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P |
| P.C. [Roulette] | |
| The house edge expressed as a percentage. | |
| P21 [Blackjack] | |
| A rule whereby you push if the dealer has a natural and you have 21 in three or more cards. | |
| Pace [Poker] | |
| The speed of a game, with respect to its action. Fast pace describes a game with a lot of betting and raising, performed by most of the players; slow pace describes a game without much betting and raising. | |
| Pack [Blackjack] | |
| A reference to the total collection of cards in play. Usually, this is used to refer to more than one deck of cards, with it's most common reference being use to describe a two deck game. | |
| Pack [Poker] | |
| The deck of cards. "Whack the pack, Jack" means "Please cut the cards." | |
| Packed House [Poker] | |
| Full house. | |
| Packet [Poker] | |
| Any portion of a deck of cards. | |
| Paddle [Poker] | |
| In a card room or casino game, the spatula-shaped tool with which the house dealer drops the chips collected from each pot for the rake, or each designated time period as the time collection, into the drop box. | |
| Paddle [Roulette] | |
| Tool used to push the money into the drop box. | |
| Pai Gow Poker Dictionary [Poker] | |
| A banking game based on the Asian tile game pai gow, in which players arrange groups of tiles into two hands, which then compete severally each against the two hands played by the banker. In the card version, each player makes a wager, and then receives seven cards, which he arranges into two hands, one consisting of five cards and one of two, with the stipulation that the five-card hand must rank higher than the two-card hand. These hands, after being set (arranged), are then placed in front of the player, and then compete, one at a time, as in a blackjack game, against the banker hand (which can be held by a player or the house). If both player hands beat the dealer hand, the player wins; if both banker hands beat the player hand, the dealer wins; otherwise it is a push. If either hand is exactly the same, that counts as a win for the banker, which gives the banker hand a slight edge. The banker hand competes against player hands in an order determined by the shaking of a number of dice. (This gives the game its alternative name of shake-shake.) This order is important, because if the banker loses his stake prematurely, not all player hands may get to compete. The house makes its money by always extracting a certain fee from every player bet, prior to the actual playing of the hands (and often takes that fee whether or not the hand is even played). Apart from the rankings of the hands being the same as in poker, pai gow poker is not really poker. Also called double hand or double-hand poker. | |
| Paint [Blackjack] | |
| The face cards, i.e. Jack, Queen and King. | |
| Paint [Poker] | |
| 1) Face card (King, Queen and Jack). 2) Daub (Markings put on cards with paint, ink, or some other fluid.). 3) In lowball, catch a face card (on the draw). "Paired and painted and nearly fainted" means, drawing two (or more cards), a player paired one of his original cards and also caught a face card, and now he's complaining about his luck; such a catch in lowball is the ultimate insult (and should teach the player not to draw more than one card). | |
| Paint Cards [Poker] | |
| King, Queen and Jack; face cards; court cards; picture cards. | |
| Painted [Poker] | |
| In lowball, having caught a face card (on the draw). "I painted." | |
| Painter [Poker] | |
| A thief who uses daub. | |
| Paintskin [Poker] | |
| 1) Face card (King, Queen and Jack). | |
| Pair [Blackjack] | |
| Two numerically identical cards (true pair), or two identical face cards (ten valued cards). | |
| Pair [Poker] | |
| 1) Two cards of the same rank in the same poker hand (or part of the community cards in hold 'em-type games). "I have a pair of kings." 2) One pair. 3) In various forms of draw poker, to catch a pair, when drawing to some other hand. In high draw, you can draw to a straight or flush and pair, which means you missed the hand. In lowball, you can draw to any hand and pair (which also means you missed). "I was drawing to a bicycle, but I paired. | |
| Pair [Roulette] | |
| French term for Even Bet. | |
| Pair of Aces in the Wrong Places [Craps] | |
| Two. | |
| Pair of Shorts [Poker] | |
| In high draw poker, a small pair; often any pair less than jacks; any pair smaller than the opening requirements for the game. | |
| Pair of Sunflowers [Craps] | |
| Betting that the next roll will be the total sum of 10 (5&5). | |
| Pair Up [Poker] | |
| In lowball, to draw to a hand and pair one of your original cards. | |
| Pair-a-Roses [Craps] | |
| Betting that the next roll will be the total sum of 10 (5&5). | |
| Pallas [Poker] | |
| The queen of spades. | |
| Palm [Poker] | |
| Perform the cheating maneuver of removing one or more cards from the table (for the purpose of introducing them later) or chips surreptitiously from a pot (that is, steal the chips) by the expedient of covering and concealing them with the hand. | |
| Palm Stock [Poker] | |
| Two or more cards, arranged in a specific order, held out by a thief for later introduction into the game. | |
| Palmed Card [Poker] | |
| A card that was removed from the table, or introduced into the game later, by a thief, by the expedient of covering and concealing it with his hand. | |
