Online Casino Dictionary

Action - the amount of money wagered by a player during a playing session. In poker, the placing of money into the pot.

Active - one who is still in the pot.

Anchor - the player sitting in the last position on a blackjack table before the dealer. This is the person who makes the final decision, thereby anchoring the game.

Ante - a term usually used in poker to refer to the first money wagered on a hand, or the minimum amount that each player is required to put into the pot before a new hand can begin.

Any Craps - a one-roll dice bet covering the 2, 3, or 12.

Any Seven - a one-roll dice bet covering any 7.

Baccarat - a card game where the winning hand totals closest to 9 discounting all units of 10.

Banker - in Pai Gow, the player who books the action of the other bettors at the table.

Bankroll - the total amount of money a player has for a gaming session.

Bar the 12 - in craps, makes the 12 a push on the Don't Pass Bar.

Base - area on the dice table where the majority of bets are made and paid.

Base Dealer - dice dealer in charge of one of the bases.

Basic Strategy - the mathematically correct way to play blackjack in order to maximize your advantage.

Bet - wager or gamble

Betting Limits - the minimum and maximum that can be wagered on one bet.

Betting Right - betting on the Pass Line or with the shooter.

Betting Wrong - betting on the Don't Pass Line or against the shooter.

Blackjack - a card game where the players try to beat the dealer by getting closest to 21 without going over. Also known as 21.

Blackjack Hand - a hand whose first two cards total 21.

Blind Bet - a bet that certain poker players are required to make as a result of their betting position.

Bluff - in poker, players bluff when raising a weak hand in the hope of driving out players with a stronger hand.

Box - in craps, the area of the dice table controlled by the boxman, where the center bets are placed.

Boxcars - in craps, when you roll two sixes.

Boxman - the casino dealer in charge of the craps table .

Bring-in - in seven-card stud poker, this is the mandatory bet made by the player with the lowest upcard in the first round of betting.

Bump - to raise

Burn Card - any card placed in the discard rack without being entered into play. After the deck is shuffled and cut, one card is burned.

Bust - to exceed 21 in blackjack, making it a losing hand. Also known as break.

Card Counting - a system to keep track of the percentage of high to low cards since the last time the deck was shuffled. The system can be used in blackjack to reduce the house advantage.

Caribbean Stud Poker - a five-card poker game where all players play against the house.

Change Color - to exchange one-color denomination casino chip for another. All denomination casino chips are different colors.

Chips - tokens used at gaming tables in lieu of cash.

Cold - a player on a losing streak or a slot machine that does not pay out.

Color Up/Out - exchange smaller denomination chips for larger denomination ones.

Come Bet - a wager placed on the Come Line in craps. Same rules as the wager on the Pass Line except it is placed after the point has been established.

Come Line - the area on a craps table where the Come Bets are placed.

Come Out Roll -the first roll of the dice or the first roll after a point has been made in craps. This roll establishes the point.

Complete Hand - a poker hand that is defined by all five cards. That is a straight, flush, straight flush, or a full house.

Craps Out - rolling a Crap (2, 3, or 12) on the come-out roll.

Craps - dice term for 2, 3, or 12.

Credit Button - a button in video poker that allows the player to bank coins won as credits and to use the credits to play without depositing more money.

Crew - Dice/craps dealers assigned to the game.

Croupier - The French word for casino dealers, mainly referring to roulette and baccarat dealers.

Cycle - in video poker it's the statistically predicted average number of hands dealt per top jackpot, usually a royal flush.

Cut - the dealer divides the deck of cards into two parts and then inverts them after they have been shuffled.

Cut Card - a hard plastic card used to cut the deck or a card of a different color.

Dealer - a casino employee who deals the various games.

Dice - two or more identical numbered cubes

Die - singular for dice, a cube with numbers 1-6 on each side.

Discard Rack - area of the table where the used cards are placed.

Don't Come Bet - a bet placed on the Don't Come Bar. Same rules as the Don't Pass Line except it is placed after the Come-Out Roll.

