| |
| Ace-High | A hand having an ace but no pair | |
| Aces-Up | Two-pair, the highest being aces | |
| Action | The act of putting chips in the pot, gambling of any sort | |
| Action Player | A player who gives a lot of action, also called a "loose player" | |
| Active Player | Any player still in the hand, competing
for the pot | |
| Act Out of Turn | A player attempting to bet or raise
prior to his turn to act | |
| Advertise | To bluff and the show the hand to
other player in the hope that they will call sometime later when you
have a legitimate hand | |
| All-in | All your money or chips in the pot | |
| Ante | An agreed nominal bet required from
each player before the start of a hand | |
| | | |
| |
| Babies | Small cards - a 2, 3, 4 or 5 | |
| Back Door | To back door a flush or straight
is when the last two cards make a player's hand, even though this was
not the original hand the player was drawing to | |
| Bad Beat | When a strong hand is outdrawn by
a weaker hand, considered to be held by a player who got lucky | |
| Bankroll | A player's total stake money | |
| Best Hand | The one that takes the pot | |
| Bet | To intentionally put chips into the
pot | |
| Bet Blind | To wager without looking at one's
hole card | |
| Bet Half the Pot | To bet half the amount of the pot.
Half the pot is maximum allowable bet in some UK home games | |
| Bet in the Dark | To bet before seeing the next or
any cards | |
| Bet Into | To make a bet looking at what seems
to be a superior hand | |
| Bet the Pot | To bet the amount of the pot. Pot
limit is the usual allowable bet in UK casino games | |
| Big Blind | The small forced bet made by the
player in second left position to the dealer button. It is made before
any cards are dealt and is a live bet. Thus the player on the big blind
can raise when the action gets back to him. | |
| Big Slick | Ace King as the first two cards | |
| Blank | A card that does not look like it
has improved anyone's hand | |
| Blind | A forced bet made by the two players
to the dealer's left [or to the left of the dealer button]. It is made
before any cards are dealt and is a live bet | |
| Bluff | To bet or raise with a poor hand
in the hope that other players will pass and you will win the pot | |
| Board | All five cards, in community card
games, turned face up in the centre of the table | |
| Board Card | A card facing the other way to the
remaining cards in the deck. | |
| Bullet | Another name for the ace | |
| Burn | To take a card from the top of the
deck before dealing out the cards. It is an attempt to prevent cheating.
This card is removed from the deck | |
| Buy the Button | A bet or raise which makes players
behind you fold, making you the last to act in succeeding betting rounds | |
| Buy the Pot | To bluff (usually a big bet at a
small pot) | |
| | | |
| |
| Call | To match the previous bet | |
| Calling Station | A perjorative term for a player who
perpetually calls and cannot be bluffed | |
| Cards Speak | When the cards are laid face up on
the table the correct reading of the hand will win the pot. That is,
the highest hand will win the pot irrespective of what the player declares
the hand to be. For instance a player may not see that he has hit a
flush and may declare something else, but it is the flush which will
count | |
| Case Card | The last card of a particular rank
when the other three are already out | |
| Cash in | Take your chips and leave the game | |
| Check | To refrain from betting. This is
often indicated by a player tapping the table. The player may still
call or raise if another player bets | |
| Check Raise | To check and, if another player bets,
to raise when the action gets back to you | |
| Chemmy Shuffle | Scrambling the cards face down on
the table | |
| Cinch Hand | A hand that will win easily | |
| Clinic | A poker game where there are a lot
of post-mortems about the hands that are played | |
| Closed Poker | Games such as draw poker where there
are no community cards and all the cards are dealt face down | |
| Coffee Housing | Talking in an attempt to mislead
other players about the strength of a hand. For example a player holding
A-A as their first two cards might say "lets gamble here",
implying a much weaker holding. Coffee housing is considered bad etiquette
in the UK, but not in the USA. This is also called speech play. | |
| Cold Call | To call a raised pot without having
any prior investment in the pot |
| Cold Deck | A deck that has been rigged by cheats.
