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We have listed below the majority of comon terms that you will come across when playing Poker both here and overseas. If you come across one that is not listed please email us and we will add it.
Ace High - A hand with the highest card being an ace with no pairs or flushes etc
Aces Up - Two pair, the highest being a pair of aces
Action - The putting in of chips into a pot, gambling of any description
Active Player - Someone still involved in the contention of the pot
Act out of turn - A player attempting to bet or fold out of sequence (Poor etiquette)
Advertise - To bluff and then expose your bluff, hoping to induce a call later when you have a genuine hand
All-in - To put all your money or chips into the pot
All Blue -A flush containing either clubs or spades
All Pink - A flush containing either diamonds or hearts
Ante - An agreed nominal bet required from a set number of players before the start of a hand (i.e. Blind, Big Blind.)
Back door - A straight or flush made with the last two cards in a row (Often this is not what the original hand was bet with)
Bad Beat - When a stronger hand is overtaken and beaten by a far inferior hand, often classed as a lucky draw due to the longer odds
Bankroll - A player's total stake money
Bet - The act of placing a wager in turn into the pot on any betting round, or the chips put into the pot
Bet Blind - To bet without having seen your hand
Big Blind - A forced bet second from the dealer button to the left. This is a compulsory bet made before cards are dealt
Blank - A card that does not appear to help/improve anyone's hand
Blind - A forced bet from the 1st player to the dealer button to the left (see also Big Blind). This is a compulsory bet made before cards are dealt
Bluff - To bet or raise with a weak hand, hoping to force players out of contention for the pot
Board - All five cards, in community games (Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha etc) turned face up in the centre of the table
Boxed Card - A card facing the other way to the remaining cards in the deck
Bullet - A.K.A an Ace of any suit
Burn - To take a card from the top of the deck before dealing out additional cards (to prevent cheating or players having seen the top card)
Button - Represents the theoretical position of the dealer at each hand. (Button is rotated in some games to distribute unfair starting positions
Buy-In - The minimum amount of money required to enter any game
Buy the pot - To bluff with a large bet to win a small pot
Call - To match previous another players bet
Capped - Describes the situation in limit poker in which the maximum number of raises on the betting round have been reached
Calling Station - A derogatory term for a player who perpetually calls
Cards Speak - When cards are exposed in a showdown they are taken as face value as apposed to verbally declared. The cards override any incorrectly represented hands
Cash In - To take your chips from the table and leave
Chase - To play a hand that is most likely worse than at least one other player
Check - To refrain from betting. Players may still call or raise if a subsequent player bets
Check raise - To initially check and then raise when the betting returns to you
Chemmy Shuffle - To scramble (wash) the cards face down on the table
Cinch hand - A hand that will win easily
Closed Poker - Games such as draw poker where there are no community cards (or board) and all cards are dealt face down.
Cold Call - To call a raised pot without having prior investment in the pot
Cold Deck - A deck is introduced with a false shuffle. Normally gives you a very good 2nd best hand. Mainly in jackpot games (big hand beaten often triggers a house jackpot)
Collusion - Any act, including betting or raising, by two or more players in partnership in an attempt to cheat other players
Colour Change - A request to change the chips from one denomination to another (American Term)
Community Cards - The cards dealt face up in the centre of the table that are shared by all the active players (see board)
Complete the Bet - To increase an all-in bet or forced bet to a full bet in limit poker
Connectors - Consecutive cards which could help make a straight. e.g. 9,10 or J,Q (Not 6,8)
Cut - To divide the deck into two sections in such a manner as to change the order of the cards
Cut-Card - Another term for the bottom card
Dead Card - A card no longer in play
Dead Hand - A hand no longer in play
Dead Mans Hand - Two black aces and two black eights have become known as the dead man's hand because Wild Bill Hickock (non-Americans may have no idea who he is) was allegedly shot dead holding this hand.
