Our Gambling Glossary is here to help you with online chat abbreviations, phrases, definitions, casino terms, and gambling meanings. You will soon feel like a seasoned gambler when using our slang terms while playing.
A
ABC Poker – ABC Poker is a typical, predictable, and classic style of Poker, which is played most commonly.
Aces – In Craps, Aces is a term that refers to making a bet that the next roll will be a two.
Action – Action may have multiple meanings, though when used as a casino term it most notably means the total amount of money put into play.
Admission Packet – In Bingo, an admission packet is the minimum amount of cards required to purchase before playing the game.
Against the Spread (ATS) – In sports betting, ATS refers to the result when taking the point spread into account.
Aggregate Limit – The total amount of money that a casino is liable to payout in a single game.
Aggregate Winning – The culminated amount of money won in a single game.
All In – An action taken by the player to wager all remaining chips into the pot.
American Roulette – A variant of roulette originating in America. The wheel has 38 pockets, one of which is a double zero.
Ante – In Poker, it is a forced bet required by all players into the pot before the deal can begin.
Annuity – In Lottery, an annuity is a jackpot payout, paid in installments over a long period of time.
Arm – In Craps, an Arm refers to a player for whom it is believed they have a special skill when throwing the dice.
B
Baccarat – A popular casino game, especially among high rollers, where players choose the hand they want to play.
Back Door – In Poker it is a hand made using the final two cards dealt.
Back Hand – In poker this is The first hand of five cards and is required to be the strongest of the player’s three hands.
Backed – A team or player in which many bets have been placed.
Balance – The amount of money at the player’s account, used for betting and gambling.
Banco – In Roulette, this is when a player places all of their money on one bet.
Bankroll – In gambling, a bankroll refers to the money a player has set aside specifically for gambling.
Beard – In poker, when a bettor wants to conceal their true identity, a friend or acquaintance will place the bets for them.
Beef – In gambling and sports betting, a beef refers to a dispute which might occur between a gambler/bettor and the casino/sportsbook.
Beginner’s Luck – In gambling and sports betting, beginner’s luck refers to a winning streak that a new player/punter might be on.
Betting Limit – In Casinos and Sportsbooks, a Betting Limit is a limit placed on the players as to how much they are allowed to bet on a game.
Black Book – In Casinos, a black book refers to a list of people who are either undesirable or outright banned, from the casino.
Blackjack – One of the most popular card games, in which a number of players bet against the house.
Bluff – In poker a player will raise in order to trick their opponent into believing they have a strong hand, which in fact is weak and offers no chance of winning.
Bluff Catcher – In poker, this is a hand that can win by calling a player who has bluffed.
Bump – In poker, this means to raise a bet.
Buy’In – This is the amount needed to enter a poker tournament or game.
C
Call – To match a raise or bet in Poker.
Cap – In gambling this is the maximum number of raises in a round of betting.
Card Counting – A popular trick pulled at casinos, where the player counts the cards in an attempt to predict what card they would get in the future.
Carpet Joint – In the United States, a slang term used to describe luxurious and high-end casinos.
Cashback – It’s a percentage of the player’s losses credited back to their account. This amount can be cashed out or used as bonus funds with wagering requirements attached, depending upon the casino.
Casino Advantage – The advantage that the casino has over the players.
Chase – Chase, in gambling terms, refers to a player attempting to get back the money he lost gambling.
Check Raise – Either you check-raise as a bluff to make your opponent throw away a better hand or to get more money into the pot when you have a strong hand.
Chips – These are round casino tokens that are equivalent to money. They are available for purchase in many various denominations.
Cold – Used to describe slot machines that aren’t paying out a player who has had a losing streak.
Color Up – To exchange your lower denomination chips for a higher denomination chip.
Copy – In poker this means that the banker and the player have the same hand; the banker will always win that round.
Community Cards – Cards that are dealt face up and can be used by any player in a poker hand.
Craps – Popular casino table game, in which players shoot dice in an attempt to get a certain number.
D
Dead Heat – In racing terms, Dead Heat refers to two contestants who are closely competing for the number one spot.
Dealer – In casino terms, it is an employee of the casino who controls the flow of the game and deals the cards to the players.
Deposit – In online gambling, a deposit is an amount of money that the user pays the casino in order to be able to play the games.
Deposit Bonus – In online gambling, a deposit bonus is some sort of perk that a user gets for putting down a deposit at an online casino.
Deuce – Gambling slang referring to two (either two cards, or the two in dice).
Discard Tray – a discard pile of used cards, usually situated to the right of the dealer.
Dime – in sports betting, a dime is a term that refers to a bet of one thousand dollars.
Dog – in sports betting, a dog is a shorthand for “underdog”.
Dog Player – in sports betting, a dog player is a bettor who always bets on the underdog.
Dolly – In casino terms, Dolly is the doll-shaped marker placed on the table in the square of the winning number used to help players identify the winning number.
