Gaming Terms Across the Atlantic
If you’ve ever sat down at a casino table and wondered what everyone was talking about, you’re not alone. One minute someone’s discussing their bankroll, the next they’re talking about a whale, a bad beat, hot streak or a cold table. There’s a lot of gaming terms out there, but you don’t need to memorise an entire dictionary. A couple of common ones will cover most conversations, whether you’re playing online or in a brick-and-mortar casino.
The Casino Basics
Some casino vocabulary is pretty universal.
Bankroll means the money a player has set aside for gambling, while action can mean the money being bet, all the bets on the table, or a player’s turn to make a move. There’s also rake, the fee taken by a casino or poker room from a poker pot.
You’ll also see house edge and RTP used when discussing casino games. The house edge is the mathematical advantage the casino has over players over the long term, and RTP, or Return to Player, is the percentage a game is expected to return to players over time.
Then there are comps, short for complimentary items. Food, drinks, hotel rooms and tickets can all be offered as comps, mostly to regular or high-value players.
Players or Punters
Some of the terminology is all about the people playing.
You might notice a difference between English and Canadian English terms here. In the UK, someone placing a bet is often called a punter. In Canada, player, bettor or gambler are more commonly used.
A high roller is someone who regularly places large bets. A whale is an extremely high-stakes gambler, usually betting even more than high rollers.
Poker has a few names of its own. A fish is an inexperienced player who might be easy for a more experienced player to beat. A shark is the opposite: someone who’s very good at the game and knows how to take advantage of weaker players. A grinder though, is the type of player who tends to stick with smaller, more consistent wagers.
From Hot Streaks to Cold Tables
Casino players also have plenty of ways to describe what’s happening during a game.
In poker, going all-in means putting all your remaining chips on a hand. A bad beat is an unlucky loss when a player looked like they were going to win, and if frustration after a bad result starts affecting the way you play, you’re on tilt.
Someone who keeps winning could be described as being hot or on a hot streak. A table where players have been losing repeatedly might be called a cold table. These are familiar casino terms, but they shouldn’t be confused with actual predictions. A cold table doesn’t mean a win is due, and a player who’s been winning doesn’t automatically have better odds on the next hand. Each spin or hand is independent.
Online Casino Terms
Online casinos have added plenty of newer expressions. Free spins, rollover, volatility and live dealer are common online terms, which can come in handy when interacting at live casino games online.
You’ll see live dealer used for games hosted by a real person instead of a computer-generated dealer. Rollover refers to bonus wagering requirements. Free spins are spins given to players for free, while volatility describes how often a slot pays and how consistent those payouts are. High-volatility games generally pay less often but can have bigger payouts.
There can be some differences around the world here too. In Canada people usually use the term slots or slot machines, while the English traditionally like fruit machines. But things are changing a bit, especially online where slots are now being used more often as well.
No matter if you’re in the UK, Canada or playing online, knowing the most common terms makes it much easier to follow what’s going on.
