Ontario online Casino terms and glossary guide

Are you new to gambling or looking for a refresher on some key terms?

Our comprehensive Ontario online casino terms and glossary guide will teach you how to use and understand all of the most important gambling lingo.

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A

Action: The process of making bets. Also the total sum of bets in any situation.

Aggregate limit: The casino’s total obligation to pay out bets in any one game.

winnings: The total amount of winning bets paid into a player’s account.

All-in: In poker, when a player bets all their chips at once.

Ante: A small bet made by all players before a hand of cards is dealt, particularly in poker tournaments.

B

Baccarat: A casino table game of chance played between a player and a banker. Each side receives two cards, with a possibility for a third card depending on their total. The hand with the higher value, up to nine points, wins.

Banker: Usually the dealer, who is responsible for paying out winnings and collecting losing bets.

Bankroll: The amount of money a player decides to put into play in any given session, or the total amount of money at a player’s disposal for betting.

Bet: Any amount wagered.

Betting limit: The high end of what a player may wager.  

Black chip: A betting token worth $100.

Bonus: Cash offered by a casino as a reward or inducement to play.

Blind bet: A bet made in poker before a player sees their cards. All players take turns making blind bets for set amounts, which forces others to place bets or fold.

Blackjack: A casino table game played against a dealer. Each participant receives two cards to start, with the aim of getting as close as possible to a total value of 21. Going over 21 results in an automatic loss.

Bluff: Betting in poker with a hand of little or no value.

Board: Exposed cards in table games or community cards used by all players.  

Brick: A card in a round of poker that does not improve a player’s hand.

Burn card: In poker, a card that’s taken off the top of the deck before one or more board cards are revealed by the dealer.

C

Call: A poker term that describes matching a bet already made.

Cannon: A player who consistently bets big, especially at poker. 

Card shark or sharp: A highly skilled player.

Card wash: An extra shuffle before cards are dealt, done at the request of a player.

Check: An action in poker of staying in a hand but declining the option to bet. Chips may also be referred to as checks.  

Cooler: A bad run of cards or a generally unlucky player.

Commission: A set percentage or amount raked by the casino in some table games.

Cowboy: Slang term for a king card in table games or poker.

Craps: A casino table game that uses dice, in which players place bets based on what they believe the outcome of the next roll will be.

Croupier: A roulette dealer (or online simulation).   

D

Dealer: A casino employee (or online simulation) that distributes cards to players, pays out winnings and rakes in losing bets.

Down card: A card dealt face-down.

Drop: The house rake or money collected by a dealer that is the casino’s take or profit.

Deuce: A card with a value of 2.

E

Edge: The casino’s advantage, usually measured by percentage. Also describes a player’s skill over others.

Even money: A payout of one-to-one.

Expected win rate: The percentage of the total money a player is expected to win or lose.

F

Face card: A king, queen or jack.

Face-down: A card dealt without its value exposed.

Face-up: A card dealt with its value exposed.

Fish: A player who makes ill-advised bets. Also a newcomer to gambling.

Flat bet: When the same amount is bet each time.

Flop: The first three common or community cards in hold ‘em poker, used by all players.

Fold: To surrender a hand without playing any further.

G

Green chip: A betting token worth $25.

Grinder: A skilled, patient player who seldom bets unless they believe they have an advantage.

Gross winnings: The total amount returned to a player from winning bets.

 H

Hand: Cards dealt to a player.

High-roller: A big bettor.

Hit: An action in blackjack to draw an additional card.

Hole card: A concealed card dealt to players and held face-down.

Hot table: A game where most of the players are winning.

House: Another name for a casino.

House edge: The advantage that favours the casino in all games.

House rules: Terms of play imposed by the casino.

I

Inside bet: Bets made on a number or series of numbers in roulette (as opposed to betting on the winning colour, or whether the number will be odd or even).

Insurance: A side bet in blackjack, offered when the dealer shows an ace.

J

Jackson five: Two cards, a jack and a five.

Jackpot: A large prize pool or individual win.                   

Johnnies: A pair of cards that are both jacks.

Juice: The casino’s cut or fee from any game. Also called the vigorish, or simply the vig.

K

Keno: A lottery-style casino game.

L

Ladies: A pair of cards that are both queens.

Limit: An imposed cap on the value of a bet.

