

Single - A Straight bet on one selection, also known as a straight-up bet.

Singleton -  In poker, a card that is the only one of its rank.

Skin - A dollar.

Slot Club Member - Slot clubs were invented for slot fanatics. By becoming a member you are given a card (like a credit card). Using your card while playing the slots (also table games in some casinos) helps you earn free points / cash. The rules, number of points needed to achieve regular club status, and the benefits given to the player are different at every casino.

Slot Walking - Also called Silver Mining. The practice of looking for coins left in unattended slot machines.

Snake Eyes - When you roll a two in craps, it is called 'Snake Eyes' - eyes because they look like eyes, snake because they are bad news (for the shooter).

Soft Hand - In blackjack, any hand that contains an ace counted as eleven is called a soft hand.

Spinner - A winning streak.

Spooking - Used in blackjack game. The act of standing behind the dealer to peak at the hole card and then secretly convey the information to a partner player sitting at the 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.

Stack - A stack of chips, usually 20 chips in a column commonly used in Roulette.

Standing Hand - In blackjack, meaning a hand which hard-totals to 17 or more, which is very likely to bust if one more card is called and therefore the player is expected to stand.

Steaming - A blackjack term where a player has become frustrated with how badly the events of a session of play have turned out. 'Steaming' in blackjack has practically the same meaning as 'going on tilt' in poker. In either case the player has lost emotional control and is betting more aggressively and often recklessly in an attempt to turn things around.

Stiff (A Stiff Hand) - In blackjack, a hand that is not pat and that may bust if hit once. Stiffs include hard twelve through sixteen.

Straight Keno - The basic keno game, played by marking individual numbers on a keno ticket.

Streak Betting - Also known as 'Progressive Betting'. A system of raising or lowering the size of one's wager based on what happened on the previous round or rounds. There are basically two kinds of streak betting systems; negative and positive. In a positive streak betting or positive progression betting system the size of the player's wager is raised on the next round after a winning round. In a negative streak betting or negative progression betting system you do exactly the opposite by increasing the wager size on each subsequent loss. There is an almost endless number of variations of both negative and positive streak betting progressions, each one distinguished by when the progression is invoked, how much the wagers are raised or lowered, and when the progression is terminated.

Stripping (Card Stripping) - Is a shuffling technique which reverses the sequential order of the cards in the deck. For instance, imagine if a dealer took the first card off the top of a deck and placed it on the table and then took the second card off the top and placed it on top of the first card. If this process were continued until the 52nd card was placed on top, then the sequential ordering among the cards would have been completely reversed. This characterizes the basic process of striping. The process described above would be a very fine strip. Often the dealers will speed up the process by rapidly pulling small clumps of cards off the top of the deck rather than a single card at a time. The number of cards in the clumps determine how fine or coarse the striping process is.

Suit - Any one of the four types of cards: clubs, diamonds, hearts or spades.

Surrender - In blackjack, to give up half your bet for the privilege of not playing out a hand. In roulette, you effectively lose only half on an even-money bet when the ball lands on 0. System - A method of betting, usually mathematically based, used by a punter or bettor to try to get an advantage. A prominent factor in most systems, is the criteria used to determine when the player's wagers should be raised or lowered.

TAB -  Totalisator Agency Board. The body appointed to regulate off-course betting (bets made by people who are not present at the race track).

Table Hold - The amount of money won by the casino table game from the players during an eight-hour work shift.

Table Stakes - In poker, stakes in which the betting and raising is limited to the amount of money a player has on the table in front of him.

Taking the Odds - There are two fundamental forms of wagering, 'taking the odds' and 'laying the odds'. In most casino games the player is 'taking the odds' by wagering an amount that is less than they will receive if they win, that is; if you wager $1 you would win more than $1. In most forms of sports betting, some odds are so high in favour of the likely winner that winning wagers get paid an amount less than the amount wagered by some percentage, and this is what is meant by 'laying the odds'.

Tapping Out - Losing one's entire gambling bankroll and thus having to stop playing.

Tell Play - Observing the dealer's body language and expressions to determine his hole card. In poker game 'tells' pertain to quirks or readable aspects of a players actions, verbal behavior, or body language that give away information about what cards they are holding.

Third Base - In blackjack, the spot nearest the dealer’s right hand, which will be played last before the dealer’s hand is played.

Three-Card Monte - A three-card game similar to Bragg.

Ticket - A card.

Time Cut (Also, Axe or Collection) - Money charged each player on a time basis by the casino or by the poker room owner. Charge is usually on a 3 minute or an hourly basis.

Toke - Toke is short for 'token'. A tip given to the dealer in the form of money or chips. Unlike tokens, tokes are more specifically the tips that the game dealers receive from the players. A player who is known to toke the dealer heavily is sometimes referred to as a 'George' or a 'Real George'.

Touch Wand - A pointing device used on some video keno machines to select numbers.

Tournament - Basically, a competition game between a group of players over a period of time. For example, in Poker tournaments a bunch of poker players sit down with the same number of chips, and eventually only one player has any chips left. In order to ensure that the event will finish in reasonable time, tournaments institute a schedule by which the blinds and/or antes increase. Tournaments are usually played with chips that have no value outside of the tournament. So a buy-in of $30 might get you $500 in tournament chips to play with, but you can't cash them out in the middle. The winner of a tournament (the last player to bust out) as well as several of the other top finishers are typically awarded prize money according to some predetermined schedule. Tournament details vary widely, but a typical arrangement might include an initial buy-in, a re-buy period during which a player who runs out of tournament chips may buy more, and an opportunity to add on to one's stack after the re-buys have ended. Other details about the structure can vary widely.

True Odds - The real odds of something happening. Actual odds taking into account the casino edge. The ratio of the number of times one event will occur to the number of times that it will not. The odds posted in a casino are usually not the true odds.