It will be cooler in temperature than the deck used in previous hands,
as it has been concealed in the cheat's pocket and brought out when
the 'mark' is to be cheated. The deal will be fixed to give the mark
a good hand, but the cheat will get a slightly better winning hand. |
| Collusion | Any act, including betting or raising,
by two or more players in partnership in an attempt to cheat other players |
| Colt 45 | Reputedly the only thing that beats
a royal flush |
| Community Card | The cards dealt face up in the centre
of the table that are shared by all active players |
| Connectors | Consecutive cards which could help
make a straight e.g. 6-7 or 10-J |
| Counterfeit | When a card on the board duplicates
one in your hand. For instance, you hold 10-J and the board is K-Q-3,
but if a J comes on fourth street it counterfeits the one in your hand,
making your hand worse as a result. Counterfeiting is common in high-low
games |
| Cripple the Deck | To have all of the cards that make
up a good hand with a particular board. If you hold A-K , and the flop
is A-A-K, you will have the deck crippled in that no-one else can have
a playable hand. If you bet you will not be called. |
| | |
| |
| Dead Card | A card no longer in play |
| Dead Hand | A hand no longer in play, perhaps
due to some deviation from the rules. |
| Dead Man's Hand | Two black aces and two black 8s have
become known as the dead man's hand because Wild Bill Hickock is reputed
to have held the hand when he was shot in the back during a saloon poker
hand in Deadwood, South Dakota |
| Deal | To distribute the cards to each player |
| Dealer | The player who is distributing the
cards |
| Dealer's Advantage | The dealer is last to act which is
a big advantage |
| Dealer's Choice | A game in which each dealer, in turn,
chooses the type of poker to be played |
| Deck | The standard pack of 52 playing cards |
| Deuce | The 2 of any suit (also called a
"duck") |
| Dog | Americanism for the worst of underdog
hand. Big dog is used for a big disadvantage and little dog for a small
disadvantage |
| Dog It | To play a hand which is good, slowly,
in order not to chase the other players away. Similar to 'slow play' |
| Door Card | The first card dealt face up in five-
or seven-card stud |
| Double Belly Buster | A hand with two inside straight draws.
An example might be a flop containing 10-8-6, when you have 7-4-a9 or
a 5 will make the hand into a straight. The odds for getting the straight
from a double belly buster are the same as for an open-ended straight
draw |
| Down and Dirty | Theis expression is used while the
final card at seven-card stud poker is being dealt. Its meaning is obscure |
| Down Cards | The concealed cards. In Hold 'Em,
the first two cards that are dealt to each player face down. Also called
the 'hole cards' |
| Down the River | All the way to the last card at seven
stud, another word for seven-card stud |
| Drawing Dead | Drawing to a hand that cannot possibly
win. An example is drawing to a 4-flush when a full house is already
out |
| Drawing Hand | A potentially strong hand requiring
a particular card/s from the draw to make it |
| Draw Poker | A form of poker in which each player
receives five cards and after the first round of betting has the option
of discarding one or more of them and receiving new cards in their place |
| Driving Seat | A player holding the best hand and
making the betting |
| Drowning | Losing heavily |
| Duck | The two of any suit (also called
a Deuce) |
| | |
| |
| Expectation | The average amount you make in a
specific event or period. Thus, if you have won ?7500 in the last 34
tournaments, your expectation is ?7500/34 which is ?220. Conversly,
if you have lost ?1500 in the last 34 tournaments, your expectation
per tournament is ?1500/34 or -?44 |
| | |
| |
| False Cut | A cut which is not properly done |
| Family Pot | A pot in which all or most of the
players at the table are still involved at a particular point in the
progress of a hand |
| Fast Game | A game with a good pace of action
and frequent heavy raises |
| Fast Player | A heavy bettor, a frequent raiser |
| Feeler Bet | A minimum bet made to test the strength
of the other player's hands |
| Fifth Street | The fifth and final community card
on the board. In stud poker, it is the fifth card dealt to each player |
| Fill Up | To draw cards and make your hand |
| First Position | The player on the immediate left
of the dealer. In Hold 'Em this player is first to act throughout the
game |
| Fish | This is a derogatory term used (mainly
in the US) to describe a weak or losing player |
| Flop | The first three community cards,
which are turned face up together before the start of the second round
of betting |
| Flush | Five cards of the same suit |
| Flush Draw | Having four cards of the same suit
and hoping to draw a fifth to make a flush |
| Fold | To lay down one's hand |
| Fold out of Turn | To fold prematurely |
| Fourth Street | The forth and final community card
on the board. In stud poker, it is the fourth card dealt to each player |
| Free Card | When all players check, the next
card is seen without any money entering the pot. This card is a free
card |
| Free Roll | In Hold 'Em or other flop games where
two players have the same hand, but one also has the chance of improving
to a better hand. For instance, both players may have A-K-Q-J-10, except
one player has a flush draw and the other does not |
| Freeze Out | A game or tournament in which all
players start with the same amount and play until one player has won
all the chips |
| Friend | A card that assists or improves the
hand |
| Friendly Game | No such game |
| Full House | Any three cards of the same rank,
plus any pair of a different rank |
| Full Table | At Hold 'Em, a table of 11 or 12
players |
| | |
| |
| Gambler | A player that bucks the odds |
| Gap | The missing inside card that would
make a straight |
| Gut Shock | A card that will make a straight.
