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Horse Racing Terminology
ALL OUT:
A horse that is trying to the best of his ability.
ALSO-ELIGIBLE:
A horse entered in the race but who cannot start unless another horse is
scratched.
ALSO-RAN: A
horse that finishes out of the money.
BACKSTRETCH: The
straight way on the far side of the track.
BEARING IN (or OUT):
Failing to maintain a straight course, veering to the left or right. Can be
caused by injury, fatigue, outside distractions, or poor riding.
BLANKET FINISH: When
the horses finish so close for the win you could theoretically put a single
blanket across them.
BLINKERS:
Equipment worn on the bridle to restrict a horse's vision on the sides to
help maintain attention and avoid distractions.
BLOWOUT:
A short fast workout, usually a day or two before a race, designed to
sharpen a horse's speed.
BOARD: The tote
board on which odds, betting pools and other race information is displayed.
BOBBLE:
A bad step away from the starting gate, sometimes caused by the ground
breaking away from under a horse and causing him to duck his head or go to
his knees.
BOLT:
Sudden veering from a straight course.
BREEZE: Working a
horse at a moderate speed; less effort than handily.
BULLET WORK:
The best workout time for the distance on a given day at a track.
BULL
RING: Small
racetrack less than one mile around.
BUTE:
Phenylbutazone a commonly used analgesic for horses.
CAULK: Projection
on the bottom of a shoe to give the horse better traction, especially on a
wet track.
CHECKED:
A horse pulled up by his jockey for an instant because he is cut off or in
tight quarters.
CHUTE: Extension of
the backstretch or homestretch to allow a longer straight run at the start.
CLOSER:
A horse that runs best in the latter part of the race, coming from off the
pace.
CLUBHOUSE TURN:
Generally the turn immediately after the finish line and closest to the
clubhouse.
COLORS: Racing
silks, the jacket and cap worn by jockeys. Silks can be generic and provided
by the track or specific to one owner.
COUPLED: Two
or more horses running as an entry in a single betting unit.
CUPPY: A
track surface which breaks away under a horse's hoof.
DEAD-HEAT:
Two or more horses finishing in an exact tie at the finish.
DEAD
TRACK:
Racing surface lacking resiliency.
DISTANCED:
Well beaten, finishing a long distance behind the winner.
DOGS:
Wooden barrier (or rubber traffic cones) placed a certain distance out from
the inner rail, to protect the inner part of the track (usually the turf
course) from traffic during workouts to save it for racing.
DRIVING:
Strong urging by rider.
EASED: The jockey
stops the horse during the race so he can't finish, usually due to an injury
or equipment problem.
EASILY:
Running or winning without being pressed by the jockey or opposition.
ENTRY:
Two or more horses owned by the same stable or (in some cases) trained by
the same trainer and running as a single betting unit.
EVENLY: Neither
gaining nor losing position or distance during a race.
EXTENDED:
Forced to run at top speed.
FALTERED: Used
for a horse that was in contention early and drops back in the late stages.
It is more drastic than weakened but less drastic than stopped.
FAST
TRACK:
The optimum condition for a dirt track, dry, fast and even.
FIRM:
A optimum condition for a turf course corresponding to fast on a dirt track.
FIRST
TURN:
Bend in the track beyond the starting point.
FLATTEN OUT:
When a horse drops his head almost on straight line with body, generally
from exhaustion.
FRONT-RUNNER:
A horse that usually leads (or tries to lead) the field for as far as he
can.
FURLONG:
One-eighth of a mile; 220 yards; 660 feet.
GOOD
TRACK: Condition
between fast and slow, generally a bit wet.
GRADUATE:
Winning for the first time.
HANDILY:
Working or racing with moderate effort, but more effort than breezing.
HAND
RIDE: The jockey
urges a horse with the hands and arms without using the whip.
HEAD
OF THE STRETCH:
Beginning of the straight run for the finish.
HEAVY: Condition of
track when wet similar to muddy but slower.
HUNG: A
horse holding the same position, unable to make up distance on the winner.
IN
HAND: Running
under moderate control, at less than best pace.
IMPOST:
Weight carried or assigned.
LENGTH:
Length of a horse from nose to tail, about 8 feet.
