Live Casino Terminology: A Complete Glossary

A

Action – This refers to when a player has placed a bet on a game. If you have a stake in the outcome of the game then you have action on it.

Ante Bet – The first bet made in a card game. If you then increase the bet you are said to “up the ante”.

B

Baccarat – Baccarat originated in 19^th century France and has three possible outcomes and therefore bets – banker, player or tie. Because the house edge is low, it is a player friendly and very popular casino game.

Banker – One of the possible bets in Baccarat with the others being player and tie.

Bankroll – A player’s bankroll is the amount of money they have available to play with. This is the same as your balance in an online account.

Basic Strategy – This is a mathematical strategy to calculate the best outcomes for a player in Blackjack. Although it is applicable to most forms of Blackjack, modern variants have developed their own strategies.

Bet – The amount of money a player stakes on a game.

Bets Closed / No More Bets – When the live dealer states “Bets closed” or “No more bets”, players are no longer allowed to wager any money until the next round.

Betting Limits – This refers to the minimum and maximum bets possible within a game, it is not possible to place a bet which totals more than the betting limit.

Blackjack – Probably the most famous casino card game. The aim is to get as close to possible to 21 without going over or “going bust”.

Bonuses – Special offers or extra credits offered by the casino to players.

Bust- If a player goes over 21 in a game of Blackjack then they have gone bust and therefore lost the round. But, if the dealer goes bust and the player still has under 21 then the player wins.

C

Call – To call is to match the bet of another player in poker. If nobody is willing to call then the uncalled player wins that round.

Card Counting – A strategy in Blackjack whereby a player tracks which cards have been dealt. This means that they can have a better understanding of which cards are likely to be dealt next.

Cashout (Cash out) – Cashing out is withdrawing your winnings or remaining balance from the casino. It can also be referred to as “cashing in your chips”.

Casino advantage – This is the percentage of money deposited that is kept by the Casino. Also known as the House/Casino edge, this is essentially the Casino’s profit margin.

Casino Hold'em – A popular variant of Poker played both in online live dealer games and in land casinos; what makes the game different is that you play against the dealer rather than other players.

Check – To check is to pass the action to the player on your left without making a bet. This can only be done if there is no bet in the current round.

Chips – Small disks or pucks used to represent money in a casino. They come in different denominations and are usually colour coded. The phrase “to cash in your chips” refers to exchanging your chips for real money after the game.

Community Cards – These are dealt face up in the centre of the table in a game of poker. Players are dealt an incomplete hand which are combined with the community cards to create a full hand.

Comp Points (Comps) – Comp is short for complimentary and this refers to various bonuses and extras offered by the Casino. The more you play then the more comp points you will earn and the better will be the bonuses you could receive.

Craps – Developed from the English dice game Hazard, craps has been around for hundreds of years and is one of the most well-known and popular casino games. Casino craps has a special table with a fabric surface to display the bets but there is also street craps which can be played anywhere.

Croupier – Originally a French word, it is also now used in English to refer to the dealer in a casino.

D

Deal – This refers to the action of distributing the cards to the players at the start of a hand in games such as blackjack and poker

Dealer – The casino employee who distributes the cards and monitors that the rules are followed.

Dealer Button – In Texas Hold’em poker the players take turns as the dealer. The dealer button indicates who the current dealer is in any particular hand.

Deposit – Adding money to your online casino account. The deposited money becomes your bankroll.

Dolly – A small figurine, also known as the marker that is used in a land based casino to separate the winning and losing chips. It is considered bad luck to touch the dolly and in some places it might even get you thrown out.

Download casino – Some online live dealer casinos need you to download an app to your device in order to be able to access the games.

F

Flop – This refers to the first round of a game of poker when the community cards are dealt.

Fold – This is when a player decides not to continue in a particular hand. If a player has a weak hand, or at least believes another player’s is stronger, they will fold.

H

Hand – This refers to a combination of cards in games such as poker or blackjack. It can refer to the cards a player currently has or to a desirable combination such as a flush or a straight.

