Above Board: An honest player or game. The roulette wheel's predecessor was mounted on a stand covered with cloth, which might conceal a treadle that could stop the wheel at any point. An above board game meant no treadle.

Aces and Eights: Wild Bill Hickok’s last poker hand. As the legend goes, Wild Bill was shot in the back while playing poker in Saloon No. 10 in Deadwood, South Dakota. Since then, aces and eights have been referred to as “ the dead man’s hand.” Since the incident, there has been a disagreement about his fifth card, but most historians today believe it had not yet been drawn.

Action: The amount of money being wagered on a given bet or during a gambling session.

Arm: A term used in the game of craps to denote a player who is so skilled at throwing the dice that they are able to alter the conventional odds of the game. Such a player is said to be 'an arm'. Whether or not such individuals actually exist or are simply the product of game legend is debatable. However, it is worth noting that the casino craps dealers are very adamant about the dice being thrown against the far wall of the table to ensure a completely random outcome.

Bankroll: Also known as 'roll' or 'wad' (colloquial). It pertains to the total money that either the player or the casino has on hand to back their wagering activities. A player's bankroll can be classified as existing on several different levels. At the highest level it pertains to all money specifically set aside to support all gambling activities. A subset of this bankroll is the players traveling bankroll, or the amount of money carried along to support gambling on a particular trip. The traveling bankroll can be further divided into a specific lesser amounts for each day of the trip, or into even smaller amounts called table sitting or session playing stakes which predetermine how much will be risked during any given session or table sitting. These different types of bankrolls often figure into the overall money management strategy the player uses to keep control over their gambling cash activity.

Betting Limits: In a table game, the minimum and maximum amounts of money that a player can wager on one bet. You cannot wager less than the minimum or more than the maximum amount posted. Some casinos, in special cases, may extend the maximum limit at a table on request by the player.

Bingo: Bingo is a prize game played in halls. Basically, players buy cards with numbers on them in a 5 x 5 grid corresponding to the five letters in the word B-I-N-G-O. Numbers such as B-2 or 0-68 are then drawn at random (out of a possible 75 in American Bingo, and 90 in British and Australian Bingo) until one player completes a 'Bingo' line with five numbers in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal row on one of their cards and wins the prize. Bingo rules and payouts and play variations vary from place to place.

Black book: A list of players who are considered undesirable by casinos and who are forbidden from entering casinos anywhere in Nevada.

Black chip: A casino chip worth $100. Chips worth $25 are typically green, and $5 chips are usually red.

Boat People: Casino worker slang for gamblers arriving on buses.

Bones: Another term for dice.

Book: A casino's sports book, devoted to gambling on sporting events such as horse races, football, etc.

Buck: A bet of $100.

Bug: In cards, another name for jokers.

Bullets: Aces in cards.

Bump: To raise the bet.

Burn Cards: Remove cards from the top of the deck, not to be dealt, and place them in the discard tray after a shuffle and cut.

The Cage: Where chips or coins are exchanged for currency.

Came Up Lame: A person who left town owing money leaving no forwarding address.

Camouflage: Anything a skilled gambler does to conceal their activities from the casino. Camouflage can include mixing in playing and betting behavior that mimics typical gamblers, or using disguises, appearing to be drunk, or any number of other possible ploys intended to throw the casino's scrutiny off.

Capping: Referred to capping of bets. Placing extra chips on top of initial bet after the deal has begun. It is a serious form of cheating by a player

Card Counter: Used in blackjack game. Recording (in memory) played cards (usually high cards) so as to establish a conditional probability advantage on the remaining cards against the dealer.

Card sharp: An expert at cards. Often erroneously called a "card shark."

Caribbean Stud Poker: A 5 card poker game where all players play against the house.

Carousel: A group of slot machines that are positioned in a ring, enabling a change person (to change bank-notes into coins) to stand in the center.

Carpet joint: Nickname for a high-class casino. See also "sawdust joint." The Horseshoe Club was the first casino to install carpet on Fremont Street in 1951.

