ONLINE CASINO BASICS
SLOTS
How to play online slots
Drawing their inspiration from physical slots machines, a longstanding fixture of pubs and casinos, online video slots combine the simple mechanics of old-school fruit machines with flashy graphics and innovative features.
Although online slots are simple games dictated by luck, they can easily overwhelm the new player with jargon and “special features”. However, they usually follow a fairly similar structure.
Online slots step-by-step
Depending on the particular slot you’re playing, you’ll have several decisions to make to determine how much money you bet on each spin of the wheels.
- Check out the Pay Table – Every online slot game features a pay table, and it’s the first thing you should look at before you play any new game. It details all of the potential prizes on offer, as well as the scatters, wilds and bonus features.
- Select the Number of Paylines – Many online slots offer multiple paylines (also referred to as “win lines”). Usually, you can select the number of paylines you wish to bet on (between one and the maximum number of paylines available). The fewer paylines you bet on, the less each spin costs, but you probably won’t be able to win the biggest prizes.
- Select Coin Size – On most video slots you can set how much each coin you bet with is worth in your account currency. The options available will vary from one game to another.
- Select Bet Level – As well as selecting how much real money each coin represents, you’ll usually also have the option of how many coins you want to bet on each payline or spin. For instance, on the popular slot, Starburst, you can select between one and 10 paylines, seven different coin values (from £0.01 to £1.00), and you can choose to bet between one and 10 coins on every payline.
- Click on ‘Spin’ – Once you’ve selected how much you want to bet, simply hit the ‘Spin’ button. Although you might be presented with other options during the game, such as during a bonus feature, the outcomes are randomized, which means there are no right or wrong choices to worry about.
Key online slots terms
Most slots follow the same basic pattern, with a number of symbols spread across three to five reels. While the design and format varies, they are really just digital version of fruit symbols on a fruit machine. While slots are fairly simple, there are a few particular features of online slots you should get acquainted with.
Paylines:
Paylines are winning combinations of matching symbols, mapped out across the reels in a number of directions. These are the patterns of matching symbols players have to line up to win. There are usually anywhere from 9 to 1,024 paylines active on a given slots game, and players often have the opportunity to decide how many lines to play at each time (with more lines equivalent to more multiples of your original stake).
Some games remove this choice, with all lines playable by default, while others do away with paylines entirely to reward clusters of adjacent matching symbols, wherever they are found on the reels. The specifics depend on the particular game you are playing, and the rules and layout of that game. Paylines usually have an equivalent value, with the size of the prize determined by the symbols themselves, with some combinations worth more than others.
Wild symbols (Wilds):
Wilds are additional symbols on the reels which act as a wildcard. In some games, a combination of wilds will pay out a wilds bonus, or introduce a multiplier that could double or triple the potential prize. Where a wild symbol falls on a payline, it will substitute for any symbol you are missing, to complete the payline and award you with a payout. Some games even introduce features like Sticky Wilds and Expanding Wilds, which give players extra opportunities for a big win.
Scatter symbols (Scatters):
These are symbols commonly found on slots reels, which are responsible for triggering bonus games. The usual format is that you need to land three or more scatter symbols on a given spin to trigger the bonus games, and there may be several different types of scatters in play. You can find all the information about wilds and scatters on the game’s paytable, which is always available from the game’s main menu.
Bonus Games:
Bonus games are unique to online slots, where it’s easy to introduce additional features, compared to physical slot machines. Most commonly, you’ll find a free spins bonus, where players automatically pick up a number of free spins, potentially with additional multipliers thrown in. You may have to win free spins in a bonus game, to determine the size of your multiplier. But usually, if you land the required number of scatters, you’ll trigger some variation of a free spins bonus, which means your next spins will be risk-free until your free spins have been exhausted.
Some games allow you to re-trigger free spin bonuses during your free spins, creating a potentially never-ending loop of free spins. In practice, this seldom happens, but it is possible to get a couple of consecutive re-triggers in some games. It’s also worth noting that for many games, a sequence of scatter symbols also holds the key to unlocking the jackpot, so this is always where the best of the action is to be found.
Types of online slot games
5-Reel slot machines are the most common type found at online casinos, offering five vertical columns, each of which usually contains three to four rows of symbols.