Double Down – In gambling, a double down is a bet of equal size to an initial bet. In most cases, both bets will now either win or lose together.
Drop Box – The box in the middle of the game table where the chips used for betting are placed.
E
eCOGRA – In casino terms, eCOGRA stands for e-Commerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance. eCOGRA is an independent agency that determines whether the casino standards are fair to players.
Edge – In gambling, an edge is the advantage that one player might have over the opposing players.
Eighty-Sixed/86’d – In casino terminology, “Getting 86’d” refers to being banned by a casino for foul play.
En Prison – In Roulette, En Prison is a rule that gives players a second chance after making an even-money bet that lost to a 0 or a 00. The bet is left on the table for the next spin.
Encryption – In Casino terminology, Encryption refers to a specific way of securing casino software and online transactions. Using complex codes that are extremely difficult to decipher.
European Roulette – In roulette, European Roulette is a variant of the game of roulette originating in Europe, where the wheel has 37 pockets and no double zero (00).
Even-Money Bet – In gambling terms, an even-money bet refers to a bet that pays back the same amount that a player wagers.
Exotic – In horse racing, an exotic bet is a bet that doesn’t fall under the straight or parlay categories. Often called a prop or proposition.
Expectation – the amount of money a player is expecting to win when taking probability, chance, and luck into account.
Eye-in-the-Sky – A slang term referring to the cameras placed in casinos that keep an eye on the players and any misbehavior that might occur.
F
Face – In Bingo, a face is used to refer to a single card of bingo.
Face Card – In Poker this means any card with a face including King, Queen or Jack of any suite.
Favorite – In Sports betting, a favorite is the contender/team most likely to win the game.
Fifty Cents – In gambling, fifty cents is a slang term that refers to a bet worth fifty dollars.
Figure – In gambling and betting terms, a figure is used to refer to an amount of money owed to or owed by the bookmaker.
Final – This is a bet made in roulette that ends in the same digit. An example would be ‘final 7’ which means betting on 7, 17 and 27 if you have 3 chips, etc.
Final Four – In Basketball betting, the Final Four is a term used to refer to the last four teams playing in the NCAA tournament.
Five Card Charlie – In blackjack this means a five-card hand that doesn’t bust is a winner.
Fixed Odds – In Gambling and betting, fixed odds is a term that refers to odds that are predetermined. The term is often used in sports result betting.
Flat Betting – In Casino and Gambling terminology, a Flat Bet refers to a player betting the same for each hand with no variation in the denomination.
Flop – In poker, the term means the first three community cards dealt, face up.
Flush – In poker it’s a hand where all cards are from the same suit.
Fold – In poker it means a player that gives up on a hand when they suspect their opponent has a better one or theirs is too weak.
Forecast – In sports betting, a forecast refers to a bet that predicts the 1st and 2nd places for a given event.
FTW – In Casino/Gambling/Betting terminology, ftw is jargon (an abbreviation of “For the Win”) used to express joy at the bettor/player’s choice.
Full House – This is a hand in poker with two cards of one rank and three cards of a second rank.
G
Garbage Hand – In card games, most notably poker, a garbage hand refers to a player having very bad cards in hand.
GG – In Casino/Gambling terminology, GG is jargon (an abbreviation of “good game”) used as an end-of-game courtesy among players.
GLA – In Casino/Gambling/Betting terminology, GLA is jargon (an abbreviation of “good luck all”) used as a courtesy at the start of the game.
Grand Salami – In hockey betting, a Grand Salami refers to the combined score of goals in all the hockey games scheduled for the day.
Grid – In sports betting, a grid is a matrix that shows the different bets that are possible. Online, players click on the grid in order to place, withdraw or confirm a bet.
Grind – In poker, a Grind means to play a large amount of smaller staked poker games, over a large number of hours, on a regular basis to make a steady profit.
Grinder – In poker, a person who plays a large amount of smaller staked poker games, over a large number of hours, on a regular basis in order to make a steady profit.
H
Half-time Bet – In sports betting, a half-time bet refers to a bet that is made at the halftime of the game, as opposed to a live bet, or a pre-game bet.
Half-a-dollar – in gambling, a half-a-dollar wager refers to a bet of fifty dollars.
Hard Hand – In poker, a hard hand refers to a hand either without any aces or a hand with a high enough value so that aces can only be worth one point.
Heads Up – A blackjack table with only one player playing.
High Bet – In Roulette, a high bet is used to refer to a wager placed on all the numbers between 19 and 36.
High Roller – In casino terminology, a high roller is a player who makes large, high stake bets in any game.
Hit – To request an additional card in blackjack.
Hole Cards – Both The dealer and player are dealt facedown cards from the deck.
Home Field Advantage – In Sports it means the home team has the edge in winning.
Hot – In casino terminology, a Hot player is a player who is on a winning streak, whereas a hot table is a table where the players are winning frequently.
Hot (Slots) – When referring to slot machines, a hot slot machine is a machine at which a player frequently wins.