LUG
(in or out):
Action of a tiring horse, bearing in or out, failing to keep a straight
course.
MORNING GLORY:
Horse who performs well in morning workouts but fails to fire in actual
races.
MORNING LINE:
Approximate odds quoted before wagering begins.
MUDDY:
Deep condition of racetrack after being soaked with water. Horses who run
will on wet tracks are generally referred to as mudders.
NECK: Unit of
measurement, about the length of a horse's neck; a quarter of a length.
NOSE:
Smallest advantage a horse can win by. In England called a short head.
ON
THE BIT:
When a horse is eager to run.
OVERWEIGHT:
Surplus weight carried by a horse when the rider cannot make the assigned
weight.
PADDOCK: Area
where horses are saddled and kept before post time.
PASTEBOARD TRACK:
Lightning fast racing strip.
POLE:
Markers at measured distances around the track, marking the distance from
the finish. The quarter pole, for instance, is a quarter of a mile from the
finish, not from the start.
POST:
Starting point or position in starting gate.
POOL:
Mutuel pool, the total sum bet on a race or a particular bet.
POST
PARADE: Horses going
from paddock to starting gate past the stands.
POST
POSITION: Position of
stall in starting gate from which a horse starts.
POST
TIME:
Designated time for a race to start.
RIDDEN OUT:
Finishing a race without rider urging him to do his utmost.
SADDLE CLOTH:
Cloth under the saddle on which number denoting post position is displayed.
SCALE
OF WEIGHTS:
Fixed weights to be carried by horses in a race according to age, distance,
sex, and time of year.
SCRATCH: To be
taken out of a race.
SHADOW ROLL:
Usually a lamb's wool roll half way up the horse's face to keep him from
seeing his own shadow.
SILKS:
See colors.
SLOPPY:
A track that is wet on surface with firm bottom.
SLOW: A
track with some moisture in it that is not fast, between good and heavy.
STARTING GATE:
Mechanical device with stalls for horses to stand in until the starter
releases the doors in front to begin the race.
STEADIED:
A horse being taken in hand by his rider, usually because of being in close
quarters.
STICK:
A jockey's whip, also called a bat.
STICKERS:
Calks on shoes that give a horse better traction in mud or on soft tracks.
STRETCH:
Final straight portion of the racetrack to the finish.
STRETCH RUNNER:
Horse who finishes fast in the stretch.
STRETCH TURN: Bend
of track into homestretch.
TAKEN
UP: A
horse pulled up sharply by his rider because of being in close quarters.
TONGUE STRAP OR TIE:
Cloth or rubber strap used to tie down a horse's tongue to prevent it from
choking in a race or workout.
TRACK
RECORD: Fastest time
for a distance at a particular track.
TURF
COURSE:
Grass course.
UNDER
WRAPS:
Horse under stout restraint in a race or workout.
WARMING UP:
Galloping horse on way to post.
WASHY:
Horse breaking out in nervous sweat before race, sometimes to the point it
will be dripping from his belly.
WHIP:
Instrument, usually of leather, with which rider strikes horse to increase
his speed.
General Casino
Terminology
Action -
The amount of money wagered (put into action) by a player
during an entire playing session.
Active Player -
In poker, one who is still in play.
Add-on -
In poker, the facility to buy additional chips in
tournaments.
Aggregate Limit -
Total payout
liability of a casino during any one game.
Aggregate Winnings -
Cumulative or total winnings.
Arm -
A term used in the game of craps to denote a player who is so skilled at
throwing the dice that they are able to alter the conventional odds of the
game. Such a player is said to be 'an arm'. Whether or not such individuals
actually exist or are simply the product of game legend is debatable.
However, it is worth noting that the casino craps dealers are very adamant
about the dice being thrown against the far wall of the table to ensure a
completely random outcome.
Baccarat -
Also called Punto Banco and Chemin De Fer (similar to Baccarat but requires
skill). A table game using 6 or 8 decks of cards which does not require
skill.
Banker -
In card games, the dealer. In some card games, each player becomes a
banker/dealer in turn.
