Royer - Casino gambletalk : the language of gambling and new casino games

I began writing this book in 1995. Over the next seven years, I collected, noted, accepted, and rejected thousands of expressions and words as they apply to casino gaming, casino games, the casino environment or lifestyle. By the time I completed this book, in August 2002, all the information which was humanly possible to collect regarding the language of gambling had been collected. Yes, there are expressions which do not appear in this book, but if they are not here, there is a good reason: they may be old, out of date, no longer used, no longer applicable, not really special to gambling, too regional (meaning they are used only in some small gaming centers, but not universally), or just not needed in the world of the modern casino. It is also possible that I may have missed some words or expressions, but I doubt that I omitted anything which was actually applicable and worthwhile.

No one person spends this much time working on something completely alone. There are many people involved in all of our lives, and this is also the case for me. During the years between 1995 and 2002, I have visited virtually all the casinos in the United States, especially those in Nevada. I have been to Midwestern casinos when they were built, I have been to East Coast and Connecticut casinos, and I have been to every casino in all of the major gaming centers in Nevada. During this time I have spoken to thousands of peopleguests, employees, gamblers, and casinos executives. From all of these people, and from dozens of books written about gambling over the past 60 years, I have learned the language of gambling. I have also added expressions which are new, and corrected expressions and terms which were misunderstood by many. I have those many thousands of people to thank for their input over all these years.

Some other people, more closely associated with me, also deserve to be mentioned. My friend Tom Caldwell is one such important person. Tom and I have known each other for many years. It was through conversations with him that I first thought of the idea of writing a book about the language of gambling, detailing all the applicable words and expressions and giving them their correct meaning. I wish to thank Tom, and his wife, Norreta, and their sons Sean and Brent, for all their help to me on many fronts over many years.

My literary agents, Frank Scatoni and Greg Dinkin from Venture Literary, also deserve my thanks for all their hard work and dedication to my books and my work. If it had not been for their ability to see the potential of this book, and for their contacts in the publishing industry, you might never have been able to buy this book and learn all the fascinating words which form the language of gambling. I thank you, Frank, Greg. You did very well.

And I extend a very special thanks to Milos Forman and Ivan Passer. Their help in my life has also been momentous.

I also wish to thank many of my friends, Larry and Michael especially. You have both been with me for many years, and your dedication to me has always been deeply felt and appreciated. Also my friends in Australia, Neil and his family, Lilli and little MRM, and my old friends from Ormond College and Wollongong.

And finally, and certainly the most special, my best thanks and gratitude go to my dear mother, Gina. You may have noticed that I have dedicated several of my books to her. This is not by accident. Her steadfast support of me and my goals, and my life, has never faltered. There is no amount of gratitude, or gold, or anything available in the world which can express the appreciation and deep thanks which I feel for her lifetime of dedication. I wish you could know her as I do. She is truly a very special lady. If you knew her as I do, you would also be proud of her achievements, her skills, her knowledge, and her ability to make the world a better place. Thank you, JJ.

I hope you have enjoyed this book, and continue to enjoy it, as you delve deeper into the fascinating world of casino gaming and the games we all play.

B OOKS BY V ICTOR H. R OYER

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Casino Gamble Talk

Available from Lyle Stuart / Citadel Press

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

V ICTOR H. R OYER, known as Vegas Vic, is the author of thirty-eight books. Mostly known for books, articles, and columns on casino games and gambling, he is also the author of The Great American Joke Book, as well as several forthcoming titles of fiction. Versatile and multitalented, Royer is the creator, producer, and host of the Web-TV show Great Casino Slots, now showing at www.YouTube.com/LasVegasLiveTV . He also composes music and performs under the names Glenn Diamond, Pappy Jones, and Hans Dorfmann. For more information, please visit him at www.GamingAuthor.com and www.MoreCasinoDeals.com . Sign up for a free casino newsletter at www.AccessVegas.com .

Postscript

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this book. I would like to conclude by reminding you that the world of gaming is changing on a daily basis. This is especially true in Las Vegas, which is fast outpacing most other gaming jurisdictions in the introduction of new games, newer variations on existing casino games, and an ever-increasing variety of computerized gambling machines.

Even now, as I write these final words, there are already several new innovations about to hit the casino floor. Among them are a brand-new crop of gaming machines whose graphics are in full 3-D and whose playing options are incredible. Whether or not they will ultimately succeed on the casino floor is as yet unknown. What is certain, however, is that changes in gaming will continue and that casino gambling will become, and already is becoming, increasingly more dependent on digital technology. Todays casinos, and tomorrows, are as different from 1990s casinos as these were from those of the 1950s and 1960s. Nevertheless, the main principles of necessary gaming knowledge, and the principles of play which now apply to all gambling, will likely stay the same. After all, we play casino games not just for entertainment, but also for profit. What is constant in all these changes is that casinos are in business to make a profit, and that we, as educated casino players, are also empowered to take a slice of this profit-pie.

The basics of casino gambling are changing not only the kinds of games we will play, but also how we play these games. That is why this book, and the information on the language of gambling, and the information on casino games, will always be applicable.

My best wishes to you, and good luck!

Updates to the 2014 Edition

I: THE LANGUAGE OF GAMBLING

T he world of casinos, and gambling, has a language of its own. If you want to be comfortable in the casino, and playing casino games, then you should know at least some of that terminology. It was for this reason that this book was originally written. All of the terms, language, slang, and other information originally provided in that book are still in use today, and still as current now as they were when the book was first released. While it is true that shorthand cy-berspeak is now more common, especially among those who text a lot using smartphones, that language is not specifically related to casino jargon, per se. Although some of that has made its way into casino slang, the more traditional casino-speak is still the language you should know if you plan on playing in a casino. Consequently, that section of the original bookPart Oneremains as important today as it was when originally written.