Glossary

The Gambling Dictionary

Entering an online casino, a poker room or any other Internet gambling site is like crossing into a new world in many ways. Although no passport needs to be stamped and even currency does not need to be converted, there is a new lingo to learn. Gambling terms, professional vocabulary, insider references and technical terminology are all listed in this section. Find the meaning of a new term you learn, scan for new terms you didn't know exist, or sort via the advanced tag search option for a variety of convenient browsing options.

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Baccarat

Pronounced bah-kuh-rah, a gambling card game, the goal of which is to win by holding two or three cards totaling closest to nine in total.

Back Game

A strategy employed in Backgammon by a player who behind, but has an anchor or two in the opponent's home board, waiting them out until able to get a late hit.

Back Into

Completing a hand by using both of the final two cards that have been dealt.

Alternatively, this is a winning hand even though the player may have had horrible cards, and all of the other players have even worse hands.

Back Line

Betting against the dice in Craps, the same as Don't Pass Line.

Back Man

The a player's rearmost checker in Backgammon, a runner.

Backdoor

Used as an adjective, this is a move which is completed by using both of the final two cards the dealer gives, even if the player has more likely chances to improve his hand.

Backraise

Similar to a check-raise. The player will make the minimum contribution to the pot on the first action, while checking to see that no bet is ahead of him. If there is a bet, he will call it and increase the required wager in the second action.

Bad Beat

A situation where a hand with few outs or a negative expected value stayed in the pot and then won.

Could also be called an unlucky win if a strong hand is beaten by another hand that was only stronger because of the final card that was dealt.

Bag

English high-rollers are familiar with this term, the UK slang for 'thousand'.

Bamboos

One of three suits in Mahjong, also known as bams or sticks.

Banker

The dealer in card games is called the Banker, as he is the keeper of the bank.

In sports Betting, a Banker is the team/horse highly expected to win.

Bankroll

The money that is set aside for playing poker. Also used to describe sponsoring a player by providing funds to enter or play a tournament, usually in exchange for a pre-arranged percentage of winnings made.

Base Currency

The currency used as the base to quote a pair.

In the case of a pair described as EURUSD, the EUR is the base currency; in the USDGBP, the USD is the base.

Base Deal

A form of cheating; certain strong or weak cards are dealt to a chosen player from the bottom of the deck.

Baseball

A variation on the game of 7-card stud where three's and nine's are wild. If dealt a three face up, the player is required to either fold or double the pot. If dealt a four face up, the player is dealt another card.

Basic Strategy

Every game either has a winning strategy or is believed to have oneâ€¦ Basic Strategy is the statistically correct way to play Blackjack.

Bear Market

A market in which prices decline sharply in times of widespread pessimism. Opposite of Bull Market.

Bear Off

The final stage of the Backgammon game, when the player removes checkers from the board according to the rolls of the dice, commencing once all checkers have been brought into the home board.

Beat the Board

A term that can be used in both community and stud games. In community card games, this move is to make your hand of higher rank than the hand of the community cards, especially if they are in a straight or flush. In stud games, this move is to make your hand stronger than the hand of your opponents exposed cards.

Bet

Another word in casino lingo for wager or a gamble

Bet After the Declare

A type of high-low split game where there is no additional round of betting but the final round is postponed until after the declare has been called.

Bet Odds

Ratio of a possible bet or raise when compared to the total amount which would be added to the pot as a response to a wager placed. Only applied to one specific bet or raise at a time, a bet odd is only considering the amount currently in the pot â€“ not what will be in the future.

Bet Out of Turn

Trying to bet, raise or re-raise when it is not your turn.

Bet the Pot

Some games, mainly poker variants, have a maximum betting limit of Betting the Pot, which is betting the amount that is in the pot at the moment. At times the pot amount that is equaled is calculated as the amount of money in the pot, plus the amount you would bet if the player was to raise it again, in case the pot was raised by the previous player.

Bet the Raise

The maximum amount a player may raise or re-raise which is equal and up to twice the amount of the previous bet, raise or re-raise.

Betting Limits

Different casino games have minimum and maximum betting limits, amounts required to place or that cannot be exceeded.

Entering a game after examining the minimum and maximum betting limits will save the player the inconvenience or potential loss that is involved in getting into a game with too little at stake, or too much.

Bettor

Someone who places or has a bet in US English. A Punter in the UK.

Bid

The price at which a trader will sell a currency.

Big Blind

Blind bets in poker, the forced bets pre-flop, are not all equal. While the person in the first position in the game places a Small Blind, a lesser amount, the player in the second position is forced a Big Blind, larger in size.

Big Full

The highest possible full house â€“ consisting of the three Aces and 2 Kings.

Bingo Card

The card used in bingo, arranged in five columns of five numbers each by five rows, creating a total of 24 numbered spaces and one blank space. The numbers on the bingo card are random. The five columns, like the five letters that form the word bingo, are in the following order: the numbers in the B column are between 1 and 15, in the I column between 16 and 30, in the N column between 31 and 45 (including the blank space), in the G column between 46 and 60, and in the O column between 61 and 75.

Bird Dog

The person responsible for new player recruitment and development. Used only in informal situations.