Video Slots refer to slot games that use a graphical interface rather than mechanical wheels. The term can also be used to differentiate between modern, graphically sophisticated online slots and “Classic Slots” that ape the simple looks and mechanics of traditional fruit machines.
Free Spins refer to free turns that are received as part of a bonus feature of the game, or to free games that are given by online casinos to entice new players to make a first deposit.
Random Number Generator (RNG) programs dictate the outcome of every online slot game (and casino games like roulette and blackjack, too). They ensure that the result of each game played is truly random, and that each title adheres to its advertised average payout percentages.
Multiplier features are commonplace in online slots. They are usually activated as part of a bonus feature of the game, and multiply potential winnings by a set amount. Without unlocking multipliers you usually won’t win a game’s biggest prizes.
Evaluating online slots
Success on online slots is all down to chance. However, there are two key pieces of information – payout percentage and variance – that can tell you a lot about your likely experience with a slot game, at least over the long-term.
Payouts:
Where slot machines broadly differ, other than in their theme and design, is on the question of payouts. Generally, you’ll find online slots paying out at between 92%-97% . What this means is that the game has been set to pay out this percentage of its takings over time. This is representative of the house edge built into each game, so higher payout percentage games are naturally more favourable to players in terms of the odds on offer.
Given that players have very little influence over the outcomes in slots, beyond good luck, it makes sense to look for games with higher payout percentages – known as ‘Return to Player’, or RTP percentages.
Variance/Volatility:
Slots can also differ in terms of volatility. Some slots are steady and consistent, whereas others are wild, with violent swings between losses and wins.
Two games with the same payout percentage can feel radically different for players depending on their variance. A low volatility game will pay out small, regular wins, without costing too much along the way. A higher volatility game can suck in money rapidly, but will pay out much higher amounts when you win. Players will have their own preferences, but for the most part, you’re safer with lower variance games – even if you are limiting your potential take.
ROULETTE
Beginner's guide to playing Roulette
The thrill of each spin of the roulette wheel is the chance of big returns – up to 36x your stake for a single number win.
One of the beauties of online roulette for beginners, over games like blackjack or poker, is its accessibility. Anyone can step up to the roulette table, pick a number and cross their fingers, with an equal chance of walking away as a winner.
More sophisticated gamblers might choose to cover certain number combinations, or to spread their bets over different betting formats and odds. But the baseline remains the same – if the ball falls in your favour, you win, regardless of your experience or know-how.
At its core, roulette is a game of pure probability.
On a standard roulette wheel, the chance of the ball coming to rest on any given number is exactly divisible by the number of wells on the wheel. If there are 37 wells, you’ve got a 1 in 37 chance of calling the right number. Or, pick a dozen, and you’ve got a 1 in 3 chance, excluding the house edge built in by the zero.
In most cases, players have no control over spinning the ball, and no way of influencing where it will land. The real strategic appeal comes from understanding the different types of bets available and their respective payouts, which players try to use to their advantage to win as often as possible.
How to play: step by step
Firstly, take all the time you need in Free Play Roulette until you've familiarised yourself with the mechanics of the software and the various bets, stakes and payouts. To get you started, here's a typical round of roulette.
- The game begins with the betting. Usually your balance will be represented by various denomination chips at the bottom of the screen. Click on a denomination to select it.
- Now, click anywhere on the table to select your bet, whether it’s an inside bet or outside bet. Then, you can adjust the amount of your bet by clicking on the chip again. This will add the selected denomination to your bet.
- Once you’ve chosen your first bet you can repeat the same process to make further bets (if you so wish).
- When you’re happy with the bets you’ve made, click ‘Spin’ to set wheel and ball in motion.
- After the ball has landed, wins are paid out automatically and a new round begins.
The process of playing roulette online is far simpler than it first seems, and most of the various digital versions of the game use very similar interfaces.
The Roulette Wheel and Table
Roulette is an exceedingly simple game, but deciphering all of the markings on the roulette table can seem daunting. However, once you understand these, you can place your bets with confidence (and everything else about the game is easy).
The Wheel:
A typical (European) roulette wheel has 37 pockets – 36 numbered slots (1-36) alternating black and red, and a green zero. The numbers are ordered in such a way as to evenly distribute low and high numbers, as well as odd and even. Number distribution on the European & French wheels are slightly different to that found on the American version (which has a double zero pocket)
The Table (Layout):
Barring the extra space for the double-zero, the layouts of the European and American tables are the same.
