Casino Glossary

The total amount of money wagered by a player over a session or a defined period. Casinos use action to calculate theoretical losses for comping purposes. A player betting $25 per hand for 200 hands generates $5,000 in action regardless of whether they win or lose.

A mandatory bet placed before any cards are dealt. Required in most casino poker games including Three Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold'em, Mississippi Stud and Let It Ride. The Ante establishes the player's participation in the hand and must be placed before any cards are seen.

A one-roll proposition bet in craps that wins if the next roll is any combination totaling seven. Pays 4 to 1. House edge is 16.67% — the worst bet on the craps table. See Craps odds guide.

A betting strategy where a player increases bet size after losses to recover previous losses faster. Mathematically equivalent to the Martingale system. Does not change the house edge on any individual bet.

A card game comparing the Banker and Player hands with the goal of reaching a total closest to nine. One of the most player-friendly games in any casino. Banker bet house edge: 1.06%. Player bet: 1.24%. Tie bet: 14.36% — never bet the Tie. See Baccarat odds guide.

The better of the two main baccarat bets at 1.06% house edge. Wins more often than the Player bet because the drawing rules give the Banker hand a structural advantage. The casino charges a 5% commission on winning Banker bets to preserve the house edge.

The total amount of money a player has set aside specifically for gambling. Proper bankroll management means never risking money needed for other purposes and sizing session bets appropriately to the total bankroll.

The mathematically correct decision for every possible blackjack hand against every dealer up card. Developed through computer simulation and exact probability analysis. Playing perfect basic strategy reduces the house edge to approximately 0.5% under standard rules. See Blackjack basic strategy guide.

A new patented casino card game with two mandatory independent bets per hand — the Dealer Bet and the Prediction Bet. The Dealer Bet carries zero house edge under Configuration A where all tied high cards push. See Beat the Dealer analysis.

Any structured method of varying bet sizes based on previous results. Common systems include Martingale, Fibonacci, D'Alembert and Labouchere. No betting system changes the house edge on any individual bet or converts a negative expected value game into a positive one. See How house edge works.

A bet placed before seeing any relevant cards. The Prediction Bet in Beat the Dealer is a blind bet — placed before cards are dealt, wagering on which of the player's own two unrevealed cards will be higher. The Blind bet in Ultimate Texas Hold'em is placed before any cards are seen.

A roll of two sixes (total of 12) in craps. Also called Midnight. A proposition bet on Boxcars pays 30 to 1 with a 13.89% house edge.

The first card dealt from a new shoe or after a shuffle, which is discarded face down without being used. Standard procedure in blackjack and most card games to prevent players from gaining an advantage from seeing the top card.

A craps bet that pays true odds on a specific number but charges a 5% commission. On 4 and 10, Buy bets carry a 1.67% house edge — significantly better than the 6.67% on Place 4 and Place 10. Always Buy rather than Place on 4 and 10 when the option is available. See Craps guide.

A technique where a player tracks the ratio of high to low cards remaining in a blackjack shoe to gain a mathematical edge. Legal but casinos may ask card counters to stop playing or leave. Requires significant practice and discipline. Not applicable to most modern casino table games.

A Texas Hold'em-based casino table game where players compete against the dealer rather than each other. House edge of 2.16% with optimal play. One decision per hand — call or fold — with five cards already showing. See Casino Hold'em guide.

A simple high-card comparison game. Each player and the dealer receive one card. Higher card wins. House edge on the main bet is 2.88%. The Tie bet carries 18.65% house edge and should never be placed. See Worst bets guide.

A gaming token representing a specific monetary value used for wagering at casino tables. Standard denominations are typically $1 (white), $5 (red), $25 (green), $100 (black) and $500 (purple) though colors vary by casino.

The process of exchanging lower-denomination chips for higher-denomination chips when leaving a table. A player with twenty $5 chips might color up to four $25 chips for easier transport to the cashier.

A craps bet placed after a point is established that works identically to the Pass Line for the next roll. A 7 or 11 wins, 2, 3 or 12 loses, any other number becomes the Come bet's personal point. House edge: 1.41%. Can take Odds once a point is established. See Craps guide.

