Why Learning the Language Matters

Walking up to a casino table — online or in person — and encountering unfamiliar jargon can be intimidating. Dealers and other players use shorthand that assumes a base level of knowledge. This glossary will get you up to speed quickly so you can focus on enjoying the game rather than decoding the terminology.

A–F

  • Action: The total amount of money wagered over a session or on a single bet.
  • Ante: A mandatory bet required to enter a round, common in poker variants and some specialty games.
  • Banker: In Baccarat, one of the two main hands you can bet on. Not the same as the casino or dealer.
  • Bankroll: The total money a player sets aside specifically for gambling.
  • Bust: In Blackjack, when a hand's total exceeds 21 — an automatic loss.
  • Buy-in: The amount of money you exchange for chips when joining a table.
  • Chip: The casino's token currency used for betting at table games.
  • Commission: A percentage fee charged by the casino on certain winning bets (e.g., 5% on Banker wins in Baccarat).
  • Croupier: The casino employee who runs a table game, particularly in Roulette and Baccarat. Also called a dealer.
  • Double Down: In Blackjack, doubling your original bet in exchange for receiving exactly one more card.

H–P

  • Hard Hand: In Blackjack, a hand without an Ace, or where the Ace counts as 1.
  • Hit: In Blackjack, requesting an additional card from the dealer.
  • House Edge: The mathematical advantage the casino holds over the player on any given bet, expressed as a percentage.
  • Inside Bet: In Roulette, bets placed on specific numbers or small groups of numbers — higher risk, higher reward.
  • La Partage: A French Roulette rule that returns half your even-money bet when the ball lands on 0.
  • Natural: A winning starting hand dealt without drawing extra cards. In Baccarat, a total of 8 or 9. In Blackjack, an Ace plus a 10-value card (a Blackjack).
  • Odds: The ratio of the payout to the original bet. Also used to describe the probability of an outcome.
  • Outside Bet: In Roulette, bets covering large sections of the wheel (e.g., Red/Black, Odd/Even) — lower risk, lower reward.
  • Payout: The winnings returned to a player on a successful bet, usually expressed as a ratio (e.g., 3:2).
  • Push: A tie between the player and dealer — the original bet is returned with no winnings or losses.

R–Z

  • RNG (Random Number Generator): Software used in online casino games to ensure outcomes are genuinely random.
  • Shoe: A device holding multiple decks of cards, used to deal from in Blackjack and Baccarat.
  • Soft Hand: In Blackjack, a hand containing an Ace counted as 11 (e.g., Ace + 6 = soft 17).
  • Split: In Blackjack, dividing a pair of equal cards into two separate hands, each with its own bet.
  • Stand: In Blackjack, choosing not to take any more cards.
  • Straight Up: In Roulette, a bet on a single number. Pays 35:1.
  • Surrender: In Blackjack, forfeiting half your bet and ending the hand early — available in some rule sets.
  • Table Limit: The minimum and maximum bets permitted at a given table.
  • Variance: The short-term swings in outcomes above or below the expected average. High-variance games have wilder ups and downs.
  • Vigorish (Vig): Another term for the casino's commission or built-in house advantage on a bet.

Ready to Play?

With these 30 terms under your belt, you're well-prepared to approach any casino table with a working understanding of what's happening. As you gain experience, these words will become second nature — and you'll soon be the one explaining them to newcomers.