Gambling Glossary
Gambling Glossary - learn the important terms for your favorite games.
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24/7 Online Support
Online customer support representatives available to answer queries 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, usually via a live chat support service and/or email support.
B
Bag
English high-rollers are familiar with this term, the UK slang for 'thousand'.
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.
Basic Strategy
Every game either has a winning strategy or is believed to have one ¦ Basic Strategy is the statistically correct way to play Blackjack.
Bet
Another word in casino lingo for wager or a gamble
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.
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.
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.
Bug
In card games that are played with a joker, most famously Joker Poker, the joker card is also called a bug.
C
Casino Advantage
The casino's statistical edge over the players in a game. Varies from game to game.
Casino Jackpot
The monetary prizes paid out by a casino to the players who win its games.
Casino Tournament
Scheduled casino gaming events (slots, table games, poker, etc.) in which players compete against each other for the same jackpot prize, often pooled from the fees paid by the players for tournament entry.
Cold
Gamblers win some and lose some. An unsuccessful session or a bad day at the casino is called a Cold.
Comps
From the word 'Complimentary', these are gifts that the casino offers its members. Although online casinos do not offer discounted hospitality costs and flights like regular casinos do, they have unique comps of their own.
D
Daily Promotions
Player benefits which a casino updates from day to day to attract new players and/or keep existing customers playing at the casino, including: competitions, special bonus tournaments, deposit bonuses, etc.
Deal
Giving out cards during a card game.
Dealer
The term used for a casino employee who deals. Also called a Banker and a Croupier. Online casinos have a virtual Dealer, except for Live Games in which the dealer is a real person carried over video camera technology.
Double Up
A gambling tactic according to which the player doubles the bet following a loss. The idea is based on an expectation that probability for a win is greater at this point. This will allow the player to win back his or her money. It is also known as the Martingale System.
Down card
A card dealt facing down and remains face down.
E
Email Support
A customer service email address used to correspond with a customer support team regarding queries, problems or requests.
Even Money Bet
As the name implies, this is a bet with 1:1 odds. Winning such a bet means the player gets back the same amount that was wagered, on top of the original wager.
Extender Tournaments
Score-based online slot tournaments in which players can opt to extend their participation, for a fee, even after their initial playing credit has run out. This allows players to accumulate higher and higher scores as play progresses, in hope of coming out with the most points at the end.
F
Face Cards
The King, Queen and Jack in a suit of cards.
Fax Support
A fax number used to fax details of questions, problems or requests to customer support agents.
Flat Betting
A system of betting in which the same amount is always wagered, no raising or lowering to speak of.
G
Gross Winnings
Always a nice thing to be able to count, the gross winnings are the total payout from the gambling session, which takes into calculation also the player's stake.
H
House Edge
A statistical calculation of the expected player loss relative to the initial amount bet. The House edge is the casino's inbuilt advantage.
As such, it is a good measure to base player expectations over time, but falls short of being a precise forecast. A 0.5% House Edge in Blackjack, for example, means the player should expect to lose $0.5 for every $100 bet. The calculation does not, however, take in additional money bet (doubling, raising) or ties.
J
Java
Sun Microsystems' programming language commonly used to write applications for mobile phones and popularly used for mobile gaming purposes for their easy download and smooth operating features.
L
Laying the Odds
Together with Taking the Odds, the two are the main forms of gambling. Laying the Odds means placing a wager on a likely winning outcome (mainly in sports betting, but not only) in spite of a payoff less than the amount wagered.
Live Chat Support
An instant messaging service allowing real time, online communication with customer support agents regarding queries, problems or requests.
Live Dealer
Developed in 2003, Live Dealer gaming allows online gamblers to play in a real-world casino environment. Gamblers use videostreaming (webcams and broadband connections) and face live dealers on the screen with whom they can interact and engage.
Lobby
A portal at the online casino site from which the player can access any game or any section on the site, such as the latest news, promotions and other.
Loyalty Program
A membership scheme that awards special benefits (e.g. bonus credits) to customers who play frequently or spend a lot of money at a certain casino.
M
Martingale System
Originally referring to betting strategies from 18th century France, today it means mainly the betting technique that calls for the player to double up after a loss as a way to recover the loss in the next turn, mainly in Roulette but used in all gambling games.