The first roll of a new craps round before a point is established. A 7 or 11 on the come-out wins the Pass Line. A 2, 3 or 12 (craps) loses the Pass Line. Any other number becomes the Point.

A percentage fee charged by the casino on certain winning bets. Baccarat charges 5% commission on winning Banker bets. Pai Gow Poker charges 5% commission on net winning hands. The commission is how the casino maintains its edge when the underlying bet would otherwise be near-even.

Complimentary goods or services offered by casinos to players based on their gambling activity. Comps include free meals, hotel rooms, show tickets and cash back. Calculated as a percentage of theoretical loss based on house edge, average bet and hours played. Casinos typically comp 30–40% of theoretical loss.

A dice game offering the best combined odds in any casino when played correctly. Pass Line with full 3-4-5x odds produces a 0.37% blended house edge. The Odds bet is the only zero-edge bet available in any casino. See Craps complete guide.

A betting system that increases bets by one unit after each loss and decreases by one unit after each win. Like all betting systems it does not change the house edge. Produces smaller variance than the Martingale system but the same negative expected value.

The casino employee who runs a table game — dealing cards, paying winning bets, collecting losing bets and enforcing the game rules. In casino poker games the dealer also represents the house hand that players compete against.

The tray beside the dealer that holds cards already used in completed hands. Positioned so players cannot access played cards. When the shoe runs low the cards from the discard tray are reshuffled.

The mirror of the Come bet in craps. Wins on 2 or 3, pushes on 12, then wins if a 7 appears before the Come point. House edge: 1.36%. See Craps guide.

The opposite of the Pass Line bet in craps. Loses on 7 or 11 on the come-out, wins on 2 or 3, pushes on 12, then wins if a 7 appears before the point is repeated. House edge: 1.36% — slightly lower than Pass Line. Socially the minority position at most craps tables.

A blackjack option allowing a player to double their bet in exchange for receiving exactly one additional card. Basic strategy calls for doubling on hard 11 against any dealer card except Ace, hard 10 against dealer 2 through 9, and hard 9 against dealer 3 through 6. Failing to double when correct is one of the most expensive blackjack errors.

A card dealt face down so only the recipient can see it. Also called a hole card. In blackjack the dealer's second card is a down card until players complete their hands.

Short for house edge — the casino's mathematical advantage on any bet expressed as a percentage of each dollar wagered. A 5% edge means the casino keeps $0.05 per $1 wagered on average over the long run.

A French roulette rule applied to even-money bets when zero is spun. Rather than losing the bet it is held in prison for the next spin. If the next spin wins, the full bet is returned. The mathematical effect is identical to La Partage — halving the house edge on even-money bets to 1.35%. See Roulette guide.

A bet that pays 1 to 1 — winning the same amount as the original wager. A $25 even-money bet that wins returns $50 total ($25 winnings plus the original $25). Also refers to the option in blackjack of taking guaranteed 1:1 payout on a blackjack when the dealer shows an Ace — mathematically equivalent to insurance and equally unprofitable over time.

The average outcome of a bet over a large number of repetitions. Calculated as the probability of winning multiplied by the payout minus the probability of losing. A negative expected value means the player loses money on average. All casino bets except the craps Odds bet have negative expected value. See How house edge is calculated.

A one-roll craps bet that wins on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 and loses on 5, 6, 7 or 8. Pays even money on most numbers with 2 paying double and 12 paying triple on most tables. House edge is 2.78% when 12 pays 3:1, rising to 5.56% when 12 pays only 2:1. See Craps guide.

The only bet on the American roulette layout with a different house edge from all other bets. Covers 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. Pays 6 to 1. House edge is 7.89% — 50% higher than the 5.26% on every other American wheel bet. Never place this bet. See Roulette guide.

Wagering the same amount on every hand or spin regardless of previous results. Produces the most predictable session outcomes and the same expected value as any betting system applied to the same game.

