A Beginner’s Guide to Casino Terminology

Casinos offer an iconic range of games like blackjack, roulette, and poker, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. However, with each game having its own terms, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. It’s helpful to understand the basic terms when playing at a casino to ensure the smoothest experience possible. In light of this, let’s look at some of the key casino terms.

General Terminology

Before we discuss some of the game-specific terminology, let’s look at some of the more general terms players might hear in casinos.

Bet and Wager

The term bet, which can also be referred to as a wager, is the amount of money a player has placed on an outcome. For example, if a player is feeling lucky, they might place a £5 bet on red in roulette.

Buy-In

A buy-in refers to how much a player has to spend to enter a game. For example, if a player wanted to join a game of blackjack with a £2 buy-in, they’d have to stake £2 or more to enter.

Croupier

A croupier is the person players will see standing at a table, looking sharp in their suits. It’s their job to rake in money or chips and to manage the players at their table¹.

Dealer

A dealer performs a similar role to a croupier but for different games. As an example, they may control a game by dealing cards to players, reading results aloud or spinning the roulette wheel. Dealers are also in charge of money, taking bets and paying out to the lucky players.

In blackjack, the dealer’s hand sets the standard which the other players must beat in order to win. They may seem intimidating at first, but successful players will know how to read dealers to their advantage!

House Edge

Put simply, the house edge is the advantage the casino has over a player. It reflects how much of a player’s bet the casino is likely to keep. A game with a house edge of 5% sees the casino keep £5 for every £100 wagered. Specific examples include blackjack where the house edge is usually around 0.25% to 2% ². There are games where the house edge is larger, usually those that rely on luck, like slots with 2-15%, which we’d advise beginners to stay away from while they get to grips with the rules. Overall, the edge ensures the house always wins.

House Rules

The term house rules refer to the various conditions in place at a casino. They can differ from establishment to establishment – some may have a specific dress code like black tie. There are also more general rules that apply across different casinos, such as never touching another player’s chips.

Odds

Odds refer to the probability of an outcome occurring. For example, the player from earlier who bet £5 on black at roulette, will see odds of 1:1. This means that if the ball lands on black, they will see their £5 bet returned to them with an additional £5 on top. There are a number of ways that odds can be written – for example 1:2, 2/1 or as a decimal like 0.5.

Return to Player (RTP)

The return to player refers to how much a player can expect in return for their stake³. Usually, the RTP is measured over the long term between 10,000 to 100, 000 games, but it can affect players no matter how long they spend playing. For example, a player who bets £1 at a slot machine with an 87% RTP should expect to see 87 pence returned to them.

Game-Specific Terms

Now that we have a basic understanding of the language used within casinos, let’s look at some of the terms which are specific to certain games.

Blackjack

Bust/Break

Bust or break are both terms used when the value of a player’s hand goes over 21, resulting in them losing the hand. If the dealer is the one who goes bust, the remaining players win the hand instead.

Double Down

When a player has been dealt two cards, they can choose to double down, meaning they double their original bet before taking a further card. It’s most effective for players whose hands have a lower chance of going bust (around 8 or 9).

Hard Hand

In blackjack, aces can represent either the value of 1 or 11 depending on the player’s hand. A hard hand doesn’t contain any aces and as a result its value is fixed. The opposite – a soft hand – refers to one that contains an ace and can have different values as a result.

Natural Blackjack

A player achieves natural blackjack when they are dealt a ten card and an ace as their first two cards. In many cases, getting natural blackjack will have a higher payout as it has greater odds (and therefore a lower probability of happening).

Standing Hand

A standing hand is one that doesn’t require another card, usually between the value of 17 and 21. In the case that the dealer has a hand over the value of 17, they have to stand and aren’t allowed to take another card.

Stand-Off

This is a draw between the player and the dealer when they receive cards of the same value. In the case of a draw, the player’s bet is returned to them with no additional winnings.

Roulette

Bet on the Layout

When players place a bet in roulette, they move their chips to the designated area of the roulette table. The table is broken down into numbers, columns, rows and colours on which players can place their bets of where the ball will land.

Block Bet

A block bet refers to when players place a bet on an area of the wheel the ball will land on. There are a few different types of block bets, such as a ‘corner’ bet, where players bet on numbers from a section of the wheel to come up. As this bet involves four opportunities to win, it has a good balance between risk and reward and odds of 8:1⁴.

Column Bet

A bet that the ball will land on one of the numbers in a row of the layout. There are three rows, each with twelve numbers in them, so this bet provides players with twelve opportunities to win and pays out 2:1.

Even or Odd Bet

When a player places a bet on whether the ball will land on an even or odd number.

Inside or Outside Bet

An inside bet refers to a bet which is placed on any number or combination of a few numbers from the table. These are placed on numbers on the inside of the layout and have higher payouts due to the lower probability of the ball landing on them.

In contrast, an outside bet refers to a bet placed on the outside of the layout. Outside bets include wagers placed on even or odd, black or red and sections designated by the layout such as columns or lines.

Line Bet

A bet which is placed on a line of six numbers separated on the layout winning.

Pockets

The small areas on the roulette wheel for the ball to land. Half of the pockets are red and half are black with one green to represent zero.

Poker

Ante

The bet that all players must place before the game begins. As the game progresses, this can be increased as they ‘up the ante’ or raise.

Bluff

A bluff is when players raise despite knowing that their hand isn’t the strongest in the hopes of getting their competitors to fold. Although risky, for players who enjoy the strategy of poker, bluffing is one of the essential components.

Call

When players place the same bet as the one before.

Check

When a player doesn’t want to increase their bet, but they want to remain in a round, they are able to ‘check’. Checking essentially means that the player passes their go while but stays in the game and can only be done when nobody has placed a bet before them.

Flush

There are a few different types of flush within poker which range in terms of their ability to win a hand. A simple flush refers to a hand where all the cards are from the same suit, whereas a straight flush refers to cards of the same suit in sequential order. A royal flush is when the order reaches to an ace and is the best hand in poker⁵.

Fold

Folding is the term used when a player abandons their hand, often because someone has made a bigger bet than they would be willing to call.

Full House

In poker a full house refers to when a player has three cards of one rank and two of another. For example, it could include having three 7s and two 8s. It’s a strong hand which ranks below four of a kind but above a flush.

Final Thoughts…

Although the terminology surrounding casino games can initially appear overwhelming, once players understand the basics, they are easily able to grow their knowledge. By understanding general casino terms, players will find beginning games like poker and blackjack much less daunting. There are further terms for each of the games mentioned within this article which are easy to pick up through playing or reading online information. It’s important that players know the very basics of casino terminology so they can have the best experience while playing.

1: Croupier, Written by Dictionary.com, Published by Dictionary.com.
2: Casino House Edge Explained, Written by Tolulope Kehinde, Published by CasinoDetective.
3: Return to Player, Written by the Gambling Commission, Published by the Gambling Commission.
4: How to Win at Roulette, Written by wikiHow, Published by wikiHow.
5: Poker Hands Ranked, Written by Britannica, Published by Britannica.

Main image by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash