Soft hand: A hand at blackjack where the ace can be used as 11.
Split: To make two hands from a pair at blackjack.
Spooning: Sticking a spoon into a slot machine to get it to pay off. Doesn't work on new machines.
Spot: The number on a keno ticket that has been "X"-ed out for betting purposes.
Spread: The difference between the minimum and maximum bets a player makes.
Squares: A game or player that is honest. "This game is on the square."
Stand: To keep the cards you have. Not to draw any more cards.
Steaming: A player who is visibly upset and is playing recklessly.
Stiff: In blackjack, a total of 12 through 16. Also, not to tip a cocktail server.
Straight: Five cards in sequence.
Straight Flush: Five cards of the same suit in sequence.
Straight Ticket: A keno ticket that has only one wager and that involves the selection of from one to 15 different numbers.
Stringing: A method of cheating whereby a coin or slug suspended on a string is introduced time and again ino a machine in order to get free play.
Surrender: A blackjack option where the player may give up half his bet. Player loses full bet if the dealer has a blackjack, however. Sometimes known as late surrender.
Supersystem: The method of play developed by the Captain for long-term play at craps. Divided into the classical and radical supersystems. Can't be used in video craps.
Sweat: Casinos who are upset by players winning are said to "sweat" out their games. Also, a player who is losing and is worried.
Swing Shift: The shift that runs from 6 PM to 2 AM.
Take the Edge: Giving yourself an edge at a game—usually by cheating. A player can take the edge at certain video-poker games and video-blackjack games.
Taking the odds: To put the odds behind a Pass Line or a Come bet. Usually canot be made at video craps.
Tapped Out: To lose one's entire bankroll.
Three Flush: Three cards to a flush.
Three of a Kind: Having three cards of the same denomination. Three Straight: Three cards to a straight.
Tight machine: A slot machine that is not paying back a good percentage. A machine that a player is losing at.
Tilting: Any physical manipulation of machine during play in order to influence the outcome.
Toke: A tip to a casino employee.
Tom: Casinoese for a poor tipper.
Tough Out: The Captain's term for a skilled player who doesn't beat himself.
Triple Odds: The placing of three times one's original bet in odds behind the Pass Line or Come bets. Usually not available at video craps.

• Video Poker Machine Talk Part7 (0)
• Video Poker Machine Talk Part12 (0)
• Video Poker Machine Talk Part2 (0)

Running Count: In blackjack, the raw count that has not been divided (or multipled) by the number of decks remaining.
Rush: A quick winning streak.
Scam: Any scheme to defraud a casino or player.
Scared Money: Money a player can't afford to lose. Also known as perspiration pennies.
Secondary Decision Programming: A type of programming that allows the computer to stop a hand that is about to be dealt in favor of a different hand. This is done to prevent big winning hands from appearing their theoretical number of times. One of the methods used for cheating or "fixing" a video-poker machine to have it perform as a slot machine. Also called variable programming.
Serial Dealing: In video poker the cards will be dealt as they come off the top of the deck. When you discard a card, the replacement card has not already been selected but will be the next card off the top of the deck. This is the opposite of parallel dealing.
Session: A given period of play at a casino. Usually terminated at a predetermined time, or at a certain level of wins or losses.
Seven Out: For a shooter at craps to roll a seven before repeating his point number.
Shift Boss: The individual in charge of the casino during a given work shift.
Shoot: To roll the dice.
Shooter: The person who rolls the dice. In video craps, it's the machine's programing that rolls the "dice."
The Short End: The side of a bet that has to pay off less than it will win.
Short Odds: Less than the true odds payoff of a bet.
Short Run: The limited amount of time during any given session when probability theory will seemingly be skewed by streaks or fluctuations.
Shuffle up: Technique used to thwart card counters. Dealer will shuffle after every deal or when a player enters a game and bets big money. Can't be employed at video blackjack.
Single-Deck Blackjack: The best game in the casino if the rules are standard. Most video-blackjack games are single-deck games.
Single Odds: The ability of a player to place an amount equal to his Pass Line or Come bet in odds that will be paid off at the true odds for the number. Usually not avilable at video craps.
Sleeper: A winning bet at craps that the player has forgotten about. Quite often the player will leave a table and the bet will remain until it is lost or some player or dealer takes it. Sleeper bets can be found on machines when players fail to cash out their credits at the end of play
Slot Arcade: A casino devoted exclusively to slot machines and video-poker machines.
Slot Floor: Areas devoted to slot machines in a casino.
Slot Mix: Slot machines and video-poker machines of different denominations and of different percentages in the slot area.
Slug: A group of cards that have been prearranged in a given order. Also, a piece of rounded metal inserted into a slot machine that mimics a coin.
Snake Eyes: The two at craps.
Snapper: An archaic term for a blackjack. A red snapper is a blackjack composed of two red cards.

