Glossary of Terms

Term glossary
Index:    A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

ACE-HIGH: A five-card hand containing an ace but no pair, straight or flush; beats a king-high, but loses to any pair or above.

ACES FULL: A full house with three aces and any pair.

ACES UP: Two pairs, one of which is aces.

ACTION: A fold, check, call, bet, or raise. In certain situations activities formally connected with the game that conveys information about your hand may also be considered as taking action. Examples would be showing your cards at the end of the hand, or indicating the number of cards you are taking at draw.
To give action is to put money into the pot when someone else should be expected to win the hand. To receive action is to have someone else put money into the pot when you expect to win the hand. It's better to receive than to give.
A game in which players are playing a lot of pots is considered an "action" game.

ACTIVE PLAYER: A player still in the pot.

ADD-ON: Some tournaments allow players the opportunity at a certain point to buy additional chips, called an add-on. This is different from a re-buy, because usually anyone still in the tournament can add on, and the opportunity to add-on usually marks the end of the re-buy period.

ADVERTISE: To make a bluff with the deliberate intention of being exposed as a loose player. The idea is that other players will then give you more action when you make a legitimate hand. Since people are bad at revising first impressions, this potentially beneficial effect can be long-lasting.

AGGRESSIVE ACTION: A wager that could enable a player to win a pot without a showdown; a bet or raise.

ALL-IN: When you have put all of your playable money and chips into the pot during the course of a hand, you are said to be all-in.

AMERICAN AIRLINES: Two Aces.

ANGLE: An action that isn't against the rules, but still incorporates unfair tactics.

ANGLE SHOOTER: A player who regularly takes advantage of angles.

ANTE: A prescribed amount posted before the start of a hand by all players. In games with an ante, for example Seven-card Stud, these bets constitute the initial pot.

ASSIGNED BETTOR: The player who bets first.

BACK INTO A HAND: To draw into a hand different from the one you were originally trying to make.

BACK DOOR: A hand made back door is one made using both of the last two cards, so you end up making a hand other than the one intended. For example, if in Hold'em you hold AhTh and the flop comes Ad4c9h, you have top pair and a backdoor flush draw. While you're busy playing your made hand, you might accidentally make a flush in the back door.

BACK RAISE: A re-raise from a player who originally called

BAD BEAT: When a strong hand is beaten by a lucky hand; a longshot win.

BANKROLL: The amount of money you have available and are willing to wager.

BEHIND: You're behind if you don't have the best hand before the last cards have been dealt.

BELLY BUSTER: A draw to fill an inside straight; a gut shot.

BET: The act of placing a wager in turn into the pot on any betting round, or the chips put into the pot.

BET INTO: To bet before a stronger hand, or a player who bet strongly on the previous round.

BET THE POT: To bet the total value of the pot.

BICYCLE: The lowest possible hand in lowball: Ace-2-3-4-5. Also called a wheel. Normally this is a straight to the five. In games played for low, this is the best possible low hand.

BIG BET POKER: Another term for pot-limit and no-limit poker.

BIG BLIND: The largest regular blind in a game which is 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

BLANK: A useless card

BLIND: A required bet made before any cards are dealt. Blinds are an alternative to antes for getting money in the pot initially. Blinds are more often used in flop games like Hold'em and Omaha than in Stud and Draw games. Typically in Hold'em the two players to the left of the dealer button are forced to place blind bets. In limit play, the small blind (to the dealer's left) is typically half the size of a small bet, and the big blind (to the small blind's left) is a full small bet. Betting then starts with the player to the left of the big blind (who is considered under the gun), who must at least call the big blind to stay in. When you sit down at a new table, it's good to wait until it's your turn to blind before playing a hand.

BLIND RAISE: When a player raises without first looking at his or her cards.

BLIND GAME: A game which utilizes a blind.

BLUFF: To bet or raise with a hand that is unlikely to be the best hand. A bluffing player usually has little or no chance of winning a showdown, but may suspect that other players will fold if they have not made strong hands either and thus he or she may eventually win the hand.

BOARD: (1) The board on which a waiting list is kept for players wanting seats in specific games. (2) Cards faceup on the table common to each of the hands.

BOARDCARD: A community card in the center of the table, as in Hold'em or Omaha. These cards 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.

BOAT: Another name for full house.

BOTTOM PAIR: When you use the lowest card on the flop to make a pair with one of your own cards.

BOUNTY: A small amount of cash awarded to a player when he knocks out another player in some tournaments.