Don't Pass Bet - a bet placed prior to the Come-Out Roll that a seven will be rolled before a point is repeated.

Don't Pass Line - area of the table where the Don't Pass bets are placed. Also known as the Back Line.

Double Down - to increase a wager after the first two cards are drawn, in exchange for receiving only one more card, by placing an amount equal to the original bet on the layout. Also known as Double Up.

Dozen Bet - a bet on twelve numbers in roulette, i.e. 1-12, 13-24 or 25-36.

Draw - in draw poker, the second round of cards that are dealt.

Draw Button - allows video poker player to draw up to five new cards.

Drop Box - on a gaming table, the box that serves as a repository for cash, markers, and chips.

Edge - the casino's advantage over the player in any game. Also known as house edge.

Even Money - a bet that pays you back the same amount you wagered, plus your original wager - a pay-off of 1-1.

Expected Return - in video poker it's the average amount paid back on a particular play for a particular bet.

Expected Win Rate - a percentage of the total amount of money wagered that you can expect to win or lose over time.

Face Cards - the king, queen or jack of each suite.

First Base - the first seat nearest the shoe in blackjack. This position is dealt with first.

Five Number Bet - a bet only possible on the double zero roulette games which includes 00,0,1,2,3 and has the highest house edge of 7.89%.

Flat Top - a slot machine whose jackpot is always a fixed amount, as opposed to a progressive jackpot.

Float - the table bank.

Flush In poker - a hand consisting of five cards of one suit.

Fold - in poker, when a player declines a bet and drops out of the hand.

Four Of A Kind - four cards of the same rank. Also known as quads.

Full House - in poker, a hand consisting of a three of a kind and a pair.

Full Pay - in video poker it's usually the best payoff schedule offered for a particular game.

Hand - refers to the cards that you hold, or to everything that happens in a card game between shuffles of the deck.

Hit - to take another card. The card received is also called a hit.

Hole Card - the dealer's facedown card. This card is unseen.

Horn Bet - a one-roll bet that combines the 2, 3, 11 and 12.

Inside Bet - a bet in roulette on a single number including 0 or 00, or any combination of numbers.

Insurance - a side bet in blackjack that's offered when the dealer's upcard is an ace. If the dealer has a blackjack, the bet is paid 2-1. If the dealer does not, the insurance bet loses.

Let It Ride - a poker game.

Loose/Tight Slots - a loose slot indicates a machine with a higher payout over a period of time. Conversely, tight slots have a lower payout over a period of time and thus have a higher advantage over the player.

Mini-Baccarat - a scaled-down version of baccarat, played with fewer players, dealers, and formality but following the same rules as baccarat.

Monkey - colloquial term for a card with the face value of ten.

Natural in blackjack - an ace and a ten-value card in the original hand. In Baccarat - an eight or nine dealt in the first two hands. A natural may also be referred to as a blackjack.

Non-negotiable - a promotional chip that can't be exchanged for cash.

Nut - a fixed amount that a gambler sets out to win.

Odds - ratio of probabilities or the amount a bet pays. For example 2-1, 3 -2.

Off - bets that are not working.

One-Roll Bets - wagers that win or lose depending on the next roll of the dice.

Outside Bets - roulette bets located on the outside part of the layout. They involve betting 12 to 18 numbers at one time and result in a lower payout.

Pair - any two cards that have the same rank. Generally, pairs can be split and played as two hands.

Palette - the flat paddle used on the baccarat table to scoop the cards.

Pass - to not bet, to fold.

Pass Line - the area where a Pass-Line Bet is placed. Also known as the Front Line.

Pass Line Bet - a wager made prior to the Come-Out roll that a point will repeat.

Pay Cycle - a theoretical expression that reflects the number of plays required for the machine to cycle through all possible winning and non-winning combinations.

Pay Line - the line on a slot machine window on which the symbols from each reel must line up. Slot machines can have as many as eight pay lines, although most have only one.

Payoff Schedule - A posting somewhere on the front of a slot or video poker machine, that tells you what each winning hand will pay for the number of coins or credits played. Also known as the Payout Table.

