Gambling terms, explained straight

A–Z index

Gambling terms beginning with B

91 terms under B, each with a one-line summary. Follow a term for the full explanation.

Baccarat 3rd card rule Casino games
A fixed set of drawing rules that tells the dealer whether the Player or Banker hand gets a third card in standard baccarat, based on the first two…
Baccarat banker rules Casino games
The banker rules in baccarat decide whether the banker hand receives a third card, depending on its current total and the player's actions.
Baccarat commission chart Casino games
A baccarat commission chart is a payout reference that shows the commission deducted from winning Banker bets, typically 5%.
Baccarat draw rules Casino games
Baccarat draw rules are the fixed rules that decide whether the Player and Banker hands get a third card.
Baccarat game Casino games
A casino card game where players bet on which of two hands, Player or Banker, will come closer to a total of nine, or whether they will tie.
Baccarat hit rules Casino games
Baccarat hit rules determine whether the player or banker draws a third card after the initial two-card deal.
Baccarat house edge Odds & probability
The baccarat house edge is the casino's built-in advantage on each wager, shown as the percentage of the stake the player expects to lose over time.
Baccarat odds Casino games
Baccarat odds are the probabilities and payout ratios attached to the Player, Banker and Tie wagers, together with their implied house edge.
Baccarat odds payout Odds & probability
Baccarat odds payout is the rate at which a winning bet is paid, such as even money (1:1) for Player, 19:20 for Banker, or 8:1 for Tie.
Baccarat odds player vs banker Casino games
The player-vs-banker odds compare the chance of winning and the payout for the two main wagers in baccarat: betting on the Player hand or the Banke…
Baccarat odds vs blackjack Casino games
A cross-game comparison of the house edge or player return between baccarat and blackjack, not a single bet or rule.
Baccarat probability chart Casino games
A table that lists the mathematical likelihood of each possible outcome in baccarat, such as a Player, Banker, or Tie win, typically broken down by…
Baccarat rules card values Casino games
In baccarat, aces are worth 1, cards 2 through 9 keep their pip value, and 10s, Jacks, Queens and Kings are all worth 0.
Baccarat third card rules chart Casino games
A chart that sets out when the Player and Banker must draw or stand on a third card in punto banco baccarat.
Bad beat Poker
A bad beat happens when a player who is a heavy favourite to win a hand loses because the opponent catches a lucky card or cards.
Bad beat jackpot rules Poker
Bad beat jackpot rules set the minimum hand strength and other conditions a losing hand must meet to trigger a special jackpot payout in poker.
Bad beat poker jackpot Poker
A bad beat poker jackpot is a progressive prize pool paid when a qualifying strong hand loses to an even stronger hand at showdown.
Bad beat poker payout Poker
A bad beat poker payout is a promotional prize awarded when a player with an extremely strong hand loses at showdown under a cardroom's bad-beat-ja…
Bad beat vs cooler Poker
A bad beat is when a hand that was a heavy favourite loses to a weaker hand that got lucky;
Banco game Casino games
Banco is the term for the banker hand in baccarat, particularly in the punto banco variant, where players bet on the banker, player, or tie outcomes.
Bankroll management Odds & probability
Bankroll management is the practice of setting aside a dedicated betting fund and sizing wagers as a fraction of that fund, so the bettor can withs…
Bankroll management blackjack Odds & probability
Bankroll management blackjack is the practice of sizing blackjack bets as a fraction of your bankroll to control variance and avoid ruin.
Bankroll management poker Odds & probability
The practice of selecting stakes and game formats that a player's poker funds can withstand through normal variance and losing streaks.
Basic poker odds Poker
The chance that a poker hand will appear or improve, shown as a probability or as odds against it happening.
Basic strategy blackjack Casino games
A set of rules that tells blackjack players the mathematically correct action — hit, stand, double, split or surrender — for every possible hand ag…
Beat lottery Lottery & bingo
Beat lottery is a phrase sometimes used for lottery betting, where you place a wager with a licensed firm on the result of a lottery draw instead o…
Beaten favourite Racing
Beaten favourite (BF) is a horse racing form abbreviation for a runner that started as the favourite but did not win.
Beating the rake in poker Poker
A player beats the rake when their winnings from opponents exceed the house commission taken from each pot, making their net profit positive after …
Betting addiction Responsible play
Betting addiction is not a formal diagnostic term;
Betting odds Odds & probability
Betting odds are the prices a bookmaker sets for a wager.
Betting odds explained football Odds & probability
Football betting odds are the prices a bookmaker sets for outcomes in a match, such as home win, draw, or away win.