| Palooka [Poker] | |
| Poor player. In general (no poker) usage, this term has a wider but similar application, referring to an athlete (often a boxer) of limited capabilities, or, even more generally, any inept person | |
| Pan [Poker] | |
| 1) Panguingue. 2) Three 3s, 5s, or 7s, or, sometimes, J-Q-K of spades. This usage usually comes up in a lowball game, when one player shows another his unplayable hand, says, "Pan," and then pulls out his three 5s, or other paying pan combination | |
| Panguingue [Poker] | |
| A game resembling gin rummy played with eight decks of cards, some of the melds of which are worth payments from active players; pronounced pan-GHEE-nee, and usually shortened to pan. The game is played in many California card rooms and a few Nevada casinos. | |
| Paper [Poker] | |
| 1) Cards. "Nice paper" (used only as a spoken expression, often sarcastic) means "Good hand." (Even though most card rooms use plastic decks, players rarely say "Nice plastic.") 2) Marked cards. 3) Bad checks. Passing paper means writing bad checks | |
| Paper Hanger [Poker] | |
| One who deliberately writes and passes bad checks. | |
| Paper Work [Poker] | |
| Marked cards. | |
| Paper Worker [Poker] | |
| A cheat who uses marked cards. | |
| Papers [Poker] | |
| Marked cards. | |
| Parlay [Blackjack] | |
| 1. This is a reference to increasing the size of one's bet by the amount won on a previous bet. 2. It refers to increasing one's overall bankroll in a session or number of sessions, such as, "He parlayed his $1000 bankroll to $4000 after two months of play." | |
| Parlay [Roulette] | |
| To double one's bet after a win. | |
| Parley [Craps] | |
| Leaving your winnings in action. | |
| Partner [Poker] | |
| 1) The confederate of a thief. 2) A player who shares a bankroll with another. | |
| Partners [Poker] | |
| 1) Two or more thieves playing together. 2) Two or more players using the same bankroll (honestly). | |
| Partnership [Poker] | |
| 1) Two or more thieves playing together. 2) Two or more players using the same bankroll (honestly). | |
| Party [Poker] | |
| When several loose or amateur players are making significant monetary contributions to the pot. | |
| Pasadena. [Poker] | |
| I pass. | |
| Pass [Craps] | |
| A winning situation for the right bettors. | |
| Pass [Poker] | |
| 1) Decline to bet. This is not exactly the same as check, because in a blind game or bet-or-fold game, if you pass on the first round of betting, you must throw your cards away. 2) Decline to call a bet, at which point, you must throw your cards away and you have no further interest in the pot. If someone bets, and you say, "I pass," you are out of the pot. 3) Loosely, check. | |
| Pass Bet [Craps] | |
| A bet that the dice will pass, also known as a "pass line" bet. This bet is generally placed immediately before a "come out" roll, although you can make or increase this bet at any time. House edge on this bets is 1.41%. | |
| Pass For a Prop [Poker] | |
| In a no-limit lowball game, when a player is faced with a raise, and wants to gamble alone with the raiser, usually involving a proposition like two-for-one, but there are other players to act after the player, in some clubs the player is permitted to pass for a prop, and then, if the other players do not call the bet, can negotiate a proposition with the raiser. If any other player calls the bet, usually the player who so passed is required to drop; furthermore, if the raiser does not wish to accept the proposition, the passer must also drop. For example, in a $4-to-go no-limit lowball game, Harry opens with A-joker-2-K-K. Sally and Bob call. Walt raises $35. Harry does not fold, nor does he call the raise. Instead he says, "Pass for a prop." Sally and Bob now both fold, and Harry tosses the two kings, saying, "Two-for-one?" Walt throws a card among the discards, and says, "You're on." (Walt can, of course, also offer a counter proposition. He may say, "For all of them," and stick his whole stack in, which means, essentially, "I'll break this hand, but only if we both put all our chips in the pot." At this point, either Harry agrees, or dumps his hand.) | |
| Pass Out [Poker] | |
| Fold rather than call a bet. | |
| Pass the Buck [Poker] | |
| In a game in which the players deal for themselves (as opposed to one dealt by a house dealer), refuse to deal when it is one's turn to deal, passing the deck instead to the next player to the left. In some home games, rather than each player anteing, the dealer antes for all; in such a game, a player is not permitted to pass the deal, nor can he do so in a game with traveling blinds. | |
| Pass the Deal [Poker] | |
| In a game in which the players deal for themselves (as opposed to one dealt by a house dealer), refuse to deal when it is one's turn to deal, passing the deck instead to the next player to the left. In some home games, rather than each player anteing, the dealer antes for all; in such a game, a player is not permitted to pass the deal, nor can he do so in a game with traveling blinds. | |
| Pass the Trash [Poker] | |
| A form of seven stud in which cards are passed to left and right, sometimes multiple times, and sometimes with five cards chosen at the end and rolled, that is, exposed one at a time. | |
| Pass-and-Back-in [Poker] | |
