A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
|
| A |
|
| Aces Full |
A full
house with three aces and any pair. |
| Ace-High |
A five card hand that
contains one Ace, with no straight
or flush. |
| Aces Up |
A hand that
contains two pairs,
one of which is Aces. |
| Action |
Checking/Betting/Raising. A game in which
players are playing a lot of pots is considered an "action"
game. |
| Active Player |
Any player who is still in the pot. |
| Add-on |
A purchase of more chips (optional) at the end
of the re-buy period in a tournament. |
| All-In |
When a player bets all
his/her chips.: In online poker, you may be deemed "All-in"
when you are disconnected (even if you have chips remaining).
|
| American Airlines |
Two Aces. |
| Ante |
Money placed in the pot before
the hand is
begun. |
| |
|
| B |
|
| Bad Beat |
When a hand is
beaten by a lucky draw. |
| Belly Buster |
A draw and/or catch to an Inside
Straight. |
| Bet |
To place chips into the pot. |
| Bet the Pot |
When a player bets the amount of the pot. |
| Bicycle |
A straight
that is A-2-3-4-5. |
| Big Blind |
A designated amount that is placed by the
player sitting in the second position, clockwise from the
dealer, before any cards are dealt. (Players joining a game in
progress must post a Big Blind, but may do so from any
position.) |
| Big Slick |
A hand that contains an A-K. |
| Blind |
The bet(s) that must be made by the two
players sitting directly to the dealer's left which will start
the action on the first round
of betting. The blinds are posted before any cards are
dealt. (A "Blind" bet is one that is made in the dark without
looking at your cards.) |
| Blind Raise |
When a player raises
without looking at his hand. |
| Bluff |
To make other players believe that one has a
better hand than
he/she might otherwise have by betting or
raising
when they do not have the best hand. |
| Boardcards |
The cards that are dealt face-up in a poker
game for all players to see. In flop
games, five cards are dealt face-up in the center of the
table. In Seven
Card Stud, four cards are dealt face-up in front of each
player. |
| Bottom Pair |
When a player uses the lowest card on the flop to
make a pair with
one of his own cards. |
| Broadway |
An Ace high straight
(A-K-Q-J-10). |
| Bring-In |
The forced bet made on the first round of
betting by the player who is dealt the lowest card showing in
Seven
Card Stud and Stud 8 or Better. In Razz
(Lowball) it is the highest card showing |
| Bring It In |
To start the betting on the first round. |
| Broomcorn's Uncle |
A player who antes himself broke. |
| Bullets |
A pair of
Aces. |
| Bump |
To raise.
|
| Button |
Also known as the dealer button, it is a small
round disk that is moved from player to player in a clockwise
direction following each hand, to theoretically indicate the
dealer of each hand. |
| Buy-In |
The minimum amount of money required by a
player to sit down in a particular poker game. |
| Back to
top |
|
| C |
|
| Call |
When a player chooses to match the previous
bet. |
| Call Cold |
To call both a bet and raise(s).
|
| Cap |
To take the last of the maximum amount of raises
allowed per round of betting. |
| Card Room |
The room or space in a casino where
poker is played. |
| Case Chips |
A player's last chips. |
| Cash Out |
To leave a game and convert your
chips to cash. |
| Check |
When it's a player's turn to act and
there has been no action in front of them and they opt not to
bet, they "check." |
| Check-Raise |
When a player first checks and then raises in
a betting round. |
| Chop |
To return the blinds to the players who posted
them and move on to the next hand if no other players call. It
also means to "split the pot". |
| Collusion |
When two or more players conspire to cheat in
a poker game. |
| Community |
Cards that are face-up and used by all
players. |
| Cowboys |
Two Kings. |
|
|
| D |
|
| Dead Man's Hand |
Two pair - Aces and Eights (Wild Bill Hickock
was shot in the back while playing this hand). |
| Door Card |
This is the first exposed card, or "up" card,
in a player's hand in Stud games. |
| Down Card |
Hole
cards. Cards that are dealt face down. |
| Doyle Brunson |
It's a Holdem hand consisting of a 10-2
(Brunson won the world championship two years in a row on the
final hand with these cards). |
| Draw Lowball |
Form of poker where each player is dealt five
cards with the option of discarding one or more and replacing
them with new ones and the low hand wins. |
| Draw Poker |
Form of poker where each player is dealt five
cards down with the option of discarding one or more and
replacing them with new ones to attempt to make a better
hand. |
| Drop |
Fold. |
| Ducks |
A pair of Twos. |
| Deuces |
A pair of Twos. |
| Back to
top |
|
| E |
|
| Early Position |
Position on a round of betting where the
player must act before most of the other players at the table.
