Casino glossary A to Z

Our casino glossary explains the words you meet at UK tables, slots and live studios, from ace and ante to vigorish and wheel bias. Each entry gives a plain definition, a worked example with numbers and links to the games where the term matters.

By the BonusKing editorial team. Last checked 25 October 2026.

How to use the casino glossary

This casino glossary is built for the moment you see a word on a rules screen and want to know what it means for your money. Every entry starts with a one-line definition, then shows how the term works, an example with real numbers and where you’ll meet it. Related words are linked, so a term like push leads on to related ideas such as a natural and even money.

Terms are listed A to Z below. If you’re learning a particular game, the table groups some of the most useful entries by where they come up. Entries are written for UK players, so where a rule differs in Great Britain, such as stake limits on online slots, the entry says so.

Casino terms grouped by game

Key glossary terms by game, with a quick example
Game	Term	Quick example
Blackjack	Soft hand	Ace and 6 is soft 17: the ace can count as 1 or 11
Blackjack	Double down	Double the stake, take exactly one more card
Roulette	Single zero	37 pockets, so a straight-up bet wins 1 time in 37
Roulette	Double zero	38 pockets, which lifts the house edge to 5.26%
Baccarat and craps	Vigorish	The commission or margin the house takes on a bet
Slots	Reels	The vertical columns of symbols that land on each spin
UK rules	Game cycle	One spin from start to result; UK slots need at least 2.5 seconds
Budgeting	Loss limit	A cap on how much you can lose in a set period

A

AceWhat an ace means in casino games: 1 or 11 in blackjack, 1 in baccarat, high or low in poker. The real odds of drawing one and the rules that matter. ActionAction in gambling means the total amount you bet, or your turn to act at a poker table. How action drives expected loss, comps and bonus wagering. 18 All inAll in means betting every chip you have on one hand. How the poker rule and side pots work, and what staking a whole balance means in casino maths. 1 American wheelAn American wheel is a roulette wheel with 38 pockets, 0 and 00, giving a 5.26% house edge. The number order, true odds and real cost against single z AnteAn ante is the opening bet placed before any cards are dealt. How the ante works in Casino Hold'em, Three Card Poker and Caribbean Stud, with house ed Any crapsAny craps is a one-roll bet that the next throw totals 2, 3 or 12. It wins 4 times in 36, pays 7 to 1 and carries an 11.11% house edge. The full maths

B

BankrollA bankroll is the money you set aside for gambling and can afford to lose. How to size one, what it buys at each stake and why no plan beats the edge.Betting limitA betting limit is the smallest or largest stake a game accepts. Table limits, the UK £5 and £2 online slot caps, bonus max bets and your own limits. BlackjackBlackjack is the card game and its best hand, an ace plus a ten-value card. What a blackjack pays, 3:2 against 6:5, how often it comes and its origin.Burn cardA burn card is a card the dealer discards unseen. Why casinos burn cards in poker, baccarat and blackjack, and why it leaves your odds alone. 18+BustBust means a blackjack hand has gone over 21 and loses at once. The chance of busting on each hit, rules built around busts and other uses of the word Buy-inA buy-in is the money you exchange for chips at a casino table or pay to enter a tournament. How buy-ins work, real costs and the UK feature buy-in ru

C

Cash outTo cash out is to turn your casino balance or chips back into money. How cashing out works, UK withdrawal rules, partner payout times and crash games.ChipA casino chip is a token that stands for money at a gaming table. How chips work in venues and online, call bets measured in chips, and what a chip co Cold deckA cold deck is a stacked deck secretly swapped into a card game to cheat. Where the term comes from, its use for bad luck, and why it can't apply onli Cool-offA cool-off in gambling is a short break from play or a set wait before a limit can be raised. UK time-out periods, the 24-hour rule and bank block wai CoupA coup is a single round or decision in a table game such as baccarat or roulette. Where the word comes from, per-coup odds and what coups per hour co CroupierA croupier is the casino employee who runs a table game: spinning the wheel, dealing cards and paying bets. What croupiers do in venues and live studi Cut cardA cut card is a plain plastic card placed in a shuffled deck or shoe to cut it and to mark when to reshuffle. How it works in blackjack and baccarat.