| A form of draw poker in which, before the draw, if the pot has not yet been opened, a player can, in turn, either open the pot, or pass, holding his cards for a possible call (or raise) later if someone opens behind him. | |
| Pass-and-Out [Poker] | |
| A form of draw poker in which, before the draw, if the pot has not yet been opened, a player must, in turn, either open the pot, or fold. Also called pass-and-out or pass-out. Compare with pass-and-back-in. | |
| Pass-Line Bet [Craps] | |
| A wager that the dice will pass, or win, made prior to the come-out roll. You win even money on 7 or 11, and lose on 2, 3, or 12 on the first roll, known as the "Come out" roll. Any other number comes up again before a 7 is rolled, you win even money. Once a Pass Line bet is made, the bet cannot be picked up until a win or a lose decision is reached. | |
| Pass-Out [Poker] | |
| A form of draw poker in which, before the draw, if the pot has not yet been opened, a player must, in turn, either open the pot, or fold. Also called pass-and-out or pass-out. | |
| Passe [Roulette] | |
| French term for High Bet. | |
| Passed Out [Poker] | |
| In a double-limit draw (high) game, a pot that no one opened, and is consequently being re-dealt. The first passed pot usually has an extra ante by each player. The second passed pot usually has an extra ante and is played at a higher limit. the third and all subsequent passed pots usually stay at the same limit as the second, with no further antes. | |
| Passed Pot [Poker] | |
| 1) In a double-limit draw (high) game, a pot that no one opened, and is consequently being re-dealt. The first passed pot usually has an extra ante by each player. The second passed pot usually has an extra ante and is played at a higher limit. the third and all subsequent passed pots usually stay at the same limit as the second, with no further antes. 2) In any draw game with minimum opening requirements (such as jacks or better), a pot that was not opened either because no one had openers or no one chose to open. (Sometimes pots don't get opened even when players have openers, because some players like to pass good hands in early position, hoping that someone else will open so that they can raise.) | |
| Passing Paper [Poker] | |
| Writing bad checks. | |
| Passive [Poker] | |
| Passive is a style of play that is characterized by reluctance to bet and raise. This does not always mean tight. A typical loose-passive player will call with almost anything, but raise only with very powerful hands (see calling station). A passive table is one with many passive players, so that, for example, few hands are raised pre-flop | |
| Passline [Craps] | |
| A wager that the dice will pass, or win, made prior to the come-out roll. You win even money on 7 or 11, and lose on 2, 3, or 12 on the first roll, known as the "Come out" roll. Any other number comes up again before a 7 is rolled, you win even money. Once a Pass Line bet is made, the bet cannot be picked up until a win or a lose decision is reached. | |
| Past Post [Blackjack] | |
| To cheat by placing or adding to a wager after the time that no new bets or bet changes are allowed due to there being information about the possible result, such as the player already having a card at blackjack. | |
| Past Posting [Roulette] | |
| Placing a winning wager after a decision has been reached. Usually done by capping a bet. Doing this is a good way to get thrown out of the casino and/or spend some time in jail. | |
| Pasteboards [Poker] | |
| 1) Paper cards. 2) By extension, any cards. | |
| Pat [Poker] | |
| 1) In draw poker, describing a hand that needs to draw no cards. 2) Drawing no cards. "How many cards?" "I'm pat." | |
| Pat Hand [Blackjack] | |
| Any hand in blackjack which is a hard 17 or greater and would not require a hit. | |
| Pat Hand [Video Poker] | |
| A hand where all five cards fit into a winning hand. For example, if you are initially dealt 3c, 5c, 8c, 9c, Jc you have a pat hand which contains a flush. However, if you are dealt Jc, Jd, Jh, 8s, 4c you do have three of a kind but not a pat hand since the 8 and 4 are rags. You would hold the Jacks and draw two. The only exception is four of a kind in Jacks or Better. The fifth card is a rag but can't improve the hand by drawing to it | |
| Pat Hand [Poker] | |
| In draw poker, a hand that does not need any more cards. Specifically, a straight, flush, full house or straight flush. One might bluff and represent a pat hand but actually hold something else. | |
| Pat Hand Bluff [Poker] | |
| In high draw poker, standing pat on a hand that is not complete, with the intention of representing a good hand, thereby driving all active players out of the pot with a bet, and winning whatever is in the pot at that point. In lowball, standing pat on any five cards that do not constitute an otherwise playable lowball hand, with the same intention | |
| Patience Poker Dictionary [Poker] | |
| A form of solitaire in which the player tries to arrange 25 cards in a 5-by-5 grid such that all (or most of) the horizontals and verticals (and sometimes the diagonals) form the highest possible poker hands. Also called poker patience and poker solitaire. | |
| Patience System [Roulette] | |
| A grind method of playing whereby the player waits for a certain number of decisions before placing a bet. | |
| Patsy [Poker] | |
| In draw poker, a hand that does not need any more cards. Specifically, a straight, flush, full house or straight flush. One might bluff and represent a pat hand but actually hold something else. | |