Deal - To distribute cards to the players in accordance to the rules
Dealer - The person who is distributing the cards
Dealers Advantage - The dealer is the last player to act, which is a big advantage in most games
Dealers Choice - A game where the dealer choses which variant of poker is to be played by everyone
Deck - The standard pack of 52 playing cards
Deuce - The 2 of any suite (A.K.A. a duck)
Discard(s) - In a draw game, to throw cards out of your hand to make room for replacements, or the card(s) thrown away; the muck
Dog - A euphemism for a very poor hand
Dog it - To play a hand which is good, slowly, in order not to chase away marginal bettors (See slow play)
Dominated - A hand that yields three or less outs which makes improving it very difficult
Door Card - The first card dealt face up in 5 or 7-card stud
Down and Dirty - Dealer expression used when the final card in 7-card stud is dealt. The original meaning is obscure
Down Cards - The concealed cards. In Hold ‘Em the first 2 cards are dealt face down (A.K.A. Hole cards) Down the River - All the way to the last card at 7-card stud
Drawing Dead - Drawing to a hand that cannot possibly win
Drawing Hand - A potentially strong hand requiring a certain card to complete
Draw Poker - A form of poker in which each player receives 5 cards and after the 1st round of betting has the option to discard and replace with new cards
Driving Seat - A player holding the best hand and making all the running
Drowning - Losing heavily
Duck - The 2 of any suit (See deuce)
Early Position - A position in which you must act before most of the players during a round
False Cut - A form of cheating where the cut is not really executed
Family Pot - A pot in which all or most of the players at the table are still in contention
Face card - A king, queen, or jack
Fast Game - A game with a good pace with frequent raises
Fast Player - A heavy bettor; a frequent raiser
Feeler Bet - A minimum or tentative bet made to test the strength of the other player's hand
Fifth Street - The fifth and final community card on the board. In stud poker the fifth card is dealt to each player
Fill Up - To draw the cards needed to complete your hand
First Position - The first player to the left of the dealer. In Hold ‘Em this player is first to act for the entire hand. A.K.A. Under the gun
Fish - This is a derogatory description of a poor player
Flop - The first 3 community cards, which are turned face up simultaneously before the start of the second round of betting
Flashed Card - A card that is partially exposed
Flush - 5 cards all the same suit (Not colour!)
Flush Draw - Having 4 cards of the same suit and hoping to receive the last one to complete a flush
Fold - To lay down your hand and take no further part in betting for the pot
Fold Out of Turn - To fold prematurely (Poor poker etiquette as it gives an advantage to players yet to act)
Fourth Street - The fourth community card on the board. In stud poker the fourth card is dealt to each player
Forced Bet - A required wager to start the action on the first betting round (the normal way action begins in a stud game)
Free Card - If all players check a betting round the next card is deemed to have been free
Freeze Out - A tournament in which all players start with the same amount and play until one player has won all the chips
Friend - A card that helps or improves the hand
Friendly Game - No such thing if there is money involved
Full House - Three cards of the same rank, plus any pair of a different rank
Gambler - A player that is betting against the odds
Gap - The missing card that would complete a straight
Gut Shot - A card that will make a straight. An inside draw (Often a long shot)
Hand - A player's best 5 cards
Head to Head - Two players against each other
Heads-up - A game between only two players, often the last players in a tournament
High Roller - A heavy bettor. One who players for high stakes
Hold ‘Em - A variation of poker in which 5 community cards are used by all players, in conjunction with 2 hole cards, used to form the best 5-card hand. A.K.A. Texas Hold "Em (The most popular variation of poker)
Hole Card - Cards dealt to individual players face down. A.K.A. Down cards
Hot Seat - The position or seat that has had a run of winning hands
Ignorant End - The low end of a straight.
Inside Straight - Four cards that require a middle card to complete the straight (See gut shot)
Insurance - A side agreement when someone is all-in for a player in a pot to put up money that guarantees a payoff of a set amount in case the opponent wins the pot
Kicker - The second highest card in the hand
Kicker Trouble - When the second card is relatively low i.e. 7 or below the player may struggle to win against any higher kickers
Late Position -A position in which you act after most of the other players during a round
Lay Down - To fold your hand. Often refers to folding a reasonable hand
Live Blind - When the player posting the blind is allowed to raise even if no one else has raised
Live Card - A card which has not yet been exposed
Live One - A player who plays more hands than the game structure warrants
Lock - The winning hand, an unbeatable hand (See also The Nuts)
Lock-Up - A chip marker that holds a seat for a player
Loose Game - A game with a lot of players in most hands
Lowball - A draw game where the lowest hand wins
Low card - The lowest upcard at seven-card stud, which is required to bet
Main Pot - When a player puts all of his chips in the pot (going all in) they are only eligible to win this pot. Additional side pots for the remaining players and then contested separately.
