Common Gambling Terms Used in Vegas – Glossary of Casino Terms – BestUSCasinos.org

Every visit to Las Vegas can become an educational experience for gamblers.

Whether youre trying a new game for the first time, hitting a casino youve never been to before, or diving deep into Sin Citys history, youll definitely learn something new whenever youre here.

And one of the most common lessons learned in Las Vegas concerns the various slang terms used by gamblers and casino staff when the games get underway. After nearly nine decades offering an oasis of legalized gambling for all Americans to enjoy, Las Vegas has developed a language all its own.

Chips are widely known as checks, a team favored to win by the sportsbook is called the chalk, tips handed out to the dealer are actually tokes you get the idea.

As a lifelong Las Vegas local, colloquial phrases like this have become embedded in my brain, so much so that I barely notice them any longer. But when I spent some time taking a few pals from out of town on a tour of my favorite gambling halls, I struggled with expressing myself in ways they could easily interpret. For a while there, my buddies even thought I was making a few of the slang terms up on the fly.

That experience made me realize just how much I take my insider info for granted living in here. With that in mind, I figured putting together a full glossary of commonly used casino gambling phrases might help visitors feel more comfortable during their next trip to Las Vegas.

86d (or Eighty-Sixed) A term used to describe property bans handed out to cheats, excessive drunks, and other undesirable patrons. If youve been directed to avoid entering all Caesars Entertainment properties, for example, youve just been 86d.

The origins of this phrase are quite murky, but most people believe that the 86 stems from Sin Citys days as a haven for mobsters, most of whom had no reservations about driving victims 8 miles out into the desert, before burying them 6 feet under the sand.

Action A term with many meanings, action is typically used to describe any pending wager (i.e. You placed the chip forward sir, so that bet will be considered action win or lose.) Gamblers also speak about staying in action when referring to getting back in the game. A table game with many people placing large bets is also said to have a lot of action.

Aggregate Limit Casinos use aggregate limits to put a cap on their liability within any given game or wager. In the case of a 1,000 to 1 bonus jackpot on a game like Let It Ride, for example, the aggregate limit might be set at $100,000. In this case, a player betting $100 on the bonus would win the full share, but if two or more players do so successfully, theyd be forced to split the aggregate limit amount evenly amongst themselves.

All-In In a poker game with no betting limits, such as No Limit Texas Holdem, going all-in refers to the act of wagering every chip you have in play.

Although its used less often in the table game pit, a player is ostensibly going all-in whenever they bet the last of their chips.

Ante The initial bet required to enter a table game like blackjack or baccarat. Alternatively, at the poker table, an ante is any forced bet all players must contribute before the cards can be dealt.

Bankroll The money a gambler keeps on hand at all times, usually separate from their non-gambling spending money, to use on the tables, machines, or sportsbook.

Bad Beat Typically used in poker, a bad beat refers to any loss in which the losing player had a higher probability of winning than their opponent. Holding pocket Aces only to lose to an inferior pocket pair like 5-5 would be deemed a bad beat. Similarly, holding a 20 in blackjack only to see the dealer run out five cards to make 21 would be a bad beat.

Beard When somebody has been 86d from the casino or sportsbook, they often resort to using a beard or a trusted third party who places bets on their behalf to stay in the action.

Burn Card In games like poker or blackjack, the burn card is any card taken from the top of the deck and placed face down before the actual card in play is dealt.

Burn cards are a holdover from the Wild West days of Las Vegas when cheaters ran rampant.

By burning a card before revealing the next one, players and dealers alike ensure that a stacked deck wont work in the cheaters favor.

Capping This term has two meanings, the first of which is simply short for handicapping, or the process of picking winners at the sportsbook. Another use for capping involves an act of cheating in which players attempt to cap a winning bet with additional chips to increase their payout.

Carpet Joint Taken from the pre-1950s era when Las Vegas gambling halls had wooden floors sprinkled with sawdust. In 1951, Benny Binion opted to install plush carpet throughout his Horseshoe casino, creating the citys first carpet joint, in hopes that the luxurious trappings would help to attract high-rollers.

