Action: The amount of money being wagered on a given bet or during a gambling session.
Arm: A dice shooter skillful enough to influence the outcome of rolls.
Bankroll: Available gambling money. Also referred to as a "wad," or just "roll."
Black book: A list of players who are considered undesirable by casinos and who are forbidden from entering casinos anywhere in Nevada.
Black chip: A casino chip worth $100. Chips worth $25 are typically green, and $5 chips are usually red.
Bones: Another term for dice.
Book: A casino's sports book, devoted to gambling on sporting events such as horse races, football, etc.
Buck: A bet of $100.
Bug: In cards, another name for jokers.
Bump: To raise the bet.
The Cage: Where chips or coins are exchanged for currency.
Card sharp: An expert at cards. Often erroneously called a "card shark."
Carpet joint: Nickname for a high-class casino. See also "sawdust joint."
Chasing: Betting more after a loss to try and recoup the money lost.
Check: Another term for chip.
Cold: A slot machine that's not paying, or a player on a losing streak.
Color up: Trading in smaller denomination chips for larger value chips, usually when ending a session at a table.
Comp: A freebie. Usually a drink, show ticket, room, or meal.
Crossroader: A cheater.
Croupier: Another word for dealer, usually a roulette, craps, or baccarat dealer.
Deuce: In dice, a pair of ones, also known as "snake eyes."
Down to the felt: Wiped out, or flat broke. See also "tapping out" and "tapioca."
Drop: Money that has been wagered and lost.
Drop box: A locked box underneath a gaming table where cash is deposited. The cash is usually inserted into the drop box through a thin opening in the top of the table.
Edge: An advantage.
Eye in the sky: Casino security surveillance cameras.
Firing: Betting large sums of money.
First base: In poker, first base is the player on the far left of the dealer. This player is the first to receive cards as they're dealt.
Fish: An inexperienced gambler. See also "pigeon."
Flat top: A slot machine that is not a progressive machine. The jackpot is constant.
Glimmer: Money.
Grease: A bribe.
Grind joint: A casino that caters to gamblers with small bankrolls.
High roller: A whale. A gambler with a big bankroll.
Hit: Taking another card in blackjack, as in "Hit me."
Hot: A player that's on a winning streak.
House: The casino.
House edge: The casino's built-in advantage. See also "vigorish."
Ladderman: A supervisor in a casino's baccarat area.
Let it ride: Letting the winnings on a bet roll over to the next bet. See also "pressing a bet."
Load up: No, this is not buffet parlance. To "load up" means playing the maximum allowable number of coins on a given spin on a slot or video poker machine.
Loose: A slot machine that pays out frequently.
Marker: An IOU. Once a player has established credit with the house, they can use a marker to get more chips while on the casino floor.
Mechanic: A cheating dealer.
Mop: Another name for the stick used to retrieve the dice on a craps table.
Nut: Overhead costs of running a casino. May also refer to the amount a gambler decides to win during a session. In poker, "the nuts" is the best hand.
On tilt: When a player, usually in cards, overreacts to a bad hand by betting erratically on hands that follow.
Paint: A face card.
Pigeon: A novice gambler, also known as a "fish."
Pit: The area of a casino, between the tables, restricted to management and dealers.
Pit boss: A supervisor in a casino.
Plunger: A gambler that recklessly chases their losses.
Pressing a bet: Increasing one's bet, usually "letting it ride."
Progressive: A slot machine with a jackpot that varies, often accumulating over a network of machines. Megabucks is a well-known progressive slot machine, with progressive jackpots in the millions.
Punter: A player.
Push: A tie between the house and a player, usually in blackjack.
Rack: The plastic trays used in casinos to carry chips or coins.
Railbirds: In poker, those who are spectators.
Rake: In poker, the fee (either a percentage or flat fee) the casino charges for each hand played.
RFB comp: Free room, food, and beverages.
Sawbuck: Ten dollars.
Sawdust joint: A low end casino. See also "carpet joint."
Session: A period of play in a casino. A session can last five minutes or many hours.
Sharker: A cheater at cards.
Silver mining: When someone cruises the slot area looking for coins left in unattended slot machines.
Skin: One dollar.
Spikes: A pair of aces in cards.
Spinner: A winning streak.
Stiff: A winning gambler that stiffs the dealer by not leaving a tip.
System: A strategy for betting.
Tapioca: Out of money. See also "tapping out" and "down to the felt."
Tapping out: Losing one's bankroll. See also "down to the felt" and "tapioca."
Third base: In blackjack, the player sitting just to the dealer's right. This player is considered important on the table because they are the last to play before the dealer plays their hand.
Ticket: A playing card.
Toke: Another name for a tip for dealers, short for "token."
Trips: Three cards that have the same value.
Vig or vigorish: The casino's commission. Also referred to as "juice."
Wager: A bet.
Whales: High rollers. High-end gamblers.
White meat: Profit. |