Gambling terms, explained straight

A–Z index

Gambling terms beginning with P

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

Pai gow betting strategy Casino games
A pai gow betting strategy tells a player how to split their cards or tiles into two hands, and when to bank, in order to get the best possible res…
Pai gow house way chart Odds & probability
A pai gow house way chart is a casino rule table that tells the dealer how to split each hand into a high and low component.
Pai gow odds vs blackjack Odds & probability
A comparison of house edge, expected loss, or other probability measures between pai gow (tiles or poker) and blackjack.
Pai gow payout chart Odds & probability
A pai gow payout chart lists the payouts for winning hands or qualifying events in a pai gow side bet, typically expressed as a ratio such as 40 to 1.
Pai gow poker Poker
Pai gow poker is a casino card game in which a player splits seven dealt cards into two hands — a five-card hand and a two-card hand — and must bea…
Pai gow poker betting Poker
The money a player puts at risk on a single round of pai gow poker, wagering that their two arranged hands will beat the banker's corresponding hands.
Pai gow poker joker rules Poker
The joker in pai gow poker is a bug card that can only fill a straight or flush in the five-card hand, and otherwise counts as an ace;
Pai gow poker odds Poker
Pai gow poker odds are the probabilities of winning, pushing, or losing a hand in pai gow poker, along with the house edge from the 5% commission o…
Pai gow poker payouts Odds & probability
The payout rules for pai gow poker set how much a player receives when their hand beats the dealer's or a side bet hits.
Pai gow progressive jackpot Slots
A pai gow progressive jackpot is an optional side bet in pai gow poker that pays a growing jackpot, typically for a rare hand such as a seven-card …
Pai gow progressive payouts Odds & probability
Pai gow progressive payouts are the jackpot-style awards from an optional side bet in pai gow poker, where the top prize grows as players contribut…
Pari mutuel Racing
Pari mutuel is a betting system where all stakes on an event are pooled, deductions for tax and house take are removed, and the remaining pool is s…
Pari mutuel machine Racing
A pari mutuel machine is a totalisator that aggregates wagers into a common pool and calculates payout odds or payoffs after deductions for take an…
Pari-mutuel betting example Racing
A pari-mutuel betting example is an illustrative calculation showing how a betting pool is divided among winning tickets after the operator deducts…
Pari-mutuel horse racing Racing
Pari-mutuel horse racing is a betting system where all wagers on a race go into a common pool, the track takes a deduction, and the remaining money…
Pari-mutuel meaning lottery Racing
A lottery-style betting system where all stakes on a given event are collected into a single pool, and winners share that pool after deductions, ra…
Pari-mutuel payouts Racing
The money paid to winning bettors from a collective wagering pool after the operator takes its cut, with each ticket's return depending on the tota…
Pari-mutuel slot machine Racing
A machine that looks and plays like a slot but calculates payouts from a shared betting pool instead of a fixed pay table.
Parlay Sports betting
A parlay is a single bet that links several wagers together;
Parlay definition football Sports betting
A parlay is a single bet that combines two or more individual wagers;
Parlay definition in betting Sports betting
A parlay links multiple bets into one wager that pays out only when every leg wins.
Parlay meaning basketball Sports betting
A parlay in basketball betting is a single ticket that bundles multiple bets together, and it only pays out if every one of those bets wins.
Parlay original meaning Sports betting
A parlay is a single wager that ties together two or more separate bets, and it pays out only when every one of those bets wins.
Parlay payout chart Sports betting
A parlay payout chart is a table that tells you how much you win on a parlay bet, based on how many selections you include and the odds format used.
Party on tilt meaning Poker
Party on tilt describes a poker table where multiple players are playing emotionally and recklessly, often leading to unusually large pots and erra…
Pass line craps Casino games
The pass line is the core bet in craps.
Pass line craps odds Casino games
Pass line craps odds are an optional bet placed behind a pass line wager after a point is established, paying true odds with no house advantage.
Pass line odds payout Odds & probability
In craps, the pass line odds payout is the money you get back on the extra odds wager you can make behind your pass line bet once a point is set, a…
Paylines Slots
Paylines are the fixed lines or patterns across a slot machine's reels that decide which symbol combinations count as a win.
Perfect trifecta meaning Racing
A perfect trifecta is a bet on a horse race that wins only if the three horses you name finish first, second and third in that exact sequence.
Photo finish horse racing Racing
A photo finish is a photograph taken at the finishing line that officials use to determine the order of finish when a race is too close to call by eye.