The main part of the table is taken up by numbered spaces corresponding to the pockets on the wheel. Here’s where you place your straight (single) bets, split bets, corner bets and so on. Any bet placed within this section of the table is referred to as an inside bet. The areas below the numbered spaces is where you place outside bets. These bets generally have a lower risk & lower payout.
Using the above screenshot, from right to left there are three spaces for dozens bets: 1st 12, 2nd 12 and 3rd 12. There are then options for bets on numbers 1 to 18 and 19 to 36, as well as Odd and Even, and simply Red and Black. To the left-hand side are spaces for column bets, and the right is a space to bet on the Zero.
Different roulette versions
There are different variations of roulette available, however most other types of roulette are based on either the European or American wheel versions.
Betting in Roulette
Before the wheel is spun, players are invited to place their bets. A number of opportunities are available to the player, from single numbers to a range of combinations, as indicated by the betting patterns on the roulette table itself. Aside from novelty versions of roulette, there are a number of types of bet you will find available at every roulette table:
Single or Straight (Pays 35:1) – Any single number. e.g. call 26. If the ball lands in 26, you win. Elsewhere you lose. The zero(s) are also in play at 35:1, and you can choose to back them just like any other number.
Split (Pays 17:1) – Any two neighbouring numbers as singles, available both horizontally and vertically. Works like a single – if either of these numbers come up, you win.
Street (Pays 11:1) – Any horizontal run of 3 numbers, behaving like singles but paying at 11:1.
Square (Pays 8:1) – Any four square combination of numbers. You’re covering all four at once with your bet, in the hope that any of the four numbers comes up.
Double Street (Pays 5:1) – Any combination of six numbers horizontally, essentially two streets in play simultaneously.
Trio (Pays 11:1) – Like a street, except a trio must involve one or more zeros.
Top Line (Pays 6:1) – The combination of 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3.
Low/High (Pays 1:1) – Choose to go with the lowest half from 1-18, or the highest half from 19-36. Zeros are not included in either low or high bets.
Red/Black (Pays 1:1) – Choose red or black for an even money payout. Zeros are not included as either.
Odd/Even (Pays 1:1) – Choose odd or even numbers for an even money payout. Zeros are not included as either.
Any Dozen (Pays 2:1) – Choose the first, second or third dozen numbers, excluding zeros.
Column (Pays 2:1) – Choose the first, second or third column of numbers, excluding zeros, as indicated on the roulette table.
As you become a more experienced player, developing an understanding of each of the available bets on the wheel will give you more tools at your disposal for making a success of your roulette play.
BLACKJACK
How the game works
Players are dealt two cards by the dealer. Each game is conducted simultaneously between individual players at the table and the dealer’s hands, so for the purposes of calculating your own hand, it’s the dealer’s hand that counts.
- The numerical cards 2-10 are given points value based on their number – so the 6 of Diamonds is worth 6 points, the 8 of Clubs is worth 8 points, etc.
- Face cards are worth 10 points each, and the Ace is worth 1 or 11, depending on the value of your hand.
- Players can choose to 'stand' or 'hit' at each round - deciding whether to stick with their current total, or whether to draw another card.
- Any player who goes over 21, including the dealer, automatically loses the hand.
- In the event of a tie between a player and the house, the bets are 'pushed' (a draw) and neither wins.
- Depending on the specific variation you are playing, there are also benefits to drawing seven cards of exactly 21 – a “7 Card Charlie”, as it’s known. This is a prime winning hand which will topple a straight 21.
- Blackjack occurs when you hit a face card and an Ace in your starting hand, and this cannot be beaten – only matched by the dealer holding the same hand.
Players are invited to bet on the strength of their two-card hands, with other opportunities available, depending on the game version. In some instances, for example, it is possible to split pairs into two equivalent hands, or take on alternative bets and insurance – particularly prevalent in some online versions of the game.
Blackjack strategy
In blackjack there are some helpful best practices you should factor in to your game to make sure you’re playing the odds in the most effective way.
There are a total of 340 possible configurations of hands you can hold in blackjack, of which 100 have obvious “next actions”. For example, two 6s means you need to hit at least one more card. Strategies generally focus on the other 240 hands, to determine the best moves in different scenarios.
