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Casino Jargon

     

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.