Pit - the area inside a cluster of gaming tables, where the center is restricted to dealers and other casino personnel.

Player - a person gambling at a casino.

Point - in craps, dice term for the number rolled on the Come-Out Roll if a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 are rolled. The point has to be repeated before a seven rolls for the Pass Line bets to win.

Pot - in a poker game, the amount of money that accumulates in the middle of the table as each player antes, bets, and raises. The pot goes to the winner of the hand.

Press - increasing a bet by double.

Progressive Slots - slots that allow you to increase the potential jackpot each time a new coin is inserted for play. When the progressive jackpot finally hits, the amount resets to the starting number.

Proposition Bet - dice bets on number combinations.

Punter - a casino player.

Push - a tie or standoff when the dealer and the player have the same total. No one wins and no money changes hands.

Qualifier - in poker, the minimum standard a hand must meet in order for it to be eligible for part of the pot.

Raise - in poker, a player raises by matching the previous bet and then betting more, to increase the stake for remaining players.

Rake - the money that the casino charges for each hand of poker. It is usually a percentage (5-10%) or flat fee that is taken from the pot after each round of betting.

Rank - the worth of a set of cards.

Reels - A wheel inside a slot machine window on which the slot machine symbols are printed. There are usually three or five per machine.

Right Bettor - a person betting on the Pass Line.

Ring Game - a regular poker game rather than a tournament. Can be referred to as a live game because actual money is used rather than chips.

RNG - the random number generator, which is a computer chip inside a slot machine. It is constantly generating thousands of numbers every second.

Royal Flush - in poker, an ace-high straight flush; the best possible hand.

Seven-Out - rolling a seven after the point has been established, thus losing the bet.

Shoe - the box in which the dealer places the shuffled cards from two or more decks. Cards are then dealt from the shoe.

Shooter - the person rolling the dice.

Singleton - in poker, a card that is the only one of its rank.

Slot Schedule - the details usually at the top of a slot machine detailing the type of machine, denomination, and payout details.

SnakeEyes - in craps, when you roll a two.

Soft Hand - a hand in blackjack that contains an ace counted as eleven.

Split Bet - a combination bet across two numbers on the inside of the roulette table.

Spot - any number from 1 to 80 that a player selects on a keno ticket. It also refers to the number of numbers that are marked on a ticket.

Stand - to refrain from taking another card.

Steal - in poker, to win the pot by bluffing.

Stickman - the dice dealer who calls the numbers rolled and controls the stick.

Straight - in poker, a hand consisting of five cards of consecutive ranks.

Straight Flush - in poker, a hand consisting of five cards of consecutive ranks of the same suit.

Stud Poker - a poker game with no draw.

Surrender - in blackjack, to give up half your wager before the hand is complete, for the privilege of not playing out a hand, thus saving half the wager. In roulette, you effectively lose only half on an even-money bet when the ball lands on 0.

Three Of A Kind - three cards of the same rank.

Token - the casino coins used to play slot machines.

Trips - in poker, three of a kind.

Two Pair - in poker, a hand consisting of two sets of pairs and a singleton.

Upcard - the dealer’s exposed card that is face-up for all the players to see before they play their hands.

Wild Card - a joker or other card that can be used as any other card to complete your hand.

Whale - a high roller.

Working - dice term meaning that the bets are in place.

World Bet - a one-roll dice bet on the horn including the seven.

Wrong Bettor - a dice player who bets on the Don't Pass Line.
 

 

Rules for Playing Blackjack

Blackjack is a favorite among gamblers around the world, partly because it is mathematically beatable and players feel the odds are less random than the spin of a roulette wheel, or the pull of a slot machine handle. Some claim Blackjack was invented in French casinos in the early 1700s where it was called "vingt-et-un" ("twenty-one"). It has been played in the U.S. since the 1800's. Blackjack is so-called because if a player held a Jack of Spades and an Ace of Spades as the first two cards, the player was paid out extra. The black suit 'spades' plus the winning Jack brought about the name 'Blackjack'. Blackjack actually has very simple rules and can be learnt easily, however there are a number of strategies you can learn to increase your winning odds. Blackjack uses a standard set of 52 playing cards and players compete against the dealer, not each other.

