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Saturday 31 July 2010
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Poker Terms
The Terminology and Language of Poker
By gopoker.com, February 23, 2010
Whether playing poker in land based card rooms or online, understanding the language and poker terminology is key in making the right decision, and while the list can be made extensive we have listed the most common terms used in poker.
A
Ace high A no pair hand where highest card is an ace. Also a term that often refers to a straight or flush topped by an ace.
Aces full Hand with three aces and a pair of any other value cards.
Aces up Two pairs, with one pair being aces.
Action When it's your turn to act, place a bet, take action, the player holding the action, check, bet, call, fold or raise.
Active player A player who is in the pot.
Aggressive Players style, reference and character of player is much betting, raising, and re-raising. He or she plays aggressively.
All black Having a spade or club flush. All-in A bet that places all of a player's chips into the pot. All-in over the top Raising with all of your chips after an opponent's bet. Ante A small bet all players are required to make before a hand is dealt.
B
Back into a hand To draw cards that make a hand that is different from the hand you were originally trying to make.
Back-door flush When you have three cards that would support a flush, but you need the turn and river to make a flush.
Back-door straight When you have three cards that would support a straight, but you need the turn and river to make a straight.
Backraise A re-raise or a player making a small raise to prevent further or larger raises.
Bad beat When a a strong hand is beaten by a long-shot or improbable hand.
Bait Small bet made to encourage a raise, setting a player up in order to build the pot.
Baker Second position to the left of the dealer, sometimes just referred to as B.
Bank Cashier, sell and buy chips.
Bankroll Playing capital, the players total cash.
Battle of the blinds When everyone folds to the players who have forced bets.
Beat Losing the pot, I am beaten, I can't beat this game. Commonly defying the odds, a bad-beat.
Behind With reference to a position at the table, If the deal is one position to your left, you are behind the deal. If a player is sitting to your left, he acts behind you.
Bet Wager, the action required of a person whose turn it is to bet.
Bet for value When you bet in order to increase the pot size, not to make your opponents fold.
Bet into Make a bet before another player, often one who potentially has a better hand, making a bet towards a particular player or hand.
Bet the pot To make a bet that is the size of the pot.
Blind A mandatory bet placed by the two players to the left of the dealer button.
Big blind An amount of chips that second player to the left of the dealer has to bet, twice the size of a small blind, actual value depending on table limits.
Big 'dog An underdog. The person who has a very low chance of winning.
Big slick Poker slang for A, K, i.e. a very strong starting hand.
Blank A card that is not of value to the players hand.
Black chip In most card rooms and casinos a $100 chip.
Black chip game High stakes game using $100 chips.
Bluff Betting on a weak hand with the aim of driving other players out, making other players think you have a strong hand..
Board In Hold'em, the community cards, or sometimes just the flop. In seven card stud, the players up cards, as opposed to face down cards or hole cards.
Bring in The amount required to open a pot. The player who opened the betting.
Burn card Taking the top card out of play, usually by placing it face down among the discards, in versions of draw poker a card is usually burned before the draw cards are distributed, in stud and hold'em, a card is usually burned before each round of cards is dealt, i.e. the burn card.
Bust A hand drawn to and missed, any worthless hand. Winning all of someone's chips, one bust another player. I have no more chips, I am bust.
Button Whitem round marker that indicates the dealer position in a game, the actual dealer position. Moves clockwise around the table for each hand.
Buy-In The minimum amount of money required to join a game or tournament, i.e. the actual amount of money used to enter a game.
C
Call To put in to the pot the minimum amount of money necessary to continue playing.
Calling station Referred to a weak player who rarely raises, but calls every bet, even with substandard hands.
Cap The number of raises allowed in a game.
Capped Describing the situation in which the maximum number of raises in a round of betting have been made
Change gears To strategically alternate your play between conservative and aggressive.
Check To pass on betting, not placing a bet, reserving the option to call or raise later in the betting round.
Check Raise To check initially, then raise a bet made later on in the same betting round.
