|
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).
|
|
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.
|
|
Cardroom
|
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 he opts not to bet, he "checks."
|
|
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
|
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 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.
|
|
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.
|
|
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
|
|