(It's considered the two positions located to the left of the
Blinds.
) |
| |
|
| F |
|
| Fifth Street |
Also known as the "river"
card. In flop
games, this represents the fifth community
card on the table and the final round of betting. In Stud
games, this is the fifth card dealt to each player and
represents the third round of betting. |
| Five Card Draw |
A poker game in which the player is dealt five
cards down. They have one draw to replace them and the best
high hand wins the pot. |
| Five Card Stud |
A poker game in which each player is dealt
five cards, one down and four up, with betting after 2, 3, 4,
& 5 cards. |
| Flat Call |
Calling a
bet without raising. |
| Flop |
In Hold'em
and Omaha,
the first three community
cards that are dealt face-up in the center of the table all at
one time. The "flop" also indicates the second round of
betting. |
| Flop Games |
Poker games (Hold
'em and Omaha)
that are played using community
cards that are dealt face up in the center of the table. |
| Floorman |
An employee of the cardroom who makes rulings
and decisions. |
| Flush |
Any five cards of the same suit. |
| Flush Draw |
When a player has four cards in his hand of
the same suit and is hoping to draw a fifth to make a
flush. |
| Fold |
To throw your hand away when it's your turn to
act. |
| Forced Bet |
A required bet that starts the action on the
first round of a poker hand. |
| Four of a Kind |
Four cards of the same number or face value
("quads"). |
| Fourth Street |
In flop
games, it is the fourth community
card dealt (also known as "the
turn") and represents the third round of betting. In Stud
games, it is the fourth card dealt to each player and
represents the second round of betting. |
| Full House |
Any three cards of the same number or face
value, plus any other two cards of the same number or face
value. |
| Back to
top |
|
| G |
|
| Gut Shot |
To draw to and/or hit an inside
straight. |
| H |
|
| Hand |
A player's best five cards. |
| High-Low |
Split pot games. |
| Hold 'em |
Also known as Texas Hold 'em, where the
players get two down
cards and five community
cards. See our complete Hold 'em
rules in our Game Rules
section. |
| Hole Cards |
These are the Down
Cards in front of the players. |
| House |
The casino or cardroom that is hosting the
poker game. |
| |
|
| I |
|
| Inside Straight |
Four cards which require another between the
top and the bottom card to complete a straight.\
Players who catch this card make an Inside Straight. |
| Back to
top |
|
| J |
|
| Jackpot Poker |
A form of poker in which the cardroom or
casino offers a jackpot to a player who has lost with a really
big hand (usually Aces full or better). |
| Jacks Or Better |
A form of poker in which a player needs to
have at least a pair of jacks to open the betting. |
| K |
|
| Kansas City Lowball |
Form of lowball
poker in which the worst poker hand (2, 3, 4, 5, 7 of
different suits) is the best hand. It's also known as Deuce to
Seven. |
| Keep Them Honest |
To call at the end of a hand to prevent
someone from bluffing. |
| Key Card |
A card that gives you a big draw or makes your
hand.
|
| Key Hand |
In a session or tournament, the one hand that
ends up being a turning point for the player, either for
better or worse. |
| Kicker |
The highest unpaired side
card in a players' hand. |
| Kick It |
Raise. |
| Kill Pot |
A method to stimulate action. It is a forced
bet by someone who has just won a pot(s). |
| Knock |
Check.
|
| Kojak |
A hand that contains a K-J. |
| |
|
| L |
|
| Ladies |
Two Queens. |
| Late Position |
Position on a round of betting where the
player must act after most of the other players have acted
(usually considered to be the two positions next to the button). |
| Lay Down Your Hand |
When a player folds. |
| Lead |
The first player to bet into a pot.
|
| Limit Poker |
A game that has fixed minimum and maximum
betting intervals along with a prescribed number of
raises. |
| Limper |
The first player who calls a Blind. |
| Limp In |
To enter the pot by
calling rather than raising.
