Co to Cz - Glossary of Terms
Color up. When a player changes his chips to a higher denomination, usually when he gets up to leave.
Comp. A complimentary gift given by a casino to encourage and reward play. Comps can range from the most common, free drinks while playing, to meals, rooms, trips to resort locations and tickets to the Super Bowl.
Composition dependent strategy. Similar to basic strategy, but the proper play is based upon the exact cards dealt to the player rather than just the total of the player's hand. It is most commonly used for single deck games. One example of a composition dependent strategy would be doubling down on a player's hand of 5,3 or 4,4 versus a dealer's 5 or 6 in a single deck game but not doubling on a 6,2, even though all three of the player's hands would total 8.
Cooler. Colloquial expression for the pack of pre-arranged cards (usually in 6- or 8-deck games) with which a cheating team, through collusion with pit crew members and especially the dealer, replaces the original casino cards, just before their insertion in the shoe. Extremely profitable for the cheaters if they can pull it off and a most serious felony for everyone involved.
Continuous Shuffling Machine A machine used by some casinos in Blackjack games to shuffle the cards after every round. The dealer inserts the cards dealt in the round into the machine, which then mixes them up with the rest of the cards, supposedly at random. (Some teams claim to have exploited inherent non-randomness in CSM shuffling.) Although the Basic Strategist fares better in CSM-dealt games, due to the elimination of the Cut Card Effect (see entry), the Card Counter and the Shuffle Tracker can no longer beat the game. The casinos also benefit from the absence of down time associated with regular, dealer shuffling. Recent simulations, notably, show that the casinos' bottom line is adversely affected by the use of CSMs, under certain realistic assumptions. [Not to be confused with an Automated Shuffling Machine - see entry]
the Count. A reference to the what the point count is in a counting system at any given time throughout the deal. For example, a player may say, "Two rounds had been dealt and the count was +2."
Counter. A blackjack player who uses a system which assigns a numeric value to cards in order to track the cards dealt for betting and playing decisions.
Coupon. Promotional material given for free by a casino in order to attract customers. Coupons entitle the player to certain one-off amenities, like one free dinner for 2, or special (and favorable) rules at games, like using a coupon to get 2-1 payoff in case of a natural. Coupons are given to the player in order to entice him to the casino, while comps are given after he plays there.
Couponomy. The wise and most advantageous use of coupons, so that the player extracts maximum value from them. A term coined by Peter Griffin but which came of age through its use by Las Vegas Advisor publisher Anthony Curtis.
Cover. The use of various camouflage techniques to disguise the act of counting. It could include anything from the use of the wrong playing strategy or apparently improper bet sizing to very sophisticated maneuvers designed to fool casino personnel who may be attempting to discover whether or not a player is counting cards.
CP. The acronym for Caesars Palace, a casino.
Credit line. Post-dated check-cashing privileges established for a player at a given casino. A player with a "credit" line can take a marker for any amount of money up to the amount established in his "credit" line and use it to purchase chips at the tables. The player is normally expected to repay the marker before the end of his visit to that casino. Casino "credit" is not credit in the normal sense of the word; it is check-cashing privilege, with the casino agreeing not to deposit the check(s) before an agreed-upon number of days have elapsed.
Critter. See Pit critter.
Crossroader. A colloquialism for a cheat, hustler, con man or scam artist.
CSM See Continuous Shuffling Machine.
CTR. The acronym for "currency transaction report."
CTS. The acronym for Casino Tournament Strategy, book by Stanford Wong.
Cut. To divide the cards into two parts after the dealer shuffles the cards. Generally, this is done by a player. The dealer then takes the two parts and reverses them, front to back. In most casinos, the cut is made by inserting a plastic card known as the cut card into the deck or the pack.
Cut card. A plastic card that is the exact same shape and size of the playing cards that is used to cut the cards as described above.
Cut Card Effect When the cut card appears, it signifies the last round of play. The cut card causes the dealer to shuffle after an approximate number of cards are dealt, instead of shuffling after a specific number of rounds. Using a cut card favors the house in terms of expectation. It affects both Counters and Non-Counters, irrespective of their betting strategies. A player who plays a game with a fixed number of rounds will do better than if he/she plays in the same game but with a Cut Card instead.
CV. An abbreviation used for blackjack software programs designed by Norm Wattenberger known as Casino Verite.
Cut offs. The cards that are cut off from play by the cut card. When the cut card is out, the dealer will deal out of the cutoffs as many cards are necessary to finish the round and then he'll shuffle.
CW. An abbreviation for cocktail waitress.