Two Casino Terms That’ll Win You a Bar Bet Someday

We love the world of casinos and all the gambling jargon found therein.

There are two colorful gambling terms you don’t hear too often, “capping” and “pinching,” and they both related to cheating.

“Capping” is when a player tries to surreptitiously add additional chips to his or her bet (often called “pressing”) after a result has been announced. For example, at blackjack, a player might have originally made a $20 bet, but when the hand goes in their favor, the cheater tries to increase their bet while the dealer is distracted.

Here’s an example of capping.




“Pinching” is the opposite of “capping.” “Pinching” is when a player tries to sneak back part or all of a losing bet, to try and decrease their losses.




Both “capping” and “pinching” are against the rules of the casino and can get a player booted out, banned from the casino or even arrested.

Nothing slips by those casino security cameras!

eye in the sky cameras
It’s better not to test the “eye in the sky.” And we’re not talking about Mordor, nerd. “Eye in the sky” is another name for casino surveillance cameras.

Back in the day in certain Las Vegas casinos, of course, such boneheaded tactics could also get your head “pinched” in a vice, or even get you “capped.”

The house always has an advantage, but cheating isn’t the brightest way to try and even the odds. Unless your head could use some pinching, of course.