Cold Call Calling a bet and raise at the same time instead of calling a bet first, then later calling a raise.
Community Cards Cards that are dealt face up in the centre of the table, available for all players to use in making a hand.
Connectors Consecutively ranked cards that can help a player make a straight.
D
Dealer A person who shuffles a deck and deals cards to players.
Dead man's hand A pair of aces and a pair of eights; Wild Bill Hickock was shot holding this hand.
Dead money Money that was put into the pot by players who have since folded.
Dead hand Also foul hand, irregular hand.
Defensive bet Small bet (commonly made in no-limit poker) and placed to protect one's hand, generally to avoid calling a much larger bet, or to limit a potential loss.
Dealer button The button which indicates the dealer. It is passed clockwise after every hand.
Double up Betting all your chips and winning, ending up with twice as many chips.
Down cards The players cards which are dealt face down.
Drawing dead When you cannot win, no matter what cards come up.
Draw Out To receive a card that transforms your hand from a losing hand to a winning hand.
E
Early position A position in a round of betting where a player must act before the other players. This is a disadvantaged position.
Edge The advantage a good player has in a poker game.
Exposed card Any card(s) dealt face up.
Exposed pair In stud games, any open or visible pair.
Eyes In hold'em, a pair of aces, particularly when they constitute a player's down cards.
F
Fifth street The final round of betting and the fifth card on the table, the river.
First base The first position to the left of the house dealer in a poker game.
Fish A poor player who is losing all of his or her money, a sucker.
Five of a kind The best hand in high draw poker played with a 53 deck of cards, four aces plus the joker.
Fixed limit Poker in where all bets are made in specified increments, that is, the size of each betting increment does not increase on any round of betting.
Flat Call To call a bet without raising.
Flop The first three cards that are dealt on the board.
Flush A poker hand consisting of five cards of the same suit.
Fold To give up by placing your cards face down on the table, and losing whatever you have bet so far. You only "fold" when you think your hand is too weak to compete against the other players.
Four Flush Four cards to a flush
Four of a Kind A hand containing all four cards of the same rank.
Freeze out A game or a tournament that is played until one player has all the chips.
Full House A hand consisting of 3-of-a-kind and a (different) pair.
G
Get full value To raise, bet or re-raise with the intention of getting the maximum pot odds if you win the hand.
Gut shot straight draw Four cards of a straight with a card in the middle missing. If missing card come up, then you have made the gut shot straight draw.
H
Hand Five cards, which player collects from pocket cards and community cards.
Heads Up Playing a single opponent, two players only going head to head.
Hold'em Poker game in which players receive a certain number (2 to 4) of hole cards and 5 community cards. Normally, there are betting rounds after dealing the hole cards, then after dealing 3 up cards (Flop), after dealing a 4th up card (Turn) and finally after dealing a 5th up card (River).
Hole Cards Face-down cards dealt to each player in stud and Hold'em games.
J
Jammed pot A pot that has been raised the maximum number of times.
K
Key hand In a tournament, this is a hand that proves to be a turning point, for better or for worse.
Kicker The highest card in a players hand that is not being used in some other way, i.e. to create a three of a kind or pair etc.
L
Late position A position in a round of betting where a player can act after most or all of the other players have acted. This is an advantaged position.
Lay down Folding a strong hand in a critical situation.
Legitimate hand A strong hand. A hand that is not a bluff.
Limp in When a player enters the round by only calling, rather than raising, a bet. live hand A hand that is eligible to win the pot.
Long odds When there is a very low probability that something will happen.
Loose play Playing many weak hands.
M
Main pot When a player goes all-in, he or she is eligible to win the main pot. Any betting that is done after that is done in a side pot.
Monster A hand that has a high probability of winning.
Muck To discard a hand without showing, and also the pile of discarded hands.
N
No Limit Poker Poker game where there is no maximum bet - players can wager any amount up to the amount of money on the table in front of him.
No limit hold'em table stakes At any time, any player can bet any or all of his or her chips.
Nut flush The best flush available within each hand.