D

DealerThe dealer runs a card game and plays the house hand by fixed rules. Dealer rules in blackjack, qualifying hands in casino poker and what each rule co Discard trayA discard tray is the holder beside the dealer where used and burned cards go until the next shuffle. How it works at blackjack and baccarat, and onli DollyA dolly is the marker a roulette croupier puts on the winning number. What it signals, why you can't touch chips while it's down and how payouts follo Double downDouble down in blackjack means doubling your bet for exactly one more card. The rules, the totals basic strategy doubles on and what restrictions cost Double zeroDouble zero is the extra 00 pocket on an American roulette wheel. How it lifts the house edge from 2.70% to 5.26%, the cost in pounds and its history.DrawDraw means taking another card, or the random selection of numbers in keno and bingo. What a draw means in blackjack, baccarat, video poker and more.

E

Edge sortingEdge sorting means spotting cards by flaws in the pattern on their backs. The Crockfords baccarat case and why UK courts treated it as cheating. 18+Even moneyEven money means a bet pays 1 to 1, so a £10 win returns £20. The real odds of even-money bets in roulette, baccarat and craps, plus blackjack’s offer

F

Face cardA face card is a jack, queen or king. What face cards are worth in blackjack, baccarat and poker, how many are in a deck and the odds of drawing one. Five-card CharlieFive-card Charlie is a blackjack rule where an unbusted five-card hand wins automatically. Its value, six-card Charlie and Pontoon’s five-card trick. Flat bettingFlat betting means staking the same amount on every bet. Why it loses at the same rate as Martingale but with smaller swings, and how to size a stake.FlushA flush is five cards of one suit. Its odds, where it ranks, its payouts in Three Card Poker, Casino Hold’em and video poker, and why 3-card games dif Free oddsFree odds is the craps bet added behind a pass or come bet once a point is set. It pays true odds, has no house edge and lowers your overall cost. 18+Full houseA full house is three cards of one rank plus a pair, or every number on a bingo ticket. The odds, the payouts in casino poker and video poker, and exa

G

Game cycleA game cycle runs from pressing start until every stake is lost or every win is paid. How UK speed limits, stake caps and autoplay rules use the game Game providerA game provider is the company that builds and supplies casino games to online casinos. How providers are licensed, tested and named, and why it matte

H

HandA hand is the cards a player or dealer holds, or one round of a card game. How hands score in blackjack, poker and baccarat, and what a hand costs. 18 Hard handA hard hand in blackjack has no ace, or an ace that can only count as 1. Bust odds for hard 12 to 17, basic strategy plays and how hard differs from s High cardHigh card is the lowest poker hand, with no pair, straight or flush. How often it is dealt, how ties are broken and where it matters in casino games. High rollerA high roller is a player who stakes far more than average. What the term means, the UK rules on VIP schemes and slot stakes, and what big bets really HitTo hit in blackjack is to ask for another card. When basic strategy says hit, the dealer’s hitting rules, the soft 17 rule and what a hit means on slo Hole cardThe hole card is the dealer’s face-down card in blackjack. How the peek works, what the UK and European no hole card rule costs, and the insurance mat House wayThe house way is the casino’s fixed method for setting Pai Gow Poker hands. How it works, the basic rules it follows and what it costs against optimal

I

Inside betAn inside bet is a roulette wager on one to six numbers in the middle of the layout. Every type, its payout, its real odds and the 2.70% single-zero e

J

JackpotA jackpot is the top prize a casino game can pay. How fixed and progressive jackpots work, what they cost in RTP and the UK rules on showing jackpot t

K

KickerA kicker is the side card that settles ties between poker hands of equal rank. How kickers work in Casino Hold'em, Three Card Poker and Double Double

L

LayoutA casino layout is the printed betting area on a table, or the reel grid on a slot. How to read roulette, blackjack, baccarat and craps layouts and sl Lightning multiplierA lightning multiplier is a random boost added to some bets after betting closes in Evolution’s Lightning games. Ranges, what funds them and the real Live dealerA live dealer is a real croupier streamed from a studio or casino table to your screen. How the games work, round speeds, costs per hour and UK rules.Loss limitA loss limit caps how much you can lose over a set period. How loss limits differ from deposit limits, how UK rules treat changes, and how to set one Low rollerA low roller is a player who bets small amounts, usually at or near the table minimum. What it means, which games suit small stakes and what an hour c