In modern times, a carpet joint typically refers to the ultra-chic 5-star luxury casinos that cater to high-rollers.

Chalk Whichever side is favored to win a sports bet is often referred to as the chalk.

Check (or Cheque) As a noun, check or cheque refers to the casino chips used in lieu of cash. As a verb, to check is an action taken at the poker table in which the player declines his option to place the first bet.

Cold Call At the poker table, cold-calling refers to the act of calling a raise when you havent made an initial bet. In other words, when one player in front of you bets, and a second player raises, calling the raise is considered a cold call.

Color Up Whenever a player or dealer exchanges smaller denomination chips for higher denomination chips of a different color, theyve colored up. You might slide the dealer a stack of 20 red $5 chips to color up for a single black $100 chip.

Comp As a noun, a comp is short for complimentary and refers to any freebie handed out by the house to reward regular play.

Rooms, buffet meals, and tickets to the in-house show are all commonly awarded comps.

As a verb, to comp is the act of distributing these perks to the player.

Credit A term used on gaming machines, such as video poker and slot machine games as a substitute for coin denominations. If you slide a $100 bill into a $0.25 video poker machine, youll start the game with 400 credits.

Crossfire A term referring to the small talk made by dealers, either with fellow staff members of players at the table. Often, a dealer mistake will be made in the midst of an intense bout of crossfire which causes them to become distracted.

Croupier The French word for dealer, a croupier is typically found spinning the wheel in the French table game roulette.

Cut Card In games where a deck of cards, or a shoe containing multiple decks, is used, the dealer uses a special card to cut them after a shuffle. From there, the dealer slides their cut card on the bottom of the deck to prevent players from seeing it when the deck is lifted off the felt.

Dark As a noun, a dark bet refers to any bet (typically in poker) made before seeing ones starting hands and/or the community cards. As a verb, dark betting refers to the same action.

Dime Shorthand for any wager equal to $1,000.

Dirty Stack Any stack of chips which contains one or more off-colored chips.

If you have 19 of the $5 red chips in a stack, but one of the $1 white chips stuck in the middle somewhere, that stack is said to be dirty.

Dollar Shorthand for any wager equal to $100

Double Down A play used in blackjack, typically on 10 or 11 value starting hands, wherein the player adds a second wager equal to their original wager. From there, the dealer gives the double down player one more card, with winning hands receiving the full 2x payout.

Double Up Any successful bet which pays out at even money odds to produce a 2x payout. In poker, a player who goes all-in and wins a matching amount from their opponent has doubled up.

In video poker, many machines offer a Double Up side game after winners which allows the player to choose a high card at random in hopes of doubling their initial profit.

Down Shorthand for the shifts, usually 30 minutes in duration, where a dealer is tasked with running a certain table. If your favorite dealer isnt at this particular table, waiting a down or two will usually bring them by in short order.

Drop In casino gambling, the drop refers to any chips collected by the casino after player losses.

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In poker, the drop refers to chips deducted from the pot which is also known as the rake to pay the poker rooms overhead or build the bad beat jackpot.

Edge Shorthand for any advantage held during a gambling game. In its most common usage, the house edge refers to the inherent advantage offered to the casino based on a game or wagers win probability vis a vis its payout. Card counters in blackjack are capable of nullifying the houses edge, lending themselves a rare player edge in the process.

Even Money Any payout which is exactly equal to the amount wagered.

Blackjack bets are always paid out at even money, as are the Player bet in blackjack, the outside (Red or Black, Odd or Even, Low or High) bets in roulette, and the minimum payable hand in most forms of video poker.

Eye in the Sky This term refers to the network of overhead security cameras which are trained on the gaming floor at all times. When the floor staff wants to scrutinize a suspected cheaters playing habits, theyll call on security staff to use the eye in the sky.

That does it for the A E segment of my casino gambling glossary, but be sure to check back with the F M and N Z pages as well to complete your education. The world of Las Vegas slang can be a bit difficult to wrap your mind around at first glance, but once youve studied this three-part glossary, youll be betting like a reg (thats clearly short for regular) in no time flat.

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Common Gambling Terms Used in Vegas - Glossary of Casino Terms - BestUSCasinos.org