Bankroll -
Also known as 'roll' or 'wad' (colloquial). It pertains to the total money
that either the player or the casino has on hand to back their wagering
activities. A player's bankroll can be classified as existing on several
different levels. At the highest level it pertains to all money specifically
set aside to support all gambling activities. A subset of this bankroll is
the players traveling bankroll, or the amount of money carried along to
support gambling on a particular trip. The traveling bankroll can be further
divided into a specific lesser amounts for each day of the trip, or into
even smaller amounts called table sitting or session playing stakes which
predetermine how much will be risked during any given session or table
sitting. These different types of bankrolls often figure into the overall
money management strategy the player uses to keep control over their
gambling cash activity.
Barred -
Same as Banned. Not allowed to enter the casino premises permanently.
Bet -
Wager.
Betting Limits -
In a table game, the minimum and maximum amounts of money that a player can
wager on one bet. You cannot wager less than the minimum or more than the
maximum amount posted. Some casinos, in special cases, may extend the
maximum limit at a table on request by the player.
Black
Book -
The list of undesirable people who are forbidden to enter any casino in
Nevada.
Blind
Bet -
In poker, a bet posted without the player sees any of his/her
cards.
Blinds -
A forced bet in Hold'em Poker.
Boxing -
In horse racing, a single ticket comprised of more than one parlay.
Break-Even Point -
The break-even point is the point at which if you played forever, the bets
you made would approximately equal the payoffs you would receive.
Buck
-
A $100 wager.
Bug -
A joker.
Bump
-
To raise.
Burn
Cards -
Remove cards from the top of the deck, not to be dealt, and place them in
the discard tray after a shuffle and cut.
Buy
in, Buy-in -
Converting cash into chips. The amount of cash used to purchase casino chips
before entering a table game: blackjack, poker, craps, roulette, etc.
Camouflage -
Anything a skilled gambler does to conceal their activities from the casino.
Camouflage can include mixing in playing and betting behavior that mimics
typical gamblers, or using disguises, appearing to be drunk, or any number
of other possible ploys intended to throw the casino's scrutiny off.
Capping -
Referred to capping of bets. Placing extra chips on top of
initial bet after the deal has begun. It is a serious form of cheating by a
player.
Card
Counting
- Used in blackjack game. Recording (in memory) played cards (usually high
cards) so as to establish a conditional probability advantage on the
remaining cards against the dealer.
Card
Sharp
- A person who is an expert at cards.
Carousel -
A group of slot machines that are positioned in a ring, enabling a change
person (to change bank-notes into coins) to stand in the center.
Carpet Joint -
US slang for a luxury gambling casino.
Case
money -
Emergency money.
Cashier’s Cage -
The casino cash desk for cashing in the chips.
Casino Advantage -
The edge that the House (casino) has over the players.
Casino Rate -
A reduced hotel-room rate (price) that the casinos offer to good customers.
Chase
-
Having lost money on a bet, 'chasing' is having another bet simply to try
and get back the loss.
Check
-
In casino gambling, a check is another term for a chip. In poker, a player
can 'check' in order to stay in the game but not bet.
Chemin De Fer
- (French) A table game using 6 or 8 decks of cards, similar to Baccarat but
requires skill.
Chips
-
Round plastic discs. Casinos require that you use chips for betting. They
are purchased at the gaming tables and exchanged at the cashier's booth or
cage.
Chip
Tray -
The tray in front of a dealer that holds that table’s
inventory of chips.
Coat-tail -
Bet the same numbers as someone who is winning at the moment.
Cold
-
A player on a losing streak, or a slot machine that is not paying out.
Color
Up -
When a player exchanges smaller denomination chips for larger denomination
chips.
Comps
-
Complimentary gifts given by the casino to entice players to gamble. Typical
comps include free hotel room, meals and beverages.
Copy
-
In Pai-Gow Poker, when a player and the banker have the same two-card hand,
or the same five-card hand. The banker wins all copies.
Cracking The Nut -
Making enough money on a gambling venture to cover all expenses plus a
reasonable net profit.
Craps
-
Casino dice table-game.
Credit Button -
In slot machines or video machines, the button that allows players to bank
coins in the form of credits.
Croupier -
French word for Dealer, used in the games of baccarat and
roulette.
Cut -
In card games following a shuffle before the start of a new round of play,
when the dealer or player divides a deck into two parts and inverts them,
using a cut card (see below).