M

MarkerA casino marker is usually a signed IOU for chips on credit. Why British casinos can’t offer credit, plus the table markers used in roulette and craps Max betMax bet means the largest stake allowed: a table’s upper limit, the £5 UK slot cap or a bonus’s maximum bet rule. How each works, with worked examples Minimum betA minimum bet is the smallest stake a game accepts. Why the minimum is often not what you risk each round, how to size a budget around it and UK rules MultiplierA multiplier boosts a win by a fixed factor, such as 3x. How multipliers work on UK slots, Lightning tables and game shows, and who pays for them. 18+

N

NaturalA natural is a winning hand or roll dealt straight away: 21 on two cards in blackjack, 8 or 9 in baccarat, 7 or 11 in craps. Odds and payouts explaine Net lossNet loss is what you have lost gambling after winnings are taken off. How to work it out, net loss vs net deposits and the UK net position display. 18 No hole cardNo hole card means the blackjack dealer takes a second card only after players act, so doubles and splits can lose to a dealer blackjack. Costs and ti

O

OddsOdds compare the ways a bet can lose with the ways it can win, such as 36 to 1. True odds, payout odds, 'to 1' against 'for 1' and the house edge form On tiltOn tilt means playing while upset, usually after losses, so decisions and stakes slip. The signs, what tilt costs in pounds and practical ways to stop Outside betAn outside bet covers a big group of roulette numbers, such as red, odd, 1-18 or a dozen. Payouts, real odds, what zero does and the cost per spin. 18

P

PayoutA payout is what a casino pays on a winning bet, written as odds such as 35 to 1 or as a multiple like 5,000x. How to read payouts and payout percenta PeekA peek is the blackjack dealer checking the face-down card for a natural when showing an ace or ten, before you act. When it happens and why it helps.Pit bossA pit boss supervises a group of casino tables, watching games, settling disputes and rating players. What the role means in UK casinos and live studi PointIn craps, the point is the number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) set on the come-out roll. The shooter must roll it again before a 7. Chances, payouts, example PushA push is a tie that returns your stake with no win or loss. How pushes work in blackjack, baccarat, craps and casino poker, and what they do to the o

Q

Qualifying handA qualifying hand is the minimum hand a dealer needs in casino poker for all bets to be settled. Qualifiers in Three Card Poker, Casino Hold'em and mo

R

Re-splitTo re-split in blackjack is to split again when a split hand makes a new pair. Usual limits, re-splitting aces, what the rule is worth and a £ example ReelsReels are the spinning columns of symbols on a slot. How reels work online, 5x3 layouts against Megaways, ways to win, virtual reels and UK slot rules RiverThe river is the fifth and final community card in Texas hold'em games. How it works in casino poker, river odds for draws and the bets made around it Royal flushA royal flush is ace, king, queen, jack and ten of one suit, the top poker hand. Its real odds, what it pays in video and casino poker, and the catch.RTSRTS means the Gambling Commission’s remote gambling and software technical standards: rules on RNGs, RTP display, game speed and autoplay for UK games

S

SessionA casino session is one continuous spell of play from start to stop. How to work out what a session costs, why results swing, and the UK session rules Session limitA session limit caps how long one gambling session lasts. How time limits differ from reality checks, what UK rules require, and what an hour of play ShoeA shoe is the box holding several shuffled decks for dealing blackjack and baccarat. How many decks it holds, how that changes the odds, and live play ShooterThe shooter is the craps player who rolls the dice. How the come-out roll and point work, the odds of making the point, and online craps in the UK. 18 ShuffleTo shuffle is to mix cards into a random order before dealing. How casinos shuffle by hand, by machine and by software, and what each means for you. 1 Single zeroSingle zero means a roulette wheel with 37 pockets and one green 0. Why that pocket sets a 2.70% house edge, what it costs in pounds and where to find Slam stopA slam stop lets a player halt spinning reels early to see the result sooner. Why it has been banned on UK online slots since 31 October 2021. 18+Soft handA soft hand in blackjack contains an ace counted as 11, so one more card can’t bust it. Soft totals explained, how they turn hard, and the standard pl SplitSplit means turning a blackjack pair into two hands with a second equal bet, or a roulette chip on two numbers paying 17 to 1. Rules, costs and exampl SpreadSpread in casino games can mean a bet spread from smallest to largest stake, chips spread over many roulette numbers, or a game a casino offers. 18+StakeA stake is the money you put at risk on one bet, spin or hand. How stakes link to payouts and expected loss, plus the UK £5 and £2 online slot limits.StandTo stand in blackjack is to take no more cards and keep your total. When strategy stands, the dealer’s standing rules and how stand works in baccarat.StraightA straight is five cards in sequence, such as 5-6-7-8-9 of mixed suits. Odds in five and three-card poker, casino payouts and the roulette straight be StudioA casino studio is either the filmed room a live dealer game streams from or the team that builds slots. Both meanings, with UK rules and examples. 18