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 (Betting Units) - Technical term used to express the smallest amount of money used in wagering without specifying the actual Dollar or other currency amount. The player's actual 'chip' bet may be $1, $5, $25, $100 or other value. However, for purposes of simplifying gambling related calculations, the wager is specified as simply one betting unit or one chip.

Up Card (Upcard) - The face up card of the dealer's initial hand in blackjack. Standard casino rules require the dealers to deal their own opening hands with one card face-up and one card face-down. The card that is dealt face-up is the dealers 'up card'. The card the is dealt face-down is said to be the dealers 'hole card'.

Vig., Vigorish - The casino edge, fee or commission taken by the house.

VIP - A Very Important Person. Usually a big bettor or a high roller.

Wager - Any Bet.

Washing (Card Washing) - A card shuffling technique where the dealer spreads the cards on the table face down and then proceeds to mix them around with his hands flat in a face-washing-like action before gathering them up and performing a more normal shuffle. Card washing is intended to remove any consistencies in the sequencing among the cards that new decks of cards have, or that were produced in play prior to the present shuffle. In standard table poker the cards are washed after every hand before they are subjected to a more conventional shuffling. In blackjack and baccarat, the cards are washed when old decks are taken out of play and fresh new decks brought in to replace them.

Whale - A player who makes extremely large wagers. Unlike high rollers who consistently wager $100 or more per round, whales are typically those who make wagers amounting to thousands if not tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars per round.

White meat - Profit.

Wild Card - A joker or other card that can be used as any other card to complete your hand in card games.

Poker Terminology

5-Stud-A poker game in which each player is dealt five cards, one down and four up, with betting after 2, 3, 4, & 5 cards.

7-Stud- Of the poker games most commonly played in public cardrooms, seven card stud is probably the most well known. In this game, each player is dealt seven cards of their own: two down, then four up, and a final card down.

Ace-High- A five-card hand that contains one Ace, with no straight or flush.

All-In- An all-in occurs when you do not have enough money to cover the full bet amount, and so place your remaining money into the pot. You then contend for the pot in an amount proportional to what you have contributed.

Ante- An ante is the minimum bet that each Player must place into the pot before betting begins. The ante is placed before any cards are dealt.

Bet- To place chips into the pot

Blind-bet- Note: This is only applicable to the following games:
Texas Hold’em
Omaha
Omaha Hi-lo
1-on-1
A blind bet is the first bet placed by each Player. It is a forced bet and is placed before any cards are dealt. It is considered a live bet for the first round of betting. Both big blind and small blind bets occur in the first round of betting.

Bluff- To make other players believe that one has a better hand than he/she might otherwise have by betting or raising when they do not have the best hand.

Bust- To run out of money, especially in a tournament

Call- A call occurs when a bet equal to the previous bet is placed.

Cap- Once the betting has been raised three times in one round, it is then capped, or limited. From this point Players may only call (place a bet equal to the previous bet) or fold.

Check- Clicking the check button allows you to stay in a game without placing any bets. Note that you can only check if no other bets have been placed in the betting round.

Check Raise- When a player first checks and then raises in a betting round.

Flush- Any five cards of the same suit

Flush Draw- When a player has four cards in his hand of the same suit and is hoping to draw a fifth to make a flush

Fold- Players fold when they throw in their cards. Once a Player has folded they automatically relinquish their claim on the pot in exchange for not making any further contributions towards it.

Full House- A hand consisting of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank.

High Hand- The high hand is simply the best hand

High Card- The high card is simply the best card

Hole Cards- These are the Down Cards in front of the players.

Laydown- When a player folds

Lowest Card- The card that has the lowest value (keep in mind that aces are high). If two Players have the same lowest card, the value is determined by suit. Suits are arranged in alphabetical order from lowest to highest value - Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades.

Muck- If a Player does not wish to show his losing hand to the table, he can choose to muck. The hand will then be discarded without being displayed to the table.

Omaha- Omaha is a flop game similar to hold ‘em.

Open- To make the first bet.

Pair- Two cards of the same face or number value

Pot- The pot is the pile of chips that accumulate as each Player antes, bets and raises. All winnings are paid from the pot. The value of the pot varies - it is dependant on the stakes involved and the amount that the Players bet. The pot goes to the winner of the hands in each round.

Quads- Four of a kind

Raise- The purpose of a raise is to increase the stakes for the remaining Players at the table. To raise a bet, it must first be matched, then increased.

River- The final (seventh) card dealt in a poker hand

Royal Flush- An ace high straight flush is a royal straight flush, or a royal flush, or just a royal.

Shills- Shills are paid props who help start and maintain poker games

Sitting Out- A Player 'sits out' when he chooses to leave the table for a short period of time.

Stay- When a player remains in the game by calling rather than raising

Straight- Five consecutive cards of any suit

Straight Flush- Five consecutive cards of the same suit

Tell-  An unconscious gesture that reveals information about your hand.

Texas Hold’Em- Texas Hold’em (or just Hold’em) is a poker game in which each player gets two pocket cards, while five community cards are dealt face up on the table.

Three-of-a-kind- 3 cards of the same value in a hand

Turn- A turn is the fourth community card dealt.
Note: This is applicable to the following games:
Texas Hold’em
Omaha
Omaha Hi-Lo

Two Pair- A hand consisting of two different pairs

Visible Cards- These are the cards that are dealt face up to each Player. Players use these cards to complete their five-card combinations.

Video Poker Terminology

Aces and Eights Video Poker - A video poker game where four aces or eights and four sevens receive a bonus payout.

Aces and Faces Video Poker - A video poker game where four aces or four face cards of the same rank receive a bonus payout.