BOXED CARD: A card that appears faceup in the deck where all other cards are facedown.

BRING IT IN: To start the betting on the first round

BROKEN GAME: A game no longer in action.

BROADWAY: An Ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10)

BUCK: In all flop games, a small disk used to indicate the dealer, or used to signify the player in the last position if a house dealer is used; a button.

BULLET: An Ace.

BULLETS: A pair of Aces.

BUMP: To raise.

BURNCARD: After the initial round of cards is dealt, the first card off the deck in each round is placed under a chip in the pot, for security purposes.
To do so is to burn the card; the card itself is called the burncard.

BUST OUT: Lose your last chip

BUTTON: A player who is in the designated dealer position. See dealer button.

BUTTON GAMES: Games in which a dealer button is used.

BUY-IN: The minimum amount of money required to enter any game.

CALIFORNIA LOWBALL: Ace-to-five lowball with a joker.

CALL: To call is to match the current bet.

CARDS SPEAK: The face value of a hand in a showdown is the true value of the hand, regardless of a verbal announcement.

CAPPED: In limit poker, the condition in which the maximum number of raises on the betting round have been reached.

CASH OUT: To leave a game and convert your chips to cash

CHECK: To waive the right to initiate the betting in a round, While retaining the right to play as long as another player initiates a bet.

CHECK-RAISE: To raise the bet by at least its total value after having waived the right to initiate betting in the round.

CHOP: If everyone has folded to the blinds, they can "chop" or take back their blinds and not play the hand. If two players agree to chop, then this agreement stands while they play side by side, since it would be unfair to change their minds when they have a good hand.

COFFEEHOUSE: To talk about a hand one is involved in, usually with the intent of misleading or manipulating other players, is coffeehousing.

COLLECTION: A fee charged to play a poker game (taken either out of the pot or from each player).

COLLECTION DROP: A fee charged for each hand dealt.

COLOR CHANGE: A request to change the chips from one denomination to another.

COMMON CARD: In a stud poker showdown; a card dealt face-up to be shared by all players in case there are insufficient cards left in the deck to deal everyone a card individually.

COMMUNITY CARDS: The cards dealt faceup in the center of the table that can be used by all players to form their best hand in the games of Hold'em and Omaha.

COMPLETE THE BET: To increase an all-in bet or forced bet to a full bet in limit poker.

CONNECTOR: Cards of consecutive ranks, especially pocket cards, are connectors. If they're also of the same suit, they're suited connectors.

COP: To steal chips from the pot.

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 card used to shield the bottom of the deck.

DEAD CARD: A card that is not legally playable.

DEAD COLLECTION BLIND: A fee posted by the player having the dealer button, used in some games as an alternative method of seat rental.

DEAD HAND: A hand that is not legally playable.

DEAD MAN'S HAND: Two pair - Aces and Eights (The hand Wild Bill Hickock was holding when Jack McCall shot him in the back)

DEAD MONEY: Chips that are taken into the center of the pot because they are not considered part of a particular player's bet.

DEAL: To give each player cards or put cards on the board. As used in these rules, each deal refers to the entire process from the shuffling and
dealing of cards until the pot is awarded to the winner.

DEALER: The man or woman who handles the cards, gives out the pots, and monitors the game.

DEALER BUTTON: A flat disk that indicates the player who would be in the dealing position for that hand (if there were not a house dealer). Commonly known as "the button.

DEAL OFF: To rotate through all play positions (to take all the blinds and the button) before changing seats or leaving the table.

DEAL TWICE: An agreement made after all betting has finished to decide only half the pot on the finale of the round while another round is dealt to decide the latter half.

DECK: A set of playing-cards. In these games, the deck consists of either:

• 52 cards in seven-card stud, Hold'em, and Omaha.
• 53 cards (including the joker), often used in ace-to-five lowball and draw high.

• A poker form where players are given the opportunity to replace cards in the hand. In some places like California, the word "draw" is used referring to draw high, and draw low is called "lowball.
• The act of replacing cards in the hand.
• The action in play where replacements cards are taken is called the draw.

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. )

EDGE: (1) An advantageous position. (2) The dealer or sometimes the Age.

EDGE ODDS: The advantage or disadvantage of a player relative to all other players.

EDGE SHOT: A bet made from an advantageous position.

EXPECTATION: Expectation is the rate of profit/loss you expect to make.

EXPOSED CARDS: Cards purposely dealt face-up as in stud.

FACECARD: A king, queen, or jack.

FAVOURITE: The hand that is expected to win most often in a particular situation.