Match Play
Card game tournaments, and sometimes other competition systems, count points, with each game won worth a point or two, and the winner of the competition the first to reach a certain number of points.
Maximum Bet
Online casinos may limit the maximum amount a player is allowed to make, called the maximum bet. Alternatively, the term refers to the option at slot machines that bets the maximum number of coins.
Moderated Chat
A chat forum moderated by customer support staff, where users can post questions, problems, etc., and receive answers to their queries.
Monthly Promotions
The benefits (e.g. deposit match bonuses, prizes, bonus competitions) which a casino offers its clients on a monthly basis; these are often updated from month to month.
Multi Table
Casino table games (e.g. poker) that allow many players to take part simultaneously at a number of different tables, and even in different online casinos.
Multi-Player Casino
Online casinos may offer multi-player games, which mean playing Blackjack, Baccarat, Poker and other games against others, not only against the casino.
O
Odds
In online gambling, odds stand for the amount a bet pays off, not the statistical chance that a player will win. For example, 2 to 1, 10 to 1, and so on.
In sports betting, Odds are the sportsbook's or bookmaker's view of the chance of a competitor winning (adjusted to include a profit).
One-Shot Tournaments
High-speed slot gaming tournaments in which just one round of frenetic spinning is allowed and the player who comes out on top (with the most credits at the end) takes the entire prize pool.
P
Payout Percentage
The percent of each dollar bet at the online casino that is returned to the players. This proportion, for example a 97.2% payout percentage, means that this percent of the total money bet at the casino is paid out to winners.
Online casinos can keep the payout percentage higher than land based casinos, namely for their low maintenance expenses. Thus the online casino from the previous example keeps only 2.8% of the total bets. (That is also the House edge at the casino.) Ensuring this is the case, verification certificates are posted on the site for players to view.
Progression Betting
A betting strategy that determines the size of the bet each time according to an already calculated formula.
Progressive
A network casino game connecting players in participating online venues, As more players join and wager in the game, the jackpot grows progressively higher.
R
Refer a Friend Bonus
The bonus a casino customer receives (usually in the form of casino credits) when he or she refers a friend to the casino, and that friend opens real account and makes a first deposit.
Reloader Tournaments
Lottery-style slot tournaments that offer limitless second chances, via the reload option, to improve one's position on the leaderboard. All players have the same chance of a win on each spin no matter how much they bet (great for those participating on sensible budget).
S
Scheduled Tournaments
Tournaments beginning at a fixed time, for which players must register in advance. Most commonly offered for online slots and poker, but also found in some casinos in blackjack, casino hold'em (a variation of poker), roulette and other table games. Minimum and maximum player quotas often apply. Generally players must "buy-in" to participate (the same applies to all types of tournaments, unless the tournament is a free-roll event).
Single
As the name suggests, nothing complicated is meant by this term. A single is a simple bet, also called straight bet, on only one event or selection.
Sit 'n Go Tournaments
Tournaments that begin spontaneously when enough players have registered to participate. Players must simply sign up and wait, and be ready to "go" when the action begins. Poker and slot games are often used in this tournament format.
Suit
Cards in a card deck come in one of four suits, or types: Clubs, Spades, Hearts and Diamonds.
Survivor Tournaments
Tense online slot tournaments in which any player can be randomly eliminated at the end of every round of play. The lucky Survivor is the player to get through all rounds unscathed with the most credits; he or she takes home the whole prize pot.
T
Taking the Odds
Together with Laying the Odds, the two are the main forms of gambling. Taking the Odds means placing a wager that is smaller in amount than the payoff, if indeed the wager is successful and the player wins.
Telephone Support
A helpdesk telephone line used to speak directly to customer support agents who handle questions, problems or requests.
V
VIP Clubs
Exclusive membership schemes offering high rollers or loyal casino customers special VIP perks, e.g. private gaming, personalized customer service, high-stakes gaming, and the chance to win luxury prizes.
W
Wager
A bet, a gamble.
WAP
Wireless Application Protocol - wireless communication network enabling access to the Mobile Web from a mobile phone or PDA.
Weekly Promotions
Player benefits and rewards which the casino updates from week to week to bring in new clientele and maintain existing player satisfaction.
Includes: deposit match bonuses, free tournament entry, competition prizes, etc.
