Guide to casino terminology - A to C
Written by Wheretobet.com
Wed, 20 Jun 2007
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Aggregate Limit - Total payout liability of a casino during any one
game.
Aggregate Winnings - Cumulative or total winnings.
All or Nothing - In Keno, a ticket that only pays if either all picked numbers
are drawn or none of the picked numbers are drawn.
Ante - In card games, a bet required to begin a hand. The initial compulsory
bet before you receive your cards in Casino Stud Poker.
Arm - A term used in the game of craps to denote a player who is so skilled
at throwing the dice that they are able to alter the conventional odds of the
game. Such a player is said to be 'an arm'. Whether or not such individuals
actually exist or are simply the product of game legend is debatable. However,
it is worth noting that the casino craps dealers are very adamant about the
dice being thrown against the far wall of the table to ensure a completely random
outcome.
Baccarat - Also called Punto Banco and Chemin De Fer (similar to Baccarat
but requires skill). A table game using 6 or 8 decks of cards which does not
require skill.
Banker - In card games, the dealer. In some card games, each player becomes
a banker/dealer in turn.
Bankroll - Also known as 'roll' or 'wad' (colloquial). It pertains to the
total money that either the player or the casino has on hand to back their wagering
activities. A player's bankroll can be classified as existing on several different
levels. At the highest level it pertains to all money specifically set aside
to support all gambling activities. A subset of this bankroll is the players
traveling bankroll, or the amount of money carried along to support gambling
on a particular trip. The traveling bankroll can be further divided into a specific
lesser amounts for each day of the trip, or into even smaller amounts called
table sitting or session playing stakes which predetermine how much will be
risked during any given session or table sitting. These different types of bankrolls
often figure into the overall money management strategy the player uses to keep
control over their gambling cash activity.
Barred - Same as Banned. Not allowed to enter the casino premises permanently.
Bet - Wager.
Betting Limits - In a table game, the minimum and maximum amounts of money
that a player can wager on one bet. You cannot wager less than the minimum or
more than the maximum amount posted. Some casinos, in special cases, may extend
the maximum limit at a table on request by the player.
Black Book - The list of undesirable people who are forbidden to enter any
casino in Nevada.
Break-Even Point - The break-even point is the point at which if you played
forever, the bets you made would approximately equal the payoffs you would receive.
Buck - A $100 wager.
Bug - A joker. Bump - To raise.
Burn Cards - Remove cards from the top of the deck, not to be dealt, and
place them in the discard tray after a shuffle and cut.
Buy in, Buy-in - Converting cash into chips. The amount of cash used to
purchase casino chips before entering a table game: blackjack, poker, craps,
roulette, etc.
Card Sharp - A person who is an expert at cards.
Carousel - A group of slot machines that are positioned in a ring, enabling
a change person (to change bank-notes into coins) to stand in the center.
Carpet Joint - US slang for a luxury gambling casino.
Case money - Emergency money.
Cashier's Cage - The casino cash desk for cashing in the chips.
Casino Advantage - The edge that the House (casino) has over the players.
Casino Rate - A reduced hotel-room rate (price) that the casinos offer to
good customers.
Catch - In keno, to catch a number means that a number you have marked on
your keno ticket has been drawn.
Chase - Having lost money on a bet, 'chasing' is having another bet simply
to try and get back the loss.
Check - In casino gambling, a check is another term for a chip.
Chemin De Fer - (French) A table game using 6 or 8 decks of cards, similar
to Baccarat but requires skill.
Chip Tray - The tray in front of a dealer that holds that table's inventory
of chips.
Chips - Round tokens that are used on casino gaming tables in lieu of cash.
Coat-tail - Bet the same numbers as someone who is winning at the moment.
Cold - A player on a losing streak, or a slot machine that is not paying
out.
Color Up - When a player exchanges smaller denomination chips for larger
denomination chips.
Combination Way Ticket - In keno, a ticket in which groups of numbers are
bet several different ways, allowing the player to spread money over more combinations.
Comps - Complimentary gifts given by the casino to entice players to gamble.
Typical comps include free hotel room, meals and beverages.
Copy - In Pai-Gow Poker, when a player and the banker have the same two-card
hand, or the same five-card hand. The banker wins all copies.
Cracking The Nut - Making enough money on a gambling venture to cover all
expenses plus a reasonable net profit. Craps - Casino dice table-game.
Credit Button - In slot machines or video machines, the button that allows
players to bank coins in the form of credits.
Croupier - French word for Dealer, used in the games of baccarat and roulette.
Cut - In card games following a shuffle before the start of a new round
of play, when the dealer or player divides a deck into two parts and inverts
them, using a cut card (see below).
Cut Card - A faceless card of different color, usually red or black, that
is used to cut a deck of cards.
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