A–Z index

Gambling terms beginning with S

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

Satellite tournament poker Poker: A poker satellite is a smaller tournament where the prize for top finishers is a seat or entry fee to a bigger event rather than cash.
Scatter symbol Slots: A scatter symbol awards a payout based on how many times it lands anywhere on the screen, regardless of whether those positions form a payline.
Score betting Sports betting: Score betting is a wager on the exact final score of a match, most common in football.
Scratch cards Lottery & bingo: A scratch card is an instant-win lottery ticket that hides a pre-set result under a coating or behind digital panels, which the player reveals to s…
Scratchcard odds Lottery & bingo: The advertised chance of winning any prize on a scratchcard, typically shown as a fraction or a '1 in X' figure.
Self-exclusion form for gambling Responsible play: A signed document that a person completes to request a formal ban from gambling at specific venues or online services for a chosen period.
Self-exclusion gambling Responsible play: A self-exclusion gambling measure is a formal, voluntary ban that a person requests from an operator or regulator to stop themselves from gambling …
Sharp vs square betting Sports betting: Sharp vs square betting contrasts a sharp bettor, a knowledgeable or professional bettor, with a square bettor, a casual or uninformed bettor.
Short whist Card games: A shortened version of whist where the first player or team to reach a fixed number of points wins the game, and winning two games wins the rubber.
Shuffle tracking Advantage play: A player watches where certain cards or groups of cards go during a shuffle, then uses that knowledge to predict when they will come back into play.
Shuffle tracking blackjack Advantage play: A blackjack advantage-play method in which the player watches where favourable or unfavourable groups of cards go during the shuffle, then adjusts …
Sic bo dice game Casino games: A casino game in which players place bets on the combinations or totals that will appear when three dice are rolled.
Sic bo house edge Odds & probability: The sic bo house edge is the casino's built-in mathematical advantage on a Sic Bo bet, expressed as the average loss per unit staked.
Sic bo odds Odds & probability: Sic bo odds are the payoff odds or probability of winning for a specific wager in the three-dice game of sic bo.
Sic bo payout Odds & probability: A sic bo payout is the ratio paid on a winning bet, typically expressed as x to 1, and set by the casino's paytable for each wager type.
Signs of a gambler Responsible play: Signs of a gambler are observable warning behaviours that may indicate someone is experiencing problem gambling or gambling harm.
Slot machine Slots: A slot machine is a reel-based gaming machine designed for gambling, where each outcome is determined by a random number generator.
Slot machine hold percentage Slots: Slot machine hold percentage is the casino's retained share of the total amount wagered, expressed as a percentage.
Slot machine jackpot Slots: A slot machine jackpot is the largest payout a slot game can award, either as a fixed sum or a growing progressive prize.
Slot machine lines vs ways Slots: Slot machine lines are predefined paylines, while ways is a multiway format that pays for all symbol combinations across active reels rather than o…
Slot machine payouts Slots: Slot machine payouts, or return-to-player (RTP), are the average percentage of all staked money a machine returns as prizes over a very large numbe…
Slot machine price Slots: Slot machine price is the stake a player inserts or pays to start a single game on a slot machine, also called the charge for play.
Slot machine reels Slots: Slot machine reels are the physical or virtual spinning components that display symbols and determine the outcome when they stop.
Slot machine symbols list Slots: A slot machine symbols list is the documented set of symbols that can appear on each reel, often showing how many times each symbol appears per reel.
Slot machine volatility list Slots: A slot machine volatility list is a classification that groups slot games by their payout variability, typically from low to high, based on how oft…
Slot volatility Slots: Slot volatility measures how much a slot game's payouts vary over time.
Slots spin Slots: A slots spin is a single game cycle in a slot machine or online slot, initiated by the player and resolved by a random outcome.
Small blind meaning Poker: In flop-style poker, the small blind is a compulsory bet placed by the player seated directly to the left of the dealer button, usually equal to ha…
Social club bingo rules Lottery & bingo: Social club bingo rules let members' clubs and social clubs run bingo without a full operating licence, as long as stakes, prizes, and participatio…
Solitaire Card games: Solitaire is a single-player card game in which the player arranges cards into ordered sequences or clears piles, usually by building up from Ace t…
