When you first enter an online casino, you would never think that your fluency in English can ever be doubted, right? But suddenly, you are in a gaming environment that is shouting terms, left, right and centre, that you have never heard of, never mind understand what they actually mean.
That is the thing, when it comes to casino terminology used within all of the games, you will find that they are in fact, like a completely new language. So, feeling slightly intimidated is totally called for. Yet, with practice and more exposure to all the games and their terminology, you will pick up the terms really quickly!
Everyone has to start from somewhere, even we did – so you can do that too!
Have a read over the terms that we have mentioned and make a note of the ones that you think you may need to look over. This guide has been designed to help you make the best of your next casino gambling session, so take note.
Blackjack Gambling Terms
Blackjack is one of the most requested card games of the casino gambling industry. It has been around for years, with many variants currently available on the market. Many of the best gambling movies of all time use blackjack as the theme of the movie.
To get good at blackjack, you will need to know the terms of course, but also you should know advanced card counting techniques and great strategy in between your gameplay sessions. Good strategy takes time and experience, but taking a whizz through our guide should help, we believe. So, make sure that you do!
Movies have helped people know the terms that we are about to mention, with a miss of a few. So, this should not be hard for you to pick up at all. Have a gander and see for yourself.
A Perfect Pair: A perfect pair is one where the dealer will announce that the hand of cards you or another player has is of the same value. So, it can be the same suit and colour i.e. Ace of Spades. This option is a popular betting strategy when players opt to play with side bets, alongside their main betting procedure.
Hole and Up Card: A hole card is one of the cards of the dealer, as is the up card. One is unexposed and the other is shown. Of course, both cards will eventually be revealed once the round of the game has been completed.
The Breaking Hand: The breaking hand is used when the player's hand of cards does not include an ace card. This term is used as a suggestion that if you add another card, you may go bust due to your already high value of cards and therefore at risk of going bust.
The Bust Card: The bust card is the card that made you go above the value of 21 for the game. Anything that makes you go over that number is then referred to as the bust card.
The Dealing Shoe: The dealing shoe is the actual container that the deck of cards are put into by the dealer. Today it actually looks nothing like a shoe, yet when blackjack was first introduced with the use of the shoe, it very much did resemble one.
Roulette Gambling Terms
We thought we would start off with our favourite game at casinos, and that is roulette. The reason why we like roulette so much, is due to the origins of the game and the class and elegance that comes with it. Roulette is originally French, so many of the terms are actually directly translated from French, or have remained in the same original context.
You can always test yourself with all the new terms learned, by taking a visit to an online roulette casino, to practice and see what you manage to retain from all the information that we have listed. Roulette casinos give out some really great high rolling incentives, so you could practice via free play at first and then really put yourself to the test with some real money wagering action! In the meantime, check out the most important terms down below.
‘Can I have two ponies?’: Obviously, this term does not mean that you want ponies to play your game of roulette. It actually translates to a £25 wager within the roulette game. We do not actually know how this term came to actually be, but we are down for it. It is very quirky and does make you feel kind of funky when you say it within a casino setting. You always feel better for using the exact casino terms, it makes it seem so official and that you have way more experience of the game than you actually do.
‘Wheel Checks’: So, this term is used to mention chips within a roulette game. These are unique and do not follow the categories of colours that are used to distinguish other chip values. It signifies the smallest value for the table that is needed to play the game and every player has a wheel check of a different colour, to signify their individual bets.
Pinching and Past Posting: This term is used when the player removes the chips from the table, when you have lost the game and your bet. The past posting part, is when you make a stake after the winning number on the wheel has been announced.
‘Two stacks of colour please’: Another term mentioned, when you want to mention a colour of roulette chips from a selected pile of chips. If a full stack is mentioned, then you will need to associate that a full 20 chips are being added to your game.
Slots Gambling Terms
Slot machines are highly loved within the UK and internationally. This game doesn't require you to interact with anyone, nor a croupier, therefore the lack of communication would suggest that you will not need to know many terms when you play, right? To some extent, this is true. However, players will still be expected to know and understand the use of certain bonus feature names and the high value symbols that will appear in your reels. These are often referred to as scatter symbols, multipliers, wild symbols, etc.
The best way to really have at it and understand what needs to be understood when you play a certain slot site game, is by looking into each slot game review and understanding the bonus features of what you should expect. We have a list of reviews that you can have a look into, to really understand the kind of terms you should know for the best slot games you like to play. Make sure to check them out on our review page for each software developer‘s title releases.
Poker Gambling Terms
Poker is another very popular game amongst casino sites. It also has a very good reputation across Hollywood and movie culture. We are sure that you remember the intense movie scene between James Bond and Le Chiffre, in Casino Royale, right? The pretence within that scene is a perfect example of how poker is the essence of great movies. Poker gets the adrenaline pumping and it is a game that really can bring together many different types of players. Let us not forget to mention the bluffing techniques that you need to get good at, to win your rounds of betting too.
Poker is played everywhere, and to really make the best of your game, it makes sense to make sure you know all the terms in between, to carry your through the rounds effortlessly. If you do not know, just one of the terms, you may find yourself struggling down the lines of playing, putting yourself at risk, of the money you are wagering. Of course, we have noted down the most important terms down below!
Bluff/Bluffing: We thought we would start with one of the easiest terms-one that you may already know. This one represents the action you take to counteract and deceive your opponents. This term is used everywhere, beyond the typical poker scenario. Many people use it today, when they believe people are telling white lies or not the entire truth from a situation.
Folding: Folding, or to fold, is when a player will decide to pass or give up on the hand of cards they currently possess. This will be used, when they believe their hand of cards is of no value and cannot compete against other players.
Raising/Raise: Raise is where a player would like to increase the bet beyond what the player had wagered. This will make players either meet the bet, raise some more or fold out entirely. Definitely a situation that requires big consideration-the heat of the table when big moments like these are occurring is definitely entertaining to watch!
Call: When you call a bet, that is you meeting the demands of the bet and making the same bet as the previous player. That means you stay in the momentum of the game, without having to give much more of your cash. This can be a big indicator though, that your hand is not as strong as you would like others to believe. Then again, as a part of bluffing, you could be wanting players to believe that, they have nothing to fear from you. Playing it very subtly…
The Check: The check is when there have been no bets made in regard to the strength of the players hands. This means you can do the same and keep the game value neutral, just as every other player has.
Final terms you should know
Despite the fact we have mentioned game specific terminology, there are other terms that you can use for every table game in the business. These terms are not game specific at all. Check them out down below.
‘Final bets please’: This is where all players are asked to decide if they want to call bets, raise or pass, before the time of the game runs out. You will need to make your decision in a systematic order and wait until it is your turn to call out your decision.
‘No more bets please!’: This is when the croupier will announce that no more bets can be taken and the time has officially run out. Make sure you listen out for this, as your bet will not be accepted after. However, all the results will be announced shortly after, meaning the winning hand/bet will be revealed.
Colour up: This is what you will say, when you want to exchange your chips for something of a higher value. Make sure to act on this before the game finishes and you will need to leave the table to make way for new players.
Frequently asked questions
What does the term ‘juice’ mean in gambling?
Juice is not an official term used within gambling that is regulated legally. This terminology is often used within illegal gambling events that take place in secret locations, or in movies of course.
Which terms are the easiest to pick up?
The easiest terms to learn are the ones from slot machines. The reason being, is that you will not be against any other people in the process of playing, so all the special symbols or game features can be reacted to, in your own pace. In addition to this, you can always select a free play version, to really practice before having to play with any money related risks.