Aces with a Kicker - A term used on double double bonus video poker games where four aces with a two (deuce), three or four have a higher payout than four aces with any other card. See also Kicker

All American Video Poker - Has a higher payout for a Straight Flush than regular Jacks or Better Video Poker.

Average Payback - Also called Expected Return, Expected Value or EV. For a given hand, the average amount you win if you play that hand millions of times. For example, if a Royal Flush pays $4,000 and one card is drawn to a Four Card Royal Flush, your average payback is about $100. Average Payback is very important as for any hand that you can play more than one way, you should always use the play with the highest Average Payback.

Bet Max - See Maximum Credits

Bonus Deuces Wild Video Poker - A bonus video poker game where the deuces (dueces) are wild cards creating additional bonus payouts from regular Deuces Wild Video Poker such as four deuces and an ace, five three, fours or fives and five sixes through kings.

Bonus Video Poker - Many Video Poker machines have larger payouts for bonus hands. A typical example is a larger payout for Four Aces. Of course, there will be a smaller payout for some smaller hands to compensate. A common example is a smaller payout for two pairs. Double Bonus Video Poker, Double Jackpot Video Poker and Double Double Bonus Video Poker and Double Double Jackpot Video Poker are typical bonus video poker games.

Bonus Video Poker Deluxe - A Jacks or Better type game featuring a higher payout for four of a kind.

Cash Out - Each Video Poker machine has a Cash Out button that drops the accumulated credits into the player’s tray.

Complete Hand - A hand that is defined by all five card available combinations. A straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, and a straight flush

Comps - Short for Compensation, comps are rewards that a casino pays you for playing. The casino tracks your play, usually with a plastic member card, and rewards you accordingly, providing you ask for your rewards. They include cash back, free meals, and free rooms. In online casinos comp point are usually in the form of additional cash value credits to your account.

Credits - The Video Poker Machine keeps track of the coins deposited and accumulated as winnings. These are shown on the credit meter. For example, if you deposit $10 in a 25 cent machine, you will receive 40 credits.

Cycle - The mathematical probability of getting any paying hand over a period of time. For example, a Royal Flush in Jacks or Better 9/6 full pay should occur once every 40,390.55 hands.Remembering that the games are random, it is possible to achieve no royals in one cycle and two on the next. The Poisson Distribution tells us that there is only a 63.2% probability of at least one royal flush in one cycle, but this is balanced by the chances of two or more royals in one cycle.

Denomination - The denomination of each card in the deck is its number from two (deuce) through ten, or is Jack, Queen, King or Ace.

Deuces - Deuces are the two denomination in a deck of cards. Often misspelled as dueces

Deuces Deluxe Video Poker - Features bonus payouts for four deuces (dueces), natural straight flush, royal flush with a deuce, five of a kind, wild straight flush and a wild four of a kind.

Deuces Wild Video Poker - A Video Poker Game where deuces (dueces) are wild cards, a wild card being a card that can take the place of any other denomination in the deck. Bonus payouts for four deuces, a deuces royal and five of a kind (any four of a kind with a deuce). See also Bonus Deuces Wild Video Poker and dueces.

Deuces and Jokers Wild Video Poker - A Video Poker Game where deuces (dueces) and jokers are wild cards and typically the payout for 5 wild cards is greater than that for a Royal Flush.

Discard Buttons - Under the display on the video poker machine are five buttons, one for each card. You press these buttons to indicate which cards you want to hold and which you want to discard.

Double Bonus Video Poker - Has bonus payouts typically for 4 aces, four deuces (dueces), threes or fours and four fives through kings. See paytable

Double Double Bonus Video Poker - Has bonus payouts typically for 4 aces, four aces with a deuce (dueces), two, three or four kicker, four deuces (dueces), threes or fours with and ace through four kicker, four deuces, threes or fours and four fives through kings.

Double Jackpot Video Poker - Has bonus payouts typically for 4 aces, four aces with a king, queen or jack kicker, four kings, queens or jacks with an ace, king, queen, jack kicker and four deuces through tens.

Double Joker Video Poker - Bonus payouts for a wild royal and five of a kind.

Double Double Jackpot Video Poker - Has bonus payouts typically for 4 aces, four aces with a king, queen or jack kicker, four kings, queens or jacks with an ace, king, queen, jack kicker and four deuces (dueces) through tens. The same bonus payout hands as for Double Jackpot but with variations in the payouts for the bonus hands.

Draw - In video poker the draw is a set of replacement cards for those cards not held from the deal hand.

Double Up - Some video poker games give the option to double up the bet on a winning hand. The object is to draw a higher value card against the machine to double your winnings.

Dueces - A common misspelling of deuces

Edge - The advantage in a game based on mathematical expectation. The house edge means the house has the advantage. The player’s edge means that the player has the advantage, such as in a 100%+ payout video poker machine.

Expected Return - The average amount of money paid back on a particular play for a particular bet. The Expected Return (ER) is the Expected Value of a play multiplied by the amount bet. Most commercially available video poker analysis programs, when analyzing a hand, give the ER of each possible play.

Expected Value - The statistically projected average per unit bet payback of a particular play. Another way of looking at the EV is the average of all possible outcomes for a particular play or game.

Flush - A hand containing any five cards in the same suit like 5 spades, 5 diamonds.

Flat Top - A video poker machine that does not have a Progressive Jackpot. So the Jackpot amount remains the same.

Four of a Kind - A hand containing four cards of the same denomination like 7-7-7-7_K. The fifth is irrelevant.

Full House - Three of a kind plus a pair like 10-10-10-K-K.

Full Pay - The best payout schedule offered for a particular game. For example, 9/6 Jacks or Better as opposed to 8/6 Jacks or Better, and any game with a full pay schedule plus a progressive jackpot. A video poker machine where the Maximum Average Payback is near 100%. For example, a Full Pay Jacks or Better machine has a Maximum Average Payback of about 99.5%, and a Full Pay Deuces Wild machine has a maximum average payback of about 100.7%

Garbage Hand - A bad hand that will let you win nothing. A garbage hand if dealt, should be discarded.