I
Idiot End – In poker, an idiot end refers to the low end of a straight, and can also be called a stupid end or sucker end.
Inside Bet – In roulette, an inside bet refers to a wager placed on a specific number.
Instant Win – In the lottery, an instant win is a type of lottery ticket that immediately indicates on the card if a prize has been won.
Insurance – In blackjack, the term insurance refers to a side bet that the dealer will have a natural and becomes available when the dealer’s upcard is an ace.
J
Jackpot – In gambling terms, a jackpot refers to a large monetary prize.
Jacks or Better – A variation on the game of video poker where the only viable winning hand is a hand with Jacks or higher.
Juice – In sports betting, the ‘juice’ is a term that refers to the commission that is paid out to the bookies.
Junket – In casino terms, a junket is a group of high rolling players that have been specially flown in by a casino.
K
Keno – Keno Is a lottery-style game where players place bets on numbers from 1 – 80. The game is especially popular in Canada.
King Ticket – In keno, a King Ticket is a ticket on which a player selects a single spot (the king) and then combines the king with other groups of spots to form multiple tickets within one ticket.
L
Lay Odds – In sports betting, a Lay Odds refers to placing a bet on terms favorable to the other party (they would win more than they bet).
Let it Ride – In gambling, most commonly in poker, letting it ride refers to adding the winnings from the previous bet to the current bet.
Limit – In gambling and casino terms, a limit is a game where the bet size per round is fixed and can’t be exceeded.
Live Dealer Games (LDG) – In online casino terms, live dealer games are games run by real human dealers. The players can see the dealer and game on their device using a live-stream video.
Lock – In gambling, a lock refers to an easy winner.
M
Maniac – In gambling, a maniac refers to a player whose playstyle is extremely aggressive and loose. Most often referring to poker players, though it can be used for any game.
Money Line – In sports betting, a money line is the most popular and simplest type of bet which involves wagering on the winner of an event with no point spread odds.
N
N1 – In casino terms, N1 is jargon (an abbreviation of “Nice one”). It is used to compliment a player on pulling a good move.
Natural – In blackjack, a natural is a two-card hand that is worth 21 points and is automatically a winning hand.
NH – In casino terms, NH is jargon (an abbreviation of “nice hand”).
Nickel – In gambling terms, nickel is a slang term for a bet of five hundred dollars.
NL – In casino terms, NL is jargon (an abbreviation of “No Limit”) which refers to a game without a bet size limit per round.
No Limit – in casino and gambling terms, a No-Limit game is a game without a bet size limit per round.
No-Deposit Bonus – In online casino terms, a no-deposit bonus refers to free money that doesn’t require an initial cash deposit from the player. This bonus will come with wagering requirements, maximum cashouts and other terms.
Nosebleed – In gambling, a nosebleed refers to a game where the stakes are extremely high.
O
Odds – In gambling, the odds refer to the set chance of a competitor to win the game.
Online Casino – An online casino is an online version of the traditional, land-based casinos. Online casinos can be browser-based, or downloadable software.
P
Parlay – In gambling, a parlay refers to adding the winnings from a previous roll to the current bet.
Payoff – In gambling or sports betting, a payoff refers to the money received from a win.
Punto Banco – An alternative name for the game Baccarat.
R
Rail – In casinos, rail refers to a person who is observing a game, however, is not participating.
Re-Bet – In casinos, a Re-Bet is a bet that equals the amount that was wagered in a previous game.
Return – In gambling, a return refers to a player’s total winnings on a bet.
S
Scared Money – In gambling, scared money refers to a bankroll that the player cannot afford to lose. It can also refer to a stake limit that is too high for a player’s current bankroll.
SH – In casino terms, SH is jargon, an abbreviation of the term short-handed.
Short Handed – In casino terms, short-handed refers to a game (usually of Poker) played with less than the typical amount of players.
SS – In casino terms, SS is jargon and an abbreviation of the term short-stacked.
Sticky Bonus – In casino terms, a sticky bonus is a special type of cash bonus that cannot be cashed out. It’s used by casinos online to pad players’ bankrolls so that they can play for higher stakes.
T
Tank – In gambling, tank refers to taking the time out to think through a decision before taking any action.
Tapped Out – In gambling, being tapped out refers to having no more money to spend. A player who is tapped out has lost all of their money.
The Cage – In casino terms, the Cage is slang for the place/safe where the casino keeps all of their money.
Tilt – In gambling, a tilt is a term that refers to a player who is on a bad losing streak.
U
Underdog – In sports betting and gambling, the underdog refers to the team or player who is least likely to win.
UTG– UTG, in casino terms, is jargon and shorthand for “Under the Gun”.
V
Virtual Casino Games – Virtual casino games are casino games that are played online at casino websites.
W
Wad – In gambling terminology, a wad is an alternative term for bankroll.
Y
YHS – In casino terminology, YHS is jargon, and shorthand for “your hand sucks”.
Yo – in casino terminology, Yo is jargon that describes the number 11.
