Gambling Directory For Beginners
Each activity has its own set of terms and this is true of online casino wagering as well. As you read through the rules of the various casino games, the bonus terms and conditions or articles on online gambling you are likely to encounter words or terms that you are not familiar with. We explain many such terms here. You should initially go through the list so that you can engage in online casino gambling in a more comfortable manner. You can also use this section as a reference and check back when you encounter an unfamiliar term. The gambling directory has been arranged in sections for easy navigation.
Gambling Directory For Beginners
General | Bonuses | Blackack | Craps | Roulette | Pokies
General Terms
- Average return to player: the percent of the wager you can expect to win in the long term. It will almost always be less than 100%.
- Download casino: a wagering platform where the entire software is downloaded and installed on your computer.
- House edge: the percent of a wager the online casino is expected to retain in the long run. The house edge plus average return is 100%.
- Live dealer casino: the games are actually played on casino tables and video streamed to your computer.
- No download casino: a wagering platform where you play the games in the browser of your computer without any downloading. It is also called Flash casino or instant play casino.
- Random Number Generator (RNG): the component of the software that generates the random outcomes required for the online casino games.
Bonuses Terms
- Deposit bonus: you have to make a deposit in order to claim the bonus.
- Free spins bonus: a bonus in which you are not given a lump sum amount but a number of free spins on an online pokie.
- No deposit bonus: you do not have to make any deposit in order to claim the bonus.
- Non-redeemable bonus: a bonus that cannot be withdrawn after the wagering requirements are completed, but is removed from your bonus balance.
- Wagering requirement: the amount that you are required to wager before you can derive the stated benefits of the bonus.
- Welcome bonus: the first bonus package given to new players as an incentive to sign up at an online casino.
Blackjack Terms
- American blackjack: blackjack variants in which the dealer checks for blackjack before the player makes any move.
- Blackjack: a two card dealt hand that contains one ace and one card valued at 10 points, thus totalling to 21.
- European Blackjack: a blackjack game in which the dealer does not check for blackjack upfront.
- Hard hand: a hand that has no ace or has aces that have to be valued as 1 point to prevent busting.
- Double: a blackjack move in which you can double your wager but will draw only one more card.
- Hit: ask the dealer for another card.
- Insurance: an optional hedge bet offered when the dealer’s face up card is an ace.
- Soft hand: a hand that contains an ace that can be counted as 11 points without busting.
- Stand: stay with the hand you have without asking for another card.
- Strategy card: a table from which you can read the optimum blackjack move in all situations.
- Surrender: concede the hand without playing in exchange for half of your wager.
- Split: make two hands from a dealt pair by placing an extra wager for the second hand.
Craps Terms
- Any craps: a bet that the next roll will be 2, 3, or 12.
- Come bet: a multi-roll bet made after the point is established that wins on a 7 or 11 on the next roll or if the point repeats before 7.
- Come out roll: the first roll of the dice in a new session.
- Field bet: a bet that the next roll will be 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12.
- Free odds: additional wagers with zero house edges for the pass and come bets that can be placed after the point is established.
- One roll bet: a bet that is won or lost in a single roll.
- Pass line bet: a bet similar to the come bet but placed before the come out roll.
- Place bet: a bet that a specified number from 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 will be rolled before a 7 is rolled.
Roulette Terms
- American Roulette: a roulette variant with 38 numbers including 0 and 00.
- Call bets: bets based on the wheel configuration that are not placed on the layout.
- European Roulette: a roulette variant with 37 numbers including 0
- Even money bets: a roulette bet covering 18 numbers that pays 1 to 1.
- French Roulette: a roulette variant based on the European wheel that refunds half the even money bets when 0 is called.
- Inside bets: bets in which the chip is placed at least partially on the numbers layout.
- Outside bets: bets in which the chip is placed in designated areas outside the numbers layout.
Pokies Terms
- Branded pokies: pokies based on movies, television serials etc. under license from copyright owners and including content from the brand.
- Classic pokies: pokies with three reels.
- Line bet: the amount bet on each active payline.
- Payline: the combination of symbols across the reels that results in a payout.
- Progressive jackpot network: a group of pokies attached to the same progressive jackpot.
- Progressive jackpot pokies: pokies in which the highest payout is not fixed but increases with each spin.
- Total bet: the amount wagered per spin, which is the product of the line bet and the number of active paylines, except in the case of all pays pokies.
- Video pokies: pokies with five reels.