The first three community cards dealt face up in Texas Hold'em-based games. In Casino Hold'em players make their call or fold decision after seeing the flop. In Ultimate Texas Hold'em the flop is the second opportunity to raise.

To surrender a hand and forfeit all bets placed to that point rather than continuing. In most casino poker games folding is the mathematically correct decision only when the hand has minimal probability of producing a paying outcome against the cost of continuing.

A video poker pay table offering the maximum payout schedule for that game variant. Full pay Jacks or Better is the 9/6 pay table (Full House pays 9, Flush pays 6) producing a 0.46% house edge. Full pay Deuces Wild returns 100.76% — giving the player a mathematical edge. See Video poker guide.

A style of play characterized by flat betting at low stakes over extended sessions. Grinders typically focus on games with low house edges and aim for slow, consistent losses rather than chasing large wins. Also refers to the casino's process of extracting its mathematical edge over time.

A term used in poker tournament contexts to indicate a minimum prize pool. Not commonly used in table game contexts.

A single round of play from the placement of bets to the resolution of all outcomes. Also refers to the set of cards held by a player or dealer.

A craps bet that wins only when a specific number is rolled as a matching pair — Hard 4 (two 2s), Hard 6 (two 3s), Hard 8 (two 4s), Hard 10 (two 5s). Loses if the number is rolled any other way or a 7 appears. Hard 4 and 10 pay 7:1 (house edge 11.11%). Hard 6 and 8 pay 9:1 (house edge 9.09%). See Craps guide.

The highest-ranking card in a player's hand. In Beat the Dealer the High Card is the more valuable of a player's two cards and is compared directly to the Dealer High Card to settle the Dealer Bet.

To request an additional card from the dealer in blackjack. Signaled by tapping the table or scratching cards toward the player. Basic strategy specifies exactly when hitting is correct versus standing.

The percentage of spins on a slot machine that produce any winning combination including those paying less than the original bet. A high hit frequency does not guarantee profitability — many wins can still result in a net loss if the average win is smaller than the bet. See Slots RTP guide.

The actual percentage of wagered money retained by the casino after paying winning bets over a defined period. Different from house edge — hold is the observed result while house edge is the theoretical expectation. Hold percentages are tracked by gaming regulators and published publicly in most jurisdictions.

A card dealt face down. In blackjack the dealer's second card is the hole card — not revealed until players complete their hands. In poker games the player's private cards are called hole cards.

The casino's mathematical advantage on any bet expressed as a percentage of each dollar wagered. Calculated from probability and payout: EV = P(win) x Payout − P(lose). The house edge is the negative of the expected value. A 2% house edge means the casino keeps $2 per $100 wagered on average over the long run. See How house edge is calculated and Complete house edge guide.

The mandatory hand-setting strategy used by the dealer in Pai Gow Poker. Players may request to have their hand set the House Way rather than deciding themselves. A reasonable baseline strategy that avoids fouled hands and covers most situations correctly. See Pai Gow Poker guide.

An outcome that has no bearing on any future outcome. Every spin of a roulette wheel is an independent event — previous results have no influence on what comes next. The basis for why betting systems cannot change the house edge. Dice rolls, slot spins and roulette spins are all independent events.

A side bet offered when the dealer shows an Ace, paying 2:1 if the dealer has a ten-value down card. House edge is 7.69%. Mathematically incorrect under any circumstances for basic strategy players. Even taking even money on a blackjack — the same bet — is incorrect over time. See Blackjack strategy guide.

The most common video poker variant. Minimum paying hand is a pair of Jacks. Full pay (9/6) version has a 0.46% house edge with optimal strategy. Pay table code refers to payouts for Full House (9) and Flush (6). See Video poker guide.

The 53rd card in the Pai Gow Poker deck. Semi-wild — can complete a Flush, Straight, Straight Flush or Royal Flush in the five-card hand, or acts as an Ace otherwise. In the two-card hand the Joker always acts as an Ace. See Pai Gow Poker guide.

A lottery-style casino game where players select numbers from 1 to 80 and hope they match a random draw. House edge typically 25% to 40% — the worst mathematical bet most casinos offer. No strategy reduces the house edge. See Worst bets guide.