Gut Shot - Another term for an Inside Straight

Hand - The five cards, whether dealt or held is considered to be your hand.

High Card  - A Jack, Queen, King or Ace. If you are playing Tens or Better Video Poker, then the 10 is also a high card. Wild or joker cards can also be considered high cards.

Hold - The cards you nominate to keep in any given hand.

Hopper - The internal tray that holds the video poker machine coins. The hopper electronically counts coins to be paid and releases them into the player’s tray.

House - The establishment running the game.

Inside Straight - Four cards to a straight where the one card you need to complete the straight is in the middle of the run. For instance, with a 4c-5h-7d-8c you would need a six of any suit to complete the straight.

Inside Straight Flush - The same as an inside straight except that the cards must all be of the same suit.

Jackpot - A special bonus paid when you hit the highest hand on a video poker machine such as a Royal Flush or a Progressive Jackpot

Jacks or Better - Jacks or better is the original video poker game, with a Pair of Jacks as the minimum winning hand. The Full Pay version of Jacks or Better pays 9 credits for a Full House and 6 credits for a Flush on a single coin bet (9/6). Jacks or Better has a Maximum Average Payback of about 99.5%

Joker Poker - A Video Poker Game where the Joker is a wild card. Mostly these have the minimum payout for Kings or Better.

Kicker - Term for a card used in the Double Double Bonus video poker games. For example, in Double Double Bonus a kicker is considered an ace, duece, three or four and in Double Double Jackpot a kicker is considered a Jack, Queen, King or Ace.

Kings or Better  - A pair of kings as the minimum winning hand.

Long Run - The point where the machine’s total appearance of number values is what probability theory predicts. For a player the long run is to play often enough that probability would even the outcomes.

Loose Deuces Video Poker - A deuces wild game with bonus payouts for four deuces, (dueces) royal flush with a deuce and five of a kind.

Louisiana Double Video Poker  -  A basic Jacks or Better video poker game with an additional 53^RD card known as the double card. If this is held in a winning hand the payout for that hand is doubled.

Maximum Average Payback  -  For a given Video Poker Machine Pay Table, the amount of payback per dollar bet if you play millions of hands on that machine, providing that you play every hand with correct strategy (perfect play). It can be expressed as an amount per dollar bet or as a percentage (of each dollar bet). For most machines, this number varies between 92 cents per dollar bet (92% payback) and $1.01 per dollar bet (101% payback).

Maximum Credits - Each Video Poker Machine has a Play Maximum Credits or Bet Max button. This is the button you push to deal a new hand and bet the maximum amount of credits allowable. If you don’t play maximum credits, you don’t qualify for the big jackpots. On most video poker machines, the maximum credits you can play is five. Always play maximum credits.

Multi Play - Machines that allow up to ten hands of video poker at once.

Net Losses - The amount lost after the wager is deducted from the payout.

Net Winnings - The amount won after the wager is deducted from the payout.

Odds - The likelihood that an event will happen.

Outrun - To beat. Example: “This machine outran my hand.”

Pat Hand - A hand where all five initially dealt cards are a winning hand, such as a dealt Straight or a Flush. It is necessary to keep all five cards as no other card can improve your winning hand.

Payback - The long term expected return of a video poker game being played. Usually expressed as a percent, but sometimes expressed as the Expected Value (EV) of the game. You can expect to make money on a game only if its long-term payback is over 100% (EV greater than one).

Pay Off - The number of coins or credits paid for a particular winning hand. Often expresses on a “per coin” basis. For example, a Full House in standard full pay Jacks or Better with five coins bet pays 45 coins, but this is usually expressed as 9 for 1.

Payout (Payoff) Schedule - Each video poker machine’s complete payoff schedule is posted on the glass front or on the screen. This is usually in the form of a table that shows the number of coins paid for each possible final hand for each possible number of coins bet.

Payout (Payoff) Table - The numbers are the number of credits that you get if you draw that hand. For example, if you are playing five coins in a quarter machine with this Payout Table, you win 4000 quarters or $1,000.00 if you get a Royal Flush. Usually you get more credits for your money by playing the Maximum Credits.

Payout (Payoff) - The actual dropping of coins by a machine. The actual payout occurs only when cashing out. In the case of a coinless machine, it is the printing of a cash voucher. In the case of a jackpot, it is usually a hand pay.

Perfect Play - Making every play for the absolute highest Expected Value. Perfect Play is the only way to achieve the maximum payouts on a video poker machine over a period of time by playing each hand mathematically correct and betting maximum.

Pick’em Video Poker - You are dealt 2 single cards and 2 decks of 3 cards...only 4 cards are visible. Your job is to pick one of the 2 stacked piles and your strategy relies on comparing the visible cards to what maybe contained in the 2 sets of hidden cards. 

Progressive Jackpot - This is a Jackpot, usually for a Royal Flush that grows as players play. Several machines are linked together so that each bet at any of them increases the jackpot. When a player gets the Jackpot the Progressive Jackpot is reset to a starting value, typically $1,000 for a 25 cent machine with five coins played. Important: You can’t win the Progressive Jackpot unless you bet Maximum Credits.

Quads - Four of a kind like 6-6-6-6-5.

Rag  - A card that does not fit into your hand in any useful way. Totally useless.

Random - It is required by law that a Video Poker Machine must draw cards at random from a single deck. This means that no card is more likely to be drawn than any other.

Random Number Generator - An algorithm or a program used to generate a series of random numbers. Online video poker uses random number generation.

Rank - The numerical value of a card (as opposed to its suit). Example: “King,” “nine”.