Cut
Card -
A faceless card of different color, usually red or black, that is used to
cut a deck of cards.
Deal
-
To give out the cards during a card game.
Deuce
-
A two in dice.
Dice
-
Two identical numbered cubes. (see Die below)
Die -
Singular for dice, a cube with numbers on each side, 1 to 6.
Dime
Bet -
A $1,000 wager.
Discard Tray -
A tray on the dealer’s right side that holds all the cards that have been
played or discarded in card games like Baccarat, Blackjack and Poker.
Dollar Bet -
A $100 wager.
Doubling Down -
A betting option in blackjack where the player's opening two-card hand is
turned face up and player's original wager is doubled. The player is then
dealt one additional card only, to complete the hand. In the event that the
player beats the dealer's hand or the dealer busts, then the player wins
twice the amount of their original wager. If the player loses, then the
player loses twice the amount of their original wager.
Doubling-up -
The basis of some widely used systems. After a loss the player doubles the
size of his previous bet hoping to win back the money lost and make a
profit. Also known as the Martingale System.
Down
Card -
A face down card.
Down
to the Felt -
Totally out of money, broke.
Draw
-
Relates to the poker games. Basically it means to draw a card (e.g. if you
need a card to make a straight, you are on a 'straight draw' or are 'drawing
to a straight'. In 'draw poker' game, it means the second round of cards
that are dealt. The word draw has slightly different meanings in different
contexts, although generally it has something to do with receiving more
cards, with the hope of improving your hand. Draw games are games where at
some point during the hand you are allowed to discard some or all of your
cards, to be replaced from the deck. Drawing two is thus exchanging two of
your cards. 'The draw' is the point during the game at which players may do
this. By default, when someone asks you if you want to play some draw, they
usually mean five card draw. In other poker games, drawing simply means
staying in the game with the hope of improving your hand when more cards
come. When you stay in a hand with the hope of improving, you are said to be
'on a draw'.
Drop
-
Money lost.
Drop
Box -
On a gaming table, the box that serves as a repository for
cash, markers, and chips.
Edge
-
An advantage over an opponent.
Even
Money Bet -
A bet with odds of 1:1. A bet that pays you back the same amount that you
wagered, plus your original wager.
Expected Win Rate -
In slot machines, the percentage on the total amount of money wagered that
you can expect to win back over time.
Eye
in the Sky -
Slang for video surveillance cameras used by casinos, usually placed on the
ceiling above the gaming area.
Face
Cards -
The Jack, Queen, and King of any suit of cards.
Firing -
Betting a lot. A player who is Firing is wagering large sums.
First
Base -
At the blackjack table, the position on the far left of the dealer is
considered to be first base and is the first position dealt with.
Flat
Betting -
A way of betting where the same amount is bet on each wager. For example, if
a player always bets $10 on each hand or spin and never raised or lowered
their bet, they would be said to be flat betting.
Front
Money -
Cash or bank checks/cheques deposited with the casino to establish credit
for a player who bets against that money.
Grease -
A bribe.
Gross
Winnings -
The total payout (including your stake).
Hand
-
Refers to the cards that you hold, or to everything that happens in a card
game between shuffles of the deck.
Hard
Count -
Activity in which coin (hard) currency is counted. It is usually done in a
special room under tight security. Counting the change from slot machines.
Hard
Hand -
In blackjack, any hand that does not contain an Ace valued at 11. (You can
value an Ace 1 or 11 to suit you).
High
Poker -
Standard poker, as compared to low poker or lowball. In high poker, high
hands win.
High
Roller -
A player that wagers big bets.
Hit -
In blackjack, to take another card. The card received is also called a hit.
Holding Your Own -
Neither winning nor losing, just breaking even.
Hot -
A player who is on a winning streak, or a slot machine that is paying out.
House
-
A casino or gambling center/centre. Also the operators of a
gambling game.
House
Edge -
The casino in-built advantage, usually gained by paying less than the odds.
Inside Bets -
A roulette bet placed on any number, or small combination of numbers.
Insurance -
In blackjack, a side bet that the dealer has a natural. Insurance is offered
only when the dealers up card is an ace. The insurance bet wins double if
the dealer has a natural, but loses if the dealer does not.