(The usual concept of "Limp In" is when the first person to
speak just calls the Big Blind.) |
| Live Blind |
An instance where the player puts in a dark
bet and is allowed to raise,
even if no other player raises. It's also known as an "option". |
| Live Card(s) |
In Stud
Games, cards that have not yet been seen and are presumed
to still be in play. |
| Live Hand |
A hand that
could still win the pot. |
| Live One |
A not so knowledgeable player who plays a lot
of hands. |
| Look |
When a player calls the final bet before the
showdown. |
| Loose |
When a player calls the final bet before the
showdown. |
| Lowball |
A player who plays a lot of hands. |
| Back to
top |
|
| M |
|
| Main Pot |
The center pot. Any other bets are placed in a
side
pot(s) and are contested among the remaining players. This
occurs when a player(s) goes all-in.
|
| Make |
To make the deck is to shuffle the deck. |
| Maniac |
A very aggressive player who plays a lot of
hands. |
| Meet |
To meet is to call. |
| Middle Pair |
In flop
games, when a player makes a pair with one of his/her down
cards and the middle card on the flop. |
| Middle Position |
Somewhere between the early and late positions
on a round of betting (the fifth, sixth and seventh seats to
the left of the button). |
| Muck |
To discard or throw away your hand.
It's also a pile of cards that are no longer in play. |
| Minimum Buy-In |
The least amount you can start a game
with. |
| Monster |
A very big hand. In
a tournament, a player who begins to accumulate chips after
having a small stack is considered to be a monster. |
| |
|
| N |
|
| No-Limit |
A game where players can bet as much as they
like (as long as they have it in front of them) on any round
of betting. |
| Nuts |
The best possible hand at
any point of the game. A hand that cannot be beat. |
| Back to
top |
|
| O |
|
| Odds |
The probability of making a hand vs.
the probability of not making a hand. |
| Offsuit |
Cards of a different suit. |
| Omaha |
A game in which each player is dealt four down
cards with five community cards. To make your hand, you
must play two cards from your hand and three from the board.
|
| Open |
To make the first bet. |
| Open Ended Straight |
Four consecutive cards whereby one additional
(consecutive) card is needed at either end to make a straight. |
| Open Card |
A card that is dealt face-up. |
| Open Pair |
A pair that
has been dealt face-up. |
| Option |
An option is a Live
Blind made in the dark before the cards are dealt. If no
one raises, the "option" player may raise the pot. |
| Out Button |
A disc placed in front of a player who wishes
to sit out a hand(s) but remain in the game. |
| Back to
top |
|
| P |
|
| Paints |
Face or picture cards (Jack, Queen and
King). |
| Pair |
Two cards of the same face or number
value. |
| Pass |
To fold. |
| Pay Off |
To call on
the final round of betting when you may or may not think you
have the best hand. |
| Picture Cards |
Face cards (Jack, Queen and King). |
| Play Back |
To raise or
re-raise another player's bet. |
| Playing the Board |
In flop
games when your best five card hand is all five of the community
cards. |
| Pocket |
The down
cards or hole
cards. |
| Pocket Rockets |
A pair of Aces in the pocket
or hole. |
| Position |
Where a player is seated in relation to the
dealer, therefore establishing that player's place in the
betting order. |
| Post |
When you post a bet, you place your chips in
the pot. (You
must post the Blinds.) |
| Pot |
The money or chips in the center of a table
that players try to win. |
| Pot Limit |
This is a game where the maximum bet can equal
the pot. |
| Prop |
A person hired by the cardroom to work as a shill. |
| Push |
When the dealer pushes the chips to the
winning player at the end of a hand. It's also when dealers
rotate to other tables. |
| Put Down |
To fold a
hand. |
| Back to
top |
|
| Q |
|
| Quads |
Four of a kind. |
| Qualifier |
In High-Low
games, it is a requirement the Low hand must meet to win the
pot. |
| |
|
| R |
|
| Rack |
A tray that holds 100 poker chips in five
stacks of twenty chips each. |
| Rail |
The rim of a poker table or a barrier outside
a poker area. |
| Railbird |
Someone who hangs around a poker room who
watches the games and/or is looking to get into action. |
| Raise |
To increase the previous bet. |
| Rake |
Chips taken from the pot by the
cardroom for compensation for hosting the game. |
| Rank |
The value of each card and hand. |
| Rap |
When a player knocks on the table indicating
that he/she has checked. |
| Razz |
Seven Card Stud where the lowest five cards
win the pot. |
| Re-buy |
The amount of money a player pays to add a
fixed number of chips to his/her stack in a tournament. |
| Re-raise |
To raise a raise. |
| Ring Game |
A "live" game that is not a tournament. |
| River |
This is the last card given in all games. In
Hold'em
and Omaha,
it is also known as 5th street. In Stud
games, it is also known as 7th street. |
| Round of Betting |
This is when players have the opportunity to
bet, check or
raise.