Royal Flush - A hand containing and Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace in the same suit, in any order. The highest hand in video poker using no wild cards.

Secondary Payoff - In many cases we are drawing with the hopes of making a particular big payoff, but much of the EV of the play comes from smaller payoffs when we miss the big one. For example, you might draw two cards to a Royal Flush but end up with a high pair, two pair, three of a kind, a straight or a flush, all of which we would call

Sequential Royal Flush - A Royal Flush in order, either left to right or right to left like 10h Jh Qh Kh Ah. Some Video Poker Machines have a separate large Jackpot for one of these. You will get a Sequential Royal Flush once in about 2.5 million hands.

Sevens Wild Video Poker - Sevens are the wild cards in this game and bonus payouts are for four sevens, royal flush with a seven and five of a kind.

Short Run - A limited amount of time when probability theory will be marked by streaks or fluctuations.

Spill - When you win a hand that would put you over 1,000 credits, most video poker machines don’t add to your credits. Instead they start spilling quarters into the hopper to pay off that hand.

Straight -  Five cards not in the same suit in an unbroken sequence like 3h 5s 6s 4h 7h.

Straight Flush - Five cards in the same suit in an unbroken sequence like 4h-5h-6h-7h-8h.

Strategy - A pattern or method for playing the hands. The strategy is determined by the video poker game type and the paytables for that particular game.

Strategy Card - A Strategy Card is a Strategy Table printed on a card. It’s a good idea to have a strategy card with you while playing.

Strategy Table - A Strategy Table is a list of the hands you might be dealt in decreasing order of Average Payback. If you can play a hand in two or more different ways, then you pick the highest in the strategy table - the one with the highest Average Payback.

Suit - In a poker deck, each card that is not a wild card is in one of the four suits: Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts or Spades.

Three of a Kind - A hand containing three cards of the same denomination like 10-10-10-4-5.

Tens or Better Video Poker - A game where tens or better cards are the minimum paying hand.

Tilt - To play wildly or recklessly. A player is said to be “on tilt” if he is not playing his best, playing too many hands, trying wild bluffs, raising with bad hands, etc.

Triple Play - Some machines allow you to play 3 hands of video poker at the same time and these are referred to as triple play machines. See also multi play

Trips - Three of a kind like 10-10-10-4-5.

Two to a, Three to a, Four to a - Refers to the number of cards you have in your hand that make up at least a part of a potentially winning hand. For example, if you have Ah, Kh, Qh, Jh, 5c, you have four of the cards needed to make a royal flush, or four to a royal flush.

Two Pairs - A hand containing any two pairs of cards like JJKK2.

Underdog - A person or hand that is not mathematically favored to win a pot. For instance, if you flop four cards to your flush, you are not quite a 2:1 underdog to make your flush by the river (that is, you will make your flush about one in three times).
 
Video Poker Machine - The use of a video display to simulate the real game of poker, bearing in mind one is playing a machine and not real players. There are literally hundreds of models of Video Poker Machine. Broadly, these may be categorized into the types: Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker - bigger payoffs for certain hands, Wild Card Games like Deuces Wild and Joker Poker. By law, the Payoff Table listing the payout for each winning hand must be posted on each machine. Also by law, each machine must operate by drawing randomly from one deck of cards.

Wild or Wild Card - A card that may be used to substitute for any other card in the deck, such as a deuce in Deuces Wild Video Poker.

Wild Royal - A wild card to make a royal flush.

Winning Hand - A winning hand is one that you get paid for. For most video poker games the lowest winning hand is a Pair of Jacks. In Deuces Wild Video Poker, it’s Three of a Kind.

Craps Terminology

2X/5X/10X odds: The multiple of your original pass line bet. You make this bet behind your pass line bet and get paid at true odds.

Acey Deucy: Three

Back Line - Another term for Don’t Pass Line

Ballerina dice: aka Hardway four (two, two)

Bar the 12 - Makes the 12 a standoff for the wrong bettors, which allows the casino to keep its advantage on Don’t Pass and Don’t Come bets.

Betting right - Betting that the dice will win on Pass Line and Come bets.

Betting wrong - Betting that the dice will not win, or pass, by betting Don’t Pass and Don’t Come bets.

Big 6 & Big 8 - A bet that pays even money that a six or an eight will be rolled before a seven.

Big red: A one roll bet that the next number thrown will be a seven.

Boxman - The casino executive who is in charge of the craps table. The boxman sits between the two dealers.

Boxcars: Twelve

Buy the 4 and 10 - Paying a five percent commission to the casino so that the 4 and 10 payoff at 2-1 on place bets.

C & E: A one roll bet on the 2, 3, 11.

Cafeteria dice: aka Hardway six (a pair of treys)

Come bet: A wager that the dice will pass, or win, made after the come-out roll.

Come out roll: The roll that establishes a point number.

Craps. A roll of 2, 3, or 12.

Die in the wood, roll no good: One of the dice landed in the players chip rack.

Disk (Puck) - A round object white on one side and black on the other. When on the white side and in a place number box signifies that a come-out roll has occurred and that a point has been established.

Don't Pass: A bet made on the come-out roll that the dice will not pass.

Easy Way - The roll of a 4, 6, 8 or 10 where the dice are not pairs

E.T.: A bet on the eleven and twelve.

Evealine: Eleven, after the point is made.

Eyes of Texas shine upon us: Hard Ten

Field: A one roll wager that the next number will be a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12.

Hardway: An even number that's made by two identical numbers ( eg: Four = two 2's, Eight= two 4's, etc)

Hard Ten: two fives

Hi/Lo: A bet on the twelve and two.

Hop: A one roll wager that a particular number will come up on the next throw of the dice.

Horn Bet: A one roll wager on the 2, 3, 11 and 12 combined.

