Aces High
A five card poker hand that contains no combinations, however contains one Ace.
Aces Wired
Two Aces that are back to back in a hand.
Act
The player’s turn to make a move in the game – ie. to either check, call, fold, open bet or raise.
Action
When a bet is placed by putting money into the pot.
Add-on
The act of buying additional chips during a poker tournament.
All-in
When a player wagers all his money on a poker hand, this is known as going all-in.
Ante
A term describing the minimum wager that the player has to put into the pot before the hand starts.
Back Door
A poker hand created from the last two cards that are dealt in poker variants such as Texas Hold'em or other seven card stud games.
Back to Back
When the player is dealt a pair from the first two cards dealt to him.
Bad Beat
When a high quality poker hand loses the pot, this is known as a bad beat.
Banker
This is the person who is responsible for booking the other poker players’ actions around the table.
Bankroll
The amount of money that the poker player sets out to bet in his gaming session.
Base Deal
Cheating in a poker game that involves dealing cards from the bottom of the deck.
Belly Buster
A term used to refer to an inside straight draw.
Bicycle Wheel
A poker hand that comprises of an Ace, Two, Three, Four and Five.
Big Bet
This is the highest amount bet in a poker limit game.
Big Blind
The first bet that is placed by the player who is seated to the left of the player who placed the small blind in the game.
Big Pair
A pair of cards that has a value of 10 or more.
Big Slick
A combination of Ace and King as hole cards.
Blank
A card that has no value to any of the poker players around the table.
Blind Bet
A bet that is forced and placed before any of the cards are dealt.
Bluff
A method of play where the player deceives others by acting as if his cards are better than they actually are. Bets are made accordingly and the objective of this move is to get other players to fold.
Board
The community cards in a Hold'em game – ie. the flop, turn and river cards together.
Boat - A full house.
Bot
aka robot. A program that players online poker with minimal (if any) human intervention.
Bottom Pair
When poker players form a pair from the lowest cards on the flop.
Brick and Mortar
A live poker room (compared to an online poker room).
Bring-in - This is a mandatory bet made by the Player with the lowest card in the Third Street, the first round of betting.
Broadway
Ace high straight.
Bubble
The point in a poker game where one player needs to bust out before others can win money.
Bullets
The name given to a pair of Aces in the hole.
Bump
Another term given to the act of raising.
Burning Cards
The act of discarding the top cards from the deck to prevent cheating.
Bust
When the poker player runs out of money and cannot continue in the game.
Buy in Amount
The sum of money that players are required to pay in order to enter the game.
Buy in Limit
The minimum sum of money that players bring into a one-one game.
Call
The act of matching the current bet placed.
Calling Station
A name given to the poker player who calls too often in a game.
Cap
The limit of the number of raises that can be made in the game. After this, players are only allowed to call or fold.
Case
The last card of a specific rank in the deck.
Case Money
Emergency money set aside to bet with.
Cash Out
When a poker session ends and players swap their chips for real money.
Catch
When players are being dealt good cards, this is known as ‘catching’ cards.
Center Pot
The first pot created during a poker hand.
Chat
Conversation (through typing) that can be hand with other players around a virtual poker table.
Check
If players have already bet in a round, they have the option of staying in the game and not placing a bet – known as checking.
Check Raise
When players check and then raise their wager in the same round of the game.
Clean Out
A card that will make the player’s hand the best.
Coffee Housing
The act of discussing one’s cards or hands in a bid to mislead or confuse other players around the table.
Cold Call
When players call and raise their wager at the same time.
Collusion
A form of cheating, when two or more players collaborate together in a bid to win poker hands in a game.
Color Up
When players swap poker chips for others that are of a higher value.
Come Hand
The type of poker hand that needs to be improved if it hopes to win.
Community Cards
Cards dealt onto the poker table that can be used by all the players in a bid to create the best five card poker hand.
Complete Hand
A poker hand defined by all five cards (ie. straight, flush, full house, four of a kind or straight flush).
Connector
A starting hand in Hold'em Poker where two cards are one apart in rank.
Cowboys
Kings in a deck.
Crack
When players beat a strong hand.
Crying Call
When a player who is sure he will not win the pot makes a call, this is known as a crying call.
Cut Off
The player who acts one before the button.
Dead
A poker hand that is not eligible to win the pot.
Dead Man's Hand
A hand that is made up of two pairs – Aces and Eights.
Dead Money
A player with very little chance of winning a tournament, who is usually inexperienced and amateur.
Deal
The act of handing out poker cards at the beginning of a round.
Dealer Button
A special disk that is employed at the table to indicate which player is now acting as dealer.
