A Guide to Gambling Terms and Phrases

Gambling has been such an important part of society for such a long time that there are many gambling terms used in normal language. Even if you have never played at an online casino Ontario, or elsewhere, you probably know what it means to 'keep your cards close to your chest' or 'have an ace in the hole'. 

Some terminology is relatively easy to understand, but here are some lesser-known terms that you might hear when playing:

Craps

It's important to know who is who in a game of craps as there are usually four employees running the table at a live online casino. They are known as the stickman, boxman, and base dealers and they each have a specific role:

The 'stickman' manages the middle of the table, calls out the results of each roll, using different terms to identify each combination, and uses a long-handled stick (sometimes called a 'whip' or a 'mop') to move the dice around.  

The 'boxman' looks after the chips in the bank and exchanges them with players making bets to ensure they have the appropriate denominations. The 'base dealers' stand at each end of the table and manage the bets placed in their section. 

To maintain the pace of the game, there are terms for every different number combinations in craps, such as:

• Snake Eyes or Double Aces - two ones
• Ace Deuce - a one and a two
• Hard four or Ballerina - two twos
• Easy four - a one and a three
• Fever five - a two and a three
• Easy six - a two and a four
• Hard six - two threes
• Natural seven or Out - a three and a four, a two and a five, or a six and a one
• Hard eight - two fours
• Easy eight - a five and a three or a six and a two
• Nina - a four and a five or a three and a six
• Hard ten - two fives
• Easy ten - a six and a four
• Yo or Yo-leven - a five and a six
• Boxcars or Midnight - two sixes

The 'come-out' is the opening roll of a game of craps, made by the 'shooter' and, so long as the first roll isn't a seven, this sets the 'point' which is the number the shooter must roll again before they roll a seven.

With such a complex game, there are plenty of terms that more experienced players and gamblers will use, but these basics are enough to follow along and understand what's happening on the table.

Poker

Poker terminology has become some of the most commonly used outside the game, but there are still some terms that warrant a bit more explanation:

Ante - an ante is a 'forced' bet with a minimal value that all players must pay before the game begins. The ante is designed to encourage players to make the most of their hands rather than folding by ensuring that they lose money if they fold.

Antes are usually used in stud poker and draw poker rather than community poker but some games use both blinds and antes to make the game more interesting. Television poker games often use both because it encourages players not to fold, making it more exciting to watch.  

Blind - this is a bet that a player must make before they have seen the dealt hand in 'community' poker games, also known as 'flop-style' games. These games are characterised by having shared cards dealt face up on the table that can be included in the hands of any player in the game.

There are usually two blinds: the 'small blind' is a forced bet that the player immediately to the left of the dealer makes; the 'big blind' is a forced bet that the player two seats to the left of the dealer has to make, often twice the value of the small blind.

Flop - these are the first three cards that are dealt face-up on the board. They are followed by the fourth card, known as 'the turn' and the final card, which is known as 'the river' after which a final round of betting takes place.

These are some of the most common terms used in casino poker, but there are plenty more once you have mastered the basics.

General terminology

There are some gaming terms that you can hear anywhere in a casino, regardless of the game you're playing such as:

Colouring up - this is the process of exchanging smaller value chips for high value ones to make your stack manageable.

Playthrough requirement - this is a term specific to playing casino games online where bonuses are available. Typically, a player will need to place a minimum number of bets or reach a spending threshold in order to release any winnings gained from bonus games.

Action - this is what it's called when the players place their bets

Understanding the terminology is an important part of feeling confident in a casino environment and integral to understanding the nuances of any game.