I can't read 'er, she's in the cedar: One or both of the dice landed in the players chip rack.

In the plank, not worth a wank: One or both of the die landed in the rail.

Inside bet: A place bet on the number 5, 6, 8, or 9

Inside numbers: 5, 6, 8, and 9

Jesse James: A nine. (Jesse James was shot by a forty-five).

Jimmie Hick: A six.

Lay: A bet against a particular number by the wrong bettor, who gives the casino a 5% commission.

Long and strong: When the stickman asks you to throw hard enough to hit the backboard.

Midnight: Twelve

Off : A term meaning that certain bets will not be at risk on the next roll of the dice.

One For The Boys: A bet for the dealers.

Ozzie and Harriet: A square pair. (Hard eight)

Pass: A winning decision for the dice.

Pass line: The area on the layout where a pass line bet is made.

Pass line bet: Betting that the point number will be thrown before a seven.

Pair of aces in the wrong places: Two

Place bet: A bet on either the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 as individual numbers or in any combination. The wager is that they will repeat before a seven is thrown.

Point: The number established from the come out roll. This number needs to be thrown before a seven in order to win a pass line bet.

Press a Bet (Press):  Increasing a bet by double.

Rails : The grooved area of the craps table where players keep their chips that are not in play.

Right Bettor: A player betting that the dice will pass, or win.

Rolling The Bones: Throwing the dice. Playing Craps.

Seven-Out: The rolling of a seven after the point has been established.

Shooter: The person who is rolling the dice.

Slow bleed: You lose your bankroll in a slow and consistent manner. No matter how you bet, you can't win enough back to stop losing. You might win an occasional bet, but you are losing over the long term.

Snake eyes: Two

Square pair: Hard eight

Stickman: Dealer who calls the game and handles the stick.

Studio 54: Nine

Ten the hard way: two fives

Tip (Toke): A gratuity given to a dealer by a player.

Two rolls and no coffee: Sevened out after two rolls.

Vig or Vigorish: A gambler's term for the house edge.

Whirl bet: A one roll bet on the 2, 3, 7, 11 and 12.

Wrong Bettor: A player who bets against the dice.

Yo: Eleven

Keno Terminology

Aggregate Limit - Total payout liability of a casino during any one game.

All or Nothing - A keno ticket that only pays if all picked numbers are drawn, or no picked numbers are drawn.

Ball Game - A keno game that uses plastic balls to represent the numbers. This is the most common type of keno game today.

Balls - Keno balls. Similar to bingo balls or ping pong balls. Numbered 1-80.

Bank - The casino's money available for keno operations.
 
Bingo - The original name for keno. Although keno and bingo are very different today, both use similar balls to represent numbers drawn.

Blank - A keno ticket that has not been used.

Blower - Part of the machine used to dispense keno balls. The blower uses air to force the balls into a tube where they can be viewed and/or removed by the keno operator.

Bowl - The part of the ball machine that holds the balls when the blower is not on.

Buy-In Tournament - A keno tournament where players pay a set fee up front, and play a predetermined number of games and/or tickets. Players get to keep any winnings.

Cage - An old type of wire cage that held keno balls. Most cages have been replaced by plastic hoppers. Also used to refer to the employees-only area where keno workers operate.

Call - The actual act of calling the keno numbers, usually over an intercom. Performed by an casino employee.

Caller - The casino employee who calls out the numbers during the keno game.

Catch - A number marked on a ticket is said to be a catch when it is called during the keno game.

Catch-All - A keno game that requires you to catch all of the numbers you have marked on your ticket.

Catch-Zero - A keno game that requires you to catch none of the numbers you have marked on your ticket.

Close - The time when no keno tickets will be written by the casino. Normally just before the draw until just after the draw.

Combination Ticket - A single ticket with several different keno wagers on it.

Computer Ticket - A keno ticket generated by a computer.

Conditioning - The "terms" of the wager. Normally written on the ticket. Generally refers to wagers other than straight ticket plays.
 
Deuce - Two keno spots grouped together.

Draw - The 20 numbers drawn for each keno game are collectively called "the draw".

Draw Sheet - A sheet available from the keno counter which shows the numbers drawn from the previous game. Has holes punched in it to facilitate checking your tickets.

Edge Ticket - A ticket with the 32 numbers marked that make up the outer edge of the ticket.

Enhanced Payoff - A greater payoff received by playing a combination of games on a single ticket. Pays more than would have been received if the games had been played on individual tickets.

Entry Fee Tournament - Players pay a fee up front and compete with each other for cash or prizes. Players do not keep winnings from individual games in the tournament.

Exacta - A ticket played for two games, with a special payoff rate.

Expected Value - The rate at which an outcome is expected to occur.

Field - A group of marked spots that is not circled.

Flashboard - The electronic signs that display the numbers drawn for a keno draw. Most are now LED, but older boards using light bulbs are still around.

Fractional Rate Ticket - A ticket played for some fraction of the normal rate. Normally only used on a way ticket.

Free Play - A keno win that pays no money, but lets you play your bet again.

Goose - A term used for the machine that blows the keno balls up into two long tubes.

Group - Spots that are circled or separated from the other spots marked on a keno ticket.

Handle - The total of all money taken in for a game, shift, day or some other period of time.

High End Ticket - A keno ticket that pays more for catching a high number of spots, but less (or nothing) for catching fewer spots (as compared to a regular ticket).

High Roller Ticket - A ticket that has a high minimum ticket price.

Hit - When a drawn number matches the spot on your ticket.

Hold - Handle minus payoffs, or the gross receipts after paying out all winning tickets.

House - The casino.

House Edge - Also known as PC (percent casino). The percent of all wagers the house can expect to win, over a period of time. Can vary widely, but normally is about 30%.