| Patter [Poker] | |
| 1) Misleading or distracting conversation by one player, often an experienced player, meant to precipitate a desired action in another player, such as folding or calling. 2) Conversation used by a player to cover up his own reactions to his cards. | |
| Pattern [Keno] | |
| The shape made by the collective marks on a keno ticket or lights on a keno flashboard. | |
| Patterns [Slots] | |
| All gambling results move in random statistical trends, whether in craps, blackjack, reel slots or video poker. The key to success is to recognize the trends, play hard on the upside, and get away fast in the down trend. Pay particular attention to personal trends, or lucky streaks. They can be every bit as meaningful in determining the amount of your play as the trend of an individual machine. Never chase a bad trend. | |
| Pay Any Catch Ticket [Keno] | |
| A keno ticket that pays something, no matter how many spots are caught or not caught. | |
| Pay Cycle [Slots] | |
| Many people believe that the slot machine must payout after a predetermined number of coins have been deposited. The rational is that this is how they meet the percentage of payout that has been programmed into the software. | |
| Pay For Play Machines [Slots] | |
| These are generally one-two-three coins option slot machines with staggered payoffs. The more coins you put the better the payoffs. | |
| Pay Line [Slots] | |
| This is often the line in the center of the window, but there can be multiple lines on some slot machines. Only the designated symbols on this line will activate a payout by the machine | |
| Pay Off [Video Poker] | |
| The number of coins or credits paid for a particular winning hand. Often expresses on a "per-coin" basis. For example, a Full House in standard full pay Jacks-or-Better with five coins bet pays 45 coins, but this is usually expressed as 9-for-1. This way, it is the same for a 4-coin, 10-coin or 100-coin machine. | |
| Pay Off [Poker] | |
| To call a bet by a player you're reasonably sure has you beat. Usually you ought to have some sort of reason to do this, other than just generosity. Weak players pay you off more often than other players. | |
| Pay Station [Poker] | |
| A player who rarely folds, thus who frequently calls better hands and loses. | |
| Pay Table [Keno] | |
| The chart that shows what each win pays. | |
| Pay Table [Slots] | |
| The pay table is the section of the slot machine which tells you how much you will win for each type of combination. The pay table will also tell you if there are bonus features and if max bet will reward you with a bonus top prize. | |
| Payback [Video Poker] | |
| The long term expected return of a game as it is being played. Usually expressed as a percent, but sometimes expressed as the Expected Value (EV) of the game. You can expect to make money on a game only if its long term payback, including any slot club cash rebate, is over 100% (EV greater than one). For your personal evaluation of a situation, you should include the value of any additional comps or promotions. | |
| Payback [Slots] | |
| The percentage of winnings a machine will payout in relation to the amount put in | |
| Paybook [Keno] | |
| The literature that details the casino's pay tables, instructions, rates, etc. | |
| Payday Game [Poker] | |
| One with higher stakes than usual, often conducted on whichever day of the month the live ones get their paychecks. | |
| Payoff [Craps] | |
| The paying out of a winning bet to a player. | |
| Payoff [Keno] | |
| The amount paid to a player for his played ticket. Not necessarily a net profit. | |
| Payoff Schedule [Video Poker] | |
| Each video poker machine's complete payoff schedule is posted on the glass front or on the screen. This is usually in the form of a table that shows the number of coins paid for each possible final hand for each possible number of coins bet. | |
| Payoff Table [Video Poker] | |
| The numbers are the number of credits that you get if you draw that hand. For example, if you are playing five coins in a quarter machine with this Payoff Table, you win 4000 quarters or $1,000.00 if you get a Royal Flush. Usually you get more credits for your money by playing the Maximum Credits. | |
| Payout [Video Poker] | |
| The actual dropping of coins by a machine. Some old machines still pay out the coins immediately for every payoff, but most now accumulate credits, and the actual payout occurs only when one presses the Cash Out button. In the case of a coinless machine, it is the printing of a cash voucher. In the case of a jackpot, it is usually a hand pay. | |
| Payout Percentage [Slots] | |
| The primary measurement of a machine, calculated by the number of times a given set of symbols occurs in the computer selection table times its particular coin payout. All these payouts are added up and divided by the total possible combinations. The result is a percentage that, over the long run, the machine will return to the player. The range, practically, is 85 to 100 percent with few in the 97 to 100 category. This number is determined by the slot manager when ordering the machine, to provide the casino's mix of machines, and move his overall payout up or down. | |
| Payscale [Keno] | |
| Advertised schedule of Winnings; Schedule of Prizes. | |
| Pb [Blackjack] | |
| The acronym for Pit Boss. | |