Nut flush draw When one card will give you the best possible flush.
Nuts A hand that can't be beaten no matter what comes up.
O
Odds The probability of making versus not making a hand.
Omaha Variety of Hold'em in which players receive 4 hole cards and must use exactly two of them (together with 3 of 5 board cards) to make a hand.
On a short stack When a player has very few chips.
On the button The best table position in hold'em, benefiting from acting last. The player who acts last in a round.
On tilt Playing recklessly due to frustration.
Open If no betting has been done when your turn comes, you may "open" the kitty. This allows you to make the first bet (any amount up to the betting limit). Get a better definition.
Open card A card that is dealt face-up.
Open end straight draw Four consecutive cards, such as 8, 9, 10, J. In this example, any Queen or 7 would make a straight.
Open Handed A category of games characterized by a part of each player's hand being exposed.
Open pair Two cards of the same value that are dealt face-up.
Out A card that is still in the deck that could improve your hand.
Out of position Being at the disadvantage of having to act before your opponent.
Outdraw When one person beats his or her opponent by drawing a better hand.
Outs The cards that will turn the statistical underdog into a winner.
Over the top Making a large raise.
Overpair In Hold'em, a pair in the hole that is larger than any community card on the board.
P
Pair Two cards of the same rank.
Pass When a player folds his or her hand.
Play fast To bet aggressively on a hand.
Playing the board When your best five-card hand is the five cards on the board.
Pocket Cards First two cards that were dealt by dealer.
Position Where a player sits in relation to the dealer, which determines his or her betting order. pot The chips that have been bet.
Pot odds The amount of money in the pot vs the amount of money it costs to continue playing.
Protect a hand To bet in order to convince other players to fold, and reduce the risk of having them outdraw you.
Putting on the heat To pressure the other players by betting aggressively.
Q
Quads Four of a kind.
R
Ragged flop Flop cards that do not help any players hand.
Rank The value of the card or hand.
Rainbow In flop games, a flop in which no two cards are of the same suit. "The flop was A 9 7 rainbow."
Raise To wager more than the minimum required to call, forcing other players to put in more money as well.
Re-raise To raise on top of a previous raise within the same hand.
River The final and fifth community card dealt, all players may use it to form their best hand.
Rock A tight and conservative player.
Round of betting The period in which each active player has the opportunity to check, bet or raise.
Rounder A professional player who frequents high-stakes tournaments.
Royal Flush Ace-high straight flush, same suit, the best possible hand in regular poker.
Running bad On a losing streak.
Running good On a winning streak
S
See When you "see" another player it means that you match their bet. So whatever the other player bets and you still want to stay in the game, however you have to "see" their bet by placing the same amount into the kitty.
Short odds When there is a very high probability that something will happen.
Short stack The player with the fewest chips at the table has the short stack.
Showdown At the end of the final betting round, all active players turn their cards face up to see who has won the pot.
Side pot A separate pot contested by other players when one player is all-in.
Slow roll Stalling before showing a winning hand to frustrate your opponent.
Small blind An amount of chips that player to the left of the dealer has to bet, half the size of the big blind, actual size and value depending on table limits.
Steaming Playing recklessly due to frustration.
Straight A hand consisting of 5 cards in sequence but not in suit.
Straight Flush A hand consisting of 5 cards in sequence and the same suit.
Structure The schedule by which the antes and blinds (forced bets) increase.
Suited connectors Two cards that are consecutive in rank and of the same suit.
T
Table Stakes A standard rule whereby during a hand players can only bet the money they have on the table. If the bet to a player is more than the player's stack, that player may call with all his chips and be eligible to win only that portion of the pot he contributed to equally. A side pot is created, for which only the remaining players may compete.
Tell An involuntary gesture or expression that indicates the strength of your hand.
Three of a Kind Three cards all the same rank.
Tight player A conservative player who only plays strong hands.
Turn card Fourth card of the board. It is called fourth street or fourth river as well.
W
Wired pair When your two hole cards form a pair.
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