Casino Slang Words
The 20 Most Commonly Used Casino Slang Terms
Do you want to feel like a seasoned gambler? If yes, then you will have to be familiar with casino slang. No driver can reach his destination without knowing traffic signals. Similarly, no one is supposed to beat the odds without knowing terms frequently used in gambling. People who don’t understand casino lingo are likely to be slightly scared for the first time. The reason behind their intimidation is that they don’t want to be embarrassed in front of the public.
Say no more to the state of uncertainty! This write-up is going to let you know about some of the most widely used gambling slang terms. Creating a good understanding of such casino terms gives you full confidence and freedom. You can sit at a table with self-assurance and make successful bets. Eventually, your gambling career can pick up the speed that you always wanted to achieve.
Face Cards
Casino Games Terms: V-Z. Vigorish: the casino’s fee/commission paid during specific wagers in the games of baccarat, craps and/or sportsbook. VIP: casino jargon for very important person. VLT: abbreviation for Video Lottery Terminal; Wager: refers to any bet or betting. Whale: player who bets very large and is a VIP to the casinos. Fish: Gambler who loses more than the others. Flop: In some cards games where five cards are dealt such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha, the first three cards are dealt face up. There are called flop. Fourth Street: In seven card stud poker, players have four cards on the second round of betting.
Face cards are Kings, Jacks, and Queens in a deck of playing cards. These are also recognized as picture cards or court cards in some regions. All of these cards are valued at 10.
Cashback
The amount of bonus money or cash paid back to players after they lose a bet. This is a fixed percentage of the total amount that a gambler lost at a casino. Casinos offer cashback as a token of appreciation.
Betting Limits
The highest and smallest betting limits are by a casino are called betting limits. It can also be defined as the maximum or minimum amount that a gambler is allowed to wager on a specific game or gambling event.
Balance
It’s the amount of cash left in your account after placing a bet. Gamblers can rely on their balance for stakes and playing different games.
Classic Slots
Video slots that consist of 3 reels are referred to as classic slots. These are also called Classic Vegas Slots and Fruit Machines in many regions.
Free Spins
Spins that you don’t have to pay for are known as free spins. Casinos offer free spins as part of their promotional strategy. Generally, you can expect to receive 20 free spins at the time of registration.
Bankroll
Bankroll is the amount of cash that a gambler or gambling website has for wagering activities. In simple words, money set aside for gambling is called bankroll.
Card Washing
Thinking about water, detergent, and cards? It's nothing like that. In gambling, card washing happens when the dealer puts cards face down and mix up before shuffling. Modern casinos have machines to make this happen in no time.
Action
Action is one of the commonly used gambling terms. It means to act when it’s your turn while playing games such as slots, blackjack, and roulette. This term is often used during casino play.
Deposit Bonus
Unlike no-deposit casinos, you have to make a deposit to receive a bonus. This is called a deposit bonus. A gambler should register with a $2 deposit casino as it involves depositing a small amount and brings interesting deposit bonus offers. If it happens that a person loses, it won’t be a huge amount.
Card Sharp
A player who has become an expert in card games is named Card Sharp. He has in-depth knowledge and skill to dominate a card game.
Double or Nothing
Double or nothing is a betting type that brings double money in case of winning and nothing in case of loss.
Comps
Çomps are the reward points that you get over time after being a part of the casino reward club. Players can earn these points by playing games and convert into real rewards. The reward can be a free dinner or discount on a casino vacation.
High Roller
Players who possess a large bankroll are known as high rollers. They risk more money while placing bets and get bigger rewards in return. Such players receive great privilege and dedicated support at casinos.
Pit Boss
A nice well-dressed casino staff member standing next to the table is known as Pit boss. His job is to observe the game and ensure fair play. If you play blackjack, then you must see him standing near dealers.
Cage
Cage is the place where casino management keeps all the money. This is a secure area where all your earned money is kept in form of chips. Later on, chips are converted into cash for winners.
Fish
Experienced gamblers will call you ‘fish’ if you are new to the world of gambling. So don’t get confused when you hear someone calling you with that term.
Whales
We all know that whale is a big fish. In gambling, the whale is used to represent a gambler who is happy to lose millions of dollars without getting worried about anything. It's unusual to see a whale sitting at tables of regular casinos.
Overlay
The overlay is used to describe a gambling situation favorable to the gambler. For instance, you are expected to win more than you bet.
Grind
It’s a playing technique that aims at steady small gains. A grinder is a patient and calm gambler who loves winning small bets over a longer period.
Conclusion
Knowing a slang for gambling is more important than playing without knowledge. One of the core reasons behind frequent losses is the unfamiliarity with casino terms. The language used at casinos is often unclear to newcomers. Many of them start gambling without knowing much about the casino environment. This is not a healthy practice for gamblers who want to be successful in the long run. Creating an understanding of casino slang doesn't take too much time. Therefore, it is recommended to know what you hear at casinos.
Author's Bio
Susan Wallace takes interest in gambling and casinos. She has written several guides to assist new players. Her write-ups have helped many people in becoming seasoned gamblers.
Print this ArticleSpend enough time on the casino floor and you’re bound to hear slang terminology you’ve never heard before. Chips are called “checks,” free giveaways from the house are “comps,” big spenders are known as “whales,” and bad players are deemed to be “fish.”
Because casino gamblers have created an inclusive society all their own, the casino is home to a wide array of specialized lingo and private parlance. The classic gambling game roulette is no exception, so check out a few of my favorite real money roulette terms often overheard while watching the wheel spin round and round.