Jackpot -
A big win on a slot machine.
Joker
-
The 53rd card in a deck, sometimes used as a wild card.
Juice
-
(USA) Vig. or Vigorish. Commission taken by the house
Laying the Odds -
There are two fundamental forms of wagering, 'taking the odds' and 'laying
the odds'. In most forms of sports betting, some odds are so high in favour
of the likely winner that winning wagers get paid an amount less than the
amount wagered by some percentage, and this is what is meant by 'laying the
odds'. In most casino games the player is 'taking the odds' by wagering an
amount that is less than they will receive if they win, that is; if you
wager $1 you would win more than $1.
Layout -
Cloth on a gaming table. Markings tell you where you can
place your bets.
Load
up -
To play the maximum number of coins per spin that a slot machine or video
game will allow.
Long
Run -
The number of rounds of play, hands or spins, needed for the ratio of wins
to losses to reach a point where they are changed very little by the
cumulative effect of outcomes.
Loose
-
Referred to slot machines that have a generous payout.
Low
Poker -
Also called lowball, is poker in which the pot is awarded to the hand with
the lowest poker value.
Marker -
A check/cheque that can be written at the gaming tables by a player who has
established credit with the casino. An IOU.
Martingale -
Betting system based on doubling-up after each loss.
Match
Play -
The competition system used in tournaments (usually card games) in which two
participants play a series of games which ends when one player accumulates a
required number of points. Each game could be worth one, two, or more
points.
Mechanic -
Slang meaning a dealer who cheats.
Money
Put In Action -
This is not the actual dollar amount of money you bring to the table to play
with. Suppose that you sat down at a roulette table with a $100 and
proceeded to play 90 spins over, say, three hours, betting $10 on each spin
of the wheel. If you multiply 90 spins by $10 totals $900. This would be the
amount of 'money you put into action' even though your actual bankroll was
only $100. This is one of the criteria some casinos use to assess your
rating and eligibility for comps.
Natural -
In blackjack, a natural is a two-card hand of twenty-one points. In baccarat
a natural is a two-card total of eight, or nine.
Net
Winnings -
Total payout less your stake.
Number Pool -
The range of numbers from which you select the ones you want to play. A
typical lottery pool ranges from 1 to 60, and the keno pool is 1 to 80.
Nut -
Either the overhead costs of running a casino, or the fixed amount that a
gambler decides to win in a day.
Odds
-
Ratio of probabilities. The casino's view of the chance of a player winning.
The figure or fraction by which the casino offers to multiply a bettor's
stake, which the bettor is entitled to receive (plus his or her own stake)
if they win.
Outside Bets -
Roulette bets located on the outside part of the layout. They involve
betting 12 or 18 numbers with one chip.
Overlay -
A good bet where the player has an edge over the casino.
Paint
-
A Jack, Queen or King. Picture card. Face card.
Pigeon -
An uneducated, naive, or unsophisticated gambler.
Pit -
An area of a casino in which a group of table games are arranged, where the
center area is restricted to dealers and other casino personnel.
Pit
Boss -
A supervisor who oversees a gaming area. Usually supervises more than one
table at the same time.
Pit
Manager -
A pit manager is in charge of all the table games, enforcing casino policy.
He deals with any problems that may arise during the shift where a crucial
decision must be made that may lead to a customer being dissatisfied or
angry. Also, he handles Comps and dodges undeserving customers who are
trying to get free Room, Food, Beverage (free RFB).
Plug
-
A shuffling technique that is sometimes employed in card games like
blackjack where the game is often dealt from a multi-deck shoe. When freshly
shuffled cards are brought back into action a substantial portion of the
cards are kept out of play by the insertion of a cut-card at the back of the
deck or shoe. The placement of the cut card marks the place where play will
be stopped and the cards are again shuffled. During the play, used cards are
stacked in a discard tray. When the cut-card is reached, the game is
stopped, and the remaining un-dealt cards are inserted somewhere into the
middle of the cards that have already been stacked up in the discard tray.
The cards so inserted are referred to as a 'plug'. Such action is called
'plugging' the deck.
Pocket Cards -
In poker where some of the player's cards are dealt to them face down. These
cards are called pocket cards.