| Pba [Blackjack] | |
| The acronym for Professional Blackjack Analyzer, blackjack software by David Smith. | |
| Pbj [Blackjack] | |
| An abbreviation for the book, Professional BlackJack. | |
| Pc [Blackjack] | |
| 1. An abbreviation for percentage. 2. The acronym for Pit Critter. | |
| Pc [Keno] | |
| Also known as PC (percent casino). The percent of all wagers the house can expect to win, over a period of time. Can vary widely, but normally is about 30%. | |
| Pe [Blackjack] | |
| The acronym for Playing Efficiency. | |
| Peach [Poker] | |
| In lowball, a good hand, that is, one without a pair; used humorously. "I've got a pair." "Yeah? Well, I've got a peach!" | |
| Pedigree [Poker] | |
| In hold 'em, K-9 as one's first two cards. Also, canine | |
| Pedro [Poker] | |
| A 5 (the card); so called because 5s are important in the game of pedro. | |
| Peek [Poker] | |
| 1) A look at one or more cards in a hand, often those drawn. See free look. 2) A surreptitious look at cards drawn to a hand, usually in such a way as to imply that the peeker actually has not seen any of the drawn cards, prior to this person claiming (or implying to claim) that he is now making a blind bet, that is, one based on really not having seen the cards. Also, fast peek. 3) A surreptitious look by a thief at the un-dealt top or bottom card of the deck. 4) Look at drawn cards, often done by squeezing the cards, that is, slowly separating them, as if the viewer wishes to surprise himself with the cards; this is often done agonizingly slowly, frequently when it is the peeker's turn to act, as if the player deliberately wants to annoy the others, while he pretends to be innocent of any knowledge of what effect his slowness is having. | |
| Peek Poker Dictionary [Poker] | |
| Seven-card stud. | |
| Peeker [Poker] | |
| A cheater (such as a bottom dealer or seconds dealer) who peeks at the un-dealt top card of the deck (prior to possibly dealing a second) or the bottom card (prior to dealing a bottom), or who exposes such card to a confederate. | |
| Peep-and-Turn [Poker] | |
| Mexican Stud. A form of five-card stud in which each player first receives two cards face down, and then rolls (turns face up) one card, followed by a betting round. Thereafter, each active player receives another face-down card on each round, from which he chooses one to roll, again followed by a betting round. Sometimes called flip. | |
| Peewees [Poker] | |
| Small cards (in rank). | |
| Peg [Poker] | |
| Mark the fronts of cards with a pin, thumbtack, ring, etc., in such a way that the thief making such marks can later tell by feel the ranks of the cards. Such marks are applied to the surface of cards and do not tear the cards, merely add indentations that can be felt from the back, as opposed to nailing, which puts marks in the edges of cards. Also called punch or blister. This is the opposite of prick, in which the thief marks the backs of cards. | |
| Peg Work [Poker] | |
| The marks put on cards as described under peg | |
| Pelter [Poker] | |
| In draw poker, a nonstandard hand sometimes given value in a private or home game. The hand is different in different parts of the country. One variant is any hand containing a 9, 5, and a 2, with one card between the 9 and the 5 and another between the 5 and the 2. | |
| Penetration [Blackjack] | |
| How deeply into the pack or shoe a dealer goes before shuffling. In CBJN, penetration is expressed as number of decks left when the shuffle point is reached. Penetration is sometimes expressed as the number of decks dealt out of the total (eg 5½/6, which means 5½ decks out of six) or as percentage of cards dealt out (e.g. 60%, 75% etc). | |
| Penny Ante [Poker] | |
| Describing a small game, often referring to small limit; usually part of the phrase penny-ante game. The phrase has passed into general usage meaning petty or small-time. "We're playing penny ante." | |
| Penny Ante [Roulette] | |
| A game played for small stakes. | |
| Penny Poker Dictionary [Poker] | |
| Describing a small game, often referring to small limit; usually part of the phrase penny-ante game. The phrase has passed into general usage meaning petty or small-time | |
| Penny-Ante [Poker] | |
| Describing a small game, often referring to small limit; usually part of the phrase penny-ante game. The phrase has passed into general usage meaning petty or small-time | |
| Penny-Ante Game [Poker] | |
| A small home poker game, in which the stakes generally are literally pennies. Sometimes shortened to simply penny ante. | |
| Penultimate [Poker] | |
| The next-to-last card in the deck. | |
| Penultimate Card [Poker] | |
| The next-to-last card in the deck. | |
| Per Hour [Blackjack] | |
| The expression "Hourly winnings (or losses)" (in dollars) of winnings or losses "per hour" is often encountered. This assumes "100 hands per hour" played, a figure arrived at through observation of dealers' dealing & shuffling speed, combined with player's speed in playing their hands etc. The win rate (or loss rate) per hour is straightforwardly calculated as W per hour = number of hands per hour * EV * average bet. It is admittedly on the arbitrary side but helps to give a good approximation of an expected win rate (or conversely, loss rate) in money. | |
| Percentage [Keno] | |
| Also known as PC (percent casino). The percent of all wagers the house can expect to win, over a period of time. Can vary widely, but normally is about 30%. | |