In video poker, an extra card held alongside a pair when drawing. For example keeping an Ace alongside a pair of 7s rather than discarding both non-pair cards. Holding kickers is a common video poker mistake that reduces expected value — always discard the kicker and draw the maximum number of replacement cards.

A French roulette rule where half of even-money bets are returned when zero is spun. Reduces the house edge on even-money bets from 2.70% to 1.35%. The best version of roulette available. See Roulette guide.

A five-card poker game where players start with three equal bets and can withdraw two as community cards are revealed. The only casino game where the primary strategy involves pulling money off the table. House edge 3.51% with optimal strategy. See Let It Ride guide.

The theoretical number of bets required for actual results to converge toward the mathematically expected outcome. Individual sessions produce wildly variable results. Over tens of thousands of bets results approach the house edge percentage. The casino operates in the long run; individual players typically do not.

A betting system that doubles the bet after every loss, returning to the base bet after each win. Designed to recover all losses with one win. In practice it produces catastrophic losses when extended losing streaks hit table limits or exhaust the bankroll. Does not change the house edge. See Why systems don't work.

A side bet in Beat the Dealer comparing the player's two-card rank combination to the dealer's. Any suit match pays 25:1. Exact rank and suit match pays an additional 100:1. House edge on Rank Match: 14.66%. See Beat the Dealer analysis.

Baccarat played at a standard casino table size with lower minimum bets. Identical rules and house edge to full baccarat. Deals faster — more hands per hour — which increases expected loss per hour despite identical house edge percentages.

A five-card poker game where players make raise or fold decisions as three community cards are revealed one at a time. No dealer hand to beat — pays based on hand strength alone. House edge 4.91% with optimal strategy. Maximum bet is 7x Ante. See Mississippi Stud guide.

A dealing device holding multiple decks of cards — typically 4, 6 or 8 decks — used in blackjack and most casino card games. More decks slightly increase the blackjack house edge and change probabilities for side bets and hand frequencies.

In blackjack: a two-card total of 21 (an Ace plus a ten-value card). Pays 3:2 under standard rules. In baccarat: a two-card total of 8 or 9. A natural in baccarat ends the hand immediately with no further cards drawn.

A betting system that increases bet size after losses. The Martingale and D'Alembert are negative progression systems. Like all betting systems they do not change the underlying house edge.

The only zero house edge bet available in any casino. Placed behind the Pass Line after a point is established. Pays true mathematical odds: 2:1 on 4 and 10, 3:2 on 5 and 9, 6:5 on 6 and 8. Most casinos limit Odds bets to 2x, 3-4-5x or 10x the Pass Line bet. Always take the maximum Odds allowed. See Craps guide.

Roulette bets placed on the outer sections of the layout covering larger groups of numbers: Red/Black, Odd/Even, High/Low (even money), Dozens and Columns (2:1). All carry the same house edge as inside bets — 2.70% European, 5.26% American.

A card game where seven cards are split into a five-card high hand and a two-card low hand. Both hands must beat the dealer's corresponding hands to win. 41% push rate — the highest of any casino table game. House edge 2.84% as player, near zero as banker. See Pai Gow Poker guide.

An optional side bet in Three Card Poker that pays based solely on hand strength — pair or better — regardless of the dealer's hand. Standard pay table produces 7.28% house edge. Pay table variations significantly affect the edge. See Three Card Poker guide.

The foundational craps bet. Wins on 7 or 11 on the come-out, loses on 2, 3 or 12, then wins if the point repeats before a 7. House edge: 1.41%. Taking Odds behind the Pass Line reduces the blended edge to 0.37% with 3-4-5x odds. See Craps guide.

The schedule of payouts for each winning outcome in a casino game. Published on the machine screen for video poker and slots. Printed on the felt for table game side bets. Reading the pay table before playing is essential in video poker where the difference between pay tables dramatically changes the house edge.

