Glossary

When you play live casino games, knowing the correct terminology helps you follow the action, make informed decisions, and understand the rules without confusion. Live dealer tables use some online-specific terms, but most stem from traditional casino terminology. 

Whether you are joining a live blackjack table, placing bets on roulette, or playing poker, recognising these terms ensures you can keep up with the game and avoid making mistakes. 

This glossary, a part of LiveCasino.ie’s casino guide, provides clear definitions of the words and phrases you will encounter while playing live casino games. Knowing the game-specific terminology will help you communicate effectively with dealers and other players, and also make the game rules clearer.

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A

• Ace – In blackjack, a card worth either 1 or 11, depending on which value benefits the player’s hand without causing a bust.
• Action – The total amount of money wagered during a game or over a period. In a live casino, this refers to your cumulative betting activity, including main bets and side bets. Dealers might also say “Action on you” to prompt you to make your decision.
• Active Player – The player who is currently betting or interacting with the game, as opposed to those only observing.
• Advantage Play – Legal blackjack strategies, such as card counting, used to reduce the house edge.
• All-In – In some poker variants, betting all your remaining chips in a single hand. If other players still have chips left, any additional betting goes into a separate side pot.
• Anchorman – The last player to act before the dealer in a round of blackjack, seated in the final position on the table’s right from the dealer’s perspective.
• Ante – A compulsory bet made before cards are dealt in some live dealer games like Three Card Poker or Caribbean Stud Poker. The ante starts the pot and is required from all players who wish to join the round.
• Auto Bet – A live casino feature allowing you to repeat the same bet automatically for multiple rounds without reselecting chip values each time. Typically used in roulette.
• Automatic Shuffler – A device that shuffles the cards continuously to prevent card counting and speed up the game.

B

• Back Bet – In games like live blackjack, you can bet on another player’s hand instead of waiting for a seat. Your result is tied to that player’s decisions. This is also called ‘Bet Behind’.
• Backer – Someone who financially supports a player, often in live poker, in exchange for a share of potential winnings.
• Backtrack – The outer rim of the roulette wheel where the ball spins before dropping into the numbered pockets.
• Basket Bet – A bet in American roulette on 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3. This bet has a higher house edge than most others.
• Balance – The current funds available in your live casino account for betting.
• Balanced Count – A card counting system in blackjack where the sum of all card values equals zero.
• Ball Track – The sloped track on which the ball travels before losing momentum and falling into a number pocket.
• Banker – In baccarat, one of the three main betting options. It has a lower house edge than the Player bet, but usually comes with a 5% commission on wins.
• Bankroll – The amount of money you have set aside for gambling. Managing your bankroll is important for sustained play.
• Banque – French for “bank,” used in some variants of baccarat to refer to the Banker’s position.
• Basic Strategy – In blackjack, a mathematically optimal set of decisions for every possible player hand against every possible dealer up card.
• Bet Behind – In live blackjack, wagering on another seated player’s hand. You win or lose based on their choices. This is also called ‘Back Bet’.
• Bet Limit – The minimum and maximum wagers allowed at a live casino table.
• Betting Layout – The felt area on the roulette table showing numbers and betting zones.
• Betting Spot – The designated area on a live dealer table where chips must be placed to make a bet.
• Blackjack – A hand totalling 21 with the first two cards dealt (an Ace plus a 10-value card), paying 3:2 unless otherwise specified. Also called ‘Natural’.
• Burn Card – The top card discarded after shuffling and before dealing begins, to prevent card tracking.
• Bust – Exceeding 21 in blackjack, which results in an automatic loss.

C

• Call – In poker, matching the current highest bet to stay in the hand.
• Callman – The casino staff member responsible for calling out the results of each hand. In live dealer games, this role is taken by the dealer.
• Cammegh Wheel – A popular brand of precision roulette wheel often used in live casinos.
• Card Counting – A blackjack strategy involving tracking the ratio of high to low cards remaining in the shoe to predict which cards are likely to be dealt. Not effective in most live dealer games due to frequent shuffling.
• Carré – French term for a corner bet covering four numbers.
• Cash-Out – Withdrawing your winnings or current balance from your live casino account.
• Chemin de Fer – A French variant of baccarat where players take turns acting as the Banker.
• Chip – The token used to represent money at the table. In live casinos, you select chip values via the user interface.
• Cold Number – In roulette, a number that hasn’t come up for many spins.
• Cold Table – A table experiencing a streak of losses for players. Sometimes, cold tables will be marked in a casino’s live lobby.
• Column Bet – A bet on one of the three vertical columns of 12 numbers on the layout. Pays 2:1.
• Combination Bet – Any roulette bet covering more than one number.
• Commission – A percentage taken from certain winning bets, most commonly the 5% commission on Banker wins in baccarat.
• Community Cards – Cards that are dealt face-up in the centre of the table and shared by all players. Typically used in poker, like in Texas Hold’em and Omaha.
• Continuous Shuffling Machine (CSM) – A device that reshuffles cards after every round to make counting impossible.
• Corner Bet – In roulette, a bet on four numbers that meet at one corner on the layout. Pays 8:1.
• Coup – A single round or hand of baccarat.
• Croupier – The dealer in games like roulette and baccarat. In live casinos, the croupier is filmed and interacts with players via chat.
• Cut Card – A plastic card placed into the deck to indicate when the shoe will be reshuffled.