Deuces
A pair of twos.
Discard Tray
A space or tray situated to the right of dealer that is used to place cards that have been discarded or played in the game.
Dog
Short for underdog.
Drawing
The act of remaining in the poker round and accept cards.
Drawing to a Hand
When the player stays in the current round with the hope of improving his hand by drawing.
Drawing Dead
The player draws a hand that has a high risk of being beaten by other players.
Equalized
All players have an equal amount of money in the poker pot.
Equity
The player’s rightful share of the poker.
Expectation
The amount the player expects to gain on average by making a certain play.
Extra Blind
A blind put in by the poker player in certain situations in the game, such as when entering the game or returning to the game.
Family Pot
A poker pot which all the players call before the flop.
Fish
A player who gives his money away.
Fifth Street
The name given to the fifth round of betting in a poker game.
Flop
The point of the game when the first three community cards have been dealt.
Fold
The act of stopping play, discarding cards and giving up any claim to the pot.
Fourth Street
The name given to the fourth round of betting.
Flush Draw
A player draws a fifth card to make a flush, after he already holds four cards of the same suite.
Foul – A poker hand that cannot be played for whatever reason.
Free Card
A turn or river card where the player doesn’t have to call a bet due to player earlier in the hand.
Gap Hand
A starting hand where cards are more than one rank apart.
Go on Tilt
A player acts irresponsibly at the table after losing his cool or becoming impatient.
Gut Shot
The act of drawing an inside straight.
Heads Up
A poker game that consists of only two players.
Hole Cards
Down cards situated in front of the poker player.
House
The casino or poker room where the poker game is being hosted.
Implied Odds
Pot odds that are currently non existent but could be included in the player’s calculations due to bets they expect to win if they hit their hand.
Jackpot
A side prize paid to the loser of a hand should a very good poker hand get beaten.
Jam
The act of moving all in in a no limit or pot limit game.
Kicker
The highest side card in a player’s hand that is unpaired.
Kojak
A poker hand that consists of a King and a Jack.
Ladies
Another term for two Queens.
Lay Odds
When favorable odds are given to another player in the game.
Lead
The first player in the game to player a bet.
Leak
The act of showing hole cards on purpose.
Let Slide
Not calling another player’s attempted bluff.
Limit States
A poker game that has maximum bets and raises.
Limp in
The act of calling the big blind instead of raising.
Live Blind
Blind bets in play.
Lowest Card
A poker card that has the lowest value, determined by suits.
Main Pot
The center pot in the game of poker.
Maniac
The term given to the type of player who goes about his game very aggressively, raising in the majority of cases.
Meet
The Act of calling.
Micro Limit
Games that are too small to be profitable for a card room, therefore they are played only at online poker sites.
Monster
A poker hand that is considered very strong.
Muck
A player doesn’t wish to display his cards to the table.
Natural
A poker hand that does not consist of wild cards.
No Limit
A game of poker where there are no pre-determined limits and players can bet as high as they like.
Nursing
The pattern of play adopted by players who only have a few chips left and therefore go about their game very conservatively.
Nut Flush
A Flush which contains an Ace.
Offsuit
Cards that are of different suits in a hold’em starting hand.
Opener
A poker player who makes the first opening bet in the game.
Outs
The number of cards that are still left in the deck that have the potential of improving a player’s hand.
Overcall
To call a bet after one or more of the other players have already called it.
Overcard
A card that is higher than any other card on the board.
Overpair
A card that is higher than any other card on the flop.
Paint Cards
Cards in the deck with pictures.
Pat
A hand that is made on the flop.
Play Back
The act of raising (or re-raising) another player’s bet.
Pocket Cards
Hole cards (aka down cards) that only the player can see.
Pocket Rockets
A pair of Aces that are pocket cards (see above).
Poker Face
A poker player who shows no emotion or expression on his face during the game, making it difficult to read what cards he has.
Post
To put in a blind bet.
Pot
The sum of money in the center of the poker table that can be won.
Pot Limit
A poker variant that essentially calls for players to bet up to the amount of money that is in the pot when it is his turn to play.
Pot Odds
The amount in the pot compared to the amount players need to put in the pot in order to continue playing.
Pre-flop
The name given to the stage in a poker game that comes before the flop.
Price
The pot odds players get for a draw or a call.
Put Down
The act of folding a poker hand.
Quads
Four cards that make up the same denomination.
Quartered
If poker players tie with a high or low hand, they earn a quarter of the pot money.
Rags
Cards that have no value and are of no use to players.
Rainbow
If a table comprises three or four cards that are derived from different suits.
