A good glossary is essential among gambling basics. Those learning gambling should have a basic handle on gambling terminology. To get you started, Start Gambling has compiled the below list of the most significant gambling terms, definitions and slang used in land and online casinos.

21: Another means of referring to Blackjack. 21 is also the best hand in Blackjack.

Action: Signifies the total money wagered within a particular period. 5 bets of $100 = $500 of “action”.

Bankroll: The sum of money a player sets aside specifically for gambling.

Betting Limits: The least and largest bets allowed at a game.

Blackjack: A Blackjack hand comprised of an Ace and a 10-value card. Its total is 21. Typically, a Blackjack pays 3 to 2.

Bust/Busted: A Blackjack hand value in excess of 21. Players "bust" after accepting a card that pushes their total hand value over 21.

Buy In: Amount of money required for a player to enter a game.

Casino Edge: The advantage maintained by the casino on any bet. Typically expressed as a percentage.

Chasing Losses: Increasing your bet in hopes of recovering previous losses.

Comps: Rewards given to participants for their time spent at the table, machine, etc. Generally, the higher and more frequently a player bets, the quicker a player acquires comp points.

Counting Cards / Card Counting: A Blackjack tactic considered a skill by some, a crime by others. Requires a player mentally record all cards played in the course of a Blackjack game in order to estimate which cards remain in the shoe. To do this, players assign "weights" to each card’s value and add the card weights as they are revealed by the dealer. The resulting total is known as the "count" and tells players the best time to enter the game. Though card counting is legal, most land casinos throw players that are caught counting out of the casino.

European Roulette: A Roulette game whose wheel is composed of 37 pockets numbered 0 to 36. As compared to American roulette, European Roulette players maintain better odds.

Even Money: A Roulette bet whose payoff is 1 to 1. These include Red, Black, Odd, Even, Low, and High bets. In Blackjack, even money is a compromise bet extended to players holding 21 when the dealer shows an Ace (i.e. he has a possible Blackjack). Players who accept are paid 1:1 for their Blackjack, versus 3:2. Face Card: A Jack, Queen or King.

Flat Bettor: A bettor who never changes his wager.

Hand: In card games, the cards dealt to a playing position during a single round of play.

Hit/Hit Me: In Blackjack, the request of additional cards in order to get closer to 21. A player may say "hit me", tap his forefinger on the table’s surface, or scratch his cards on the tabletop to indicate a desire for more cards.

Hole Card: Card placed face down before the dealer.

Jackpot: The top prize a player may claim, whether static or progressive.

Martingale Betting System: A Roulette betting system wherein a player makes even money bets and follows each loss by doubling up. Several players cite flaws in the system, including the potential loss of huge sums of money and the existence of max bets on tables at all casinos.

Payback Percentage: The percentage of the game’s money earned that it pays back to players.

Progressive Jackpot: A jackpot whose total is comprised of a percentage of the bets placed on several “pooled” games. Progressive jackpots increase as players bet. To win progressives in slots, players must bet max coins.

RNG: Acronym for Random Number Generator, which is the computer program whose algorithms determine which game outcomes appear.

Roulette Bets:



Stand: When a player decides to accept no additional cards to his hand. Normally indicated by waving ones hand, palm facing downward.