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GLOSSARY
OF GAMBLING TERMS
(arranged in alphabetical order) |
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marker |
A
check that can be written at the gaming tables by a player who
has established credit with the casino |
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mini-baccarat |
The
scaled-down version of baccarat, played with fewer players, dealers,
and formality but following the same rules as baccarat. |
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natural |
In
blackjack, a natural is a two-card hand of twenty-one points. In
baccarat a natural is a two-card total of eight, or nine. |
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number
pool |
The
range of numbers from which you select the ones you want to play. A
typical lottery pool ranges from 1 to 60, and the keno pool is
1 to 80. |
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nut |
Either
the overhead costs of running a casino, or the fixed amount that
a gambler decides to win in a day. |
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odds |
Ratio
of probabilities |
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open |
In
poker, the player who bets first. |
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outside
bets |
Roulette
bets located on the outside part of the layout. They
involve betting 12 to 18 numbers at one time. |
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overlay |
A
good bet where you have an edge over the casino. |
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pair |
Any
two cards that have the same rank. |
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pass |
To
not bet, to fold. |
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pat |
In
draw poker, a hand that does not need any more hands. In
blackjack, an unbusted hand worth at least 17 points. |
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pay
cycle |
A
theoretical expression that reflects the number of plays required
for the machine to cycle through all possible winning and nonwinning
combinations. |
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payline |
The
line on a slot machine window on which the symbols from each reel
must line up. Slot machines
can have as many as eight paylines, although most have only one. |
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payoff |
Your
payback; the return you see on a wager. |
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payout
percentage |
Also
referred to as the payback percentage, the percent of each dollar
played in a video or slot machine that the machine is programmed
to return to the player. Payback
percentage is 100 percent minus the house edge. |
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payout
table |
A
posting somewhere on the front of a slot or video poker machine,
that tells you what each winning hand will pay for the number of
coins or credits played. |
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pit |
An
area of a casino in which a group of table games are arranged,
where the center area is restricted to dealers and other casino
personnel. |
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pit
boss |
The
person who supervises all the games and casino personnel associated
with a pit during a particular work shift. Pit bosses are in place to watch for cheating,
settle disputes, and give comps to big bettors. |
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pot |
In
a poker game, the amount of money that accumulates in the middle
of the table as each player antes, bets, and raises. The
pot goes to the winner of the hand. |
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pressing |
A
player is pressing the bet when they let winnings ride by wagering
them along with the original bet. |
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probability |
A
branch of mathematics that measures the likelihood that an event
will occur. Probabilities
are expressed as numbers between 0 and 1. The probability of an impossible event is
0, while an event that is certain to occur has a probability of
1. |
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progressive |
A
slot machine whose potential jackpot increases with each coin that
is played. When the progressive
jackpot finally hits, the amount resets to the starting number. |
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push |
A
tie hand between a dealer and a player; no money changes hands. A
push at blackjack occurs when both the player and the dealer have
a unbusted hands with the same total points. |
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quads |
Four
of a kind. |
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qualifier |
In
poker, the minimum standard a hand must meet in order for it to
be eligible for part of the pot. |
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A
- B | C | D
- F | G
- L | M
- Q | R
- S | T
- W
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