D

• Dealer – The person who manages the game, deals cards, spins the wheel, and enforces the rules. In live casinos, dealers are trained to interact with online players.
• Dealers’ Choice – In poker, a format where the dealer chooses the game variant for that round. Rare in live casinos but sometimes seen in private or VIP rooms.
• Deck Penetration – The percentage of cards dealt before the shoe is reshuffled.
• Double Down – In blackjack, doubling your initial bet after receiving the first two cards, with the requirement to draw only one more card.
• Double Zero (00) – The extra green pocket found in American roulette, increasing the house edge.
• Dozen Bet – A roulette bet on one of three groups of 12 numbers: 1–12, 13–24, or 25–36. Pays 2:1.
• Dragon Bonus – A common side bet in baccarat, paying extra if the winning hand has a significant point margin or specific composition.
• Draw – Requesting an additional card in blackjack or poker. In poker, a draw also refers to a hand that needs one more card to become a strong combination.
• Drop Box – In land-based casinos, a locked container under the table where cash and markers are stored; visually present in many live casino tables but unused digitally.

E

• Early Surrender – Surrendering before the dealer checks for blackjack, available in some blackjack variations.
• Edge Sorting – An advantage play technique involving spotting unintentional card pattern differences; not legal in most casinos.
• En Plein – French term for a straight-up bet on a single number.
• En Prison Rule – A rule in French Roulette games where an even-money bet is “imprisoned” if the ball lands on zero, staying on the table for the next spin.
• Even Money Bet – A wager that pays 1:1, such as betting on red or black in roulette.
• Eye in the Sky – Surveillance cameras in physical casinos; in live casinos, the equivalent is the multi-angle camera system streaming the action.

F

• Face Cards – Kings, Queens, and Jacks, each worth 10 in blackjack.
• First Base – The first player to act in blackjack, seated to the dealer’s immediate left.
• Five-Number Bet – American roulette bet on 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3; same as ‘Basket Bet’.
• Flat Betting – Betting the same amount every round, regardless of wins or losses.
• Flop – In Texas Hold’em, the first three community cards that are dealt after the initial betting round.
• Fold – Discarding your hand and withdrawing from the current round in poker.
• French Bets – Special roulette betting patterns based on wheel sections, such as Voisins du Zéro, Tiers du Cylindre, and Orphelins.

G

• Game Control Unit (GCU) – A device attached to each live dealer table that encodes video and game data for streaming.
• Gambler’s Fallacy – The false belief that past results influence future outcomes in games of chance.
• Golden Chip – A promotional chip given by some live casinos that can be used for a bet without risking your own money.
• Green Bet – A roulette bet on zero (and double zero in American roulette). Pays 35:1 for a single straight-up win.

H

• Hand – In card games, the set of cards dealt to a player or dealer.
• Hard Hand – In blackjack, a hand without an Ace, or with an Ace counted only as 1.
• High Card – In poker, a hand where no other combination is made; the highest card determines the winner.
• High Roller – A player who wagers large amounts at a live casino table.
• Hit – In blackjack, requesting another card from the dealer.
• Hole Card – The dealer’s face-down card in hole card blackjack variants.
• House Edge – The built-in mathematical advantage the casino has over players in any given game.
• House Rules – The specific rules for a game used by a particular live casino provider.

I

• Inside Bet – In roulette, a wager placed on specific numbers or small groups of numbers inside the betting layout.
• Insurance – In blackjack, a side bet that’s offered when the dealer’s up card is an Ace, paying 2:1 if the dealer has blackjack. 
• Instant Play – The ability to access a live casino game directly through a web browser without downloading software.

J

• Jackpot – The highest payout in a game, often progressive in certain live dealer poker games or live slot hybrids.
• Jack – A face card ranked between 10 and Queen.
• Jam – In poker slang, to move all-in. Rarely used in live casino table games, but may appear in live dealer poker chat.
• Jeton – French term for a roulette chip.