Chameleon
Casino Slang Words
If you ever notice a player who stands back awhile, watches to see who is winning the most, then copies the winner’s exact bets, congratulations… you’ve just spotted a roulette “chameleon” in the wild.
Chameleons are superstitious gamblers. who truly believe that they’ll make money simply by mimicking the table’s current chip leader. Of course, that’s not how games of pure chance work, as the odds remain firmly stacked against each player – no matter if they’re winning, losing, or just placing their first bets – before every single spin.
You can’t convince a chameleon of that though, as these players don’t subscribe to statistical reasoning or plain old common sense. Nope, they put their faith in the theory of the “hot hand,” one which holds that a player on a roll tends to stay that way for a while.
But once a chameleon’s muse has run through their streak of good luck, don’t be shocked to see the copycat immediately move on to mirror the latest winner’s moves. Chameleons try to make roulette’s decision making as easy as it can possibly be by letting other players choose the bets.
Once their target has spread a few chips around the table on inside and outside wagers, the chameleon does nothing more than drop their own chips right on top. Should the winner’s hot run continue, the chameleon cashes in along with them. And when the winner becomes a newly minted loser, the chameleon just jumps aboard the next train and keeps right on riding.
The effectiveness of this “strategy,” like all attempts to apply skill to roulette for that matter, is questionable to say the least. Nonetheless, once you start keeping an eye out for roulette chameleons, you’ll notice every table in Las Vegas seems to have their own prowling around.
Snake Bet
Speaking of sneaky reptiles, a “Snake” bet in roulette refers to a specific combination of single-number inside bets placed simultaneously – 1, 5, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 23, 27, 30, 32, and 34.
Snake bets aren’t always allowed depending on the house rules, but most Las Vegas casinos will let you fire away. And rather than jam up fellow players and the croupier by placing chips on 12 different spots on the layout, you can simply slide your bet on the lower righthand corner of the 34 space.
Roulette offers similar 12-number bets like the Column and the Dozen, which also pay out at a 2 to 1 rate.
Basket Bet
Another funky wagering option many roulette novices don’t even know about is called the “Basket” bet.
Also known as the “Top Line” bet, this one sees the player place chips on the 00*, 0, 1, 2, and 3 spaces in hopes of earning a 6 to 1 payout.
*On single-zero “European” roulette wheels, the Basket bet covers the 0, 1, 2, and 3 while paying 8 to 1.
For those brave souls who dance with the devil by betting on the 00 and 0 green “house spaces,” a Basket bet is a great way to straddle the proverbial fence. Sure, you’re still betting against the Red or Black players at the table, but you can still win with a 1, 2, or 3 so everyone stays happy.
Wheel Chips
Because so many chips get splashed around a roulette table ahead of each spin, casinos can’t exactly let everyone use their standard table game chips.
Just imagine six people, all armed with identical red $5 chips, claiming that it was their stack that sits on the winning number. A scene like that would quickly devolve into chaos, so casinos use a special set of “wheel chips” that can only be found at the roulette table.
Whether you come with cash money or standard casino chips, you’ll need to exchange that currency for wheel chips (AKA “wheel checks”) to get in the game. A roulette croupier’s station comes equipped with wheel chips adorned in up to 10 different colors, and every player present gets their own color.
Thus, when the betting layout is blanketed with dozens, or even hundreds, of wheel chips, the croupier can easily distinguish who has won on which wagers.
Wheel chips look and feel quite differently than regular casino chips too. They seem to be lighter, softer, and more nondescript, lacking the usual logos and dollar-sign denominations. That’s because wheel chips are simply meant to serve as placeholders, signifiers that let the croupier know whose wagers are whose with a quick glance.
Wheel chips are assigned with a $1 denomination, but as winning players build their stacks, they can be swapped out with standard $5, $25, or $100 chips. From there, the croupier must remember which players are using wheel chips while the big bettor deploys ordinary ones.
Stack
While we’re on the subject of chips, whether you’re playing with wheel chips or otherwise, please stick to 20-chip “stacks” at all times.
Accordingly, when they assemble your new castle of winnings after a favorable outcome, the croupier will slide over clean 20-chip stacks. This process helps move the payout process along much more quickly, which in turn gets the wheel spinning that much sooner.
Urban Slang Words And Meanings
Pill
Roulette regulars like to refer to the game’s signature spinning ivory ball as “the pill.”
The name most likely derives from the white coloration of most roulette balls, which invariably resemble pills while clashing with the red, black, and green wheel.
You won’t hear many players use this obscure piece of roulette slang, but when the ball skips the table and hits the floor, a call of “pill down!” can often be heard from the croupier.
En Prison
A holdover from the traditional French form of single-zero roulette, the “En Prison” rule translates literally to “in prison.”
En Prison comes into play whenever a player backs an even money bet like Red / Black, Odd / Even, or High / Low and the ball lands on the green 0 space. Should this unfortunate event occur, the croupier will place a special marker on the chips which should be lost. Those chips remain “in prison” until the next spin.
If the player’s original even money wager turns a winner on this second spin, they get their bet back – but no payout to go along with it. And if the player’s original bet loses again, the casino releases those chips straight into its own custody as a loss.
En Prison is a roulette variation of another European rule known as “La Partage” (“the sharing), which forgoes the second spin and simply returns one-half of an even money bet when 0 strikes.
Now You Know Casino Roulette Slang
Roulette has survived as a gambler’s favorite for several centuries and counting, and over that time, players have developed a language all their own. Thanks to the French influence on roulette’s early development, and American innovations along the way, a modern roulette table is the casino’s melting pot.
Gambling Slang Words
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what one of these casino slang words above really means, I hope this page serves you well the next time you try wrangling the wheel.