Poker
-
Basically a card game. But poker isn't just a card game - it is many card
games. The majority of poker games do share some common features, especially
betting in rounds and the ranking of hands. Poker is commonly played in
cardrooms (often within casinos) and in private home games. The games played
in cardrooms seem to divide into stud games, draw games, and flop games. In
home games, however, anything goes, including games that seem to have no
reason to be called poker. The varieties played in home games probably
number in the hundreds. Some common cardroom games include Texas Hold'em,
Seven Card Stud, Omaha, Razz, Lowball, and Pineapple.
Press
a Bet -
Adding the winnings over the current bet, to 'let it ride'.
Pressing -
A player is pressing the bet when they let winnings ride by wagering them
along with the original bet.
Probability -
A mathematical calculation that establishes the likelihood that an event
will occur. Probabilities are expressed as numbers between 0 and 1. The
probability of an impossible event is 0, while an event that is certain to
occur has a probability of 1.
Progression Betting -
A system of betting applied to many games where bet-size is systematically
changed, up or down, across as series of rounds of play according to some
predetermined formula.
Progressive -
A slot machine whose potential jackpot increases with each
coin that is played. When the progressive jackpot finally hits, the amount
resets to the starting number.
Pull
Tab, Pulltab -
A game similar to the lottery game. Tickets sell for 25 cents or 50 cents or
even more and typically offer prizes ranging from free tickets to $500. Each
ticket has perforated windows which open revealing symbols similar to those
found on slot machines or some lottery games.
Punch
Board -
Another lottery-type game. The player punches out a slot on a board for a
chance to win a merchandise prize. Punch boards offering cash prizes are
also common.
Push
-
A tie hand between a dealer and a player. A round of play where neither the
player nor the casino wins.
Qualifier -
In poker, the minimum ranking a hand must have in order for
it to be eligible to take part of the pot.
Rack
-
A plastic container in which you can transport and count
large-denominational coins, slot machine tokens, and casino plastic chips.
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
-
In poker, the worth of a set of cards.
Rated
-
Determination by the casino that a player's skill level is above average or
on a professional level. A player's rating may be stored on computer and
referred to the pit.
RFB -
Comped with free Room, Food, and Beverages.
Riffling (Card Riffling) -
A commonly used shuffling process. To accomplish a riffle, the deck is
divided roughly in half and the two halves are interleaved by pulling the
card corners up with the thumbs and letting the two halves 'riffle'
together. Riffling is also sometimes called 'zipping' the cards. Like card
Stripping (see below), the riffling process can span a range from a fine
riffle to a coarse riffle.
Round
of Play -
A round or hand of play can consist of a single wager or several wagers made
during the time of a short wagering event. For example, in poker the round
of play (wagering event) begins with the dealing of the cards and ends when
the winning player takes the pot. In casino craps a round of play begins
with the 'come out' roll and ends when the passline wagers are decided. This
may take one or several rolls of the dice. In between, the player might have
multiple wagers riding on several different numbers and other betting
options. All wagers made between the time of the come out roll and the
decision roll are considered to be part of that round of play. In roulette
each spin is counted as a round of play, no matter how many bets you place.
RVP -
Recreational Vehicle Parking.
Sawdust Joint (US) -
A term for a non-luxury gambling club.
Sawbuck -
Ten dollars.
Scared Money -
Money that you
cannot afford to lose.
Session -
A period of play or a table sitting at any gambling game.
Sharker, Sharper, or Sharp (Cardsharp) -
A cheater.
Shill
-
A person who actively plays in the game for the house, club, or casino.
Usually seen at a Baccarat table to fill empty seats, until more real
players join in.
Shiner -
A tiny mirror or any reflecting device used by a cheater to see unexposed
cards. A reflecting device used to try and glimpse the dealer's hole card.
Shoe
-
Device, usually a wooden box, used for holding and dispensing playing cards
to be dealt. Shoe games are typically composed of six or eight decks of
cards.
Short
Run -
A short series of wagers or game events.
Shuffle Tracking -
A high level blackjack playing strategy used by card counters.
Shuffle Up -
Premature shuffling of playing cards by the dealer.
