A banker is someone who works at a bank, managing money and helping people with their finances. Some bankers help customers open savings accounts or apply for loans to buy houses or start businesses. Others work behind the scenes, making decisions about where the bank should invest its money or how much interest to charge on loans.

The most senior banker at a bank, often called a bank president or CEO, makes major decisions about how the whole institution operates. In smaller towns a century ago, the local banker was often one of the most important people in the community because they controlled access to the money people needed to buy farms, open stores, or expand their businesses.

In card games like poker, the banker is the person who holds and distributes the chips or money, keeping track of what everyone has won or lost. In the board game Monopoly, one player serves as the banker, handing out money at the start and managing the bank throughout the game.

The phrase “you can bank on it” means you can count on something to be true or reliable, suggesting the trust people expect from their banker.