House Percentage - Also known as PC (percent to casino). The percent of all wagers the house can expect to win, over a period of time. Can vary widely, but normally is about 30%.

Inside Ticket - A keno ticket that is completed and turned in to the casino.

Jackpot - The prize paid in a Stud . Technically, the jackpot is the amount above the regular payoff for the game. For instance, if the Stud payoff is $25,453 but the regular payoff is $10,000, the jackpot is $15,453. However the term is regularly misused to indicate the total payoff amount.

Jackpot Meter - An electronic display of some type that displays the current jackpot mount.

Keno - The modern version of an old Chinese lottery. Twenty number out of eighty are drawn, and players win by guessing which numbers will be drawn. Keno is a lottery; state lotteries are variations of keno.

Keno Board - The electronic signs that display the numbers drawn for a keno draw. Most are now LED, but older boards using light bulbs are still around.

Keno Balls - Similar to bingo balls or ping pong balls. Numbered 1-80.

Keno Computer - Used by casinos to enter wages, determine winners, print keno tickets, prepare management reports, etc.

Keno Counter - The counter where players place their wagers and collect their winnings.

 

Keno Lounge - The area where keno players can sit to mark their tickets and watch the game. Normally rows of connected seats with a small desk top with a cup holder. Always stocked with blanks, crayons, instructions, etc.

Keno Punch - The machine that punches holes in a draw sheet.

Keno Writer - The employee at the counter who takes your bet, produces the computer generated ticket, and pays the winners.

King - A single circled number. Works with other numbers to make a bet or way.

King Ticket - A way ticket that contains one or more kings.

Left-Right Ticket - A ticket marked vertically down the center. The object is to catch only numbers on one half of the ticket (or no numbers on one half of the ticket).

Limit - Total payout liability of a casino during any one game. Same as aggregate limit.

Live Keno - Regular keno played on tickets, NOT video keno.

Lounge - The area where keno players can sit to mark their tickets and watch the game. Normally rows of connected seats with a small desk top with a cup holder. Always stocked with blanks, crayons, instructions, etc.

Mark - A mark made on a keno ticket number, either my hand or by the keno computer.

Multi Game Keno Ticket - A ticket played for multiple keno games.

Net Win - The actual player winnings, after deducting the cost of the ticket.

Open - Any time the counter is open for taking wagers.

Outside Ticket - The official game ticket returned to the player in exchange for his hand marked ticket and the appropriate wager.

Pattern - The shape made by the collective marks on a keno ticket or lights on a keno flashboard.

Pay Any Catch Ticket - A keno ticket that pays something, no matter how many spots are caught or not caught.

Payoff - The amount paid to a player for his played ticket. Not necessarily a net profit.

Pay Table - The chart that shows what each win pays.

 
Stud - A keno game where the top prize increases until it is won. The prize may increase by a percent of wagers, a set amount per time period (hour, day, etc.) or any other method determined by the casino.

Punch Outs - A sheet available from the keno counter which shows the numbers drawn from the previous game. Has holes punched in it to facilitate checking your tickets.

Push - A win equal to the amount wagered.

Quick Pick - A ticket with numbers chosen by the keno computer for the player, at the players request.

Quit Race - Cashing in a multi game ticket before all games have been played.

Race - A single keno game. A term held over from when the game was called Horse Race Keno. Also may be a reference to the "race" to the keno counter to cash in a winning ticket before the next game starts (which normally voids all previous tickets).

Rack - The tray that holds the keno balls when they are not in play.

Random Number Generator - A computer program used to randomly select numbers for a keno game.

Rate - The price for a ticket or way.

Rate Card - Provided by the casino. Shows payoffs for various bets.

Regular Ticket - The standard or basic ticket sold by a casino.

Replayed Ticket - Giving a played ticket to the counter to replay the numbers.

RNG Game - When a computer program is used to randomly select numbers for a keno game.

Runner - A casino employee who goes through the casino restaurants and seating areas collecting keno wagers, and paying winners. Almost always women.

Shift Boss - The shift supervisor.

Sleeper - A winning ticket that is not presented for payoff.

Special Rate - A rate different than the regular ticket rate. Does not necessarily indicate a better deal for the player.

Split Ticket - Two or more groups of numbers played separately on the same ticket.

Spot - The numbers marked on a keno ticket.

Straight Ticket - The standard or basic ticket sold by a casino.

Ticket - The keno ticket. Marked with 80 numbers, used by a player to mark her spots. Generally made from low quality paper.

Top-Bottom Ticket - A ticket marked horizontally in the center. The object is to catch only numbers on one half of the ticket (or no numbers on one half of the ticket).

Tournament - A series of keno games organized by the casino into a contest between players.

Video Keno - Keno played on a computerized machine similar to video poker. Uses a random number generator to pick the numbers.

Wager - The amount of money at risk on a keno ticket.

Way - A separate bet on a ticket with more than one bet.

Way Ticket - A ticket with two or more bets.

Win - Catching enough numbers to collect more than the amount wagered.

Winning Numbers - The 20 numbers drawn in the keno game.

Wire Cage - A cage used to mix keno balls. Older type game.

Writer - The employee at the counter who takes your bet, produces the computer generated ticket, and pays the winners

Auto Racing Terminology

Aerodynamics - This refers to how the air moves over, around, and under the racecar

Apex - The middle of a turn or corner

Apron- The portion of the race track that separates at the infield from the banked racing surface.

Back Marker - A driver that consistently runs at the back of the pack

Banking - The elevation on a track’s turns.

Blocking- Making the back end of your car as wide as possible to avoid a pass from a pursuer. That’s the figurative definition, anyway.

Bubble - A driver who is sitting on the "bubble" is the slowest driver of the top 25 during qualifying

Camber - The tire’s tilt so it can be flush with the track surface. If there’s too much camber on one side of a tire, overwear is imminent, and so is a flat.