T

Table limitA table limit is the smallest and largest bet a casino table accepts. Why limits exist, how they stop doubling systems and how to choose one for you. TokeA toke is casino slang for a tip given to a dealer or croupier, as chips or a bet placed for them. How tokes work, what they cost and the etiquette. 1 TurboTurbo is a slot setting that speeds up spins. Why it has been banned on UK online slots since 31 October 2021, the 2.5-second rule and what speed cost

U

UnitA unit in gambling is a fixed base stake used to size bets and budgets. How units work in roulette call bets, payouts and staking systems, with £ exam Up cardThe up card is the dealer's face-up card in blackjack. Why it drives basic strategy, the odds of each up card, insurance, peeking and no-hole-card rul

V

VigorishVigorish, or the vig, is the commission a casino takes from certain winning bets. How the 5% baccarat and craps commissions work, with worked £ exampl

W

WagerA wager is a bet: money staked on an uncertain result. What wager and wagering mean at UK casinos, how bonus wagering is counted and the 10x cap since WeightingWeighting is the share of each stake that counts towards bonus wagering, or how often a slot symbol is mapped on a reel. Worked UK examples in pounds.Wheel biasWheel bias is a physical fault that makes some roulette numbers land more than 1 in 37. The Jagger story, why streaks aren't bias, and RNG games. 18+Win goalA win goal is a profit figure at which you agree to stop a gambling session. How it works with loss limits, the maths of reaching one and pitfalls to

Glossary terms that change what you pay

Some casino words are just vocabulary, but others signal a rule that moves the house edge. A blackjack table paying 3:2 on a natural costs far less than one paying 6:5: in a single-deck game, Wizard of Odds puts the switch to 6:5 at an extra 1.39% of every stake, which on £10 hands is roughly 14p more per hand on average. A table limit caps how far any doubling system can go. A max bet rule on a bonus can void winnings if you break it. And the weighting of a game decides how much of each stake counts towards wagering.

Others describe UK protections. A slam stop and a turbo spin are both banned on UK online slots, and RTS is the Gambling Commission’s set of technical standards for online games. The Commission keeps its own glossary of regulatory terms (opens in a new tab) for licensing language.

Beyond single terms: where to read next

When a definition opens a bigger question, follow it to the full guide. The maths words, such as house edge, RTP and variance, each have a detailed page in casino maths. Rules words link to the matching UK rules page. And if your question is a sentence rather than a word, our questions section answers it directly.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.

Frequently asked questions

What does house edge mean?

It is the average share of each bet the casino keeps over the long run, shown as a percentage. On a single-zero roulette wheel it is 2.70%, so £100 of bets costs about £2.70 on average. It comes from paying slightly less than the true odds. See our full guide to the house edge and the related glossary entry for odds.

What is a push in casino games?

A push is a tie that returns your stake with no win or loss. In blackjack it happens when you and the dealer finish on the same total; in baccarat, a Banker or Player bet pushes when the hand ties. Pushes matter because they reduce how often bets are settled. Our push entry gives examples, and our answer on what push means in blackjack goes further.

What does RTS mean in UK online gambling?

RTS stands for the Remote gambling and software Technical Standards, the Gambling Commission’s rules for how online games must work. They cover the information shown before you play, how random outcomes are generated, the ban on autoplay and minimum game speeds. Our RTS entry summarises them, and the remote technical standards page goes section by section.

What is the difference between a dealer and a croupier?

In UK casinos the words largely overlap: a croupier runs a table game, taking bets and paying winners, and dealer is the common term in card games such as blackjack. Online, live dealers stream from studios and follow the same rules on camera. Our entries for croupier and live dealers explain each role in more detail.

What is a game cycle?

A game cycle runs from the moment you start a game until all money staked is lost or any winnings are paid. UK rules use it to set limits: online slots allow a stake of no more than £5 per game cycle for players aged 25 and over, and each cycle must take at least 2.5 seconds. Our game cycle entry and the slot stake limits page explain both.