A craps bet on a specific number — 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 — that wins if the number appears before a 7. Does not require a come-out roll. Best place bets are 6 and 8 at 1.52% house edge. Place 4 and 10 carry 6.67% — Buy those instead. See Craps guide.

One of the two main baccarat bets. Pays even money with no commission. House edge: 1.24% — slightly higher than the Banker bet but still excellent by casino standards. See Baccarat guide.

The number established on the come-out roll in craps when neither a natural nor craps is rolled. Any of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. The shooter must roll the point again before rolling a 7 for Pass Line bets to win.

A betting system that increases bet size after wins. The Paroli system is a common positive progression. Like all betting systems it does not change the house edge on individual bets.

The mathematical likelihood of a specific outcome expressed as a fraction or percentage. The probability of rolling a 7 with two dice is 6/36 = 16.67%. All house edge calculations begin with exact probability figures for every possible outcome.

A jackpot that increases incrementally as players make bets across a network of machines or tables. A percentage of each bet feeds the jackpot until it is won. Progressive games typically carry a lower base game RTP to fund the jackpot contribution. The massive top prize is offset by reduced expected value on all other outcomes.

One-roll bets in the center of the craps layout managed by the stickman. Include Any Seven (16.67% house edge), Any Craps (11.11%), Yo (11.11%), Snake Eyes (13.89%) and others. The highest-margin products on the craps table. Avoid entirely. See Craps guide.

A tie outcome where neither the player nor the casino wins. The player's bet is returned with no money changing hands. In blackjack a push occurs when player and dealer have identical totals. In Beat the Dealer Configuration A all tied high cards result in a push on the Dealer Bet.

The complete Three Card Poker strategy in one rule: play any hand of Queen-6-4 or better, fold everything below it. Derived from exact probability analysis of all 22,100 possible three-card hands. Playing this rule correctly produces the 3.37% house edge figure. See Three Card Poker guide.

A minimum hand strength the dealer must achieve for the main bet to be contested. In Three Card Poker the dealer must have Queen-high or better to qualify. When the dealer fails to qualify the Ante pays even money and the Play bet pushes regardless of the player's hand strength.

The software algorithm that produces random outcomes in electronic casino games including slot machines, video poker and online table games. Certified by independent testing labs to ensure true randomness. Makes electronic games independent events with no memory of previous outcomes.

The percentage of total wagered money returned to players over the long run. The inverse of house edge: a 5% house edge equals 95% RTP. Commonly used for slots and video poker. A 9/6 Jacks or Better machine has 99.54% RTP. See Slots RTP guide.

An additional bet placed after seeing cards in casino poker games. In Mississippi Stud players raise 1x, 2x or 3x the Ante at each street. In Ultimate Texas Hold'em the pre-flop raise is 3x or 4x. Raising correctly with strong hands is essential to maximizing expected value in these games.

The highest-ranking poker hand — Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of the same suit. Probability in a five-card draw from a 52-card deck: approximately 0.000154%. Pays 800 coins per coin on full pay video poker machines when playing maximum coins. See Video poker guide.

The amount of money allocated for a single gambling session. Recommended to be separate from overall bankroll. Setting a session bankroll and stopping when it is exhausted is a core responsible gambling practice.

A plastic dealing device that holds multiple decks of shuffled cards and allows the dealer to slide cards out one at a time. Standard in blackjack, baccarat and most casino card games. Beat the Dealer uses a 6-deck shoe of 312 cards.

The player currently rolling the dice in craps. The shooter position rotates clockwise around the table. A shooter who rolls a 7 after a point is established (seven out) passes the dice to the next player.

An optional additional bet placed alongside the main game bet. Side bets typically carry higher house edges than the main game and pay on specific card combinations or outcomes. Examples include Pair Plus in Three Card Poker, Insurance in blackjack and the AA Bonus in Casino Hold'em. See Side bets analysis.

The European roulette wheel with 37 numbers (1 through 36 plus a single zero). House edge 2.70% on all bets. Always preferred over the American double zero wheel at 5.26%. See Roulette guide.