Lobby: A page on a casino website where players can access all games.

Long shot: A bet that doesn’t hit often but pays big when it does.

Low-roller: A player who makes small bets.

M

Maximum bet: The highest amount that can be bet.

Me and Betty: Two cards, a six and a nine.

Minimum bet: The lowest amount that can be bet.

Monster: A hand of cards with a huge value.

N

Natural: Cards in blackjack or baccarat that automatically win.

No-limit: When a player can bet all their chips at any time, which is usually seen in poker.

Nuts: The best possible hand in poker, blackjack or baccarat.

O

Odds: The amount paid in return for a wager or the statistical chance at winning or losing a bet.

Optimal strategy: The best way to play that will result in a win.

Omaha: A poker game similar to hold ‘em, but with four cards dealt to players instead of two.

Orange chip: A betting token worth $1,000.

Out: A card that will improve a player’s hand.

P

Paint: Another term for face cards — kings, queens and jacks.

Parlay: To take the winnings from one bet and make another bet with it.

Payout table: A guide that shows the amount that bets will pay at some table games.

Pigeon: A bad player.

Pineapple: A version of hold ‘em poker where all players are dealt three cards.

Pocket cards: Also known as hole cards, these are dealt face-down to players in poker. 

Pot limit: A variation of poker betting where players can bet or raise by the total amount already in the pot.

Pot odds: The return offered on a winning bet, relative to its size.

Progressive jackpot: A prize pool that grows over time.

Punto banco: Another term for baccarat.

Purple chip: A betting token worth $500. Also known as a Barney.

Q

Quads: Four cards of the same denomination.

Quick pick: A keno term for playing random numbers chosen by a computer.

R

Rag: A card that does not improve a player’s hand.

Random number/card generator: A computer program used by online casinos to randomly pick winning numbers or cards.

Red chip: A betting token worth $5.

Reload bonus: Extra money paid by online casinos to customers who top up their accounts.

River: The fifth and final common or community card dealt in hold ‘em poker or similar games.

Roulette: A casino table game that uses a spinning wheel with numbers from one to 36.

Royal flush: The five highest cards of the same suit — 10, jack, queen, king and ace.

S

San Francisco busboy: Two cards — a queen and a three.

Semi-bluff: Betting a poker hand that may not be the best at that point, but has a reasonable chance to improve.

Shark: A highly skilled player.

Short-stacked: Playing with limited chips.

Shuffle: To mix cards face-down on the table, making the subsequent deal more random. 

Side bet: A special bet that can be made in some table games that is not the main wager.

Sign-up bonus: Extra money offered by online casinos to attract new players.

Smooth call: Calling a bet with a poker hand that is strong enough to raise with.

Split: To separate two cards of the same denomination in blackjack, thus making two hands.

Stake: The amount of money put into play in any one session. Also the size of a bet.

Stand: To draw no further cards.

Straight flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit.

T

Tapped out: To lose all your money.

Tell: A poker term referring to subtle clues or hints that a player unknowingly conveys about the strength or weakness of their hand.

Texas hold 'em: The most popular type of poker. Each player receives two face-down cards that can be used to form the best possible hand with the face-up cards shared by all players.

Trey: A card with a value of three.

Turn: The fourth community or common card in hold ‘em poker, which is available to all players.

U

Underdog: A hand that is not a favourite to win.

Underwater: A losing session of gambling.

Unit: A bettor’s standard amount to wager. The value of a unit varies from one bettor to the next based on how much money they’re willing to play with.

Up card: A card dealt face-up.

V

V.I.P.: A very important person who bets large amounts and is considered a high-value player by a casino.

W

Wager: Another term for a bet.

Wash: Another term for a push, when neither the casino nor player is paid. Also a description for mixing cards in a table game before they’re shuffled.

Whale: Another term for a high-value player, usually one that takes more losses than wins.

White chip: A betting token worth $1.

Withdrawal: Taking money out of an online casino account.

X-Y-Z

No terms.

is a Toronto-based freelance writer who writes casino content for NorthStar Bets. He is also a freelance Contributing Columnist for The Star. NorthStar Bets is owned by NordStar Capital, which also owns Torstar, the Star's parent company.

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DisclaimerThis content was produced as part of a partnership and therefore it may not meet the standards of impartial or independent journalism.