Manic - An American term for an aggressive player who frequently raises (often early on) and plays a lot of hands
Mechanic - A card cheat
Middle Pair - Pairing the second highest card on the board
Middle Position - A position in which you act somewhere between most of the other players during a round
Miscall - An error in announcing your cards (See also Cards Speak)
Misdeal - A mistake on the dealing of a hand, which causes the cards to be reshuffled, and a new hand to be dealt
Monkey - $500
Move-in - To move all your chips into the pot in a no-limit game
Muck - TO discard or throw away a hand. Also refers to all the folded cards grouped together
No-Limit Poker - A game where the players can bet any amount they have on the table in front of them at any stage, irrespective of the amount of chips in the pot. A.K.A. table stakes
Nut Flush - The best available flush - See "The Nuts"
Nuts - The best possible hand at any stage of the game (See Lock)
Off suit - Term used to describe the first two cards if they are not the same suit
Omaha - A flop game resembling Hold ‘Em where player's age dealt 4 cards instead of 2 before the community flop. In Omaha 2 cards only must be used to form your best hand
One Way Action - When only one player is against you (A.K.A. Heads Up)
On tilt - American term for a player emotionally upset and playing erratically
Open-ended Straight Draw - Four consecutive cards requiring a card either end to complete the straight
Open Poker - Games where some of the cards are dealt face up
Opener - The player who made the first voluntary bet
Openers - In jacks-or-better draw, the cards held by the player who opens the pot that show the hand qualifies to be opened. Example: You are first to bet and have a pair of kings; the kings are called your openers
Out - Cards still in the deck which can improve your hand
Outdraw - To beat an opponent by drawing a card that overtakes their hand
Out of turn - To act when it is not your turn
Overpair - A pair higher than any card on the board (e.g. A-A with a flop of Q-10-6)
Option - The choice to raise a bet given to a player with a blind
Outs - The cards that will improve a hand to win
Overcard - A hole card that is higher than any other card on the board
Overpair - Two hole cards paired and higher than any card on the board
Pair - Two cards of the same rank
Pass - To fold your hand
Passive - Checking and calling hands rather betting and raising hands
Pat Hand - A hand that is already complete, usually refers to draw poker (i.e. being dealt a flush with 1st 5 cards
Pocket Rockets - The best starting hand in Texas Hold 'em – a pair of aces, also known as bullets or American Airlines
Pony - $25
Position - Your seat in relation to the dealer, and therefore refers to your place in the betting order (Note this is constantly changing in games like Hold ‘Em)
Pot - The money in the centre of the table
Pot Limit - A game where the maximum bet is the total in the pot at the time of betting
Pot Odds - The amount of money in the pot decided by the amount of money it will cost you to continue to play (e.g. $200 in the pot and $50 to call is 4/1 odds)
Play the board - Using all five community cards for your hand in hold' em
Proposition bets - Side bets between players that are not related to the outcome of the hand
Protect Your Hand (1) - To place a chip or chips on your card to prevent exposure or being accidentally discarded
Protect Your Hand (2) - A bet to protect the money you have already put into the pot A.K.A. defending your hand
Pushing bets - The situation in which two or more players make an agreement to return bets to each other when one of them wins a pot in which the other or others play. Also called saving bets
Put a Player On - To guess or otherwise determine a player's hand and act accordingly
Quads - Four of a kind
Queens - QQ as a starting hand in Hold ‘Em is sometimes referred to as the "Sydney boys"
Rack - A container in which chips are stored while being transported, or a tray in front of the dealer, used to hold chips and cards
Rag - A card which is small and appears to help no one
Rag Off - To get a final card that does not help you
Ragged Flop - A flop that seems of no use to anyone
Rags - Worthless cards. Blanks
Rail - The sideline around a poker table or playing area
Railbird - A non-playing spectator or kibitzer. The term usually refers to an ex-player who has lost and is now watching
Rainbow Flop - A flop with 3 different suits
Raise - To call and increase the previous bet
Rake - A fixed percentage taken by the casino from each pot
Random Card - A card selected from a group of unknown cards not yet in play, which have an equal chance of being chosen
Random Card Concept - The substitution of a random card for a player's intended card. Due to the card not being exposed the player is not deemed to have been disadvantaged as there is the same mathematical chance of winning the pot
Rank- The value of a card. Each card has a rank and a suit.