Shuffling (Card Shuffling) -
Is a generic term which encompasses all card mixing techniques used to
prepare a deck or a shoe for continued play. All casino shuffling processes
employ a combination of mixing techniques. These may include 'Stripping' or
'washing' the cards as well as 'riffling', 'boxing', 'plugging', 'cutting'
and other off-spring techniques. All shuffling processes employ multiple
riffles of 'clumps', 'picks', or 'grabs' to achieve some level of
randomization. The shoe games, which use multiple decks of cards (4, 6, or 8
decks), will often employ the most intricate riffling patterns of all. In
these, the picks are riffled together and then re-picked and re-riffled in
complex symmetric patterns.
Silver Mining -
Also called Slot Walking. The practice of looking for coins left in
unattended slot machines.
Single -
A Straight bet on one selection, also known as a straight-up bet.
Singleton -
In poker, a card that is the only one of its rank.
Skin
-
A dollar.
Slot
Club Member -
Slot clubs were invented for slot fanatics. By becoming a member you are
given a card (like a credit card). Using your card while playing the slots
(also table games in some casinos) helps you earn free points / cash. The
rules, number of points needed to achieve regular club status, and the
benefits given to the player are different at every casino.
Slot
Walking -
Also called Silver Mining. The practice of looking for coins left in
unattended slot machines.
Snake
Eyes -
When you roll a two in craps, it is called 'Snake Eyes' - eyes
because they look like eyes, snake because they are bad news (for the
shooter).
Soft
Hand -
In blackjack, any hand that contains an ace counted as eleven is called a
soft hand.
Spinner -
A winning streak.
Spooking -
Used in blackjack game. The act of standing behind the dealer to peak at the
hole card and then secretly convey the information to a partner player
sitting at the 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.
Stack
-
A stack of chips, usually 20 chips in a column commonly used
in Roulette.
Standing Hand -
In blackjack, meaning a hand which hard-totals to 17 or more, which is very
likely to bust if one more card is called and therefore the player is
expected to stand.
Steaming -
A blackjack term where a player has become frustrated with how badly the
events of a session of play have turned out. 'Steaming' in blackjack has
practically the same meaning as 'going on tilt' in poker. In either case the
player has lost emotional control and is betting more aggressively and often
recklessly in an attempt to turn things around.
Stiff
(A Stiff Hand) -
In blackjack, a hand that is not pat and that may bust if hit once. Stiffs
include hard twelve through sixteen.
Straight Keno -
The basic keno game, played by marking individual numbers on a keno ticket.
Streak Betting
-
Also known as 'Progressive Betting'. A system of raising or lowering
the size of one's wager based on what happened on the previous round or
rounds. There are basically two kinds of streak betting systems; negative
and positive. In a positive streak betting or positive progression betting
system the size of the player's wager is raised on the next round after a
winning round. In a negative streak betting or negative progression betting
system you do exactly the opposite by increasing the wager size on each
subsequent loss. There is an almost endless number of variations of both
negative and positive streak betting progressions, each one distinguished by
when the progression is invoked, how much the wagers are raised or lowered,
and when the progression is terminated.
Stripping (Card Stripping) -
Is a shuffling technique which reverses the sequential order of the cards in
the deck. For instance, imagine if a dealer took the first card off the top
of a deck and placed it on the table and then took the second card off the
top and placed it on top of the first card. If this process were continued
until the 52nd card was placed on top, then the sequential ordering among
the cards would have been completely reversed. This characterizes the basic
process of striping. The process described above would be a very fine strip.
Often the dealers will speed up the process by rapidly pulling small clumps
of cards off the top of the deck rather than a single card at a time. The
number of cards in the clumps determine how fine or coarse the striping
process is.
Suit
-
Any one of the four types of cards: clubs, diamonds, hearts or spades.
Surrender -
In blackjack, to give up half your bet for the privilege of not playing out
a hand. In roulette, you effectively lose only half on an even-money bet
when the ball lands on 0.
System -
A method of betting, usually mathematically based, used by a punter or
bettor to try to get an advantage. A prominent factor in most systems, is
the criteria used to determine when the player's wagers should be raised or
lowered. See
Systems
on this site.
