First-time players wagering any amount of money on casino games might feel overwhelmed when attempting to learn about gambling lingo.

How does a slot machine work? What are the side bet options at a blackjack table? Will I get the best value from a baccarat game or a table game alternative like Hold’em Poker?

To help you become a more knowledgeable and confident casino gambler, we’ve compiled a complete casino glossary of the most relevant gambling terms you should know.

Without further ado, let’s get into it:

An automatic card shuffler is used at casino table games and online casinos to shuffle a deck of cards between hands or when all the cards have been used in a shoe. This computerized gadget ensures the order of the cards is completely random each time.

With multiple meanings in the gambling world of sports betting and online casino games, action refers to placing a bet or the volume of any particular wager at a table game. It can also indicate how and when players bet.

An advantage player reduces the house edge by using the basic strategy in blackjack or by implementing expert knowledge of how a table game, slot machine, or any other casino game works. With their “advantage,” these players can decrease the house edge and increase RTP to boost their potential winnings.

The maximum limit of what any casino game pays out to players. Online casino games show max payouts via overviews, in-game settings, and information tabs.

A type of gambling game (like bingo or a lottery) that only pays out for a ticket with all matching numbers.

When a player wagers all their remaining chips (for any amount of money), usually at a no-limit poker game like Texas Hold’em poker where there’s no maximum bet.

Roulette is a popular table game at brick-and-mortar casinos, online casino platforms, and mobile apps. The American version includes 38 numbered pockets, including one through 36 (red/black, odd/even, high/low), and two green-colored pockets labeled zero (0) and double zero (00).

The game offers an overall house edge of 5.26%.

The last player to play their hand on the dealer’s right-hand side of a blackjack game table.

A specific amount of money in casino chips in a poker game that players must pay before receiving their cards and making initial bets. Some card games may require an ante and an initial bet simultaneously.

Players might have to pay an ante in a poker game or in the late stages of a multi-table tournament (Texas Hold’em poker), which goes to the house or casino.

A sports betting strategy with money wagered across two bets on opposing outcomes at odds that guarantee a profit. The method is common among professional gamblers and works best by placing two moneyline wagers at different sportsbooks.

Baccarat is one of the most popular casino games worldwide, especially among high-roller gamblers. A “player” and a “banker” each receive up to two or three cards to form a natural score of 8 or 9.

Numbered cards from two to nine retain their value, tens and face cards equal zero, and Aces equal one. The first digit of ten or more is removed (i.e., a 5 + 7 = 12 = 2).

A player wins by choosing the correct bet for each hand: player bet (even money), banker bet (requires a 5% commission), or a tie bet (8 or 9 to one). Side bets may also be available, though they have lower RTPs.

With a house edge of 1.06%, the banker bet in baccarat pays even money with a 5% commission.

The amount of money professional gamblers set aside for sports betting or gambling at a land-based or online casino.

Bets involve predicting the outcome of casino games or sports events. Depending on how much you wager and whether your prediction is correct, you can win money or lose your initial stake.

Casinos show the betting limits for their games directly on gaming tables. Online casino platforms and mobile apps usually depict minimum and maximum bet amounts for their games before you enter a virtual table. Slot machines and other games may offer a “bet max” option.

To bet “right” means a type of wager when you bet with or for the shooter (player) in a craps game, specifically for the Pass/Come lines.

One of the most basic gambling terms refers to the general location of placing one or multiple bets on the table for baccarat, blackjack, roulette, and other games with a table layout. Online casino tables often help players out by highlighting specific bets you can place on the table.

Blackjack is one of the most popular games at any online casino or brick-and-mortar location. With a house edge of 99.50% for players who implement the basic strategy, the object of blackjack is to beat the dealer without going over 21.

Receiving an Ace and a ten or an equivalent face card (Jack, Queen, or King) on your first two cards earns a natural blackjack for a payout of 3 to 2.

The “blinds” refer to a forced bet (small and big) that rotates clockwise around a poker table. Players may also make a “blind bet” by betting before seeing their hole cards.

At land-based casinos, the top card of a deck is “burned” by a dealer when they place it face-down on the table before showing the flop, turn, and river (face-up community cards). This technique is used to get rid of the top card in case it accidentally gets revealed to a player or players at the table.

