Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Gaming Vocabulary
Betting limits:
In a table game, the minimum or maximum a player can
wager on one game.
Black Book:
The Nevada Gaming Control Board's list of known men and
women who have cheated at gambling or have been caught counting cards
and are now banned from entering casinos.
Blind:
An early forced bet required to begin some poker games.
Bust:
When your cards total over 21 in blackjack.
Call:
Poker term, meaning to match the current bet.
Card Counting:
Method of mentally tracking cards in blackjack and play-
ing according to mathematical probability. Vegas casinos ban known card
counters, and their mugs can end up in the Black Book.
Chips:
Round plastic tokens used in betting. Each color represents a cash
denomination.
Croupier:
French word meaning “dealer.” Used in roulette and baccarat.
Deuce:
A two in dice or cards.
Eye in the Sky:
The surveillance cameras in a casino's ceiling.
Face cards:
King, queen, and jack.
Hard 18:
In blackjack, “hard” denotes a hand without an ace (which
equals 11 or 1, player's choice), so this would be two “9”s or a “10” and
an “8.” A soft 18 would be an ace and a “7.”
High-roller:
A player that consistently wagers large amounts of money.
Hit:
Receive another card.
Hole Card:
In blackjack, the face-down card of the dealer. In Texas Hold
'Em, the face-down card is dealt to players.
House:
The casino.
Insurance:
A side bet in blackjack that the dealer has blackjack—it's
largely a sucker bet and should be avoided.
let you double down on any card (DOA), a few out there limit it to hands
that total 10 or 11.
Tip:
You may double down for less than your original
bet, but never for more.
7.
Anytime the dealer deals himself or herself an ace for the “up” card, you may
insure
your hand against the possibility that the hole card is a 10 or face