People study for years to improve their blackjack game, but it still helps if you’ve got a good understanding of the mathematics at play to effectively assess your options.
Here are a few principles you can stick by to reduce the house edge:
- Don’t rush to bust yourself if the dealer has a chance of going over 21. It’s easy to get carried away and end up eliminating yourself, when even a low standing hand triumphs over a dealer going bust.
- "Ace & 6 Hit, Ace & 7 Stand": As a rule of thumb, hit on a hand containing an Ace & a 6. You’re at 17 already, and an additional card can only help improve your position - with the Ace reverting to 1 point if you would otherwise go over 21. At Ace & 7, it’s time to stand – the chances of busting on the next card are too high, and given the option to stand at 18, you’re already in a comfortable position mathematically.
- Split a pair of 8s or Aces: If you draw two Aces, your hand is worth 12. If you split the hand, you have two chances of developing a really good hand, with plenty of tens floating about to give you a blackjack score (and ample near-miss hands). Similarly two eights is just a hand of 16, one of the most difficult hands to play – too low to stand and win, but too high to comfortably draw another card. Two separate hands with 8s play much better, so take the split.
- Surrender Rarely: Surrender allows the player to give up on their hand and keep half of their bet. It’s not offered as an option too often, but when it is, there are very few occasions when it’s worth using.
- Double down: This option allows you to double your bet, but you have to stand, no matter what, after taking one more card. You can check out the strategy table on this page for more guidance on when exactly to use this option. But as a rule of thumb, you want to double when the dealer has a poor hand and you have a hand with good potential that can’t go bust.
- Avoid Insurance: Some people favour the insurance option, but it’s not a good bet. This increases the house edge against you relative to its payoff, so it’s not really worth it. Stay clear.
- Stand at 17: Don’t go for 21 all the time. If you hit 17, feel comfortable standing. This is mathematically your best bet. While you won’t win every hand, drawing another card will bust many more times than not, so it’s safer to stick at 17 and play through the odds across every hand you are dealt.
For a quick guide of when to hit and when to stand see the table below:
Blackjack Glossary
Blackjack – When the first two cards received equal 21. An unbeatable hand. Also known as a “natural”.
Bust– When the total contained in your hand exceeds 21.
Double down – When the player elects to double his or her bet in exchange for one more card. The player must stand after taking the additional card.
Hard hand – A hand that does not contain an Ace. Or a hand that has an Ace being counted as one, not 11.
Hit – To take another card.
Hole card – The second card dealt to the dealer. It remains face down until the player has completed his actions.
Insurance – In some (but not all) blackjack games the player is given the option to make a side bet worth half their original bet, but only when the dealer shows an Ace as their up card. If the dealer’s hole card completes a blackjack, the player receives the insurance wager and original bet back.
Push – The player and dealer have the same hand, so it’s a draw.
Soft hand – A hand containing an Ace, which is being valued at 11. This means it’s impossible for him or her to bust.
Split – When the player holds a pair, she may choose to split the hand into two separate ones, with a bet on each one.
Stand – The player chooses to stick with his hand total, electing to take no more cards.
Surrender – The option to surrender your hand in return for half your stake back.
Up card – The dealer card that is showing from the beginning of the hand.
CASINO LOYALTY
Loyalty and VIP programs
Loyalty programs are a common offering by UK casino sites. However, it can be the case that not everything that glitters is gold. While it’s true many casino sites offer incentives for playing, each one is different. With this being the case, it’s hardly surprising that some programs are more valuable than others. As a player, you need to know what they are and how they work in practice.
What are loyalty programs?
An online casino loyalty program is no different from any other reward scheme; when you spend money, you accrue points which have a value of some sort. As you’d expect, each operator has their own criteria. However, as an example, a typical loyalty program will look like this:
- Wager £XX to earn YY loyalty point/s.
- Use YY points to purchase ZZ bonus/bonus credits.
To help distinguish one system from another, operators will offer things like multipliers, points boosts and loyalty levels.
But, whichever way an online casino dresses up their loyalty scheme, there is one idea you need to keep in mind: consistency counts. To put it another way, the more you wager, the more rewards you can earn. Of course, you shouldn’t bet more than you can afford. However, if you want to make any casino loyalty system pay, you need to play for real money. Assuming you do this, you’ll earn points which, in turn, can be used to unlock some extra value.