Casino Rate: A reduced hotel-room rate (price) that the casinos offer to good customers.

Chasing: Betting more after a loss to try and recoup the money lost.

Check: Another term for chip.

Cheques: French in origin, slang for the chips used on casino table games with the denomination printed on them unlike CHIPS that are used on roulette where any color can be worth as much as the dealer deems.

Cold: A slot machine that's not paying, or a player on a losing streak.

Color up: Trading in smaller denomination chips for larger value chips, usually when ending a session at a table.

Comp: A freebie. Usually a drink, show ticket, room, or meal.

Cowboy: A king in cards.

Crossroader: An old term used to denote a cheat originated in the Old West practice of cheating at saloons located at crossroads. The term is still used today for casino cheats.

Croupier: French word for Dealer, used in the games of baccarat and roulette.

Dead: When there are no players at the table.

Daub: A paste or liquid used to mark cards.

Deuce: In dice, a pair of ones, also known as "snake eyes."

Deuce Dealer: A dealer who can peek at the top card and deal the next card if the top card is not to his advantage. (also-second dealer, mechanic or number two man.)

Doubling Down: A betting option in blackjack where the player's opening two-card hand is turned face up and player's original wager is doubled. The player is then dealt one additional card only, to complete the hand. In the event that the player beats the dealer's hand or the dealer busts, then the player wins twice the amount of their original wager. If the player loses, then the player loses twice the amount of their original wager.

Doubling-up - The basis of some widely used systems. After a loss the player doubles the size of his previous bet hoping to win back the money lost and make a profit. Also known as the Martingale System.

Down to the felt: Wiped out, or flat broke. See also "tapping out" and "tapioca."

Draw: Relates to the poker games. Basically it means to draw a card (e.g. if you need a card to make a straight, you are on a 'straight draw' or are 'drawing to a straight'. In 'draw poker' game, it means the second round of cards that are dealt. The word draw has slightly different meanings in different contexts, although generally it has something to do with receiving more cards, with the hope of improving your hand. Draw games are games where at some point during the hand you are allowed to discard some or all of your cards, to be replaced from the deck. Drawing two is thus exchanging two of your cards. 'The draw' is the point during the game at which players may do this. By default, when someone asks you if you want to play some draw, they usually mean five card draw. In other poker games, drawing simply means staying in the game with the hope of improving your hand when more cards come. When you stay in a hand with the hope of improving, you are said to be 'on a draw'.

Drop: Money that has been wagered and lost.

Drop box: A locked box underneath a gaming table where cash is deposited. The cash is usually inserted into the drop box through a thin opening in the top of the table.

Edge: An advantage.

Eye in the sky: Casino security surveillance cameras. Before cameras, a catwalk was built into the space above the casino ceiling and gambling experts would watch over the games.

Fill: When The House replenishes the chip bank on a table game. This is usually done with security guards present. The dealer has to count the fill and needs to sign the receipt which goes to the casino cage.

Firing: Betting large sums of money.

First base: In poker, first base is the player on the far left of the dealer. This player is the first to receive cards as they're dealt.

Fish: An inexperienced gambler. See also "pigeon."

Flat top: A slot machine that is not a progressive machine. The jackpot is constant.

Foul: In Pai-Gow Poker, a hand is fouled when the two-card low hand is set higher than the five-card high hand, or when the hands are set with the wrong number of cards. A fouled hand is a losing hand.

Gaffed: Term referring to dice or cards that have been tampered with for cheating.

George: A Player who is consistent in toking (tipping) the dealers.

Glimmer: Money.

Grease: A bribe.

Grind joint: A casino that caters to gamblers with small bankrolls.

Ground Score: Finding money or chips on the floor.

High roller: A whale. A gambler with a big bankroll.

Hit: Taking another card in blackjack, as in "Hit me."

Hot: A player that's on a winning streak.

House: The casino.

House edge: The casino's built-in advantage. See also "vigorish."

Iron Duke: An unbeatable card hand.

