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A check that can be written at the gaming tables by a
player who has established credit with the casino
mini-baccarat
The scaled-down version of baccarat, played with fewer
players, dealers, and formality but following the same
rules as baccarat.
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.
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.
nut
Either the overhead costs of running a casino, or the
fixed amount that a gambler decides to win in a day.
odds
Ratio of probabilities
open
In poker, the player who bets first.
outside bets
Roulette bets located on the outside part of
the layout. They involve betting 12 to 18 numbers at one
time.
overlay
A good bet where you have an edge over the casino.
pair
Any two cards that have the same rank.
pass
To not bet, to fold.
pat
In draw poker, a hand that does not need any more hands.
In blackjack, an unbusted hand worth at least 17 points.
pay cycle
A theoretical expression that reflects the number of plays
required for the machine to cycle through all possible
winning and nonwinning combinations.
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.
payoff
Your payback; the return you see on a wager.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
pressing
A player is pressing the bet when they let winnings ride
by wagering them along with the original bet.
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.
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.
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.
quads
Four of a kind.
qualifier
In poker, the minimum standard a hand must meet in order
for it to be eligible for part of the pot. |