K

• Kicker – In poker, a side card used to break ties between hands of the same rank.
• King – A face card ranked between Queen and Ace.

L

• La Grande – French for “the big one”, referring to a natural nine in baccarat (the highest possible hand).
• La Partage – A French Roulette rule where, if the ball lands on zero, half of your even-money bet is returned.
• La Petite – French for “the little one”, referring to a natural eight in baccarat.
• Late Surrender – Surrendering after the dealer checks for blackjack.
• Layout – The design and markings on a casino table where players place bets. In live casinos, this is shown physically or virtually on-screen.
• Limit Bet – The maximum or minimum amount you can wager at a table.
• Line Bet – A bet on six consecutive numbers (two adjacent rows of three numbers). Pays 5:1.
• Lobby – The main menu of the live casino, where you choose which game or table to join.
• Live Dealer – A human croupier streaming the game to players in real time.
• Live Game Show – A category of live dealer games based on wheel-of-fortune or TV show formats, such as Crazy Time or Monopoly Live. 
• Low Bet – A roulette even-money outside bet on numbers 1–18.
• Low Stakes Table – A table with low betting limits, suitable for smaller bankrolls.

M

• Marker – A credit note issued in land-based casinos for gambling funds. In live casinos, the term is mostly historical but still appears in some game explanations.
• Misdeal – An error in the dealing process, leading to a round being voided and bets returned.
• Money Management – A strategy of controlling your bankroll to minimise risk and prolong play.
• Monkey – Baccarat slang for a card worth zero points (10, Jack, Queen, or King).
• Multi-Camera View – A live casino feature offering different camera angles during gameplay, such as close-ups of the roulette wheel or cards.
• Multi-Hand Blackjack – A game format where a player can play multiple hands at once.
• Multi-Seat – In live blackjack, the option to occupy multiple betting positions at the same table.

N

• Natural – In baccarat, a two-card total of 8 or 9, resulting in an immediate win unless tied. In blackjack, a “natural” is a two-card total of 21 (Ace plus a 10-value card).
• Neighbour Bet – A roulette bet on a specific number and the numbers immediately adjacent to it on the wheel.
• No More Bets – Announced by the dealer to signal that betting has closed for that round. In live casinos, this is also displayed on-screen.
• No Commission Baccarat – A baccarat variation where the 5% commission on Banker wins is removed, but a Banker win with a total of 6 pays at reduced odds (often 1:2).

O

• Odd Bet – A roulette even-money outside bet on all odd numbers.
• Odds – The probability of a specific outcome occurring, expressed as a ratio or fraction. In live casinos, payout odds are fixed for most table games.
• On Tilt – A poker term for playing recklessly due to emotional frustration after losses. Also applies to live casino players who chase losses.
• Orphelins – A French Roulette section bet covering the “orphans” on the wheel — numbers not included in Voisins du Zéro or Tiers du Cylindre.
• Outside Bet – In roulette, a bet placed on broader categories such as Red/Black, Odd/Even, or 1–18/19–36, rather than specific numbers.

P

• Paint – Slang for a face card.
• Pair Bet – A side bet in baccarat that the first two cards dealt to either the Player or Banker form a pair.
• Pair Splitting – In blackjack, separating two cards of the same rank into two hands and placing an equal bet on each.
• Pat Hand – In blackjack, a hand worth 17 or higher that a player chooses not to hit.
• Pattern Betting – Betting based on perceived streaks or patterns in previous results, common despite no statistical benefit.
• Payout – The amount you receive for a winning bet, based on the odds and your stake.
• Perfect Pairs – A blackjack side bet that pays if your first two cards form a pair. Different payout levels exist for mixed colour, same colour, or identical suit pairs.
• Pit Boss – In land-based casinos, the floor manager overseeing tables. In live casinos, their role is handled behind the scenes by game controllers.
• Player Bet – In baccarat, wagering that the Player hand will win. Pays even money and has a slightly higher house edge than the Banker bet.
• Pocket Cards – In poker, the cards dealt to each player that only they can see.
• Pockets – The numbered slots on the roulette wheel where the ball can land.
• Progressive Betting – A strategy that increases or decreases bet size depending on wins or losses.
• Progressive Jackpot – A prize pool that increases with each bet placed until won. Some live dealer games, like certain poker variants, include progressive jackpots.
• Punto – Spanish for “player”, used to describe the Player hand in baccarat.
• Push – A tie between the player and dealer in blackjack, resulting in the original bet being returned.