Juice: Same as Vigorish. A commission fee on certain wagers. Also used in as knowing someone in a casino that can help you find employment.

Ladderman: A supervisor in a casino's baccarat area.

Large: $1,000.00

Let it ride: Letting the winnings on a bet roll over to the next bet. See also "pressing a bet."

Load up: No, this is not buffet parlance. To "load up" means playing the maximum allowable number of coins on a given spin on a slot or video poker machine.

Loose: A slot machine that pays out frequently.

Marker: An IOU. Once a player has established credit with the house, they can use a marker to get more chips while on the casino floor.

Mechanic: A cheating dealer.

Mop: Another name for the stick used to retrieve the dice on a craps table.

Nut: Overhead costs of running a casino. May also refer to the amount a gambler decides to win during a session. In poker, "the nuts" is the best hand.

On tilt: When a player, usually in cards, overreacts to a bad hand by betting erratically on hands that follow.

Paint: A Jack, Queen or King. Picture card. Face card.

Pigeon: A novice gambler, also known as a "fish."

Pit: The area of a casino, between the tables, restricted to management and dealers.

Pit boss: A pit manager is in charge of all the table games, enforcing casino policy. He deals with any problems that may arise during the shift where a crucial decision must be made that may lead to a customer being dissatisfied or angry. Also, he handles Comps and dodges undeserving customers who are trying to get free Room, Food, Beverage (free RFB).

Playing the Rush: A poker term referring to a player who has just enjoyed a short-run of good luck marked by winning a very large pot of money in one hand or winning several hands in close succession. If the player subsequently begins to play more loosely or more aggressively they are said to be 'playing the rush'.

Plug: A shuffling technique that is sometimes employed in card games like blackjack where the game is often dealt from a multi-deck shoe. When freshly shuffled cards are brought back into action a substantial portion of the cards are kept out of play by the insertion of a cut-card at the back of the deck or shoe. The placement of the cut card marks the place where play will be stopped and the cards are again shuffled. During the play, used cards are stacked in a discard tray. When the cut-card is reached, the game is stopped, and the remaining un-dealt cards are inserted somewhere into the middle of the cards that have already been stacked up in the discard tray. The cards so inserted are referred to as a 'plug'. Such action is called 'plugging' the deck.

Plunger: A gambler that recklessly chases their losses.

Pressing a bet: Increasing one's bet, usually "letting it ride."

Progressive: A slot machine with a jackpot that varies, often accumulating over a network of machines. Megabucks is a well-known progressive slot machine, with progressive jackpots in the millions.

Pull Tab, Pull-tab: A game similar to the lottery game. Tickets sell for 25 cents or 50 cents or even more and typically offer prizes ranging from free tickets to $500. Each ticket has perforated windows which open revealing symbols similar to those found on slot machines or some lottery games.

Punter: A player.

Push: A tie between the house and a player, usually in blackjack.

Rack: The plastic trays used in casinos to carry chips or coins.

Railbirds: In poker, those who are spectators.

Rake: In poker, the fee (either a percentage or flat fee) the casino charges for each hand played.

Revenue Mix: Denotation of the volatility of a casino's earnings. If table games contribute largely to a casino's revenue, then the casino relies on high rollers, and earnings may fluctuate considerably. Casinos that rely more on slot machines tend to produce more stable earnings.

RFB comp: Free room, food, and beverages.

Round of Play: A round or hand of play can consist of a single wager or several wagers made during the time of a short wagering event. For example, in poker the round of play (wagering event) begins with the dealing of the cards and ends when the winning player takes the pot. In casino craps a round of play begins with the 'come out' roll and ends when the pass line wagers are decided. This may take one or several rolls of the dice. In between, the player might have multiple wagers riding on several different numbers and other betting options. All wagers made between the time of the come out roll and the decision roll are considered to be part of that round of play. In roulette each spin is counted as a round of play, no matter how many bets you place.

Sawbuck: Ten dollars.

Sawdust joint: A low end casino. See also "carpet joint."