Rat Hole - To secretly pocket chips from the table. This is considered unethical during a game as it denies the other players the opportunity of winning back these chips
Read - To try and determine, using probables and some deduction, your opponent's cards or betting strategy
Re-buy - An additional entry fee in tournament play. When a player has lost all their chips, some tournaments offer a chance to pay again to re-join the tournament
Represent - To bet in a way that implies you are holding a strong hand (can also apply to the position from which you bet)
Re-raise - To raise a raiser
Ring Game - A game with nine to eleven players, the optimum size at Hold ‘Em poker
River - The last community card on the board, or last card dealt (i.e. face down 7th in 7-card stud)
Rock - A very conservative/tight player
Rock Garden - A table full of conservative/tight players
Roll - A winning streak
Rolled Up - A term indicating the first 3 cards at 7-card stud all of the same rank
Rounder - A poker player, usually a professional, who does the rounds of poker games in a geographical area. (Also a 1999 poker film staring Matt Damon)
Round of Betting - The period during which each active player has the option to check, bet or raise. It ends when all bets have been equalised
Royal Flush - The top poker hand, A-K-Q-J-10 all the same suit
Run - A straight, sometimes also refers to a series of hands
Running Pair - Two cards of the same rank that fall consecutively, usually on forth and fifth street in Hold ‘Em or Omaha
Rush - A winning streak (see Roll)
Satellite - A small-stakes tournament where the winner gains entry into a bigger tournament
Scare Card - A card that has the potential to turn your hand into a loser e.g. you hold K-K, and the flop is A-10-7, then the Ace is the scare card potentially rendering your hand second best
Scoop - To win both the high and the low portions of a pot in a split-pot game
Scramble - A facedown mixing of the cards
See - To call a bet
Sell Your Hand - Make a small bet with a strong hand, hoping to get a call. Usually made when you think a bigger bet would cause your opponent to fold
Semi-bluff - To bet with a hand that whilst not the strongest, does have a few "outs" to improve. A term coined by David Sklansky
Set - Usually refers to the three of a kind or trips where the pair in a player's hand matches a card on the board. Can sometimes relate to four of a kind.
Set up - Two suited decks, each with different coloured backs, to replace the current decks in a game
Shill - An employee at an American casino who is paid to start up or keep short-handed games going
Shiner - A mirror or other reflective object used to see hidden cards as they are dealt (cheating)
Showdown - The process of determining who has the best hand after all the cards have been dealt and all betting rounds completed
Shuffle - The mixing of the cards before and between hands (Riffle, Chemmy, Wash etc)
Side Pot - A separate pot contested by players who are not all-in
Slow Play - To deliberately bet a strong hand conservatively to mask it's true strength in an attempt to get additional bets into the pot Small Blind - In a game with multiple blind bets, the smallest blind
Snake Eyes - A pair of aces
Splash the Pot - To throw your chips into the middle instead of placing them in front of you. This makes it difficult for the dealer to determine the amount of the bet
Split - A tie or draw
Split Pot - When two or more hands are equal the pot is divided evenly (to the nearest chip)
Splitting Openers - In high draw jacks-or-better poker, dividing openers in hopes of making a different type of hand. Example: You open the pot with a pair of aces. One of your aces is a spade, as are the three other cards in the hand. If you throw away the non-spade ace to go for the flush, you announce to the table, "Splitting openers"
Stack - The pile of chips in front of a player
Standard Deck - A deck of cards having 4 suits and 13 cards to each suit (52 in total)
Steal - To bet or raise causing an opponent to fold when you may not hold the best hand
Straddle - An additional blind bet placed after the forced blinds, usually double the big blind in size or in lowball, a multiple blind game
Straight - Five cards in consecutive rank
Straight Flush - Five cards in consecutive rank of the same suit
Street - Cards dealt on a particular round in stud games. For instance, the fourth card in a player's hand is often known as fourth street, the sixth card as sixth street, and so on
String Raise/Bet - A bet made in more than one motion, without the declaration of a raise (not allowed)
Stub - The portion of the deck which has not been dealt
Suited - Cards are of the same suit
Table Stakes - (1) The amount of money you have on the table. This is the maximum amount that you can lose or that anyone can win from you on any one hand 2) The requirement that players can wager only the money in front of them at the start of a hand, and can only buy more chips between hands
Tight - Playing fewer hands than normal
Tight game - A game with less players than normal in fewer hands
"TIME" - An expression used to stop the action on a hand. Equivalent to "Hold it"
Top Pair - Pairing the highest card on the board
Tournament - A poker competition, normally with an entry fee and prizes
Turn - The fourth card dealt on the board during community card games Upcards - Cards that are dealt face up for opponents to see in stud games
Wager - To bet or raise or the chips used for betting or raising
Weak - One who folds too many hands
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