• Video Poker Machine Talk Part7 (0)
• Video Poker Machine Talk Part13 (0)
• Video Poker Machine Talk Part6 (0)

Head to Head: To play against the dealer with no other player in the game. Sometimes referred to as face to face, or heads up. Many video blackjack games are "head-to-head" contests vs. the dealer-in-the-machine.
Heat: Surveillance by the casino of a suspected card counter. Or pressure put on a card counter to leave before being banned. Also, known as steam. Not a problem for video-blackjack players.
iiigh Card: A jack, queen, king or ace.
High-Low: Abet at craps that the next roll will be a two or a 12. Also, different spelling for the counting system Hi-Lo in blackjack.
High Roller: A player who plays for large stakes.
High Roller System: A method of betting for large stakes developed by the Captain that reduces the house edge and allows excellent comps without the normal risk. Would include the best buys. Cannot be done at video craps.
High Pair: A pair of jacks, queens, kings or aces.
Hit: To receive another card on your hand in blackjack.
Hold: The actual amount that the casinos take from their games. To save certain cards.
Hold Button: In video poker, the button that allows you to keep certain cards.
Hole Card: The second card dealt to the dealer in blackjack, that is face down. Any face down card.
Hop: A bet in craps that the next roll of the dice will be a certain combination. A Crazy Crapper bet. Usually not available at video craps.
Hopper: Electronically powered payout system that counts out the coins to be paid accurately and fast. Some people also use the term hopper to refer to the tray that catches the coins.
Horn Bet: A one roll bet in craps that combines the two, three 11 and 12.
Horn High: A horn bet at craps where one of the totals has one more unit riding on it than all the others.
Horrendous Rolls: Rolls where the shooter sevens out within a few rolls after establishing his point number.
Hot: A player who has been winning.
Hot and Cold System: A wager on the side that won previously. Another name for the streak method of betting.
Hot Dice: Dice that have been passing and making numbers.
Hot Machine: A machine where the players have been winning.
Hot Shooter: A shooter having a good roll at the craps table.
House Edge: The mathematical edge that the casino has on a given bet or machine.
House Odds: The payoff that reflects the casino's tax on your winning bet.
Hustler: A gambling cheat.
Inside Numbers: In craps, the numbers five, six, eight, nine.
Inside straight: A straight that can only be completed by one card on the inside. Example: 4-5- * -7-8.
Insurance: A side wager at blackjack for up to half the original wager that the dealer has a blackjack when he has an ace showing.

• Video Poker Machine Talk Part13 (0)
• Video Poker Machine Talk Part12 (0)
• Video Poker Machine Talk Part2 (0)

Backing the Bet: Placing the odds on the Pass Line and Come bets. One of the better bets in the casino but usually not found in video-poker versions of craps.
Bad Rack: Casinoese for a player who doesn't pay his gambling debts.
Bank: A row of slot or video-poker machines.The person who covers the bet in a game. In most casino gambling, the bank is the casino itself.
Bankroll: The total amount of money a gambler sets aside to gamble with.
Bar: The banning of an individual from playing in a casino— usually at blackjack. Used against cheats and expert players alike. Video-blackjack players don't have to worry about being barred for counting cards as would a table-game player.
Bar the 12 or 2: In craps, the wrong bettor is not allowed to win on these numbers. They are pushes.
Basic Strategy: In blackjack and video blackjack, the best possible play of any given hand based on the dealer's up card and the two cards you possess. In other games, the best play available.
Behind the line: Placing the odds behind your bets on the Pass Line and Come. This is one of the best wagers in the casino. Unfortunately, most versions of video craps do not allow this bet.
Best Buys: Created by the Captain. This radically reduces the house's otherwise stifling edge on these bets. Cannot be employed at video craps however.
Betting against the Dice: In craps, a wager where you are betting against the shooter and for the seven.
Betting with the Dice: At craps, a bet that the shooter will make his point. A bet against the seven showing.

Bias: The tendency of the game to favor either the dealer or the player for prolonged periods.
Big Bertha: Those giant slot machines placed at entrances and exits to lure the unwary gambler. In video poker Big Berthas are usually the Tens-Or-Better variety.
Big Player: At slots or video poker, a player who plays for a sufficient amount of time at a relatively high denomination of machine to receive RFB comps.
Big Six and Big Eight: One of the worst bets at video craps. A wager where you bet that the six or eight will appear before the seven. Pays off at even money. A Crazy Crap-per bet.
Blackjack: A natural. A 10-value card and an ace. Pays off at three to two. In video blackjack avoid the machine if blackjack pays even money or three for two.
Board: The tote board that shows the winning keno numbers.
Boxcars: In craps, the number 12.

Box Numbers: The numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9,10.
Break: To go over 21 in blackjack. Sometimes referred to as busting.
Break the Deck: To shuffle the cards before continuing play. Usually in video blackjack, the machine will shuffle before playing out all the cards.
Bug: Sometimes euphemistically called an "odds adjuster." A mechanical contrivance that can be placed on a mechanical slot machine to prevent a given symbol from appearing. The video version of this activity would be called "variable prgramming."
Bull: Another name for the ace in poker.

• Video Poker Machine Talk Part9 (0)
• Video Poker Machine Talk Part7 (0)
• Video Poker Machine Talk Part4 (0)