There are multiple ways to gain traction when it comes to casino gaming and iGaming in general. One way to get in is to know how things work in the front and back end of things’ and this means understanding the lingo that people in the industry use. It’s not just a great way to become part of something, it’s also helpful when polishing your casino-going etiquette. That being said, here are some of the most used terms in iGaming and casino gaming you should brush up on:
A
ABC Poker - The act of playing basic and predictable poker.
Action - A much-utilized gaming term in all casino games that could mean a bunch of things, the turn of play, how much money to wager, or the total bets you can get from a table.
ACS - If you’re a dealer, then you probably know that this means Automatic Card Shuffler.
All-in - The most popular iGaming slang to declare that all of a player’s chips are to be wagered in a poker game.
Anchor - A player in blackjack who receives their cards last from the dealer.
Ante - This is an additional wager required before a hand begins.
Against the Spread (ATS) - This is a sports betting term that refers to the outcome of an event that considers the point spread.
Aggressive - A poker term used to describe players who raise too much during a game.
B
Back Door - Used in poker, this is a hand created based on the last two cards dealt in a poker game.
Banco - When a bet is placed on the Banker or the House. Barrel - A jargon used in poker where a player bets into a pat on multiple streets.
Betting Right - A term used in Craps where a player wagers in with the shooter.
Big Bet - A term used in Sic Bo where a wager predicts that the outcome of all three dice falls between 11 to 17. The typical payout for this type of wager is 1:1.
Blackout - A Bingo term also known as ‘coverall,’ describing the pattern where a whole card should be matched by a player to win.
C
Cage - Also known as ‘cashier’s cage’ where players exchange cash for chips or vice versa; this is also a popular casino table jargon.
Canadian Line - A sports betting term for hockey when a combination of point spread and money line wager is made.
Cap - This is the limit made on several raises when placing wagers.
Caribbean Stud - A variation of standard five-card poker is the famous casino game known as Caribbean Stud Poker.
Color Up - When players request smaller value chips in exchange for higher value chips; typically used in casino table games.
Comps - A casino term that means incentives for casino goers that come in the form of gifts, free hotel rooms, restaurant and drink vouchers, etc.
D
Deuce - A slang term in iGaming which means ‘two;’ it is often used in Video Poker or dice.
Dog Player - This is a sports betting term used to describe a player who bets on the underdog.
Don’t Come - A Craps term where a player bets for the loss of a shooter.
Down to the Felt - A term used to describe a player with no more betting money.
Dry/Ragged- An iGaming term used in poker pertaining to the board with no connected or suited cards. Duo - A type of betting combination in Sic Bo.
E
Easy - A term used in the game of Craps where you roll the dice with varying values.
eCOGRA - This is a casino acronym meaning eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance. This is an independent agency that monitors and audits fair online casino operations.
En Prison - This is a roulette rule where a player can wager a second time after an even-money bet which loses to 0 and 00.
Expanding Wilds - A term you’ll encounter in a slot game that pertains to the bonuses you can unlock during a slot game.
Eighty-Sixed - A term used in land-based casinos that applies to players who are banned from a casino due to cheating or a gaming violation.
F
Fill - A term used in poker also referred to as a ‘Full House’ which means the fifth card drawn makes a full hand.
Fifty Cents - A wager worth $50 (not the American rapper.) Figure - The amount a player owes a bookmaker.
Fire - A slang word in Craps wherein a player is about to make a huge wager.
Fish - When a card player often loses then wins and bets on each hand, without consideration for their hand’s strength.
Ftw - Now adopted into text lingo, ftw means ‘For the win.’ Futures - When wagers are placed on the outcome of a future event; typically a sports betting term.
G
Garbage Hand - A hand with a low value with zero likelihood of winning.
George - Slang used by casino dealers describing players who know how to tip well.
Getting Down - The act of placing a wager in table games.
GG - Modern lingo originating from gaming culture which means ‘Good Game.’
