marker

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.