How do casino loyalty schemes work?
Here's an example of a casino's loyalty program:
Earn five loyalty points for every £10 wagered
However, unless you play slots, the £10 total will have a different value. Because of weighting contributions, the game you play will determine how much of your bet is acknowledged. For example, every pound you wager on slots will count towards the £10 target as these games have a 100% weighting. In contrast, table poker has a 50% weighting. This means £0.50 of every £1 staked is counted. Therefore, you’ll have to stake £20 to hit the “£10” target.
This is pretty standard practice in online casinos, along the lines of:
- 100% weighting = All Slots, American Roulette and all Parlour Games.
- 50% weighting = All Table Pokers, all Roulettes (Except America Roulette), and Sic Bo
- 10% weighting = All Video/Power Pokers (except All Aces Video/Power Pokers), all Blackjacks (except Classic Blackjack), all Craps and all Baccarats
- 2% weighting = Classic Blackjack and All Aces Video/Power Pokers.
Once you’ve banked at least 5,000 loyalty points, you can exchange them for £10 in casino credits. Finally, these credits will be subject to a 30x wagering.
So, looking at this in practical terms, you have to wager £10,000 to hit the 5,000-point goal.
Once you’ve done that, you can claim a £10 bonus which will have a £300 wagering requirement. As you can see, these are large spending targets. However, when you take into account the VIP levels and their respective bonuses, it’s not as tough as it may seem. For example, once you hit 5,000 points and move to the second tier (silver), you’ll receive a 25% points boost.
Another important point to note is that money wagered is not the same as money lost. Wagering simply means the money you’ve staked (irrespective of any wins or losses). Therefore, it’s possible you can bet £10,000 but win £10,100. This would give you enough points to claim some cashback and leave you with a £100 profit.
With the above loyalty scheme example, the only reward you can collect is bonus cash (this isn’t true of every system). However, what’s important to note with loyalty programs is points are not going to be just handed over to you, consistency is key when it comes to reward programs. Casinos aren’t in the business of giving something for nothing, you have to show you’re loyalty in order to get something back.
What Are VIP programs?
Some online casinos have an invite-only VIP program. Sometimes this can apply to the top level of the loyalty scheme and sometimes it can be for a special set of promotions that only selected players will receive - the unwritten rule is that you will need to wager a considerable amount of money to be chosen.
Benefits of VIP programs
Although each site has its own nuances, it’s typically the case that players who have reached the very top tier are those that have wagered a considerable sum of money. For invite-only schemes, there are no exact requirements.
In general, top tier bonuses at the top online casinos include:
- Points boosts
- Personalised reload bonuses
- Free bets
- Enhanced cashback rates
- Personal VIP account manager
- Invitations to special events
Should you play the loyalty game?
If you’re a low stakes player or someone that doesn’t play too often, loyalty schemes aren’t going to matter too much. However, the counter to this is that you don’t have to do anything extra to join one. Because the casino records the number of bets you make and then ranks you accordingly, you don’t have to opt-in or do anything specific. Therefore, if you do happen to play and wager a lot in one month, you could accrue some loyalty points. If you are a high roller you might want to make sure you taking advantage of everything the casino can offer you.
Loyalty programs are great, but they should be seen as a background bonus. If you get to the next tier, great. If you don’t, forget about it. In reality, weekly promotions such as reload bonuses and free spin offers are more lucrative in the short-term. Of course, if you’re a high-volume player, it’s worth focusing on loyalty rewards. However, if you’re a casual player, stick to regular promotions and treat loyalty schemes simply as an added bonus.
WAGERING
A common complaint from players is how online casinos handle bonuses. Marketing materials highlight the huge bonus amounts on their site and promotional emails, etc, but the reality of withdrawing a bonus as hard cash is often far from simple.
But this makes sense.It would be a strange marketing strategy for casinos to give hundreds of pounds to each player just to register and open an account? The reality is that most casino bonuses are heavily restricted, almost always bound up in ‘wagering requirements’ that range from difficult to pretty impossible.
What are wagering requirements?
Wagering requirements (sometimes referred to as playthrough requirements) dictate a set number of times you need to gamble the bonus amount before you can access your bonus. Sometimes the wagering requirement applies just to the bonus amount, while other times it applies to the deposit + bonus. This distinction is key as it can make a big difference.
