Poker
has a language somewhat to itself. Here is a glossary to familiarize
yourself with poker terminology. Many of the words in this glossary
are linked to one another. If you click a link within a definition,
click your browser's "back" button to return to the definition you
just left.
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 or a hand with no pair in it.
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 hand.
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).
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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).
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 bet.
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
Is a
player who plays a lot hands.
Lowball
Is a
form of draw poker in which the lowest hand wins the pot.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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Q
Quads
Four of
a kind.
Qualifier
In High-Low
games, it is a requirement the Low hand must meet to win the pot.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.