An inside straight draw |
| | |
| |
| Hand | A player's best five cards |
| Head to Head | Two players head's up in a game of
poker |
| Heads-Up | A game between just two players,
often the two remaining players in a tournament |
| High Roller | A heavy bettor. One who playes for
high stakes |
| Hold 'Em | A form of poker in which players
use five community cards in combination with their two hole cards to
form the best five card hand. Also called Texas Hold 'Em |
| Hot seat | The seat that has or has had a run
of winning hands |
| | |
| |
| Ignorant End | The low end of a straight. For instance,
if the flop in Hold 'Em is 9-8-7 the ignorant end straight would be
the 6-5 |
| Inside Straight | Four cards requiring one in the middle
to fill a straight |
| Insurance | A side bet (usually when a large
pot is involved) made between two players, but can also involve others |
| | |
| j |
| Kibitzer | A spectator, usually unappreciated
by the players |
| Kicker | The second highest card in a hand.
If the holding is A-9, then the kicker is the 9 |
| Kicker Trouble | When the second card is low, say
a 7 or below, the player will have difficulty winning the pot if another
player also holds the highest card because his kicker is liable to be
bigger |
| | |
| |
| Lay Down | To fold one's hand. Often refers
to folding a reasonably good hand |
| Live Blind | When the player is allowed to raise
even if no-one else raises first |
| Live Card | A card which has not yet been exposed |
| Lock | The winning hand; a hand which is
unbeatable |
| Locked Up | To hold a winning or unbeatable hand
and have the pot as good as won. This phrase is also used to describe
a player who has won a lot of chips and is very unlikely to lose them
again. The player is said to have the chips locked up |
| | |
| |
| Main Pot | When a player puts all of his chips
in the pot (goes all-in), that player is only eligible to win the pot
consisting of the bets he was able to match. This is called the main
pot. Additional bets are placed in a 'side pot' and are contested among
the remaining players. The names main and side pots remain irrespective
of which contains the most chips |
| Maniac | An American expression meaning a
very aggressive player who plays lots of hands and raises often. This
type of player seems to bet and raise with very weak hands. |
| Mechanic | A card cheat |
| Miscall | An error made when announcing ones
hand (See also Cards Speak) |
| 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 dead cards in the discard heap |
| | |
| |
| No-Limit Poker | A game in which players can bet up
to the amount they have in front of them on any given betting round,
irrespective of the amount of chips in the pot. Also called 'table stakes' |
| Nut flush | The best available flush |
| Nuts | The best available hand and any point
in the game; a cinch hand |
| | |
| |
| Offsuit | Term used to describe the first two
cards if they are of different suits |
| Omaha | A flop game similar to Hold 'Em but
where each player is dealt four cards instead of two. In Omaha, a hand
must be made using exactly two pocket cards, plus three from the table |
| One Way Action | When only one player is against you |
| On Tilt | Becoming emotionally upset and hence
playing poorly |
| Open-ended Straight Draw | Four consecutive cards requiring
one at either end to make a straight |
| Open Poker | Games where some of the cards are
dealt face up |
| Out | A card remaining in the deck that
improves your hand |
| Outdrawn | To beat an opponent by drawing a
card or cards to improve a lesser hand into a winner |
| Out of Turn | Not in proper sequence |
| Overpair | A pair higher than any card on the
board. If a player holds K-K and the flop comes Q-10-3, that player
has an overpair |
| | |
| |
| Pair | Two cards of the same rank |
| Pass | Fold |
| Pat Hand | A hand which is complete, usually
refers to games such as draw poker |
| Play Over | An American term and concept meaning
to temporarily play in the seat of an absent player. A transparent box
is placed over the chips of the absent player |
| Pony | ?25 |
| Position | Your seat in relation to the dealer,
and this your place in the betting order |
| Pot | The money or chips in the centre
of the table |
| Pot Limit | A game in which the maximum bet is
the total in the pot at the time of betting. The limit used in mose
UK casino games |
| Pot Odds | The amount of money in the pot divided