Catch Fence - This is the huge fence that surrounds tracks and its purpose is to "catch" flying debris that may otherwise fly into the crowd of spectators

Caution Period - Yellow flag is waved due to an accident, debris etc. requiring that the drivers reduce speed and follow behind the pace car until the incident is resolved

Chassis - A car’s steel framework. Adjusting the chassis also will adjust how the bodywork fits over it, which affects a car’s aerodynamics.

Crew chief/car chief - The crew chief deals with the media and is in radio communication with the driver during the race. The car chief focuses solely on improving the car during the race and has no media responsibilities.

Dirty Air - Air turbulence behind or beside the car often creating a loss of downforce

Doughnut - The round tire marks found on the sides of cars after they bump.

Downforce - The force that holds a car on the track, especially important in turning corners. The more downforce, the more grip, but that also means there’s more drag, which slows a car down. People get paid big bucks to find the ideal amount of downforce.

Drafting - The practice of running two cars in one line (head to tail) to gain speed. The lead car displaces the air, creating a vacuum to suck the trailing car along. Drivers can use it to save gas.

Drag - Creates wind resistance and reduces speed (increased "down force" can also cause reduced speed)

Field - Refers to the entire group of cars on the racetrack

Firewall- The slab of steel separating the driver cockpit from the engine compartment.

Fuel cell- A fancy gas tank. The tank has an inner liner of flexible, tear-resistant material and foam padding to minimize spills.

Goodyear- The exclusive tire of NASCAR since 1997. Every Winston Cup champion since 1968 has used Goodyear tires.

Grid - The order that the cars start in also known as the Starting Line-up

Groove- The fastest way, or line, around the track. The groove can vary during the race.

HANS- Acronym for Head and Neck Safety device. The brace fits around the shoulders and attaches to the driver’s helmet, limiting the range of motion during a collision, which helps to reduce whiplash.

Happy Hour- Term for the 60 minutes drivers have to test and fine-tune their cars after qualifying, usually the day before a race.

Horsepower - Measurement of an engine's output. Example- Mid sized family vehicle has approx 150-200 horsepower. Winston Cup cars have a horsepower of 750.

Hung Out to Dry - When a racecar gets out of the draft at superspeedways such as Daytona and Talladega where drafting is essential

Infield - The area in the middle of a racetrack where the garage area is located. During a racing event it's filled with tractor trailer rigs and mobile homes

Infield Care Center - Medical facility located in the infield where all drivers are transported by ambulance following a crash and evaluated for injuries

Inside Line - Refers to the shortest distance around the track which typically is at the bottom of the track by the "apron"

Jackman- Man responsible for carrying the 45-pound jack that elevates the car for tire changes.

Kill switch- A switch that turns off a car’s electrical power in case the throttle sticks.

Let go-When the engine blows up.

Lift- Backing off the gas.

Loose- When the rear tires don’t “stick” in the corner causing the rear end of the car to push toward the wall

Matted- When the accelerator is pushed to the floor.

Man on the move - Refers to a driver that is passing other cars and moving toward the front of the pack with consistency

NASCAR - National Association For Stock Car Auto Racing

Pack - Refers to a group of racecars on the track

Pit box- The car must be serviced within these lines or a penalty will be assessed.

Pit stop- Crews of eight can change four tires, fill the 22-gallon fuel cell, make wedge adjustments (see “wedge”) and clean the windshield and grill—preferably in about 15 seconds.

Pole position- The position on the inside of Row 1 at the start of the race.

Provisional Starting Position - a driver that has failed to quailfy for a race due to inadequate speed may receive a provisional starting position in the back of the field based on owner points or a past championship

Push - Also referred to as "tight" meaning that the car doesn't want to turn in the corners

Qualifying - Cars must qualify to participate in a race. Qualifying normally takes place 1-2 days before the race and the drivers take turns running 1-2 qualifying laps depending on the track. Qualifying is sometimes televised live depending on the track for that weeks race

Restrictor plate- A thin metal plate with four holes that restricts air flow to the engine, reducing the horsepower. Used at Daytona and Talladega.

Roll cage- The steel cage designed to protect drivers during crashes or rollovers.

Roof flaps- The two flaps that rise when a car begins spinning out of control in order to catch the wind and limit a car’s ability to become airborne.

Round of wedge- Turning the car’s jacking screws to adjust the car’s weight on each wheel. The screws are found at each wheel.

Rub - Refers to coming in contact with another racecar ever so slightly.

Set-up- Tuning the car’s suspension and aerodynamics package to a driver’s advantage.

Slicks - Racing tires

Slingshot- The maneuver in which a car behind the leader of a draft pulls out to break the vacuum. It provides the driver an extra burst of speed for passing.

Splash ‘n’ go- A late-race pit maneuver in which drivers bring in the car for only a small amount of gas if the car is in danger of running out of fuel before the end of the race.

Spoiler- The metal blade attached to the rear deck lid that restricts air flow, providing downforce.

Spotter- A person positioned high in the stands who is in constant radio communication with the driver, relaying information on other cars’ positions or imminent danger ahead.

Springs- Found at each wheel. Tension in the springs can be adjusted with a jackbolt.

Sticker Tires - Brand new tires that still have the manufacturer’s (Goodyear) sticker on them

Stop ‘n’ go- A penalty when a driver must come in during green-flag conditions, stop for one second in his pit box and then go back on the race track.

Tight- Also known as under steer. It’s when the car is difficult to turn in the corner because the front end pushes toward the wall.

Turkey Walk - This is reference to when a car going into a turn begins to wobble from side to side.

Underneath- Getting to the left of a car while passing.

Wedge- Refers to the cross-weight adjustment of a car through spring tension.