A roll of two ones (total of 2) in craps. Also called Aces. A proposition bet on Snake Eyes pays 30:1 with a 13.89% house edge. As a Come-Out roll it results in a craps — Pass Line loses.

Dividing a pair into two separate hands, each receiving an additional card. Requires placing a second bet equal to the original. Basic strategy: always split Aces and 8s. Never split 10s or 5s. See Blackjack strategy guide.

To refuse additional cards and play the current hand total. Signaled by waving the hand flat over cards. Basic strategy stands on hard 17 and above always, and on hard 13 through 16 against dealer 2 through 6.

The craps dealer who controls the dice with a long stick and calls out the results of each roll. Also responsible for moving proposition bets and encouraging additional wagers. Be aware that stickman suggestions are often for high house edge proposition bets.

An option to forfeit half the bet and abandon the hand before playing. Late surrender is available after the dealer checks for blackjack. Basic strategy surrenders hard 16 against dealer 9, 10 or Ace and hard 15 against dealer 10. Surrendering is mathematically correct in these situations despite feeling like giving up.

The expected loss calculated from house edge, average bet and number of hands. Used by casinos to calculate comp eligibility. Theoretical loss = house edge x average bet x hands played. A player's actual results may differ significantly from theoretical loss in any individual session.

The most widely placed proprietary table game in casino history. Players receive three cards and make one decision — play or fold. Dealer must have Queen-high or better to qualify. House edge 3.37% with Q-6-4 strategy. See Three Card Poker guide.

A baccarat bet that wins when the Banker and Player hands produce identical totals. Pays 8:1. House edge 14.36% — thirteen times higher than the Banker bet at the same table. Should never be placed. See Worst bets guide.

The mathematically accurate payout for a bet with no house advantage. The craps Odds bet pays true odds — 2:1 on 4 and 10, 3:2 on 5 and 9, 6:5 on 6 and 8 — making it the only zero-edge bet in any casino.

A Texas Hold'em-based casino game with three raise decisions per hand. Pre-flop raise 3x or 4x, flop raise 2x, turn/river raise 1x or fold. House edge 2.19% with optimal play. Trips bonus varies significantly by pay table — always check before betting. See UTH guide.

A card dealt face up so all players can see it. In blackjack the dealer's first card is the up card. It is the primary piece of information used in basic strategy decisions.

The statistical measure of how much results fluctuate around the expected value. High variance games produce large swings — big wins and big losses — in individual sessions. Low variance games produce smaller, more consistent results. Mississippi Stud is high variance. Baccarat is low variance. Both can have the same house edge.

An electronic casino game combining slot machine format with five-card draw poker. The only machine game where player decisions affect the outcome. Full pay Jacks or Better (9/6) carries 0.46% house edge. Full pay Deuces Wild returns 100.76% — a player edge. See Video poker guide.

The commission charged by the casino on certain bets. The 5% commission on winning Baccarat Banker bets is the most common example. Also used to describe the house edge generally in some contexts. Derived from a Russian or Yiddish word for winnings or profit.

A measure of how frequently a slot machine pays and in what amounts. High volatility: infrequent but large wins. Low volatility: frequent but small wins. Both can have identical RTPs. Volatility determines the session experience rather than the long-run cost. See Slots RTP guide.

Casino industry term for a very high-value player who wagers extremely large amounts. Whales receive premium comps and personal host services from casinos because their theoretical losses generate significant revenue.

A card that can substitute for any other card to complete a hand. The Joker in Pai Gow Poker is a semi-wild card. In Deuces Wild video poker all four 2s are wild cards, enabling the 100.76% full pay RTP through dramatically improved hand frequencies.

The craps term for an 11. Called "Yo" to avoid confusion with "seven" at a loud table. As a Come-Out roll an 11 wins the Pass Line. As a proposition bet Yo pays 15:1 with an 11.11% house edge. See Craps guide.

A bet with no house advantage. The only zero edge bets available in any casino are the craps Odds bet (which pays true mathematical odds) and the Beat the Dealer Dealer Bet under Configuration A (where all tied high cards push producing perfect symmetry). See Craps Odds bet and Beat the Dealer.