Black Chip

A chip or token which represents a high amount of money. Usually $100 in regular play and $1,000 in high-stakes play.

Black Chip Game

A high-stakes game in which bets usually start at $1,000 and up.

Blackjack

Also known as Twenty One, the object of playing Blackjack is to form a hand of cards that counts as close as possible to 21, ideally exactly that sum, beating the dealer's hand.

Alternatively, a winning hand of 21 formed with only two cards is called Blackjack.

Blackout

Like Coverall, covering the entire bingo card to win. This is usually reached only after calling most of the 75 bingo numbers, usually as many as 50 to 60.

Blank

Cards that are irrelevant to the hands outcome and is expected to have no impact on play.

Blaze

A hand of only face cards. Some games consider this a complete hand; in those games it will rank above two pair and below three of a kind.

Blind Bet

A bet made in poker in which the player does not see any of the cards in his or her hand. It is also called a forced bet, taking place before cards are revealed, like an ante.

Blind bets are not all equal. The person in the first position in the game places a Small Blind, whereas the player in the second position is forced a Big Blind.

Blind Game

A game which requires a blind to be played instead of or in addition to an ante.

Block

To withhold a card that would extend a meld for an opponent.

Block

A point on the Backgammon board occupied by two or more checkers, which hinders the opponent's progress.

Blockade

A series of blocks on the Backgammon board that seriously hinder the opponent's progress, ideally in consecutive points, with the ideal blockade being the prime.

Bluff

An aggressive bet with the intent of causing opponents to fold, when holding a hand that has almost no chance of winning in a showdown.

Blur Intensity

The momentary sight and color of a flashed card and how it influences the player due to the color of the suit or background the player has seen or think they've seen.

Board

Collection of cards visible to all players. Also a waiting list for a seat at a table.

Bonus

Any money, chips or prizes that are separate from the pot or prizes in a tournament. Given to players who meet specific requirements.

Bonus Cards

Free bingo game cards awarded as a bonus, allowing a player to participate in bingo games without paying his or her way in.

Bonus Features

There are some game elements which can only be played in a special bonus screen game as they are not incorporated into the normal reel spinning part of a slot game. A short list of examples of the endless types of bonuses features that are available include free spins, wild symbol multipliers and bonus multiplier.

Bonus Number

An additional number drawn after the regular numbers are all drawn. In lottery it is used to win additional prizes.

Bonus Poker

The Video Poker game Jacks or Better is an example of a Bonus Poker game. The game is played just like Video Poker, only with a bonus - a higher payout - for a hand of Four of a Kind. The bonuses differ depending on the specific version and the ranking of the Four of a Kind.

Bonus Tiles

Flower or Season tile in Mahjong.

Bookmaker

Person who is licensed to accept bets on the result of an event based. A Sportsbook in US English.

Both Ways

Combined high and low pot in a high-low split game.

Bottom Deal

Using a card or cards from the bottom of the deck; a form of cheating when certain strong or weak cards are dealt to a specific player.

Bounty

The prize awarded to the player who knocks a specified player or group of players from a tournament.

Bounty Tournament

A tournament where a prize is awarded for knocking out specified players or a group of players.

Break

Same as Bust. Exceeding 21 in Blackjack, automatically losing the game and the pot.

Brick

Similar to a blank – a card which isn't expected to have an impact on the hands outcome. Also, a card that appears to help a player but actually duplicated the value of another card the player already holds.

Brick and Mortar

Any place offline – a concrete place where players are in person.

Bring In

Used in stud games; this is the mandatory opening wager, usually has a minimum amount.

Broadway

The highest possible straight. Hand A,K,Q, J, 10.

Broker

Brokers are agents who handle investors' orders to buy and sell currency. Profit can be made by charging commission or through the spread as is the case in Foreign Exchange.

Bubble

The point in a tournament where there are more players remaining than there are finishing positions who will receive a prize.

Buck

A marker used to identify the dealer.

Bug

In card games that are played with a joker, most famously Joker Poker, the joker card is also called a bug.

Bull Market

A market characterized by rising prices. Opposite of Bear Market.

Bullet

Can be multiple things: the ace card, chips or a pair of aces.

Bump

A betting term in Poker, meaning to raise, i.e. betting a sum higher than the previous bet that requires all players to match or raise it even more, or else forfeit the pot.

Bump

Hitting an opponent's checker in Backgammon is called a bump.

Buried Pair

A hidden pair that no other player is allowed to see. Two cards of the same rank.

Burn

Eliminating the top card from the deck before dealing for a round. It is used to prevent cheating by having the dealer flash the top card to a player on purpose and minimizes the usage of marked cards.

Bust

Exceeding 21 in Blackjack is a bust, eliminating the player from the game. This is a losing hand in any case, even if the dealer busts as well.

Bust Out

When a player is eliminated or when they have lost all their chips or money.

Button

Position of a dealer, the person who will act last. The button will rotate one seat clockwise after each game.

Button Charge

A form of collection drop in which the button (dealer) will pay a fee to the house. Used instead of a rake.

Buy-In

Poker tables start from certain sums, called Buy-ins, that are minimum amounts for the game's bets.

Also, the purchase of bingo card, according to the admission minimum, is referred to as a buy-in.

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