For Example: ACE casino offers 200% on the first deposit of up to £25. That gives players the opportunity to get a £50 bonus cash, but first they must meet the wagering requirements.
The terms and conditions may state that 'bonuses carry a wagering requirement of twenty-five (25) times the total amount', which means a player will have to wager 25 times the total of the deposit and bonus. In this case, that amounts to £75 (£25 deposit + £50 bonus) multiplied by 25, or £1,875.
These restrictions provide the layer of protection casinos need. Otherwise, this is a system that could be open to widespread abuse, and no company can hand out free money without getting value in return. It’s a well-documented practice across online casinos (& sometimes sports betting bonuses as well).
From a practical perspective, the wagering demands mean that bonuses can differ greatly in value. A £10 bonus might be better value than a £500 bonus if the wagering requirements are much lower. The former might allow you to actually withdraw your bonus and any associated winnings, without having to gamble a huge amount (and potentially lose that amount) in order to unlock withdrawals.
While this is definitely above board, it does leave players feeling a little aggrieved. The answer is to look beyond the marketing hype and read the terms and conditions carefully - where you’ll find any applicable wagering requirements or other terms that could hold up your progress.
What is a good wagering requirement?
What makes for a good wagering requirement has changed. Previously a 25x play-through requirement on the bonus was considered a good term. Recently though, some casinos demand up x50 on the bonus, so 30x or 35x would now be considered ‘good’ wagering demands.
Common casino bonus conditions
Every casino bonus offer will clearly reference the significant terms and conditions (as required by UK regulations, to provide an explicit link between bonus marketing materials and the associated T&Cs).
However, look out for these other potential restrictions:
Game Contributions – The main way casinos make bonuses more difficult to claim is by restricting you to playing high variance games, such as online slots. Games that allow the player to make low-risk bets, like odds-evens in roulette, usually only contribute a small percentage of the value wagered to the overall play-through total.
Time limits – Make sure to find out how long you have to fulfill the wagering requirements. The bigger the bonus, the better – but not if you only have seven days to meet the requirements.
Maximum conversions - online casinos may well specify a maximum convertable amount. This essentially means there is a cap to what you can win from your deposit + bonus amount, e.g. 4x (means maximum win is 4x your deposit + bonus) or e.g. max winnings £250 off the ACE example above
Betting limits – One way casinos can make it difficult to meet wagering demands is by restricting how much you can bet at any one time. If you normally bet £10 on each spin of the roulette wheel, but you are limited to betting £5 to qualify for wagering requirements, it’s going to take twice as long to meet the total required.
Withdrawal Request – The majority of online casinos will void your bonus if you request a withdrawal before the bonus is played through
In many instances, the bonuses are optional, and depending on the terms it might even be in your interests to reject a certain bonus – especially if you’re just looking to play a couple of games (or are in the middle of wagering through a previous bonus).
Beware impossible wagering requirements
From a well-known online casino - The welcome bonus is pitched at 100% of the first deposit, up to £250. So, you deposit the £250, receive your additional £250 bonus, and you’re good to go.
Except, looking at the terms and conditions. The wagering requirement here is 30x, and that includes your original deposit. So you’re looking at spending 30 x £500 in order to claim any of the winnings from your bonus – £15,000. This is almost certainly impossible in casino gambling unless you truly are defying probabilities. The result is a lot of disgruntled players.
Wagering requirements aren’t a secret, protect yourself and read the terms and conditions first, before you’re drawn in by any bonus amount.
ONLINE CASINO GLOSSARY
Action - The ‘action’ is the total value of the bets in a game, or the size of an individual staked amount for a single bet.
Advantage Player - A player who has some additional edge over the house, usually in reference to a blackjack player who is able to count cards effectively.
Ante - The minimum stake amount to play a hand, e.g. in poker, the ante is the minimum required stake to be dealt into the next hand, forming the basis of the pot for the game.
Autoplay - Commonly found in slots, this a function that allows you to automatically spin through a predetermined number of actions, or a predetermined amount of your bankroll, without manually initiating each spin. Good for increasing play speed.