Pick 3 lottery Lottery & bingo
A Pick 3 lottery is a daily numbers game where players select three digits from 0 to 9 and win by matching the drawn result according to the chosen…
Pick 5 lotto Lottery & bingo
Pick 5 lotto is a lottery draw game in which players pick five numbers or digits and win by matching the five numbers drawn, with rules and prize s…
Pl o poker rules Poker
PLO, or Pot-Limit Omaha, is a poker variant that gives each player four private cards and requires them to form a five-card hand from exactly two o…
Point spread Sports betting
A point spread is a number set by a bookmaker to give the underdog a virtual head start, so bettors wager on whether the favourite will win by more…
Point spread meaning betting Sports betting
A point spread is the handicap number a bookmaker sets so a bet is decided by the margin of victory rather than simply which team wins.
Point spread meaning football Sports betting
In football betting, a point spread is a number set by the bookmaker that gives the favourite a points deficit to overcome and the underdog a point…
Point spread meaning NBA Sports betting
In NBA betting, the point spread is a number set by the bookmaker that handicaps the favourite by a set margin and gives the underdog the same adva…
Poker bankroll management tournament Odds & probability
Poker bankroll management for tournaments means choosing buy-ins and stakes so that your dedicated poker funds survive the high variance of tournam…
Poker betting rules Poker
Poker betting rules govern how players check, bet, call, raise, or fold during betting rounds, and define the limits and structure of wagering in a…
Poker blinds Poker
Blinds are mandatory bets placed by two players before any cards are dealt in flop-style poker games, creating an initial pot and ensuring there is…
Poker bluffing Poker
A poker bluff is a bet or raise made when you believe your hand is not the best, intended to make opponents fold stronger hands.
Poker boat vs full house Poker
In poker, boat and full house are two names for the same hand: three matching cards of one rank paired with two matching cards of another rank.
Poker bot Advantage play
A poker bot is a computer program that plays poker automatically, usually online, against human or other computer opponents.
Poker bot AI Advantage play
A poker bot AI is software that uses artificial intelligence to make betting decisions and play poker automatically against human or computer oppon…
Poker bubble Poker
In a poker tournament, the bubble is the cutoff point just before the prize money starts, where the last eliminated player walks away with nothing.
Poker cheating scandal explained Advantage play
A poker cheating scandal is a public controversy that erupts when players are accused of breaking poker rules or site controls to gain an unfair ad…
Poker chips Casino games
Poker chips are small discs or tokens that stand in for cash at a poker table, letting players bet and stack their wagers more easily than with cur…
Poker club Poker
A poker club is a venue or club that offers poker play, typically as a dedicated card room, a members’ club, or a commercial club where poker is av…
Poker dealing rules Poker
Poker dealing rules govern how cards are distributed to players and the order or procedure used to do so.
Poker equity Poker
Poker equity is the portion of the pot a player can expect to win on average, based on the current hand's chance of winning at showdown.
Poker hand odds chart Poker
A poker hand odds chart is a reference table that shows how likely each hand ranking is, based on all possible five-card combinations from a standa…
Poker hand rankings Poker
Poker hand rankings is the system that orders five-card hands from strongest to weakest, so players can decide who wins at showdown.
Poker hand rankings preflop Poker
Poker hand rankings preflop refers to the ordering of starting hands in Texas hold 'em before any community cards are dealt.
Poker hand rankings probability Poker
Poker hand rankings probability is the chance of being dealt each hand category in a given poker variant, usually from a standard 52-card deck.
Poker hands Poker
A poker hand is the combination of cards a player holds to compete against others, usually five cards, and its strength is judged by a fixed rankin…
Poker hands chart preflop Poker
A poker hands chart preflop is a 13×13 grid that maps the 169 non-equivalent two-card starting hands in Texas hold'em and suggests whether to fold,…
Poker hands probability Poker
Poker hands probability measures how often a particular hand type appears in a deal, calculated by dividing the number of ways that hand can occur …
Poker hands quads Poker
Quads, or four of a kind, is a poker hand consisting of four cards of the same rank and one unrelated kicker card.
Poker hold em rules Poker
Poker hold em rules govern Texas hold'em, where each player receives two private cards and five community cards are placed face up on the board to …
Poker hole cards rankings Advantage play
A shorthand ranking of a player’s two-card starting hand in poker, ordered by its preflop strength.
Poker house edge Odds & probability
Poker house edge is the casino's expected long-run advantage on a player's original wager in poker-derived casino games, expressed as a percentage …
Poker odds chart Poker
A poker odds chart is a reference table that tells you how likely a given poker outcome is, such as completing a flush draw or being dealt a full h…
Poker odds chart preflop Poker
A poker odds chart preflop ranks starting hands in No-Limit Hold'em to guide pre-flop decisions such as fold, call, or raise.