Betting odds spread explained Odds & probability
A betting odds spread is a point spread: a handicap line set by the bookmaker so you wager on whether a team or player finishes above or below that…
Betting odds to probability Odds & probability
Betting odds to probability is the conversion of a quoted betting price into the implied probability of an outcome, typically by taking the inverse…
Betting unit Sports betting
A betting unit is the smallest stake increment a bookmaker or casino allows, and every wager must be a multiple of that amount.
Big blind poker meaning Poker
The big blind is the larger of the two mandatory bets placed before any cards are dealt in flop-style poker games.
Bingo Lottery & bingo
Bingo is a game of chance where players try to be the first to complete a set pattern by matching numbers called at random against numbers on their…
Bingo 75 Lottery & bingo
Bingo 75 is the U.S.-style bingo format played with 75 possible numbers and a 5×5 card with a free centre space, where players mark matching number…
Bingo 90 Lottery & bingo
Bingo 90 is the 90-ball bingo format in which play uses numbers 1 to 90 and tickets are laid out in the UK-style 3-row, 9-column arrangement.
Bingo card Lottery & bingo
A bingo card is a printed or electronic ticket containing numbers or symbols that players mark off as the caller draws numbers at random.
Bingo cards 1-90 Lottery & bingo
Bingo cards 1-90 are tickets used in 90-ball bingo, where numbers are drawn from the range 1 to 90.
Bingo dauber Lottery & bingo
A bingo dauber is a pen-like tool with a sponge tip that players use to mark called numbers on their bingo cards during a game.
Bingo machine Lottery & bingo
A bingo machine is equipment used to present or facilitate a bingo game, such as a video bingo terminal (VBT), that meets the bingo characteristics…
Bingo rules and regulations Lottery & bingo
Bingo rules and regulations are the legal conditions that control how bingo can be offered, covering areas such as licensing, stakes, prizes, parti…
Bingo rules for adults Lottery & bingo
Bingo rules for adults are the legal and house rules that govern bingo played in adult-only settings such as pubs, clubs, and licensed bingo premises.
Bingo rules free space Lottery & bingo
The free space is the centre square on a 5×5 American bingo card that counts as already filled, so no number needs to be called for it.
Bingo rules to win Lottery & bingo
Bingo rules to win are the conditions a player must meet to make a valid bingo before anyone else, typically by completing a required pattern and h…
Bingo self-exclusion Responsible play
A voluntary responsible-gambling tool that lets a person request a formal block from bingo venues or sites for a chosen period.
Bingo slots Slots
Bingo slots is an informal term for reel-based casino games that use bingo-like matching, presentation or mechanics rather than a standard bingo fo…
Blackjack Casino games
A casino banking card game where each player tries to outscore the dealer by building a hand total as close to 21 as possible without going over.
Blackjack 21 Casino games
Blackjack 21 is a casino card game in which each player competes against the dealer, trying to build a hand total that beats the dealer's without e…
Blackjack basic strategy chart 6 decks Casino games
A blackjack basic strategy chart 6 decks is a reference table that shows the mathematically optimal action for every player hand against each deale…
Blackjack basic strategy pairs Casino games
Blackjack basic strategy pairs are the optimal split decisions for a player's initial two-card pair, telling you whether to split based on the pair…
Blackjack card counting Advantage play
Blackjack card counting is a technique where a player tracks the ratio of high to low cards already dealt to estimate whether the remaining deck fa…
Blackjack card counting bot Advantage play
A blackjack card counting bot is software or hardware that automatically tracks exposed cards in blackjack and uses the count to recommend or make …
Blackjack chart 6 deck Card games
A blackjack chart 6 deck is a basic-strategy table that tells you the best move for every possible hand when playing with six decks.
Blackjack cut card Casino games
A blackjack cut card is a brightly coloured blank plastic card that the dealer places inside the shoe to show where the deck ends and a shuffle mus…
Blackjack das meaning Casino games
DAS stands for double after split, a blackjack rule that lets a player double their bet on a hand created by splitting a pair.
Blackjack dealer rules soft 17 Casino games
A blackjack table rule that determines whether the dealer must hit or stand when holding a soft 17 (an ace and a six, with the ace counted as 11).