| Percentage [Poker] | |
| 1) The edge or money odds a player has or thinks he has in making a particular call. Frequently a player who calls a bet to take a longshot draw or extra card announces, "Percentage"; he is often taking much the worst of it. For example, in lowball the big blind may draw four cards because there are four other players in the pot, and he is getting a better than 9-to-1 return on his investment. 2) The house cut, or rake, sometimes also called drop | |
| Percentage Bet [Poker] | |
| A bet (often a blind bet) made in a situation in which you have the best of it. This kind of bet is often made in lowball, when both players are drawing cards, and the first player is drawing no more than the second. The first player now either openly bets blind, or pretends to look at his draw card, but doesn't actually see it, and bets blind in actuality. Since the opponent makes a 9 or better (the worst hand with which many players call) less than 43% of the time, even with a one-card draw, the first player has the best of it, and his bet is termed a percentage bet | |
| Percentage Call [Poker] | |
| A call made by a player in a situation in which he is a decided underdog, because he is getting better (usually substantially better) than a 1-to-1 return on his investment. For example, in hold 'em a player may call a small bet when holding only a high card when it is very likely that the bettor has at least a pair, because that bet represents only a small fraction of the amount of money currently in the pot. | |
| Percentage Player [Poker] | |
| Someone who plays--that is, calls bets or raises, or makes them--only when she thinks she has the best of it on that wager. | |
| Perfect [Poker] | |
| 1) Perfect low (In a high-low game, the lowest possible hand, often A-2-3-4-5, or, in lowball, the same hand, where it is often called a wheel or bicycle.). "I have a perfect." 2) In lowball, pertaining to the lowest hand of the rank of the highest card, that is, containing 4-3-2-A plus one other card 7 or higher. For example, a perfect 7 is 7-4-3-2-A, and a perfect 8 is 8-4-3-2-A. | |
| Perfect Catch [Poker] | |
| Receiving precisely the card you need to make your hand. In lowball, this means drawing the lowest card that doesn't pair one of your own, as, for example, catching an ace to 2-3-4-5. In draw high, this means making the best possible straight or flush, or even straight flush, you can make in a one-card draw. In a stud game, this means catching the one card that makes your hand as good as possible. | |
| Perfect Low [Poker] | |
| In a high-low game, the lowest possible hand, often A-2-3-4-5, or, in lowball, the same hand, where it is often called a wheel or bicycle. | |
| Perfect Pack [Poker] | |
| A good, honest deck, that is, one consisting of either 52 or 53 cards, with no marks, intentional or otherwise. | |
| Perfect Play [Video Poker] | |
| Making every play for the absolute highest Expected Value. | |
| Perfect-Perfect [Poker] | |
| A hand made on the last two cards. A player holding 55, with a board of AA455, in that order, makes runner-runner quads. | |
| Perimeter of the Pot [Poker] | |
| An undefined line toward the center of the table surface when determining whether or not a player must be forced to complete a bet. If there is a line, the perimeter of the pot coincides with the line. | |
| Pg [Blackjack] | |
| The acronym for Peter Griffin, the author. | |
| Philadelphia Bankroll [Poker] | |
| A wad of bills, usually folded over, with a bill of large denomination on the outside, to give the appearance of a large bankroll. Also called Oklahoma bankroll or Michigan bankroll. | |
| Philadelphia. [Poker] | |
| I have a full house. | |
| Philosopher [Poker] | |
| In English slang, a thief or cheat at cards. | |
| Pick [Poker] | |
| A diamond or spade pip. | |
| Pick Off [Poker] | |
| Catch someone bluffing. | |
| Pick Someone Up [Poker] | |
| Remove a player from a game, usually by the management. If a player leaves a full table for whatever reason (such as to have a meal, try to get more playing capital, go outside for a smoke) and does not return within a specified amount of time (such as, depending on the card room, 20 minutes, half an hour, 45 minutes), the floor man might elect to pick him up. "You've been gone for nearly an hour, and the other players were complaining, so we had to pick you up. Your chips are in the cage." | |
| Pick Up [Poker] | |
| Leave a game. | |
| Pick Up a Hand [Poker] | |
| In someone's absence, play his cards for him; usually followed by for. "I gotta go to the can; can you pick up a hand for me?" | |
| Pick Up on [Poker] | |
| Catch on to, generally implying noticing someone cheating. "Yeah, I came off the bottom, but I don't think anyone picked up on it." | |
| Pick Up Someone's Chips [Poker] | |
| Remove a player from a game, usually by the management. If a player leaves a full table for whatever reason (such as to have a meal, try to get more playing capital, go outside for a smoke) and does not return within a specified amount of time (such as, depending on the card room, 20 minutes, half an hour, 45 minutes), the floor man might elect to pick him up. "You've been gone for nearly an hour, and the other players were complaining, so we had to pick you up. Your chips are in the cage." | |
| Pickle Man [Poker] | |