Baccarat - A popular casino card game, where players strive to reach a hand worth as close as possible to 9 points in value. ‘Baccarat’ is the worst hand available in the game, scoring zero points.
Bank - Usually refers to the dealer, but can also be used to refer to the amount of money in the dealer’s chip stack, or the final player to act in any pass round the table.
Bankroll - The amount of money held in your betting account, or at the table for a particular game. Bankroll is your gambling bank balance.
Bet Spread - The gap between the minimum amount per bet and the maximum amount per bet, the spread is the distance between these two numbers.
Blackjack - The popular card game. Each player tries to make a hand of as close to 21 as possible without going over this limit, playing against the house.
Bonus - An incentive offered to new players for signing up and depositing, or in recognition of player loyalty in an online casino. Usually free credit to your bankroll, free spins, or similar.
Bonus Round - Common in online slots, the bonus round is additional to the main game and is usually triggered by three scatter symbols or similar. Often pays free spins and multipliers, cash wins, and also acts as the route to winning jackpots.
Burn Card - A single card discarded from the deck, usually before a hand is dealt. Common in some casino games and often used to make card counting techniques more difficult.
Buy In - The minimum amount of chips each player needs to take a seat at a particular game.
Craps - A common dice-based casino game. Players bet on the numbers showing on two dice, with varying payouts depending on the bet.
Croupier - The dealer, or the individual responsible for running a game on behalf of the casino. Online, these are most commonly encountered in Live Dealer (Live Casino) games.
Dealer - The person responsible for dealing cards, or otherwise running the game – similar to the croupier. In online casinos, this can also refer to the house’s hand, for example in blackjack, where there is no physical dealer present.
Down card - A facedown card dealt to the dealer, or to another player in a number of different card games. Contrasts with up card, which is a publicly-shown card, often one of the dealer’s cards, e.g. in blackjack.
Drop - Losses on any given bet, or the corresponding wins for the casino on any given bet.
Edge - The percentage of each bet that represents the house’s margin. An inherent disadvantage against players, where slimmer house edge represents better odds of playing profitably.
Even Money - Any bet that pays out in a 1:1 ratio. Bet £10 at even money, win back £10 plus your original £10 stake.
Expectation - The percentage win rate for any given player over long-run outcomes, based on probability and house edge.
Face Cards - The royal cards – Jack, Queen, King – in any deck. So-called because they depict a face, rather than a numerical value. Often the highest valued cards, other than the Ace, in any card game.
Fold - To quit a hand, especially in poker, to minimise losses and exclude any further betting.
Hand - The cards you’re dealt, and hold, at any one time (applicable to a number of casino games).
Heads Up - Playing one-on-one against an opponent, usually in the run-up to the showdown in poker.
High Roller - Someone who plays for large stakes on individual bets, often a professional gambler or wealthy individual.
House - The casino.
House Edge (see ‘Edge’) - The margin of advantage in favour of the casino.
House Rules - Particular rules for the specific casino you are playing at. Many casinos have their own house rules, which can act as a deviation from the standard rules of the game.
Insurance - A specific bet offered in blackjack, players can take this side bet to offset against the risk the dealer lands a blackjack hand. Become available when the dealer’s up card is an Ace.
Insurance Bet - Any other bet taken as an insurance position, designed to cover losses from other bets.
Jackpot - The top prize amount or amounts available from any given game, most commonly in slots & chance-based games.
Layout - The specific table cloth used in a casino game, with markings denoting different bets and payouts available.
Limit - The maximum amount that can be wagered on a given bet, or at a given table.
Live Dealer - A type of online casino game where player are shown a live feed of a physical dealer conducting the game, for a realistic casino-like experience.
Loose - Usually refers to a slots game, paying more regularly that an average game. Contrasts with ‘Tight’, where a slots game is paying out less frequently than average.
Maximum Bets - The highest single bet available on a given hand or spin. Slots players can choose the ‘Max Bet’ button to bet at the highest available per spin amount.
Money Management - The practice of managing bankroll for longevity and profit, skillful players study money management to establish their optimum stake per bet.
Odds - The probability, or the given payout ratio, on any wagered outcome. See True Odds.
Payline - A marked winning line in slots, where combinations of matching symbols will pay out a return, as per the paytable.
Payout - The amount of money a player will receive for winning a given better event.