An area of a gaming floor that’s designated as a cashier window at brick-and-mortar casinos. Online casino players can make deposits and withdrawals via a Cash at Cage method after signing up and registering a new account.

Card counting is perhaps one of the most notorious gambling terms since it refers to assigning values to the cards dealt by a dealer in blackjack. Savvy players could quickly calculate the payout percentage of their hands based on the face-up cards on the table, reducing the casino edge.

A player who excels at card games, often with deceit.

An expert card player who cheats.

When a dealer changes a deck, they might use a “washing” technique. This technique involves placing the 52 cards facedown in two rows on the table. Then, the dealer moves all the cards around for a few seconds in a “window washing” motion to ensure future random outcomes for the deck.

Slot machines may offer cash bonuses during free spins. Online casino platforms also offer cash bonuses to first-time players when signing up for a new account. These bonuses allow players to make bets with casino credit rather than putting up their own money.

Players can use the cashier window to cash out at an online casino. At land-based casinos, players can take their chips to the cage to exchange them for cash.

A cashier is a casino employee who works at a desk that includes casino chips, drawers of cash, and a money-counting machine.

Chasing means betting any amount of money at a gambling game after a losing bet or a consecutive streak of losing bets.

The area of a gambling table where dealers or casino employees store casino chips; players can then ‘buy in’ directly from the dealer.

The currency used at casinos comes in various colored chips: $1 white, $5 red, $25 green, $100 black, etc.

The 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act designates Class II slot machines as electronic bingo systems.

Per the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, most slot machine titles fall under the category of Class III (which also includes games like blackjack, craps, and roulette).

In gambling terminology, riding the coattails equates to an amount of money bet by a player that’s the same as the wager(s) of a high roller or another player on a winning streak.

A cold streak refers to a gambler losing multiple bets in a row.

If a casino offers you a complimentary (free) dinner, hotel stay, or tickets to one of their entertainment venues, that’s known as a “comp.” It encourages players to stick around and keep gambling.

Comp hustlers try to take advantage of casino comps while reducing their odds of losing their bankroll as much as possible.

Land-based and online casino companies offer loyalty programs to VIP players, including tiered levels with cash-back promotions and redeemable points.

A shuffling machine that continuously shuffles one or more packs of cards is different from an automatic shuffling machine (which shuffles cards only in a single operation).

While many people use “dealer” and “croupier” interchangeably, the difference lies in the games they oversee. Dealers typically manage card games like poker and blackjack while croupiers are in charge of roulette tables.

A blackjack strategy that determines how a player should play their hand based on the composition of their cards and not just hard or soft totals.

A casino employee who works a casino game by dealing the cards to players, collecting bets, and delivering payouts.

A ratio between the number of cards dealt in a card game and how many are left before a reshuffle. Per basic strategy, card-counting blackjack players pay attention to how “deep” or far along a game gets with the cards that are dealt from the shoe.

A payment made to play games and make a real money bet at an online casino.

A deposit bonus at an online casino offers site credit to first-time players registering a new account.

Online casino companies offer various deposit methods to fund your account, including debit or credit cards, online banking, e-checks, and Cash at Cage.

A technique associated with craps shooters who can supposedly throw the dice in a unique way that affects the outcome.

Money from illicit sources or stolen to launder the funds through a land-based or online casino, often via a “cash-in, cash-out” scheme.

A tray to a dealer’s right holds all the cards already used and discarded.

A card dealt face-down like pocket cards, a dealer’s hole card in blackjack, or hole cards in seven-card stud. Down cards are the opposite of community cards.

An independent testing agency called e-CORGA (eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) tests the software of casino games for accuracy and fairness.

The built-in payout percentage of land-based or online casino games (often with a random number generator) reflects the odds of how often a player wins versus the casino.

The element of risk (EOR) ratio determines the average amount a player might lose (or the casino may win) divided by the total bet.

An online casino uses data encryption to protect a player’s financial transactions. Data gets encrypted by random characters to prevent hackers from accessing sensitive information.

EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory) refers to memory that retains its data even after losing power. A land-based or online casino slot machine uses EPROM to control the payout percentage of slot games, which reflects the random number generator.