TAB
- Totalisator Agency Board. The body appointed to regulate
off-course betting (bets made by people who are not present at the race
track).
Table
Hold -
The amount of money won by the casino table game from the players during an
eight-hour work shift.
Table
Stakes -
In poker, stakes in which the betting and raising is limited to the amount
of money a player has on the table in front of him.
Taking the Odds -
There are two fundamental forms of wagering, 'taking the odds' and 'laying
the odds'. In most casino games the player is 'taking the odds' by wagering
an amount that is less than they will receive if they win, that is; if you
wager $1 you would win more than $1. In most forms of sports betting, some
odds are so high in favour of the likely winner that winning wagers get paid
an amount less than the amount wagered by some percentage, and this is what
is meant by 'laying the odds'.
Tapping Out -
Losing one's entire gambling bankroll and thus having to stop playing.
Tell
Play -
Observing the dealer's body language and expressions to determine his hole
card. In poker game 'tells' pertain to quirks or readable aspects of a
players actions, verbal behavior, or body language that give away
information about what cards they are holding.
Third
Base -
In blackjack, the spot nearest the dealer’s right hand, which will be played
last before the dealer’s hand is played.
Three-Card Monte -
A three-card game similar to Bragg.
Ticket -
A card.
Time
Cut (Also, Axe or Collection) -
Money charged each player on a time basis by the casino or by the poker room
owner. Charge is usually on a 3 minute or an hourly basis.
Toke
-
Toke is short for 'token'. A tip given to the dealer in the form of money or
chips. Unlike tokens, tokes are more specifically the tips that the game
dealers receive from the players. A player who is known to toke the dealer
heavily is sometimes referred to as a 'George' or a 'Real George'.
Touch
Wand -
A pointing device used on some video keno machines to select numbers.
Tournament -
Basically, a competition game between a group of players over a period of
time. For example, in Poker tournaments a bunch of poker players sit down
with the same number of chips, and eventually only one player has any chips
left. In order to ensure that the event will finish in reasonable time,
tournaments institute a schedule by which the blinds and/or antes increase.
Tournaments are usually played with chips that have no value outside of the
tournament. So a buy-in of $30 might get you $500 in tournament chips to
play with, but you can't cash them out in the middle. The winner of a
tournament (the last player to bust out) as well as several of the other top
finishers are typically awarded prize money according to some predetermined
schedule. Tournament details vary widely, but a typical arrangement might
include an initial buy-in, a re-buy period during which a player who runs
out of tournament chips may buy more, and an opportunity to add on to one's
stack after the re-buys have ended. Other details about the structure can
vary widely.
True
Odds -
The real odds of something happening. Actual odds taking into account the
casino edge. The ratio of the number of times one event will occur to the
number of times that it will not. The odds posted in a casino are usually
not the true odds.
Underlay -
A bad or unfavorable bet. An event that has more money bet on its happening
than can be justified by the probability of it happening.
Unit
(Betting Units) -
Technical term used to express the smallest amount of money used in wagering
without specifying the actual Dollar or other currency amount. The player's
actual 'chip' bet may be $1, $5, $25, $100 or other value. However, for
purposes of simplifying gambling related calculations, the wager is
specified as simply one betting unit or one chip.
Up
Card (Upcard) -
The face up card of the dealer's initial hand in blackjack. Standard casino
rules require the dealers to deal their own opening hands with one card
face-up and one card face-down. The card that is dealt face-up is the
dealers 'up card'. The card the is dealt face-down is said to be the dealers
'hole card'.
Vig.,
Vigorish -
The casino edge, fee or commission taken by the house.
VIP -
A Very Important Person. Usually a big bettor or a high roller.
Wager
-
Any Bet.
Washing (Card Washing) -
A card shuffling technique where the dealer spreads the cards on the table
face down and then proceeds to mix them around with his hands flat in a
face-washing-like action before gathering them up and performing a more
normal shuffle. Card washing is intended to remove any consistencies in the
sequencing among the cards that new decks of cards have, or that were
produced in play prior to the present shuffle. In standard table poker the
cards are washed after every hand before they are subjected to a more
conventional shuffling. In blackjack and baccarat, the cards are washed when
old decks are taken out of play and fresh new decks brought in to replace
them.
Whale
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