Drop

What is the 'Drop'?

In gambling, the term drop occurs frequently. You may hear it in terms of making a wager - a player can 'drop' an amount on an outcome. 'Drop' might also refer to a significant loss, or be used by a player who wishes to fold, or 'drop out'. In poker, the term usually means the stake of the pot which goes to the house. Many poker games include a house cut to cover the play and this is more commonly known as the 'rake'. However, drop is a fairly common term for the same thing. These house chips are usually kept in the 'drop box' for security.

The 'Drop' Explained

In some forms of poker, especially in casino facilities, the house retains a cut of each pot. Some games also include a jackpot or additional prize pot, and any cut taken to fill this can be referred to as the 'jackpot drop'. In the loosest sense, 'the drop' is just chips removed from the main playing pot for some other purpose. Most usually, it refers to those chips which are kept by the house. These 'drop' chips are usually stored in the 'drop box', which is kept to the side of the table. Not every casino game has a need for a house drop.The 'drop' might sometimes refer to a fall by a player from the top of the game to one of the worst performing players in the round and it can also mean that a player wishes to fold, or 'drop out'. On rare occasions in poker, players may be permitted to 'drop in' to a game that has already started. To drop might also mean to wager, as in to 'drop a grand' on a roulette number or horse. In slots gaming and occasionally in bingo or lotto games, players may refer to the jackpot prize as 'about to drop' - meaning that it is long overdue to payout and could go at any moment.