Raise
A bet that is increased from that made by the previous player.
Rake
The percentage of the poker pot that is claimed by the house.
Rank
The numerical value of a card, such as Ace or Five.
Rebuy
The option given to the player to buy his way back into a tournament once he has lost all his chips.
Ring Game
A money table game of poker, one which is not a tournament game.
River Card
The final community card that is dealt in a game.
Rock
The name given to the player who only reaches for the best poker hands.
Runs - These are betting cycles around the table. A cycle from the first Player to the last Player is considered one run.
Sandbagging
The act of holding back and calling, despite the fact that the player has a good hand.
Satellite
A tournament held at a casino with the prize being entry into a larger tournament.
Scare Cards
Cards that are high board.
Scoop
When the player wins the entire pot.
Second Pair
When the player pairs the second highest card on the board.
See
The act of calling another player’s bluff.
Sequence: Cards that are of consecutive value.
Sell
Betting less than the maximum when a player has a strong hand.
Semi-Bluff
The act of bluffing with a hand that has good potential.
Sequence
Cards of consecutive value in a straight.
Set
Three of a kind when a player has two of the rank in his hand, with another on the board.
Seven Deuce
A Seven and a Two, which is the weakest combination in a Texas Hold ‘em game.
Seventh Street
The final round of betting when all players have seven cards.
Short Buying
When chips are bought after the initial purchase.
Show
The act of displaying (exposing) one’s poker cards.
Showdown
When the players show their hand to determine the winner in the final betting round.
Side Bet
A bet that made outside the main pot.
Sitting Out
A player sits out (takes a break) for a few hands of poker.
Sixth Street
The name given to the sixth round of betting.
Small Blind
The first wager that is posted by the player seated to the dealer’s left.
Smooth Call
When a player makes a call by raising a hand.
Soft Play
To play gently against another player at the table.
Splash the Pot
The act of throwing poker chips into the pot instead of putting them neatly in the middle. This is considered a form of bad etiquette and frowned upon by casinos.
Split
Tie
Split Pot
A poker pot shared by two players who have equally strong hands.
Splitting Blinds
In the case that no player enters the pot, the big blind and small blind decide together to remove the blind bets.
Spread Limit
A structure that entitles players to bet any amount in a range in every betting round.
Stack
The chips that players use at the tables to wager with.
Stand Off
The act of calling a raise.
Stay
To stay put in a poker game by calling but not raising.
Steal
An attempt to grab the pot by betting after all other players have stopped doing so, or, alternatively by making an extra large raise after all players have called.
Straight
Five cards in consecutive order from any suit.
Straight Flush
Five cards in consecutive order from the same suit.
Street
Cards that are dealt on a specific round.
Suit
Symbol on the poker cards (ie. Clubs, hearts, diamonds, spades).
Table Stakes
A poker rule where players may only invest the amount of money in front of him into the pot.
Tell
An unintentional bit of information given about his cards by the player to others around the table.
Third Street
The name given to the first round of betting after players have three cards.
Three Flush
Any three cards from the same suit.
Three of a Kind
Three cards that are of the same number.
Tilt
The act of playing wildly and recklessly.
Tight
A. a poker game that does not have much action or B. a player who does not play many pots.
Time
A period of time requested by a player when he makes a decision about his next move.
To Go
The amount that players need to call if they wish to continue playing.
Toke
A tip left to the dealer by the pot winner.
Top Pair
A pair made with the highest card on the flop.
Top Set
The highest trips that can be created.
Trapper
A poker player whose game strategy is to under bet a hand in order to create a larger pot.
Trey
A pair of threes.
Trips
Three of a kind.
Turn
The fourth community card that is dealt in a poker game.
Two Flush
Two cards that are suited.
Two Pair
A poker hand that consists of two different pairs.
Under the Gun
A poker player who needs to make the first move in a betting round.
Unlimited Poker
A poker game where no limit is placed on bets or raises.
Up Card
A poker card that is dealt face up on the table.
Underdog
A player (or poker hand) not favored to win a pot.
Visible Cards
Poker cards that are dealt face up to players.
Walk the Table
The act of winning the pot automatically with a specific hand or card.
Wheel
A straight hand from Ace until five.
Wild Card
A card whose value is anything chosen by the player.
Wild Game
A) A poker game that is full of action or B) A poker game that uses wild cards.
Wired
Cards ie. pairs, trips or four of a kind that are dealt consecutively.
WSOP
Stands for World Series of Poker, a major poker tournament.
WPT
World Poker Tour, a major poker tournament.
Yeast
to raise.
Yo
Eleven
Z-game
The lowest staked game in the casino. |