There are 18 even numbers on a roulette wheel (1-36).

An even-money bet may include red/black, odd/even, and high/low roulette wagers of the same rank at different roulette variants. Even-money bets pay the same amount as the current bet (i.e., $10 on red = $10 win on red for a total payout of $20). Most wagers at casino games pay out at least even-money.

Expected value (EV) from sports betting or online casino gambling measures a player’s probability of winning per bet versus the likelihood of losing per wager at the same amount.

The rate at which a player might expect to win at a slot machine, draw poker, stud poker, or other games from multiple bets over an extended period.

The cameras above a gaming floor in a land-based casino that watch every casino employee, player, and onlooker.

Any Jack, Queen, or King in a standard 52-card deck.

A hole card for a player or dealer that gets dealt face down.

A community card in poker games or the face-up cards in baccarat or blackjack belonging to a player, dealer, or banker.

A mathematical formula of the possible outcomes for a casino game, almost like a random number generator.

An online casino that uses Adobe Flash plugins for classic slots and other games.

Placing the same wager via sports betting or an online casino game (i.e., betting $10 every time, regardless of the outcome).

A low-ranking hand in card games.

A false belief that previous outcomes can predict a current bet or future results.

A high roller or regular player who tips well for every casino employee.

Total money made from gambling without factoring in losses or taxes.

A person who spends a significant amount of money at a casino and is usually a VIP player.

Winning multiple times in a row at slot machines, table games, or sports betting.

A gaming table on the casino floor or at an online casino where a player experiences an extended winning streak.

Another word for the casino.

The built-in winning percentage of casino games; applies to online slots, blackjack, etc.

The house edge for slot games at online casino apps generally resides at 5%, while a progressive jackpot usually has a higher casino edge closer to 10%. Playing blackjack with the basic strategy offers a house edge of 0.5% or less than one percent.

Rules of the casino regarding dress codes, etiquette, and polite behavior.

In sports betting, the hold percentage is the sportsbook’s expected profit for lines offered on both sides of a game or match. In casino gambling, it’s the amount of money the house keeps for every dollar wagered.

An online casino that allows instant payments and offers fast withdrawals.

A type of lottery ticket that offers instant win opportunities to players (e.g., a scratch-off card). Some online casino platforms may offer instant-win scratch-off games.

A slot machine jackpot offers players the chance to win a significant amount of money. The jackpot gets paid out randomly from a winning combination of symbols across the reels. A progressive jackpot builds up over time, sometimes across multiple slots on a network, until a player gets the winning combination.

This video poker variant is also available as three-, five-, or ten-play draw poker. Players must at least get a pair of Jacks for an even-money payout. A straight flush and a royal flush offer the top payouts.

The general arrangement of a gaming table (markings, etc.) for any casino game at a land-based or an online casino.

Live dealer games are online casino games which are live streamed with a live dealer from a broadcast studio, usually in a land-based casino. Nearly every mobile casino app or website doubles as a live dealer online casino.

The main entrance area of a brick-and-mortar casino or the home page of an online casino platform or mobile app.

Land-based and online casino companies offer rewards and redeemable loyalty points to repeat customers. Players may receive a loyalty card to use each time they gamble in person or online. Various rewards and benefits come with different loyalty levels or tiers.

A betting strategy that doubles a wager after a loss and reverts to an initial bet after a win (i.e., bet $1 = loss, bet $2 = loss, bet $4 = loss, bet $8 = win, bet $1).

A short-term loan or line of credit with a casino without any interest.

A coupon issued by a casino that’s eligible for players to use at designated table games.

The maximum bet or wager allowed at any game at a land-based or online casino.

The lowest bet or wager allowed at any game at a land-based or online casino.

Multi-hand blackjack at an online casino allows players to play up to three or five hands simultaneously. (Check with the blackjack table at a land-based casino to see how many hands you can play simultaneously.)

Games with more than one player (i.e., blackjack, craps, and roulette).

The best possible hand in baccarat (8 or 9) or blackjack (21 from an Ace and a face card on the first two cards).

Total winnings from gambling after factoring in losses and taxes.

A bonus at an online casino that’s not transferable to cash.

The odds of winning or losing any bet or casino game; also refers to a craps wager that offers “true odds” without any casino edge.