Blackjack hand chart Casino games
A blackjack hand chart is a printed table that shows the mathematically best move — hit, stand, double, or split — for every possible combination o…
Blackjack house edge Odds & probability
The blackjack house edge is the casino's long-run statistical advantage on a player's initial bet, expressed as a percentage of each wager the casi…
Blackjack house edge percentage Odds & probability
The percentage of each original bet that a blackjack player expects to lose on average over the long run, determined by the specific rules and how …
Blackjack insurance odds Casino games
Blackjack insurance odds are the probabilities that determine whether the insurance side bet wins when the dealer shows an ace, and how often the b…
Blackjack insurance payout Casino games
The blackjack insurance payout is the 2:1 return a player receives on the insurance side bet when the dealer's face-down card is a ten-value card, …
Blackjack odds Casino games
Blackjack odds refers to the probability of being dealt a natural 21, or the payout ratio paid on that hand, most commonly 3:2.
Blackjack odds dealer vs player Casino games
The odds that compare the player's hand to the dealer's hand in blackjack, showing the chance of winning, losing, or pushing under a specific rule set.
Blackjack odds with card counting Advantage play
Blackjack odds with card counting describes how a player can gain a statistical edge by tracking the ratio of high to low cards remaining in the deck.
Blackjack pays 3 to 2 Casino games
A payout rule where a winning natural blackjack is paid 3 units for every 2 units wagered, equivalent to 1.5 times the bet.
Blackjack rules ace Casino games
Blackjack rules ace refers to how aces are valued (1 or 11 points) and handled in play, including soft hands, natural blackjacks, and split aces.
Blackjack rules card values Casino games
Blackjack card values assign each rank a point total: 2–10 count as their face value, face cards (J, Q, K) count as 10, and aces count as 1 or 11 t…
Blackjack rules dealer Casino games
Blackjack dealer rules are the fixed procedures a dealer must follow when playing their hand, including when to draw cards and when to stand, typic…
Blackjack rules payout Casino games
The blackjack rules payout sets how much a winning hand is paid, with a natural blackjack typically returning three units for every two wagered.
Blackjack shoe Casino games
A blackjack shoe is a box-like device that holds several decks of cards at once, letting the dealer slide out one card at a time.
Blackjack split Casino games
A split in blackjack is the option to separate an initial pair into two independent hands by placing a second bet equal to the original wager.
Blackjack strategy card Casino games
A blackjack strategy card is a printed reference that shows the mathematically best move for every possible player hand against each dealer up-card…
Blackjack surrender Casino games
In blackjack, surrender is a rule that allows a player to fold the initial two-card hand and lose only half the bet, rather than playing the hand t…
Blackjack terms and phrases Casino games
The specialised vocabulary used at blackjack tables to communicate hand values, permitted player moves, and dealer outcomes.
Blackjack true count Advantage play
The true count is the running count divided by the number of decks still in the shoe, giving a deck-independent measure of how favourable the remai…
Bluff definition Poker
A bluff in poker is a bet or raise made when you likely do not hold the best hand, aiming to scare opponents into folding stronger hands.
Bluff poker Poker
A bluff is a bet or raise made with a weak hand, aiming to convince opponents holding better cards to fold.
Boat (poker hands) Poker
Boat is a poker term for a full house: a hand containing three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank.
Bonus bingo Lottery & bingo
Bonus bingo is a promotional side game offered by bingo clubs.
Bridge Card games
Bridge is a card game for four players in two partnerships, where bidding decides the contract and trump suit, and the aim is to win tricks with a …
Bridge bidding terms Card games
Bridge bidding terms are the words, calls, and phrases used during the auction phase of contract bridge to describe hands and agreements.
Bridge rules and scoring Card games
Bridge scoring is the system of point values and bonuses used to record contract bridge results, covering trick points, overtricks, bonuses, and pe…
Bridge shuffle Card games
A bridge shuffle is the act of mixing the cards before dealing in contract bridge, with the purpose of creating a random deal.
Bridge terms and definitions Card games
Bridge terms and definitions are the standard words and phrases used in contract bridge to describe cards, bidding, play, scoring, and positions.
Bridge terms and phrases Card games
Bridge terms and phrases are the specialised words and expressions used in contract bridge for calls, conventions, scoring and hand-related ideas.
British bingo rules Lottery & bingo
British bingo rules are the Gambling Commission's principles and guidance for offering bingo legally in Great Britain, covering equal-chance play, …
Broke in poker Poker
Broke in poker is a variant or misspelling of break, meaning to discard part of a made hand in draw poker and draw replacements in the hope of impr…
Bubble craps Casino games
An electronic casino game that recreates craps inside a sealed dome where dice are rolled mechanically, with players betting through a touchscreen.
Buck euchre rules Card games
Buck euchre is a North American three- or four-player euchre variant with no partnerships, where each player scores individually.