| In hold 'em, 5-7 as one's first two cards; so-called because of the Heinz slogan, "57 varieties." | |
| Picture [Poker] | |
| King, Queen and Jack; face cards; court cards; paint cards. | |
| Picture Cards [Poker] | |
| King, Queen and Jack; face cards; court cards; paint cards. | |
| Pictures [Poker] | |
| Any playing cards. | |
| Piece [Poker] | |
| A portion of one's action given away in exchange for help on the buy-in; often done in tournaments by players who don't think they have a great chance of winning, or traded by participants to increase their chances of making money. "If Doyle, Chip, or Jack finishes in the money, I'll make out okay; I've got a piece of each of them." The term point is similar. | |
| Piece of Cheese [Poker] | |
| A terrible hand, usually said disparagingly by the actual or apparent winner of a pot about the hand that might call him, or just has. "Throw that piece of cheese in the muck." | |
| Pig in the Poke [Poker] | |
| A form of spit in the ocean, in which one card is dealt face-up in the center, which rank is then wild in anyone's hand, but which card is not part of anyone's hand. Also called wild widow, toad in the hole. | |
| Pig's Eye [Poker] | |
| The ace of diamonds, so called because the single diamond pip resembles the rhomboid iris of a pig's eye. | |
| Pigeon [Poker] | |
| A card that makes a hand, often received as the last card in a stud game. | |
| Pile [Poker] | |
| A player's stack of chips, or money. | |
| Pin Work [Poker] | |
| Cards marked (by a cheater) with scratches on their backs, such that their ranks can be determined by feel. | |
| Pinching [Roulette] | |
| Illegally removing chips from a bet after an unfavorable decision. | |
| Pineapple [Poker] | |
| Any of a number of variants of hold'em in which each player gets three cards and must discard one at some point (usually before or after pre-flop betting, after the flop, or after the second round of betting). | |
| Pink Eye [Poker] | |
| Infrared (pink- or red-tinted) contact lenses worn by a thief to see the markings on luminous readers, cards marked with special luminous ink that can be seen only in infrared light. Sometimes called readers. | |
| Pinochle [Poker] | |
| In hold 'em, Jd and Qs as the down cards. Comes from the game of pinochle. | |
| Pip [Blackjack] | |
| The spots on the cards that correspond with the value of the card. | |
| Pip [Poker] | |
| One of the suit spots (spade, heart, diamond, club) on the face of a card. Each face card has four pips: one at each end, outside the border, under the K, Q, or J representing the card's rank and one more at each end, within the border, next to each head. Each ace has three pips, one in the center and one under the A at each end. Each card, 2-10, has two more pips than the number that represents its rank, the rank total in the central area, plus one more pip under the number at each end. (Some say that the smaller symbol beneath the number or letter designating the rank of the card is not a pip, but is part of the index, which is that number or letter plus the smaller suit symbol beneath it. In that reckoning, each face card has two pips, each ace has one, and each card, 2-10, has as many pips as the number that represents its rank.) Also called spot. | |
| Pipe Salesman [Poker] | |
| An honest player in a public card room game, usually someone knowledgeable, whose presence deters thieves from plying their pernicious trades. | |
| Piping [Poker] | |
| A cheating method in which a player on the rail (that is, in close proximity to a game) signals a thief in the game the holdings of a player whose cards the one doing the piping can see. | |
| Pistol Pete [Poker] | |
| Hole card stud | |
| Pistol Stud [Poker] | |
| Hole card stud. | |
| Pit [Blackjack] | |
| The area in the casino surrounded by table games. While it is often confined to one specific type of game, it can include any of the table games. It is the area where casino personnel track the games and the players, among other duties and is where employees such as pit bosses and floor men can be found. Casino patrons are not allowed access to the pit. | |
| Pit [Craps] | |
| The pit is the area enclosed by all of the craps tables in a casino. Floormen walk around in the pit and keep an eye on the craps games in progress and the casino employees. | |
| Pit [Roulette] | |
| An area consisting of a number of gaming tables. | |
| Pit Boss [Blackjack] | |
| Casino staff member who checks and monitors all of the casino play within his/her designated pit area. | |
| Pit Boss [Craps] | |
| A casino employee who is in charge of all the tables in a particular area. | |
| Pit Critter [Blackjack] | |
| A colloquialism which usually refers to a pit boss or a floor man. | |
| Pitch [Poker] | |
| 1) Twist (In stud, played in a home game, an extra card that a player can "buy" after all the cards that constitute a hand have been dealt. ). 2) Deal cards, sometimes with the implication of doing so in a cheating manner. | |
| Pitch Game [Blackjack] | |
| Expression referring to any single deck or double deck game. Because the cards in these games are usually dealt face down, the dealer doesn't place them down on behalf of the players as he does in shoe games but, rather, throws them, i.e. pitches them to the players. | |
| Pitcher [Poker] | |
| A professional card dealer. | |
| Pivot Point [Blackjack] | |