Each round of betting ends when the last bet or raise has been
called. |
| Rounders |
Guys who hustle for a living. This is also the
name of a popular poker movie starring Matt Damon and Ed
Norton. |
| Royal Flush |
This is an Ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10) of
the same suit. It is the best possible hand in poker. |
| Back to
top |
|
| S |
|
| Satellite |
It is a mini-tournament to gain an entry into
a larger tournament. |
| Scoop |
To win the entire pot. |
| Seating List |
A waiting list. A player would put his or her
name on this list if there were no seats at the table at which
they wish to play. |
| Second Pair |
In flop
games, when you pair the second highest card on the
board. |
| See |
To call. |
| Seven Card Stud |
A well-known poker game in which players get
three down cards and four up cards. You play the best five of
those seven cards. Click here for information on Seven Card
Stud. |
| Seventh Street |
This is the final round of betting in Seven
Card Stud and Stud 8 or Better. |
| Shills |
Shills are paid props who
help start and maintain poker games. |
| Showdown |
At the end of the final betting round, it's
when all active players turn their cards face-up to see who
has won the pot. |
| Side Pot |
A separate pot(s) which is contested by
remaining active players when one or more players are
all-in. |
| Sixth Street |
In Seven
Card Stud, this is the fourth "up" card dealt to the
player (their 6th card). It is also the 4th round of
betting. |
| Solid |
A fairly tight player (and reasonably
good). |
| Small Blind |
The amount put in the pot by the person
immediately to the left of the dealer "button" prior to the
cards being dealt. |
| Speed Limit |
A pair of fives. |
| Split |
Tie. |
| Stack |
A pile of chips. |
| Stay |
When a player remains in the game by calling
rather than raising. |
| Steel Wheel |
A five high straight (A-2-3-4-5) of the same
suit. |
| Straddle |
A straddle is a Blind bet which is usually
double the size of the Big Blind\ (and that player may raise
when the action gets to him). |
| Straight |
Five consecutive cards of any suit. |
| Straight Flush |
Five consecutive cards of the same suit. |
| Structure |
The limits put on the blinds/ante, bets, and
raises
in any particular game. |
| Stud Games |
Games in which players get down cards and up
cards. |
| Stuck |
A player who is losing in a game. |
| Back to
top |
|
| T |
|
| Texas Hold'em |
This is also the name for Hold'em,
the most popular form of poker. |
| Third Street |
In Seven
Card Stud and Seven Card Stud 8 or Better, this is the
first betting round on the first three cards. |
| Thirty Miles |
Three tens. |
| Three of a Kind |
Three cards of the same number or face value
("trips"). |
| Tight |
A player who doesn't play many pots. A tight
game is one that doesn't have much action. |
| TOC |
Tournament of Champions. |
| Top Pair |
In flop
games, when the player pairs one of his down
cards with the highest card on board. |
| Treys |
A pair of threes. |
| Trips |
Three of a kind. |
| Turn |
In flop
games, this is the fourth card dealt. It is the third
round of betting. |
| Two Pair |
A hand consisting of two different
pairs. |
| Back to
top |
|
| U |
|
| Up Card |
A card that is dealt face-up. |
| |
|
| V-W |
|
| Walking Sticks |
A pair of sevens. |
| Wild Card |
A card that can be played as any value. |
| Worst Hand |
A losing hand. |
| WSOP |
World Series of Poker. |
Back to
top
Back to Poker Home
|
