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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
Gut Shot To draw to and/or
hit an inside straight.
Hand A player's best five
cards.
High-Card To decide the
first dealer in the flop tournaments each user is dealt a single card and the
player with the highest card (based on the card and the suit order - of spades,
hearts, diamonds & clubs) becomes the theoretical dealer.
High-Low Split pot games.
Hold'em Also known as Texas
Hold'em, where the players get two down cards and five community cards.
Hole Cards These are the
Down Cards in front of the players.
House The casino or
cardroom that is hosting the poker game.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Quads Four of a kind.
Qualifier In High-Low games, it is a
requirement the Low hand must meet to win the pot.
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.
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 faceup 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.
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.
Up Card A card that is dealt face-up
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.
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