by the amount of money it will cost you to continue in the hand. If
there is ?300 in the pot and it costs you ?120 to call the bet you are
getting pot odds of 300/120 or 5/2 |
| Protect your hand (2) | To place a chip or chips on you cards
to prevent them being accidentaly discarded by the dealer |
| Protect your hand (1) | A bet to protect the money you have
already put in a pot. Also called defending your hand. E.g. protecting/defending
the Big Blind means to put an extra small bet into the pot no matter
how bad your hand is |
| Put a Player On | To guess or otherwise determine an
opponent's hand and play accordingly |
| | |
| |
| Quads | Four of a kind |
| | |
| |
| Rag | A card which is small, and appears
to help no one |
| Rag-Off | To get a final card that doesn't
help you |
| Ragged Flop | Flop cards that are seamingly of
no use to any player's hand |
| Rags | Worthless cards. Blanks |
| Rail | The sideline around a poker table
or playing area |
| Railbird | A non-playing spectator or kibitzer.
The term is often used perjoratively to describe an ex-player who has
lost and is now out of the game |
| Rainbow Flop | A flop with three different suits |
| Raise | To call and increase the previous
bet |
| Rake | In the USA and in some European countries,
the casino/house makes a charge by taking a fixed percentage from each
pot. In the UK charges are made by the hour for the seat |
| 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 card which he may be unable to receive for any reason.
Leaves the player with the same mathematical probablilty of winning
before the irregularity occurred. It is therefore assumed that the player
has been materially injured |
| Rank | The value of a card. Each card has
a suit and a rank |
| Rat Hole | To pocket part of one's table stakes
secretly. It is considered unethical to take money off the playing surface |
| Read | To try and determine, using logical
deduction, your opponent's card or betting strategy |
| Re-Buy | An additional entry fee in tournament
play. When a player loses all his chips a re-buy is allowed in some
types of competition for a fixed period of time, ususally 1 1/2 to 2
hours |
| Represent | To bet in a way that suggests that
you are holding a strong hand. For example, if the flop comes A-J-9
and you hold 9-9 and have bet before the flop, you might also bet on
the flop hoping that the other players will think that you have an ace
(you are representing an Ace) |
| Re-Raise | To raise a raise |
| Ring Game | A game with nine to eleven players,
the optimum size for Hold 'Em poker |
| River | The last community card on the board,
also called fifth street |
| Rock | A very conservative or tight player |
| Rock Garden | A table populated with rocks |
| Roll | A winning streak |
| Rolled up | A term indicating the first three
cards at seven stud all of the same rank |
| Rounder | A poker player, usually professional,
who does the rounds of poker games in the area or country. |
| Round of Betting | The period during which each active
player has the right to check, bet or raise. It ends when the last bet
or raise has been called by all players still in the hand |
| Royal Flush | The best possible poker hand consisting
of 10-J-Q-K-A, all of 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 fourth or fifth street in Hold 'Em or Omaha |
| Rush | A winning streak |
| | |
| |
| Sandbangging | Is the poker slang for either: checking to disguise a good hand - this is sometimes considered unethical, but is better accepted as a regular part of bluffing; or constant raising or re-raising by two players, forcing a third along with them if he wishes to stay in the play. |
| Satellite | A small-stakes tournament where the
winner(s) gain entry into a bigger tournament (A super satellite is
where the is a very small entry and the winner(s) gains entry into a
very big tournament) |
| Scare card | A card which could make your hand
a loser. For example, if you held a Q-Q and the flop is A-6-3, then
then ace is a scare card for you |
| See | To call |
| Sell your Hand | Make a small bet with a strong hand,
hoping to get a call. Usually when you think that a bigger bet will
make your opponent pass |
| Semi-Bluff | To bet with a hand which isn't the
best hand, but which has a reasonable change of improving. This term
was first coined by David Sklansky |
| Set | Usually refers to three of as kind
or trips where the pair in a player's hand matches a card on the board.