FELT: The surface of most poker tables is made of some sort of felt, or is in any case referred to as such. A player who is running out of chips rapidly
can be referred to as "down to the felt."

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.

FIXED LIMIT: Any betting structure in limit poker where the amount of the bet for each round is pre-set.

FLASHED CARD: A card that is partially exposed.

FLOORPERSON: A casino employee who seats players and makes decisions.

FLOP: In Hold'em or Omaha, the three community cards that are turned simultaneously after the first round of betting is complete.

FLUSH: A poker hand consisting of 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 a hand away and relinquish all interest in a pot.

FOURTH STREET: The second upcard in seven-card stud or the first boardcard after the flop in Hold'em (also called the turn card).

FOULED HAND: A dead hand.

FORCED BET: A required wager to start the action on the first betting round (As is normally required to begin a stud game).

FREEROLL: A chance to win something at no risk or cost.

FULL BUY: A buy-in of at least the minimum chips requirement specified by a particular game.

FULL HOUSE: A hand consisting of three of a kind and a pair.

GAFF: A cheater's device or technique.

GAP: The missing space (card) required to fill a straight.

GO ALL IN: To bet all of one's money in table stakes.

GRINDING: Playing in a style with minimal risk and modest gains over a long period of time.

HAND:

• All a player's personal cards.
• The five cards determining the poker ranking.
• A single poker deal.

IMPLIED ODDS: The amount of money you expect to win if you make your hand versus the amount of money it will cost you to continue playing.

IN: A player is "in" if he or she has called all bets.

IN THE AIR: When the tournament director instructs the dealers to get the cards in the air, it means to start dealing.

IN THE DARK: To check or bet blind, without looking at your cards.

IN THE HOLE: Cards dealt face-down in stud poker.

INSIDE STRAIGHT: Four cards requiring one in the middle to fill a straight.

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.

IRON DUKE: An unbeatable hand (Ironclad Hand).

JACK UP: To raise.

JACKPOT: A prize fund awarded to a player who meets a set of predetermined requirements. For example, some casinos will give a jackpot to someone who gets four-of-a-kind or higher and loses.

JINX: A curse of bad luck.

JOHN, JAKE, J-BOY: A jack.

JOKER: The joker is a "partially wild card" in high draw poker and ace-to-five lowball. In high, it is used for aces, straights, and flushes. In lowball, the joker is the lowest unmatched rank in a hand.

KANSAS CITY LOWBALL: A form of draw poker low also known as deuce-to-seven, in which the best hand is 7-5-4-3-2 and straights and flushes count against you.

KICKER: The highest unpaired card that helps determine the value of a five-card poker hand.

KILL (OR KILL BLIND): An oversize blind, usually twice the size of the big blind and doubling the limit. Sometimes a "half-kill" increasing the blind and limits by fifty percent is used. A kill can be either voluntary or mandatory. The most common requirements of a mandatory kill are for winning two pots in a row at lowball and other games, or for scooping a pot in high-low split.

KILL BUTTON: A button used in a lowball game to indicate a player who has won two pots in a row and is required to kill the pot.

KILL POT: A pot with a forced kill by the winner of the two previous pots, or the winner of an entire pot of sufficient size in a high-low split game. (Some pots can be voluntarily killed.)

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: To reveal one's hand in a showdown.

LAY DOWN YOUR HAND: To fold.

LEG UP: A position where, having won the previous pot, you may have to kill the following pot if the current pot is won.

LIVE BLIND: A blind bet that allows a player to raise if no-one else has raised.

LIST: The ordered roster of players waiting for a game.

LOCK: A lock is a hand guaranteed to win at least part of the pot. In a high-low split game, for example, the lock low is the best possible low hand.

LOCK-UP: A chip marker that holds a seat for a player.

LOWBALL: A draw game where the lowest hand wins.

LOWCARD: The lowest face-up card in seven-card stud which is required to bet.

MAIN POT: When a player goes all-in, that player is only eligible to win the main pot - the pot consisting of the bets they were able to match. Additional bets are placed in a side pot and are contested among the remaining players.

MANIAC: A maniac is a player who plays extremely loose and aggressive, often raising with just about anything.

MIDDLE PAIR: If there are three cards of different ranks on the flop in Hold'em, and you pair the middle one, you have middle pair.

MILKER: A tight player.

MISCALL: An incorrect verbal declaration of the ranking of a hand.

MISDEAL: A mistake on the dealing of a hand which causes the cards to be reshuffled and a new hand to be dealt.