High roller – This refers to players who have a high budget and who are willing to make large bets.

Hole Cards – These are the cards dealt to a player in poker which only he can see. A player will combine these with the community cards to form a hand.

Hot/Cold Numbers – In games like roulette this refers to whether numbers are coming up more or less often. A hot number is one that has appeared more often in recent rounds while a cold number will have shown up less often.

I

Insurance Bet – This is a side bet in Blackjack which can be made when the dealer shows an ace with their first card. It is a bet against the dealer then turning over a 10 or picture card and getting a ‘natural blackjack’.

J

Jackpot – The maximum prize available in a casino game.

L

Live Casino (Live Dealer Casino) – An online casino that has a real, trained dealer for its games.

Live Chat – An opportunity to communicate with the dealer and possibly other players in real time in an online casino.

Live Common Draw Blackjack – In common draw blackjack any number of players can take part in the game as opposed to standard blackjack which has a limit of 7 players.

Lobby / Casino Lobby – In an online casino the lobby will show the full catalogue of games available.

M

Max Bet – The most a player is allowed to bet on a single game or hand.

Min Bet – The smallest amount allowed to be placed in a single bet.

Multi-Hand Games- One of the great innovations of online gaming, this allows a player to play multiple hands simultaneously.

Multi-Player – This function allows several different people to play against each other from different locations. It can even allow online players to play against people in land based casinos.

Multichannel – This means that a game can be played on many different types of device such as a mobile, tablet or desktop computer.

Multiplier – Coming originally from slots games, multipliers can now be found in several live casino games and winnings can be multiplied a number of times.

N

Natural –In blackjack a natural is when a player gets an ace and either a ten or other picture card giving exactly 21. This pays out at 3 to 2.

O

Odds – This refers to the probability of a player winning in a particular game.

P

Pat hand – This is when a player has a complete hand in poker without needing any further cards. Once you have all the cards needed for four of a kind, a straight or a flush you have a ‘pat hand’.

Payout – This is the amount awarded to players after a successful bet; the amount will depend on the game and the bet.

Paytable (Pay Table) – This gives the player all of the information they need about a particular game such as the what constitutes a win, bet types, max/min bets, etc.

Pit Boss – The person who monitors gaming in a particular gaming area whether online or in a land based casino.

Player – As well as referring to some who is playing this can also refer to one of the bets in baccarat.

Progressive Jackpot – This is a jackpot which builds up over time until it is won.

Push – If neither the player nor the dealer wins, it is known as a push.

R

Raise – This is when a poker player increases the size of the bet in a hand of poker. If another player is not willing to match that amount then they have to fold.

Return to Player (RTP)- This is the percentage of money that is spent in a casino that is paid out in winnings. It is calculated as an average taken over a long period of time.

River – The last card drawn in a hand of poker is referred to as the river. It can also refer to the last round of a game.

Roulette – One of the most iconic casino games played around the world, the name roulette is French for ‘little wheel’.

S

Shoe – The shoe is a box that holds the cards in casino and ensures they can’t be tampered with. The shoe can contain from one to eight decks of cards depending on the game.

Side Bet – An optional bet in a game alongside the main bet.

Squeeze – The action of revealing the cards in a game by subtly lifting the edge to reveal only a glimpse of the card.

Stand – To refuse any further cards in blackjack. You would stand if you think that another card would be too likely to make you go over 21.

Studio – A studio is the location where live dealer games are broadcast from (if they are not broadcast from a functioning land casino).

T

Tilt – This is a term for when a player makes foolish or irrational decisions in poker because they are angry or frustrated.

Tournaments – Many casinos host both online and in person tournaments where players can compete. Often the winner will receive a large jackpot prize.

Turn – This is the name for the third round in a poker game that has community cards such as Hold’em or Omaha. It comes after the flop and before the river.

V

Video Streaming – This is the technology that allows online casinos to broadcast video of the dealer in real time.

W

Wager – This means to place a bet in a casino game or sporting event.