Optimal strategy involves making decisions based on the information you have available to optimize your odds instead of relying on luck alone. When playing blackjack, players can follow an optimal strategy card to know when to split, stand, hit, or double down.

A document that shows the essential data of a casino game, such as possible outcomes, probabilities, and potential holds.

Any face cards (Jacks, Queens, Kings).

What a player receives after making a winning bet (e.g., roulette pays 35 to 1 or $35 on a $1 wager on a single number).

The payout odds of winning a particular bet reflect the casino edge (i.e., 35 to 1 for choosing a single number correctly in American Roulette, even though there are 38 total numbers).

The winning percentage of a particular bet at a land-based or online casino game (e.g., 2.63% for choosing a single number correctly in American Roulette).

The payout structure of any game at a casino; online casinos offer paytable tabs through in-game settings.

A card in video poker or poker games that you’d discard to attempt a straight flush or royal flush, even though it could’ve made you a decent hand of almost the same rank (like a straight or a flush).

Refers to how far a single-deck or multi-deck game is along in blackjack or other card games.

An advertised bonus that’s no longer available after you’ve made a deposit.

The area of a gaming floor in a casino that contains table games.

A casino employee who manages and oversees various games and other employees in the pit.

A play-through requirement attached to a bonus or a slot game feature that could trigger free spins.

Demo-play options at online casinos that don’t require a deposit or real money wagers.

The mathematical odds associated with the potential of winning or losing a bet.

Betting strategies where you bet max if you win (positive progression) or more if you lose (negative progression).

A type of jackpot that awards an aggregate prize pool to a player who gets a winning combination. It may accumulate locally, over a network, or as a standalone game.

A type of lottery ticket where you pull a tab to potentially reveal a prize.

A tie between the player and a dealer in card games that results in a player’s bet being returned.

A type of casino paired with a racetrack (classic slots may also be available).

An algorithm built into the software of slots, table games, video poker, and poker games at an online casino. Classic slots at land-based casinos may have an RNG that pertains to a return-to-player (RTP) average of 80% to 90%. RNGs at online casinos typically offer better RTPs.

A type of bonus awarded to players after their first deposit.

Various awards, benefits, and discounts for loyal players and repeat customers at a land-based or online casino.

A gaming container that holds a deck or multiple decks of cards dealt for games like baccarat, blackjack, and poker.

The process of a dealer mixing up the playing cards to ensure random outcomes.

A bet on the occurrences of additional outcomes outside a base game (i.e., 21+3 and Poker & Pairs in blackjack).

A bonus money reward for first-time players who register a new account at an online casino.

A blackjack hand that adds up to 17 and contains an Ace where the Ace counts as an 11.

Refers to the amount of money a player bets or wagers in sports betting or at land-based or online casinos.

A type of bonus where your qualifying deposit and bonus funds become “stuck” together. You cannot withdraw any part of the actual bonus; rather, only winnings after you meet playthrough requirements are eligible for withdrawal.

A bettor known for not paying their debts at sportsbooks or casinos.

The money a casino keeps from a table game after a specific period when compared to total bets and payouts.

A tip or “token of appreciation” is offered as a gratuity to dealers or other casino employees.

A blackjack strategy that determines how a player should play their hand based on hard or soft totals.

The odds of an outcome without any casino advantage (i.e., the true odds of a coin flip are 50% for heads or tails).

A card facing up in blackjack, stud poker (seven card stud), or other card games.

A high roller or repeat customer enrolled in a loyalty program at a land-based or online casino.

A loyalty program for high rollers and VIP players with unique benefits that often include comps and a host for in-person or online gaming.

Another word for making a bet (i.e., a side bet, bet max at video poker, or a moneyline bet).

Part of the terms and conditions for a casino bonus; a player must bet anywhere from 1x to 25x within a given timeframe to “unlock” their bonus as withdrawable cash.

A bonus like a deposit match or free spins awarded to first-time players for registering a new account at an online casino.

A wealthy player, gambler, or sports bettor, and one who usually tips very well.

To cash out at an online casino, visit the casino’s cashier window to request a withdrawal.

The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about casino gambling and sports betting for entertainment purposes only.