Top Casino Terms and Phrases to Know
Casinos can be an entertaining environment, as long as you play within your limits. But one of the aspects that can be scary for new players is the vast number of novel terms and phrases that the casino and players use.
No matter what your area of interest, there are always phrases to learn. From “bankrolls” to “wagering requirements”, there’s lots to get your head around if you want to understand what’s going on and make the most of your time at the casino.
This article walks you through some of the top phrases and terms you need to know.
Top Casino Phrases to Know: The Breakdown
All-In – This is a term you’ll most likely hear at the poker tables. When a player has all of their chips in the middle during a hand, they are said to be “all-in”.
Bad Beat – Another term most often used in poker, a bad beat refers to a hand that has significant chances of winning but that ends up losing. For example, if a player has an 80 percent chance to win with aces but loses to a 20 percent hand, they have been bad beat.
Bankroll – This refers to the funds that someone has to play with, which should be kept separate to other finances to ensure that players only lose what they can afford. “Bankroll management” refers to correctly utilizing the bankroll in order to get maximum chance to play.
Betting Limits – Each reputable casino online has betting limits, which is a minimum and maximum bet that can be places at any one time. When selected a game, players should find one that has suitable betting limits for their bankroll.
Blinds – In poker, the player one to the left has to pay a forced bet known as the small blind. The player two to the left of the dealer has to pay a bigger forced bet known as the big blind. There’s also the “ante”, which is a small forced bet paid by the entire the table.
Bluff – When a player attempts to bet to get an opponent off a stronger hand, they are bluffing. There’s also the semi-bluff, which is like a bluff but with a chance to catch up and make the strongest hand.
Card Counting – This is a casino term mostly used in blackjack for a technique that involves counting the cards the dealer has already dealt in order to get a clearer picture of what is remaining in the deck. This technique, although frowned at in some casinos, can bring the odds more in the player’s favour.
Double Down – Common in blackjack, this is a bet that is the same size as the initial bet, effectively doubling the original wager.
Expected Value – This casino term refers to how statistically probable a bet is in the long run, despite the outcome. So, if a player has an 80 percent chance of winning a poker hand and they bet $100, their expected value from the bet is $80.
Fish – This is a term for a bad player who tends to overbet. Another term for a weak player is “donkey”. A “nit” is a bad player who is too tight and a “whale” is a wealthy player who is not good at the game. On the other end of the spectrum, “shark” is a word for a player who does play well and who is hunting the fish.
High Roller – This is a casino term used to describe someone who bets big or plays at the high stakes. “Nosebleed stakes” is used to refer to players involved in games with even higher betting.
House Edge – This term refers to the mathematical edge that the casino has over the player. For example, in European roulette, the house edge is 2.7 percent. The opposite of this is “RTP”, covered below.
Martingale System – This is a betting system used in roulette that involves doubling the size of the bet every time a spin is lost. There are lots of roulette betting systems, but Martingale is the most well known.
Optimal Strategy – In some games, such as blackjack, there is a mathematically correct move that can be made according to what cards are on display. Employing the correct move in this way is known as optimal strategy.
Paylines – All slots and online slots have paylines. These are the lines that payout if the spin results in matching symbols. Some slots have a few paylines and others have hundreds.
Progressive Jackpot – This is a type of jackpot, usually found in slots games, that increases every time someone bets on the game until it is won, at which point it resets. Progressive jackpots can get really big.
RTP – RTP means return-to-player. It is the amount the player can expect to see returned from the game in the long run. If the house edge is 2.7 percent, the RTP is 97.3 percent.
Scatter Symbols – This casino term refers to special symbols on slots machines. When the conditions are met, scatter symbols usually activate features such as free spins or bonus rounds.
Side Bet – Side bets are any bets that are taken outside of the main game. Games like blackjack and craps have built in side bets, but a side bet can be anything made between players, even off the table bets.
Wagering Requirements – Bonuses such as free cash prizes may have wagering requirements, which are conditions that need to be met before the bonus can be withdrawn. For example, a 35x wagering requirement on a $10 bonus would require the player to wager $350 to access winnings from their bonus.
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