MISSED BLIND: A required bet that is not posted when it is your turn to do so.

MONSTER: An extremely strong hand, one that is almost certain to win the pot.

MUCK:

• The pile of discards gathered facedown in the center of the table by the dealer.
• To discard a hand.

NAILING (BLISTERING, INDEXING, JAGGING, PEGGING, PUNCTUATING, PRICKING): A cheater's technique to mark cards with his fingernail or a device.

NICKEL-DIME: A small-stake game.

NO-LIMIT: A betting structure where players are allowed to wager any or all of their chips in one bet.

NUT FLUSH: The best available flush.

NUTS: The best possible hand at any point in the game.

ODDS: The probability of making a hand versus the probability of not making the hand.

OFF-SUIT: Not of the same suit, especially in reference to hole cards.

OMAHA: A flop game similar to Hold'em, but each player is dealt four cards instead of two, and a hand must be made using exactly two pocket cards, plus three from the table.

OPENER: The player who made the first voluntary bet.

OPENER BUTTON: A button used to indicate who opened a particular pot in a draw game.

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.

OPTION: The choice to raise a bet given to a player with a blind.

OVERBLIND: Also called oversize blind. A blind used in some pots that is bigger than the regular big blind, and usually increases the stakes proportionally.

PASS:

• Decline to bet. In a pass-and-out game, this differs from a check, because a player who passes must fold.
• Decline to call a wager, at which point you must discard your hand and have no further interest in the pot.

• The relation of a player's seat to the blinds or the button.
• The order of actiion on a betting round or deal.

POST: To post a bet is to place your chips in the pot (or, commonly, out in front of you, so that your bet can be counted). In poker, posting usually means a forced bet, such as a blind.

POT-LIMIT: The betting structure of a game in which you are allowed to bet up to the amount of the pot.

POTTING OUT: Agreeing with another player to take money out of a pot, often to buy food, cigarettes, or drinks, or to make side bets.

PROP: Short for proposition player.

PROPOSITION BETS: Side bets between players that are not related to the outcome of the hand.

PROPOSITION PLAYER: A proposition player, or "prop," is a player who is paid by a cardroom to play poker, usually in order to keep games going when they get shorthanded, or to get games started. Props are paid a salary, but they gamble with their own money. Props either learn how to play pretty solid poker or they run out of money. See also shill.

PROTECTED HAND: A hand of cards that the player is physically holding, or has topped with a chip or some other object to prevent a fouled hand.

PUPPY FEET: Clubs.

PUSH: 1) When the dealer pushes the chips to the winning player at the end of a hand.
2) When a new dealer replaces an existing dealer at a particular table.

PUSHING BETS: Referring to an agreement made between players in which bets may be returned to each-other if and when one of them wins a pot where all involved play through. Also called saving bets.

QUADRUPLETS: Four of a kind.

QUADS: Four of a kind.

QUINT: A straight flush.

QUINT MAJOR: A royal straight flush.

QUORUM: The minimum number of players needed to start a poker game.

RACK:

• A container in which chips are stored while being transported.
• A tray in front of the dealer, used to hold chips and cards.

RAISE: To increase the amount of a previous wager. This increase must meet certain specifications, depending on the game.

RAKE: Chips taken from the pot by the dealer on behalf of the house.

RANK: The value of a card. Each card has a suit and a rank.

RE-BUY: When you first sit down at a game, you buy in with a certain amount of money. Re-buying is what you do when you buy more chips before you leave.
Re-buys are also allowed in some tournaments to players who fall below a certain point - usually only up until a certain point and often limited to a fixed number of re-buys. The time during which one may re-buy, usually lasting from the start through the early stages of the tournament, is called the re-buy period. Tournaments with re-buys are called, generically, re-buy tournaments. See also add-on.

REDRAW: A draw to an even better hand when you currently are holding the nuts.

REPRESENT: To bet in a way that suggests you are holding a strong hand.

RERAISE: To raise a previously raised bet.

RING GAME: A "live" game that is not a tournament.

RIVER: This is the last card given to players 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.

ROCK: A passive, tight player.

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.

ROUNDER: A professional player who "makes the rounds" of the big poker games in the country.

ROYAL FLUSH: The best possible poker hand, consisting of the 10 through the Ace, all the same suit.

RUN: A straight, or a series of good cards.

RUN OVER PLAYING: aggressively in an attempt to control the other players.

RUNNER-RUNNER: A hand made on the last two cards.