GLA - An acronym which means ‘Good Luck to All.’ Grind - A poker word that describes a huge volume of poker games with smaller stakes for several hours on a regular basis to make a profit.
H
Half-a-Dollar - A bet worth $50. Handicapping - A term used in sports betting where a player tries to predict the results of a game, which typically involves a lot of research.
Hard Way - A term in Craps that describes a dice roll of 4, 6, 8, or 10 rolled hard prior to an easy way or a 7.
Hit - A slot word describing when a player spins a winning combo in the payline.
Hi-Lo - A term used in Craps when a player makes a wager on the next roll being 2 or 12.
Hot - A casino term that describes a player with a winning streak.
I
Idiot End - A slang term used in poker also known as ‘sucker end’ which is the low end of straight.
Insurance - Used in Blackjack which is a side bet that the dealer will gain a natural. This option is usually available only when an ace is the dealer’s up card.
Instant Win - A type of lottery ticket indicating if a prize has been won.
IVT - A general gaming term which means Interactive Video Terminals.
Isolate - A poker term indicating when a player raises hoping to get other players to fold.
J
Jacks or Better - When a hand has a pair of Jacks or higher, which is typically recognized in video poker.
Juice - Another common sports betting term that refers to the bookie’s commission.
Junket - A casino term referring to high-rolling players flown in by casinos to promote an event or product.
K
Kicker - This iGaming term is typically used in poker tournaments referring to the high card in a hand that doesn’t form the fill; either an Ace or King card.
L
Ladderman - A person working in a casino who monitors the baccarat tables, usually sits on a chair right over the table.
Lady - A Queen card.
Let it Ride - Another term used in poker which means adding winnings from the last bet to the existing wager.
Limit - The most amount a bookie will let you wager before he changes the odds in sports betting.
Limp - The act of flat calling the big blind’s amount; used in poker.
Little Joe - A word describing a hard 4 wager in Craps; sometimes referred to as ‘Little Joe from Kokomo.’
M
Mark - A tool in Keno to indicate which numbers have been selected.
Maximum - Refers to the highest bet allowed by online casinos per game.
Megalats Jackpot - Also called ‘Minilats Jackpot’ which refers to a system in which several slot machines are connected to one another. If you win a jackpot with your single token, you could also win the total winnings from all the interconnected machines on the same network.
Middle - An iGaming term in sports betting describing a win on both sides of the same competition in a sporting event.
Monkey - A face card or a card with a value of 10.
Multi-Race Ticket - When a player bets on more than one game through their Keno ticket. The ticket's games must all be played in order and with equal wagering amounts.
N
n1 - A general gaming term short for ‘Nice one’; also used in conversational lingo.
Net Winnings - Pure profit from iGaming that players take at the end of the game.
nh - A general gaming term short for ‘Nice hand.’
nl - Shortcut for ‘No limit’ which is usually a poker term used.
np - short for ‘Nice play’
Nickel - A wager worth $500.
Nosebleed - This is a slang term used to describe extremely high stakes in a table game.
Nut Nut - This is another poker term that describes a player’s hand in a split pot game. It refers to the best possible low and high-hands players could have.
O
On - A word used in Bingo when a player needs one more number to win .
On tilt - Unpredictable behavior after losing a game due to a bad hand.
Open – A term used in poker referring to the act of making the first wager.
Overlay - A sports betting word describing the odds when it’s higher than they’re supposed to be and instead favors the other player.
P
Paint - A poker term referring to a face card.
Pat - A hand unbusted worth at least 17 points; used in Blackjack.
Pass - The act of not betting or folding in poker. Pigeon - A casino slang referring to an ignorant player.
Provably Fair - The algorithm that checks an online casino game's legitimacy and fairness.
Pokies - A term used to describe the slots in Australia and New Zealand. Press - The act of betting a larger amount than usual.
R
Rabbit Hunt - When a table dealer distributes the cards that would have remained after a hand has finished but before all the cards have been dealt.