Can also be used in the context of four of a kind. I.e. a set of quads |
| Shill | An American term and concept where
a casino employee sits in on a game to keep it going. This is not allowed
in the UK and is not known in Europe |
| Shiner | A mirror or other reflective object
used by cheats in an attempt to see hidden cards as they are dealt.
In home or self-dealt games, the player may wear a ring with a reflective
surface |
| Showdown | The process of dermining who has
the best hand after all the cards are dealt and all bets are completed |
| Shuffle | Mixing of the cards before and between
deals |
| Side Pot | A separate pot contested by other
players when player is all-in |
| Slow Play | To bet less than the strength of
the hand would normally deserve in order to get more players into the
pot and to deceive other players about the strength of your hand |
| Snake Eyes | A pair of Aces |
| Soft Play Agreement | This is where a player bets less
than they normally would or checks good hands when against friends,
husbands and wives. It is not prohibited, but it is unethical |
| Speech Play | See Coffee housing |
| Speeding Around | Playing loose for one period and
then tight for another with no definable pattern |
| Splash the Pot | Throw yor chips into the pot 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 |
| Split Pot | A pot in which two are more hands
are equal, and the pot is shared |
| Stack | The pile of chips in front of a player |
| Standard Deck | A deck of cards having four suits
with thirteen cards of each suit |
| Stay | Call a bet |
| Steal | A type of bluff usually made in late
position |
| Steaming | Playing badly as as result of an
upset - see also On-Tilt |
| Straddle | An additional blind, the largest
in the game. Often refers to a blind made voluntarily |
| Straight | Five consecutive cards of different
suits |
| Straight Flush | Five consecutive cards of the same
suit |
| String Bet | An illegal bet in which a player
puts some chips in the pot, then reaches beck to his stack for more,
without having first stated the full amount of his bet |
| Strip Deck Poker | This is where certain cards are removed
from the pack, and the play takes place without them. For instance,
the 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s and 6s can be removed from the deck, making a 32-card
deck. In the UK, five card stud with a 32-card deck was widely played
until recently |
| Suited | Cards of the same suit |
| Super Satellite | A very small-stakes tournament wher
the winners gains entry to a very big tournament |
| Sweeten the Pot | An archaic expression meaning to
raise the pot (with a view to making it more attractive to win) |
| | |
| |
| Table Stakes | A game of poker in which a player
may use only the money on the table in front of them. The amount can
be added to between, but not during, hands. Usually, players are not
permitted to take money back off the table unless then are leaving the
game |
| Tap City | To be broke |
| Tap Out | To bet all one's chips |
| Tapped Out | To be broke |
| Tell | A player's nervous mannerism or habitual
behaviour which might give clues to his hand |
| Texas Hold 'Em | A form of poker in which players
use five community cards in combination with their two hole cards to
form the best five card hand. Also called Hold 'Em |
| Third Pair | Pairing the third highest card on
the flop/board. (Sometimes referred to as 'third button pair') |
| Three of a Kind | Three cards of the same rank, also
called 'trips' |
| Tight | A conservative player who only plays
strong hands, or playing on fewer hands than is the norm |
| Tight Game | A game where there is a lot of conservative
play, with small numbers of players in most pots |
| Tilt | Going
'on Tilt' means to lose control of one's emotions and play (uncharateristically)
badly. |
| Toke | An Americanism meaning a gratuity
or tip |
| Ton | ?100 |
| Trey | A three of any suit |
| Triplets | Three of a kind |
| Trips | Slang for triplets, three of a kind |
| Turn Card | The fourth communal card at Hold 'Em |
| | |
| |
| Under the Gun | The first player to act |
| Under-Raise | To raise less then the previous bet, which in only allowed if the player is going all in |
| | |
| |
| Value Bet | Betting with the hope that an opponent will call with a worse hand |
| Vigarish | A charge made by a poker club for the facilities offered |
| | |
| |
| Wire | To inadvertantly let someone know the value of your hand |
| Wired Pair | A pair in the first two cards of any poker game |