RUNNING: Two needed cards that come as the last two cards dealt.

RUNNING BAD: On a losing streak.

RUNNING GOOD: On a winning streak.

SATELLITE: A small-stakes tournament whose winner obtains cheap entry into a bigger tournament.

SAVING BETS: Same as pushing bets.

SCARE CARD: A card that when it appears makes a better hand more likely.

SCHEDULED TOURNAMENT: A "scheduled" tournament has a specific start time announced in advance. The poker lobby shows events of this kind coming up in the next few days or weeks. Players sign up in advance and then arrive to play at the scheduled time. Most of the larger events are of the scheduled type.

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.

SECOND PAIR: In flop games, pairing the second highest card on board.

SET: Three of a kind with two in the hole.

SETUP: Two suited decks, each with different colored backs, to replace the current decks in a game.

SEVEN CARD STUD: Of the poker games most commonly played in public cardrooms, seven card stud is probably the most well known. In seven card stud (sometimes "seven stud" or just "stud"), each player is dealt seven cards of their own: two down, then four up, and a final card down. There is a round of betting after the first up card and after each subsequent card dealt.
Stud is usually played with a small ante and a forced bring-in on third street. In limit games, the bet size typically increases on fifth street.

SHILL: A shill is similar to a proposition player, except a shill gambles with the cardroom's money instead of his/her own.

SHORT BUY: A buy-in that is less than the required minimum buy-in.

SHOWDOWN: The final act of determining the winner of the pot after all betting has been completed.

SHUFFLE: The act of mixing the cards before a hand.

SIDE POT: A separate pot formed when one or more players are all in.

SINGLE-TABLE TOURNAMENT: The simplest kind of poker tournament takes place at just one table. Usually 8-10 players enter the event, though some sites have special 2-seat tables for heads-up play. As players "bust out", nobody takes their place and the table gets shorter and shorter handed. Eventually, one player wins all the chips and the tournament is over. At that point, the prize pool is divided among the players according to some payout schedule. Typically, the first place player gets about half the money while second and third get smaller shares, perhaps 30% and 20%

SIT-AND-GO TOURNAMENT: A "sit-and-go" tournament starts as soon as enough players sign up for it. These events are a great way to get a lot of "final table" tournament experience. In a single-table sit-and-go, you start out at the final table!

SMALL BLIND: In a game with multiple blind bets, the smallest blind.

SNOW: To fake or bluff.

SPLIT POT: A pot that is divided among players, either because of a tie for the best hand or by agreement prior to the showdown.

SPLITTING BLINDS: When no one else has entered the pot, an agreement between the big blind and small blind to each take back their blind bets instead of playing the deal (chopping).

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: Chips in front of a player.

STRADDLE: An additional blind bet that takes place after forced blinds and is usually worth twice the big blind. 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: 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.

SUPERVISOR: A cardroom employee qualified to make rulings, such as a floorperson, shift supervisor, or cardroom manager.

TABLE: Refers to the poker table itself, or the collective players in the game.

TABLE COP: A player who calls with the intention of keeping other players honest.

TABLE STAKES:

• 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.
• 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.

UNDER THE GUN: The first player to act after the blind bets is said to be under the gun.

UNDERDOG: A hand that does not have the best chance of winning before all the cards are dealt.

UNDERPAIR: A pocket pair of lower value than the lowest card on the board.

UPCARDS: Cards that are dealt faceup for opponents to see in stud games.

VALET: A jack.

VALLUE: Value means the return you get on your equity in the pot compared to the size of your bet or raise.

WAGER:

• To bet or raise.
• The chips used for betting or raising.

Z-GAME: The lowest-stake game in the house.

Chat glossary
This chat glossary will help with the social side of Poker when you chat with the other players during the game. Remember that if you type in capital letters it appears you are SHOUTING!!!

10x: Thanks
GG: Good Game - Usually said at the conclusion of a tournament

GH: Good Hand

GP: Good Play

GTG: Got To Go - A Player is leaving

HeHe: Giggling, usually expressed to a player that got lucky.

LOL: Laugh Out Loud - Usually from a player that responds to good humor from another player or mocks his own bad luck.

Str8: Straight

OMG: Oh My God - Used when a good hand is beaten by an even better hand, also known as a bad beat.

NH: Nice hand

Tilt: Used by a player on a bad run.

TY: Thank You - Comment from a player who has just won a big pot (various versions of this are used).
UW: You Wish.

VNH: Very Nice Hand

WTG: Way To Go - Congratulatory remark from one player to another.