| The point in an unbalanced count where the player advantage remains the same no matter how many cards remain to be dealt. | |
| Place Bet (to Lose) [Craps] | |
| A bet on either the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 as individual numbers or in any combination. The wager is that they will repeat before a seven is thrown. The casino requires you to lay slightly more than the correct odds, giving the house an edge of 3.03% on 4/10, 2.5% on 5/9, and 1.82% on 6/8. 4/10 pays 9: 5. 5/9 pays 7: 5. 6/8 pays 7:6. | |
| Place Bet (to Win) [Craps] | |
| A bet on either the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 as individual numbers or in any combination. The wager is that they will repeat before a seven is thrown. The casino requires you to lay slightly more than the correct odds, giving the house an edge of 3.03% on 4/10, 2.5% on 5/9, and 1.82% on 6/8. 4/10 pays 9: 5. 5/9 pays 7: 5. 6/8 pays 7:6. | |
| Place Numbers and Bets [Craps] | |
| The place numbers are 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10. | |
| Place Tickets [Poker] | |
| 1) The second-best hand in a showdown. Comes from the horse racing term place, plus tickets, a slangy name for the cards that make up a hand. 2) A form of draw poker, found only in home games, in which the second-best hand wins. | |
| Plain [Poker] | |
| Describing cards with numbers, that is, all but the face cards. | |
| Plain [Roulette] | |
| Full number bet. | |
| Plate [Poker] | |
| A device for marking cards by trimming their edges. (This produces of various sorts.) | |
| Play [Poker] | |
| 1) A bluff. "He got caught making a play. 2) Playing a hand in a nonstandard manner, not necessarily a bluff. 3) An attempt, often spectacular or by a large or desperation bet, to win a pot. "When everyone passed, he made a play for the pot." 4) A playing session. 5) Participate in a poker game. "Deal me in; I'll play." 6) Participate in a pot. "How much does it cost? I'll play."7) To play a hand in poker means to make the hand past the initial round of betting. 8) In seven card stud, this usually means calling the bring-in. 9) In hold'em, this means calling the big blind. | |
| Play All [Blackjack] | |
| Term for staying in a game through all the negative as well as the positive expectation situations. The term is mainly used for multi-deck games. The opposite of Wonging. | |
| Play Back [Poker] | |
| To raise or re-raise an opponent's bet. | |
| Play Behind [Poker] | |
| 1) The situation in which a player has called for chips, say from a chip person, and has not yet received those chips, but can have action on that amount of money in case he gets involved in a pot. A player might say before receiving his cards, "Dealer, I'm playing $100 behind." 2) Agree to call any bet, as if the player had an unlimited stack. If the bet is more than his chips, he buys more as needed. This is not normally permitted in a table stakes game, but is sometimes found in private games. | |
| Play Behind a Log [Poker] | |
| Describing a situation in which a player is far ahead of a game and thus playing only premium hands. | |
| Play Blind [Poker] | |
| Bet or raise without looking at one's cards. | |
| Play by the Book [Poker] | |
| The book" is a mythical set of instructions supposedly containing the poker wisdom of the ages. A player speaks of "playing by the book," by which he means he is playing a hand the way he thinks it is supposed to be played; such players usually think "playing by the book" is equivalent to playing tight. Actually, there is no book. | |
| Play Catchup [Poker] | |
| When losing, bet recklessly, often desperately, in the hope of getting of even. "How's he doing?" "Stuck, and chasing." | |
| Play Fast [Poker] | |
| 1) Play recklessly; gamble excessively; speed. 2) Play aggressively, betting and raising as often as possible, and, in a no-limit game, as much as permitted. | |
| Play Maximum Credits [Video Poker] | |
| Each Video Poker Machine has a Play Maximum Credits button. This is the button you push to deal a new hand and bet the maximum. If you don't play maximum credits, you don't qualify for the big jackpots. On most 25-cent video poker machines, the maximum credits you can play is five. Always play maximum credits. If you are playing a machine with a lousy payout, then play the minimum. | |
| Play Off the Blind [Poker] | |
| 1) In a winner blind game, a player wanting to leave just after winning a pot usually gets dealt one more hand so that he can exercise the option to have last action on the hand. That is, the winner of the previous pot is supposed to be dealt a hand. To play this one more hand is to play off the blind. 2) Similarly, in a traveling blind game, a player wanting to leave the table (for a break, for example) might wait until she has taken both (or all three, in a three-blind traveling blind game) blinds before leaving. To do this is also to play off the blind | |
| Play Over [Poker] | |
| Play in a player's seat while that player is absent from the table for an extended period of time. A player playing over someone plays his own chips, as opposed to one picking up a hand for someone. When someone plays over someone else, he must get up when the owner of the seat returns. He also moves immediately into the next available open seat if one opens up while he's still playing over. | |
| Play Pat [Poker] | |
| In a draw game, decline to draw cards w | |