Values of cards
 

King, Queen, Jack, 10 = 10
2-9 = Face value

Aces

= 11 or 1

The player wins when the total value of cards in his hand is closer to 21 than those held by the dealer, without exceeding 21. A hand with a value over 21 is called a "bust," and is an automatic loser. If you and the dealer have the same card total (17 and up) neither of you wins and your bet is returned to you in a "push".
The player wins one and a half times his bet if his first two cards total 21 - a natural Blackjack. The only way two cards can have a value of 21 is if one of them is an Ace, and the other is a 10-value card. (e.g. An ace and a king, and an ace and a queen are both blackjacks.) A blackjack beats all other hands except for another blackjack. If you have a blackjack, and the dealer has 3 cards that add up to 21, you still win the hand even though you both have hands valued at 21.

The Value of Winning payouts

Winning Hand 1 to 1
Insurance 2 to 1
Blackjack 3 to 2


If you lose a hand, you lose the amount you originally bet - no more, no less.

The steps of the game follow the same formula each time:

1. Between one and seven players can take part in any hand of Blackjack. The players put an initial wager forward and two cards are dealt to each player (one at a time) with the dealer dealing him/herself last with one card face down.

2. You assess your cards total value and decide whether you need to take another card (hit) to increase your total or keep the tally you already have and hope others will 'bust'. There is no limit on the number of hits a player can take (however, a practiced player has a sense of when to stop).

3. When you draw an ace, you can decide whether it counts as 1 or 11.

4. When all the players 'stand' (choose not to take any more cards), the dealer reveals his hand by flipping over the face down card. The dealer must 'hit' (add another card) until the total is 17 or above. If the dealer's hand is between 17 and 21, the dealer is NOT allowed to take additional hits. He MUST stand. On the other hand, if the dealer's hand is 16 or under, the dealer MUST take additional hits until the dealer's hand has a value of 17 or higher. If the dealer goes over 21 while taking additional cards, he "busts," and automatically loses. If the dealer busts, all players that are still in the game win. Between the players and the dealer, whoever is closer to 21 without going over wins.

5. Winnings are calculated on the amount of the bet for a winning hand (see the 'winning payouts' table above). The only way you can lose with a blackjack hand is if the dealer has one too.

Options:

Split

If your first two cards have the same point value, you may split them into two separate hands by placing a second bet equal to the original bet. You then proceed to draw cards. You are able to draw as many cards as you like on each split hand, but if you split two aces, you receive only one additional card for each ace. If you split two aces and one of your hands totals 21, it is counted as 21 and not blackjack. Any two ten value cards can be split, for instance a 10 and queen, however we virtually never recommend splitting ten value cards. Two aces can, and should be, split. Normally the casino will also allow you to re-split after the original split. For example, you split two eight's and now are dealt again an eight as the second card of one of those two hands. You can split this hand again and now play three hands. Some casinos have limits on re-splitting aces and if the player is unsure of the casino house rules he should ask the dealer. We recommend to always split Aces and 8s.

Double

After you are dealt two cards, and think that another card will allow you to beat the dealer's hand, you can increase your bet by an amount up to your original bet or double your bet. This is also known as 'doubling down'. Once you decide to 'double down' you are allowed to receive just one more card. You cannot stand on your original hand or take more than 1 additional card. For example, you may be dealt a 5 and a 6 for a total of 11. You can now double down, hoping to get a 10 value card (the most frequent value card in an unplayed deck). The casino house rules vary for doubling down. For example some allow only doubling down on 10 and 11 totals while others allow on any two card total. Some casinos allow it only on original hands and not split hands, while others allow doubling down after splitting. Be sure to know the rules of your casino before starting to play.

Insurance

Insurance is designed to protect you when you think that the dealer may have blackjack. When buying insurance, you place ½ of your initial bet by pressing the 'Insurance' Button. If the dealer does have blackjack, you are paid 2 to 1 on your insurance bet. If the dealer doesn't have blackjack, you lose your insurance bet.