Q

• Qualifying Hand – In poker-based live games, the dealer must have a minimum hand rank to continue the game round (e.g., Queen-high or better in Caribbean Stud Poker). If the dealer does not qualify, certain bets are returned or paid differently.
• Quads – Four of a kind in poker.
• Quarter Bet – Another term for a roulette corner bet covering four numbers.
• Queen — A face card ranked between Jack and King.

R

• Random Number Generator (RNG) – A computer algorithm that ensures game outcomes are random in online casino games. While not used for determining live dealer outcomes, RNGs may be used for shuffling virtual card decks in hybrid live games.
• Red Bet – A roulette bet on all red-numbered pockets. Pays 1:1.
• Rien ne va plus – French for “No more bets,” used in French Roulette to close betting.
• River – The fifth and final community card dealt in Texas Hold’em.
• Roadmaps – Graphical scoreboards showing past game results to help players track trends.
• Roulette Wheel Bias – A physical imperfection causing certain numbers to appear more often. Not relevant in most live casinos, as wheels are regularly maintained and monitored.
• Round – A single cycle of play in a live dealer game, from placing bets to settling results.
• Royal Match – In some baccarat variations, a side bet on a suited King and Queen.

S

• Sector Bet – A roulette bet covering a section of the wheel, usually placed as a neighbour or French bet.
• Shoe – A device holding multiple decks of cards from which the dealer draws during games like blackjack or baccarat. In live casinos, this is often visible on camera.
• Side Bet – An optional wager placed alongside the main bet, offering different payouts for specific outcomes (e.g., Perfect Pairs in blackjack, Pair Plus in Three Card Poker).
• Single Zero Roulette – Roulette using a European Roulette wheel, featuring numbers 1–36 and a single zero, which offers a lower house edge than the American Roulette wheel.
• Small Bet – A baccarat side bet that the total number of cards dealt in a round will be four.
• Soft Hand – A blackjack hand containing an Ace valued as 11.
• Split – In blackjack, the option to split two cards of equal value into two separate hands, requiring an additional bet.
• Split Bet – A roulette bet on two adjacent numbers. Pays 17:1.
• Stake – The amount of money placed on a bet.
• Stand – Choosing not to take more cards.
• Straight Up Bet – In roulette, a wager on a single number. Pays 35:1.
• Street Bet – In roulette, a wager on a row of three numbers. Pays 11:1.
• Studio – The physical location where live dealer games are streamed. Studios are often equipped with green screens, multiple cameras, and advanced streaming technology.
• Surrender – In blackjack, forfeiting half your bet before taking further action, ending the round early. Available in some live blackjack variations.
• Super Six – A baccarat side bet that pays if the Banker wins with a total of six.

T

• Table Limit – The minimum and maximum bets allowed at a table. Displayed on-screen in live dealer games.
• Tie Bet – In baccarat, wagering that the Player and Banker hands will have the same total. Pays high odds (usually 8:1) but carries a significant house edge.
• Tiers du Cylindre – A French Roulette section bet covering a third of the wheel opposite zero.
• Tiger Bet – A side bet available in some baccarat variants, paying when the Banker wins with a specific three-card combination.
• Tilt – Emotional loss of discipline while playing, often leading to poor betting decisions.
• Top-Up – Adding funds to your account balance while in a live game.
• True Count – A blackjack card counting term adjusting the running count based on decks remaining. Ineffective in most live blackjack games due to frequent reshuffles.
• Twenty-One – Another term for blackjack.

U

• Up Card – In blackjack, the dealer’s face-up card.
• Unit – A standard measurement of bet size, often used in bankroll management.
• Unlimited Blackjack – A live dealer blackjack variant allowing unlimited players to join the same hand, with individual playing decisions made after the initial deal.

V

• Variance – The level of risk in a game, reflecting how often you can expect wins and how large they might be. High-variance live games may have infrequent but large payouts.
• VIP Table – A live dealer table with higher betting limits and personalised service.
• Voisins du Zéro – A French Roulette section bet covering numbers close to zero on the wheel.

W

• Wagering Requirement – The number of times bonus funds must be bet before they can be withdrawn. Applies to some live casino bonuses.
• Wheel Bias – A physical imperfection in a wheel that makes certain numbers or sections more likely to win.
• Wheel Head – The rotating part of a roulette wheel containing numbered pockets.
• Win Rate – The percentage of hands, spins, or rounds won over a period.

Z

• Zero – The green pocket on a roulette wheel. European roulette has one zero; American roulette has zero and double zero.
• Zero Commission – Another term for No Commission Baccarat.