Railbird - Someone not participating in any game but watches everything on the sidelines.
Rainbow - A poker term describing three or four cards of different suits.
RNG - The abbreviation for Random Number Generator; typically used in slots.
Right Bettor - This is a term used in Craps when a person is placing wagers with the shooter.
Runline - It’s typically used in sports betting described in baseball as a spread utilized instead of betting on the money line.
S
Scare Card - A player may have a bankroll that is too large to lose or an excessively high stake limit.
Scratch Card - A kind of lottery ticket where the symbol or number is obscured by an object that needs to be scratched off to be seen.
sh - The abbreviation for ‘shorthand;’ a general casino term.
Shill - Another casino term describing a house player who plays in the cardroom and is bankrolled by the house; they do not risk any of their own money in these types of games.
STT - Short for ‘Single-Table Tournament’ which applies to Poker.
Snake Eyes - A craps term describing two 1s on the dice.
T
Tai Sai - Another term for the game of Sic Bo.
Tank - How long a player takes to consider a decision prior to acting on it.
Tease - This is a wager on two or more teams in which the bettor receives an advantage over the spread for each team. Just like in a parlay, the teaser has to win with every selection made.
Trips - A term in poker pertaining to a hand with three cards of the same rank. It usually is made up of two community cards and a hole card.
Toke - Short for token and used to tip dealers.
U
Under - This is a type of bet where the total points accumulated by both teams will fall under a specific figure.
Up Card - A type of card in poker where it’s dealt face up.
utg - Short for ‘Under the gun’ which is slang in casino gaming.
V
Value - Another sports betting term that refers to gaining the best odds when betting with consideration to the highest possible edge.
Vigorish - This is a sports betting term when the bookmaker’s commission is on a losing bet; also known as ‘juice.’
Virgin - A term used in Bingo when a number combination has never been drawn prior to the game starting.
W
Wad - Also referred to as ‘bankroll,’ and is the money wagered for those planning to join casino table games.
Way Ticket - This allows the player to choose two or more groups with the same number of places. These groups can then be joined to create multiple straight or basic ticket combinations on the same ticket.
Whale - A horrible player with a huge wad; used in Poker.
Writer - A term in Keno describing a casino employee who conducts the Keno action.
Y
yhs - short for ‘Your Hand Sucks’ which is usually a diss to another opponent with a bad hand.
Yo - Casino jargon pertaining to the number 11.
YW - abbreviation for ‘Your Welcome’ which is popular in conversational text exchange among virtual players.
Play with your Wits
Finding out the ins and outs of iGaming and casino culture involves more than just knowing your way around the tables. From "ABC Poker" to "Yo," familiarizing yourself with iGaming lingo is key. Whether you're into poker, slots, or sports betting, this glossary of iGaming terms has got you covered. So, next time you hit the casino, you'll be speaking the lingo like a pro. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor!
Learn more about casino gaming, and sportsbooks (and the best ones at that) from our reviews at GambleSpot.
July 26th, 2024
7 Best Horses that Made A Name in Horse RacingJuly 24th, 2024
The Role of the Banker in Baccarat - and Why This Could Sway Your OddsJuly 19th, 2024
5 Best Slot Games for Art Lovers to Feast Their Eyes onJuly 16th, 2024
Fact or Fiction: Pai Gow Edition – What First-time Players Should Watch Out ForJuly 15th, 2024
Tech and Horseracing: What to Know about Digitizing the Horsebetting ExperienceJuly 9th, 2024
5 Online Casinos with Less than $20 Minimum Deposit You Should Check Out in 2024July 3rd, 2024
Debunking Common Lottery Myths: What First-time Bettors Should KnowJuly 2nd, 2024
What to Know About the State of Michigan and Online Poker in 2024July 1st, 2024
Debunking Common Baccarat Myths: Why You Should Know BetterJune 27th, 2024
Understanding the Legal Aspects of Horse Betting in the US: What to Know in 2024