Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Playing poker in a card room or online, understanding the language and poker terminology is important in making the right call, and while the list can be made extensive, we have listed the most common terms.
By Wagercomms
The Terminology and Language of Poker
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.
Alpha
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.
Bravo
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.
Charlie
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.
Delta
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.
Echo
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.
Foxtrot
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.
Golf
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.
Hotel
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.
Juliet
Jammed pot
A pot that has been raised the maximum number of times.
Kilo
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.
Lima
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.
Mike
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.
November
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.
Oscar
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 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.
Papa
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.
Quebec
Quads
Four of a kind.
Romeo
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
Sierra
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.
Tango
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.
Whiskey
Wired pair
When your two hole cards form a pair.
The card game of poker is said to have originated in the U.S. during the early 19th century, drawing its name and concept from earlier European games, and through time there have been several poker games, and we´ll cover others in time.
Ace to Five Lowball
Americana
Badugi
Deuce to 7 Lowball (Single)
Deuce to 7 Lowball (Triple)
HORSE
Pineapple Poker
Pineapple Poker Hi/Lo
Razz
32 Card Draw
Soko Poker
Telesina Poker
The original stud game and its popularity was unmatched and widely played until Seven Card Stud.
Draw is played with blinds, just like flop games and each player is dealt five cards face down.
Omaha (High) is similar to Hold’em but have a larger variety of hands due to additional pocket cards.
Omaha Hi/Lo compared to Omaha (High) is the possibility of qualifying for a low hand as well.
Seven Card Stud is about getting the highest five card poker hand from a total of seven cards being dealt.
Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo compared to Seven Card Stud is the possibility of qualifying for a low hand as well.
Texas Hold’em is getting the highest five card hand from a total of seven cards being dealt each player.
In poker, pot odds are the ratio of the pot to the cost of the bet required to stay in the pot, its poker strategy.
Poker in a card room or online, the glossary and poker terms are important when making the call.
© 2024 Wagercomms. All rights reserved.