Blackjack Rules Glossary

BLACKJACK: A hand consisting of an Ace and a 10-value card (10, Jack, Queen or King) totalling 21. Pays 3-2.
BROKE or BUST: Going over '21' with additional cards drawn to the original hand.
HARD TOTAL: A hand with no Aces or where the Ace is counted as '1.' For example, a nine-eight combination counts as a hard '17'.
HIT or DRAW: Adding a card to your hand in an effort to come closer to 21, without going over.
INSURANCE: When the dealer shows an Ace as the upcard, you can bet up to one-half the amount of your original wager that the dealer has a Blackjack. Insurance pays 2-1 if the dealer does, in fact, have blackjack. If he doesn't, the house collects the insurance bet. NATURAL: A Blackjack dealt with the original two cards. An ace and a face card.
PUSH: Player and dealer tie. The money bet is retained by the player.
SOFT TOTAL: A hand with an Ace that counts as an '11'. For example, an Ace-8 combination counts as a soft '19.
STAND: The player doesn't want any more cards and so 'stands' with the cards he has.
STIFF: A hand that could go bust by adding one more card. For example any hard 12-16 combination is a stiff.
SURRENDER: In some casinos, the player is allowed to forfeit half of their original bet if the player does not want to play against the dealer's hand. For example, the player has a bet out of $10 and is dealt a 7 and a 9 card for a total of 16 and the dealer's card is showing a 10. If the player now says "surrender" the dealer will remove the players cards and $5 of the player's original bet, leaving the player with $5. We do not recommend using surrender. Check with the dealer on the casino house rules.
UPCARD: The face up card in the dealer's original hand.

Winning at Online Blackjack

Now that you know the basic rules of the table in blackjack, you need to know how to play skillfully.

Basic Strategy

The rules of basic strategy explain the safest way to play out your blackjack hand in order to come out a winner in the long run.

In order to determine which basic strategy chart applies to the blackjack table at Gold Club Casino, these house rules are important:

The dealer must draw cards until his hand totals at least 17, and must stand at 17 or higher.

The single deck is shuffled after each round. (In traditional casinos, players can better their chances of winning by learning how to count cards in an effort to predict the cards still left in the deck. However, since the deck is shuffled after each round at Gold Club, card counting is not possible. )

Players are allowed to double after splitting, but are not allowed to re-split a split hand.

Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart

In the following chart, look for the value of your hand in the left-hand column. Then look for the value of dealer's upcard in the top row. (A = Ace, 10 = 10 or Picture Card) The chart will tell you which option is statistically favorable:

S = Stand

H = Hit

D = Double Down

P = SPlit

The Dealer's Upcard

Your Hand:
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
A
17
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
16
S
S
S
S
S
H
H
H
H
H
15
S
S
S
S
S
H
H
H
H
H
14
S
S
S
S
S
H
H
H
H
H
13
S
S
S
S
S
H
H
H
H
H
12
H
H
S
S
S
H
H
H
H
H
11
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
10
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
H
9
D
D
D
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
5+3, 6+2
H
H
H
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
A+8
S
S
S
S
D
S
S
S
S
S
A+7
S
D
D
D
D
S
S
H
H
H
A+6
D
D
D
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
A+5
H
H
D
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
A+4
H
H
D
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
A+3
H
H
D
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
A+2
H
H
D
D
D
H
H
H
H
H
A+
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
A
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10+
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
10          
 
 
 
 
 
9+9
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
S
SP
SP
S
S
9+9
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
7+7
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
H
S
S
6+6
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
H
H
H
H
5+5
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
H
H
4+4
H
H
SP
SP
SP
H
H
H
H
H
3+3
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
H
H
H
H
2+2
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
H
H
H
H



Here are some strategies. No matter what the dealer's upcard is:

Always split a pair of aces.

Always split a pair of 8s.

Always stand on 17 and up.

Always double on 11.

If you're going sit down at a blackjack table to play at a traditional casino, it's advisable memorize the correct chart.