Poker positions Poker
In poker, position is a player's seat relative to the dealer button and blinds, determining the order of action.
Poker preflop ranges Poker
A preflop range is the collection of two-card starting hands a player is willing to play in a given preflop situation, such as opening, calling a r…
Poker probability Poker
Poker probability is the calculation of the chance that a specified hand, draw, or outcome will occur in a poker situation.
Poker raise rules Poker
A raise is when a player increases the size of a bet that has already been made in the current round of betting.
Poker range Poker
In poker, a range is the full collection of hands a player might hold at a given point, based on their actions and the board.
Poker range percentage Poker
In poker, range percentage is the proportion of all possible starting hands that a player could hold in a given situation, shown as a percentage.
Poker ranges by position Poker
Poker ranges by position assign different starting-hand ranges based on a player's seat relative to the action order, with later positions playing …
Poker RTA chart Advantage play
A poker RTA chart is a real-time-assistance guide that a player consults during a live hand to see which action the chart recommends.
Poker rules dealer Poker
A poker dealer is the person who distributes cards and manages the pot, or the player position marked by the dealer button that determines betting …
Poker starting hands chart Poker
A poker starting hands chart ranks or groups the possible two-card holdings in a poker variant, showing which combinations are stronger or weaker b…
Poker terms and phrases Poker
Poker terms and phrases are the specialised vocabulary used to describe hands, betting actions, table positions, and game situations in poker.
Poker terms for winning Poker
Poker terms for winning is not a single standard term but a category covering the many words and phrases used when a player wins a hand or pot.
Poker terms list and meanings Poker
A poker terms list explains the specialised language used in the game, covering actions, positions, hand types, and player behaviour.
Pools betting Lottery & bingo
Pools betting, also called parimutuel betting, is a system where all stakes on an event are combined into a single pool, and winners share that poo…
Positive odds meaning Odds & probability
Positive odds are a moneyline quotation where the number shows the net profit on a 100-unit stake, so +200 means a $100 bet wins $200.
Pot odds Poker
In poker, pot odds express the reward the pot offers relative to the price of calling a bet, helping a player decide whether the call is mathematic…
Pot odds poker Poker
Pot odds compare the size of the pot to the cost of a call, helping a player decide whether the potential reward justifies the risk.
Pot odds vs equity Poker
Pot odds vs equity is the comparison between the price offered by a bet and a hand's chance of winning the pot, used to decide whether calling is m…
Pot odds vs implied odds Poker
Pot odds compare the immediate cost of a call to the current pot size;
Preflop poker chart Poker
A preflop poker chart is a grid that tells a poker player which two-card hands to play or fold before the flop, based on their seat at the table.
Preflop range chart 9-max Poker
A chart that maps every possible starting hand in Texas hold 'em to a recommended action for a full nine-player table before the flop.
Preflop range chart by position Poker
A preflop range chart by position is a table that tells a poker player which starting hands to play before the flop, depending on whether they are …
Probability of a straight Odds & probability
The probability of a straight is the chance of being dealt five cards of consecutive rank, not all of the same suit, in a standard poker hand.
Probability of flush in 5-card poker Odds & probability
In 5-card poker, a flush is five cards of the same suit.
Probability vs possibility Odds & probability
Probability measures how likely an event is to occur on a scale from 0 to 1, while possibility measures how feasible or plausible an event is, ofte…
Progressive jackpot Slots
A progressive jackpot is a prize that increases each time a player places a qualifying wager, as a portion of each bet is added to the prize fund.
Progressive jackpot lottery Slots
A progressive jackpot lottery is a lottery game where the top prize grows with each draw that has no winner, rolling over until someone claims it.
Progressive jackpot slots Slots
Progressive jackpot slots are slot games where the top prize grows as players make bets, typically by channelling a fraction of each wager into a s…
Progressive slots vs regular Slots
A progressive slot sets aside a portion of every bet into a jackpot that increases until someone wins it;
Progressive whist Slots
A casino card game derived from whist, where each player tries to win more tricks than the dealer rather than competing against other players.
Punto banco Casino games
A casino card game where players bet on which of two hands, Player or Banker, will reach a total closest to 9, with all drawing decisions made by f…
Punto banco vs baccarat Casino games
Punto banco is the house-banked baccarat variant where players bet on Player or Banker and the dealer follows fixed drawing rules for both hands.
Push Casino games
A push is a tied outcome in blackjack where the player and dealer have equal hand totals, so the original bet is returned and neither side wins or …
Push fold chart poker Poker
A push-fold chart is a preflop decision tool that tells a short-stack poker player when to go all-in (push) or fold, based on hand range and stack …