Payout Percentage - The notional percentage a player would expect to receive back for playing a game over the long-run. Most games have a negative payout percentage, i.e. less than 100%, factoring in the house edge (same as RTP).
Poker - Numerous variations are played in casinos, online as well as offline, with Texas Hold’em the most widely played.
Pot - The amount of money available to be won in any game, commonly used to refer to the amount on the line in a poker hand.
Progressive - A type of jackpot, usually the largest in size, comprised of a small portion of individual stakes, linked across a number of players and games. A common feature of online slots, progressive jackpots can reach the tens of millions.
Punter - Slang terminology for a gambler, or for someone taking part in a casino or betting game.
Push - An outcome linked to a draw, when there is no outright winner or loser. All bets are returned to affected players.
Rake - A percentage commission built into a game to represent the house’s profit, particularly prominent in poker
Roulette – Players bet on a range of outcomes, and a ball is spun around a roulette wheel to determine the winning number. Pays at 35:1 for a single winning number, with a range of other betting configurations available.
Round - One full revolution of the table, or one full pass of the game in question. A round of poker, for example, ends when every player has taken their turn and the action returns to the dealer.
RTP (Return To Player) - The RTP percentage is a measure of the percentage of stakes a game returns to players (generally over a minimum of one million plays), and is a generally accepted guide to how a game will perform
Scared Money - A must-win bet for a player, common in poker.
Scatter - A type of symbol found in online slots which is often responsible for triggering bonus games. Players usually need 3 or more scatters to trigger a bonus, depending on the specific rules of the game they are playing.
Shoe - The container that holds multiple decks of cards at one time, used by the dealer in multi-deck games, commonly including blackjack.
Shooter - The player responsible for rolling the dice in a round of Craps.
Shuffle - To reorder a deck of cards randomly. Many games will have shuffles built in to the rules, with some notable exceptions including blackjack, where shuffling does not normally happen at the end of each hand.
Sic Bo - A dice-based game similar to craps. Uses three dice instead of two, and players bet on the total value of the dice to be rolled, with a number of different bets available.
Slots - Casual term for slot machines, including online slot machine games.
Stake - The amount of money bet in on any one outcome. Players can usually choose the amount of their stake, subject to maximum and minimum bet rules.
Stand - To stick with the cards you’ve got, especially in blackjack. Contrasts with ‘to hit’, which is to add another card to your hand in an attempt to reach 21.
Streak - A player who keeps on winning is said to be on a streak. Similarly, a string of consecutive losses can be deemed to be a ‘losing streak’.
Suit - The family or ‘house’ of cards. There are four suits in a standard deck – Clubs, Spades, Diamonds and Hearts.
Table Game - Term to describe the most common types of casino games, i.e. those played at a table. Roulette, blackjack, poker, etc. Contrasts with slots.
Table Limits - The specific limit to the size of any bets or the total pot on a given table.
Tie - A draw outcome, the same as ‘Push’. All bets are returned, unless stipulated otherwise in accordance with house rules or particular game rules.
Tight - The opposite of ‘Loose’, tight games pay out at a frequency below the average player expectation.
Tilt - Rash decision making, often arising out of a series of losses, or less commonly a series of big wins. When players start to take irrational gambles or bet more erratically, they are said to be ‘tilting’.
True Odds - The mathematical odds of a given outcome, versus the odds quoted by a casino. e.g. in roulette, casino odds for a single number are 35:1. In reality, each number has true oddsof ‘1 in 37’ or ‘1 in 38’ of winning on a given spin, depending on the game version.
Unit - A standard bet increment, often tied to the minimum bet available on a given table. Players often bet in units in poker, for example.
Up Card - A card that is dealt face up, sharing information with other players and the house. Commonly referenced in blackjack, regarding the single upturned card of the dealer’s hand.
Video Poker - A fixed odds game based on 5 card draw poker. Players try to make hands of a sufficient ranking to win a payout, as determined by the game paytable.
VIP - A term used to denote loyal players and casino loyalty programs for their best customers. Means ‘Very Important Person’.
Wager - The amount of money on the table in a given bet, or a term for the action of placing the bet itself.
Wild Card - A symbol or card that can be read as any other card to create a winning combination – especially in slots and video poker.
Win Rate - The number or percentage of wins expected over a given timeframe, as a mechanism for comparing different players or different casino games.
