Doubling Down: The SPYSCAPE Glossary of Gambling Slang

If you want to get action at the hot tables, you’ll need to speak the language of whales and high rollers, so go all-in with the SPYSCAPE HQ glossary.

Action - Big spenders bring ‘action’ to the gambling tables by putting down money and chips. The ‘action’ is the amount bet over a period of time on a single event - typically at a sportsbook. Equally, a dealer might say: "The action is on you," meaning it’s your turn.

Back on the game - A person who has been away from the gambling action - possibly in prison or trying to ‘go straight’ - is back on the game when they return.

Backer - A wealthy person who finances another player. In Paul Newman’s masterpiece movie The Hustler (1961), Eddie Felson is a brassy pool shark. George C. Scott is Felson’s wealthy ‘backer’, with Jackie Gleason as legendary Minnesota ‘Fats’.
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Bankroll - Cash set aside for gambling. Professionals use the word to describe the money they use for ‘work’. Your ‘bankroll’ increases when you win and - obviously - decreases if you lose!

Bet - A wager staked on a round of blackjack, roulette, the spin of a slot machine, or in a sportsbook. Some table games might have a minimum or a maximum bet - or no limit at all for the high rollers.

Blood game - Generally, a high-stakes, cutthroat poker game. The opposite of a ‘social game’.

Bust - Rounders poker player Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) lost all of his chips and went ‘bust’ in a game against a Russian gangster (John Malkovich). The word is also used to describe ‘busting your opponent’ or forcing your rival out of the game.

Buy-in - When players convert cash for casino chips, the amount spent is called their buy-in. In poker, the buy-in is the cost of entry into a tournament.

Card Counting - In Rain Man, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) can count up to six decks of cards, remembering which cards have been played and which remain in the decks. Raymond’s card counting allows Charlie (Tom Cruise) to double down on Blackjack bets he might not otherwise make. 

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Chips - Tokens used for playing casino table games. Poker players ‘riffle’ them while debating their next move.

Cold/Hot - Gambling tables run cold when players are on a losing streak. Running hot is far more lucrative.

Comped - Casino regulars who typically gamble significant amounts of cash will be ‘comped’ 0 anything from rooms, meals, tickets to events and much more. Even lower stake gamblers can expect to be comped drinks.

Double or nothing - If you win your bet on red or black in roulette, you double your money. If you lose, you get nothing.