Session: A period of play in a casino. A session can last five minutes or many hours.

Sharker: A cheater at cards.

Shuffling (Card Shuffling): Is a generic term which encompasses all card mixing techniques used to prepare a deck or a shoe for continued play. All casino shuffling processes employ a combination of mixing techniques. These may include 'Stripping' or 'washing' the cards as well as 'riffling', 'boxing', 'plugging', 'cutting' and other off-spring techniques. All shuffling processes employ multiple riffles of 'clumps', 'picks', or 'grabs' to achieve some level of randomization. The shoe games, which use multiple decks of cards (4, 6, or 8 decks), will often employ the most intricate riffling patterns of all. In these, the picks are riffled together and then re-picked and re-riffled in complex symmetric patterns

Silver mining: Also called Slot Walking. When someone cruises the slot area looking for coins left in unattended slot machines.

Skim: Mafia run casinos took money out of the soft-count rooms as unreported income.

Skin: One dollar.

Spikes: A pair of aces in cards.

Spinner: A winning streak.

Stiff: A winning gambler that stiffs the dealer by not leaving a tip.

Stripping (Card Stripping): Is a shuffling technique which reverses the sequential order of the cards in the deck. For instance, imagine if a dealer took the first card off the top of a deck and placed it on the table and then took the second card off the top and placed it on top of the first card. If this process were continued until the 52nd card was placed on top, then the sequential ordering among the cards would have been completely reversed. This characterizes the basic process of striping. The process described above would be a very fine strip. Often the dealers will speed up the process by rapidly pulling small clumps of cards off the top of the deck rather than a single card at a time. The number of cards in the clumps determine how fine or coarse the striping process is.

Sweat the Money: Phrase used most often by Dealers and Players in reference to casinos where floor people get real nervous when a table is losing to the players.

System: A method of betting, usually mathematically based, used by a punter or bettor to try to get an advantage. A prominent factor in most systems, is the criteria used to determine when the player's wagers should be raised or lowered.

Tapioca: Out of money. See also "tapping out" and "down to the felt."

Tapping out: Losing one's bankroll. See also "down to the felt" and "tapioca."

Third base: In blackjack, the player sitting just to the dealer's right. This player is considered important on the table because they are the last to play before the dealer plays their hand.

Ticket: A playing card.

Toke: Another name for a tip for dealers, short for "token." Tokes represent 50%-80% of dealer compensation.

Tournament: Basically, a competition game between a group of players over a period of time. For example, in Poker tournaments a bunch of poker players sit down with the same number of chips, and eventually only one player has any chips left. In order to ensure that the event will finish in reasonable time, tournaments institute a schedule by which the blinds and/or antes increase. Tournaments are usually played with chips that have no value outside of the tournament. So a buy-in of $30 might get you $500 in tournament chips to play with, but you can't cash them out in the middle. The winner of a tournament (the last player to bust out) as well as several of the other top finishers are typically awarded prize money according to some predetermined schedule. Tournament details vary widely, but a typical arrangement might include an initial buy-in, a re-buy period during which a player who runs out of tournament chips may buy more, and an opportunity to add on to one's stack after the re-buys have ended. Other details about the structure can vary widely

Trips: Three cards that have the same value.

Vig or vigorish: The casino's commission. Also referred to as "juice."

Wager: A bet.

Washing (Card Washing): A card shuffling technique where the dealer spreads the cards on the table face down and then proceeds to mix them around with his hands flat in a face-washing-like action before gathering them up and performing a more normal shuffle. Card washing is intended to remove any consistencies in the sequencing among the cards that new decks of cards have, or that were produced in play prior to the present shuffle. In standard table poker the cards are washed after every hand before they are subjected to a more conventional shuffling. In blackjack and baccarat, the cards are washed when old decks are taken out of play and fresh new decks brought in to replace them.

Wash Your Hands: All dealers are required to clap or swipe their hands before leaving their table work station.

Whales: High rollers. High-end gamblers.

White meat: Profit.

Winnings: Profit the casinos make from gamblers.