Solo card game rules pdf Card games: A solo card game is a trick-taking game in which one player, the soloist or declarer, plays alone against all other players rather than with a partner.
Solo whist rules Card games: A four-player trick-taking card game where each player bids for the right to name trump and play alone, though temporary partnerships may form duri…
Spade card in 52 cards Card games: A spade card is a playing card that belongs to the spades suit, one of the four suits in a standard 52-card French-suited deck.
Spades Card games: Spades is a trick-taking card game where the spade suit always beats other suits.
Spades bidding rules Card games: Each player in Spades announces how many tricks they think they will take that hand, and the two partners' bids are added together to set their tea…
Splitting aces in blackjack Casino games: Splitting aces is the blackjack move of turning a pair of aces into two separate hands, each backed by its own bet.
Sports betting explained Sports betting: Sports betting means putting money on a predicted result in a sporting event.
Sports betting odds explained Odds & probability: Sports betting odds are the numerical prices a sportsbook sets for a wager, showing the implied probability of an outcome and the payout you receiv…
Spread betting Sports betting: Spread betting is a way to wager on a team or event using a handicap line set by the bookmaker;
Stack to pot ratio Poker: Stack-to-pot ratio (SPR) measures how big the effective stack is compared to the pot, helping players judge how committed they are after the flop.
Stand (blackjack) Casino games: In blackjack, standing means you decline any more cards and your hand is locked at its current total.
Starting price horse racing Racing: Starting price is the final odds offered on a horse at the moment a race begins, used as the default settlement price for bets placed without a fix…
Stay wild meaning Slots: Stay wild is a slot feature where a symbol or reel remains wild for one or more subsequent spins rather than reverting to a normal state immediately.
Stewards inquiry Racing: A stewards inquiry is a hearing held by race-day officials after a race to check whether a rule was broken, typically because of interference or a …
Stop gambling meaning Responsible play: A self-help instruction to end a gambling session when the activity stops being enjoyable or when a personal limit has been reached.
Straddle poker rules Poker: A straddle is an optional blind bet placed after the blinds but before any cards are dealt, typically by the player to the left of the big blind, g…
Straight flush Poker: A straight flush is a poker hand of five cards in consecutive rank, all of the same suit.
Straight flush blackjack Casino games: In blackjack, a straight flush is a poker hand of three cards in sequential rank, all of the same suit, used in side bets to determine payouts.
Straight flush poker Poker: A straight flush is a five-card poker hand where every card belongs to the same suit and the ranks form an unbroken sequence.
Straight flush probability Odds & probability: Straight flush probability is the chance of being dealt five cards of the same suit in sequential rank order, in a given poker context.
Straight flush vs flush Poker: In poker, a straight flush is five cards of the same suit in sequence;
Straight flush vs royal flush Poker: A straight flush is any five cards of the same suit in consecutive rank;
Straight gin rules Card games: Straight gin is a gin rummy variant in which players cannot knock and must continue playing until one player goes gin.
Straight poker Poker: Straight poker is a poker variant in which each player is dealt five cards, there is one betting round, and the best five-card hand wins at showdown.
Straight poker with ace Poker: A straight poker hand in which the ace is used either as the highest card (A-K-Q-J-10) or the lowest card (A-2-3-4-5) to complete a five-card conse…
Street craps Casino games: A version of craps played without a casino table or house bank, where players bet against each other and enforce the rules themselves.
Superfecta Racing: A superfecta is a bet on a horse or greyhound race where you must name the first four runners to cross the line, in the correct sequence.
Superfecta odds Racing: The odds or payout attached to a superfecta bet, where a bettor must name the first four horses to finish a race in the correct sequence.
Superfecta payout Racing: A superfecta payout is the sum returned to a winning ticket when a bettor names the first four horses to cross the line in the precise order they f…
Superfecta wheel Racing: A superfecta wheel is a horse-racing wager that anchors one selected horse in a fixed finishing position and combines it with multiple other horses…
Surrender vs insurance blackjack Casino games: Surrender gives the player a way out of a weak hand by giving up half the bet and keeping the other half;
Syndicate numbers Lottery & bingo: Syndicate numbers are the ticket numbers or combinations chosen by a lottery syndicate — a group that pools money to buy tickets and shares any win…