Poker Terminology

Ace-High

A five-card hand that has no hand combinations (flush, straight, pair etc), but contains one Ace.

All-in

When you bet all your money on a hand, either voluntarily in the belief that you have the strongest hand, or because do not have enough money to cover the full amount bet by someone else. You then contend for the pot in an amount proportional to what you contributed.

Ante

The minimum bet that players must place into the pot by each player before betting begins. The ante is placed before any cards are dealt.

Bad Beat

When a good hand that would have been expected to win the pot is beaten by a lucky draw.

Big Blind

The first bet posted by the player to the left of the player who posts the small blind. It is a forced bet. The big blind bet amount is equal to the lower bet. For example, in a $10/$20 game, the big blind is $10.

Applies in the following games:
Texas Hold'em
Omaha
Omaha Hi-lo

Big Pair

A pair with a value of 10 or greater.

Big Slick

An A-K combination as pocket (hole) cards.

Blind Bet

A forced bet that is placed before any cards are dealt. It is considered a live bet for the first round of betting. You have big blind and small blind bets in the first round of betting.

Applies in the following games:
Texas Hold'em
Omaha
Omaha Hi-lo

Bluff

To pretend that you have a better hand than you actually do, by betting aggressively, in the hope that the other players will fold.

Boat

Slang for a full house.

Bullets

A pair of Aces. If these are your pocket cards, they are also known as "Pocket Rockets".

Burning a Card

Discarding the top card from the deck.

Buy-in Amount

The amount you must bring into a game.

Buy-in Limit

The minimum amount you must bring into a 1-on-1 game.

Applies to Seven-Card Stud Poker.

Call

When you place a bet equal to the previous bet.

Cap

The limit used to describe the third raise in a round. Betting is then capped and players can only call or fold.

Cash Out

To finish playing and exchange your chips for cash.

Catch

When a player makes the hand s/he was drawing to.

Check

When you want to stay in the game but not place a bet. You can only check if no other bets have been placed in the betting round.

Check-Raise

To check at the beginning of a betting round and then raise when a player to your left bets.

Coffeehousing

When players chat about a hand they are involved in, with the intent of misleading or manipulating other players.

Call Cold

Calling both a bet and a raise at the same time.

Collusion

When two or more players work together in order to win a hand or succession of hands.

Community Cards

Cards that are dealt to the table. All players can use these cards to complete a five-card hand.

Dead Man's Hand

Two pair hand consisting of Aces & Eights. Reputed to be the hand that Wild Bill Hickock was holding when he was shot dead.

Dealer-button

A flat disk that is used to signify the Dealer's position on the table in online poker. The disk is usually marked with a D.

Deuces

A pair of Twos.

Drawing

Remaining in the round and accepting more cards.

Drawing to a hand

Remaining in the round with the hope of making one's potential hand as more cards are dealt.

Drawing Dead

When a player is drawing to a hand that is not the best hand offered by the flop and will therefore be beaten even if the hand is made.

Equalized

When all players have contributed the same amount of credits to the pot.

Fifth Street

The third round of betting and is called Fifth Street because the players have Five-Cards each.

The following applies to the Fifth Street:
Bet amounts are at the high limit.
Note:
Betting limits are set by the card room.
The player with the highest ranking hand begins the next round of betting.

Applies to Seven-Card Stud Poker.

Flop

The first three community cards dealt to the table.

Applies to the following games:
Texas Hold'em
Omaha
Omaha Hi-Lo

Fold

When players throw in their cards. They give up any claim on the pot in exchange for not having to contribute more money to the pot.

Fourth Street

The second round of betting and is called Fourth Street because the players have four cards each.

The following applies to the Fourth Street:
The player with the highest ranking hand begins the next round of betting.
Players can Fold, Call, Raise or Check.
Note:
If the highest ranking hand is a Pair, the first player to bet has the option to bet either the low or high betting limit. This becomes the raise amount for the rest of the game. The other players must follow this amount when they raise.

Applies to Seven-Card Stud Poker.

Flush Draw

When a player holds four cards of the same suit and is hoping to draw a fifth card of that suit to complete a flush.

Go on tilt

When a player loses emotional balance during a game and plays irrationally.

Gut Shot

To draw to an inside straight.

Hand

The best combination a player can make with the cards s/he holds plus the communal cards.

Heads Up

A game with only two players in it.

Hole Cards

These are the Down Cards in front of the players. (Also known as "Pocket Cards")

House

The host of the game (e.g. the casino).

Inside straight draw

Drawing to a straight where the cards needed to complete the straight are those in the middle of the straight. For example, you have 6-7-9-10 and need the middle card (8) to make the straight.

Kicker

The highest unpaired card of a player's pocket cards.

Limping In

Calling the big blind rather than raising.

Live Blinds

Blind bets that are in play.
Example:
Player A posts a small blind bet. Player B joins the game and posts a big blind bet. Player A must now equalize the betting as the big blind bet is in play and is live.

Lowest Card

The card that has the lowest value. Aces are high. If two players have the same lowest card, the value is determined by suit. Suits are arranged in alphabetical order from lowest to highest value - Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades.

Maniac

A very loose and aggressive player, playing almost any hand and usually raising rather than calling.

Monster

A very strong hand.

Muck

When you do not want to show your hand to the table. The hand is discarded without being displayed to the table. You can muck a losing hand in a showdown, or the winning hand if everyone else has folded before you.

Nuts

The best possible hand, that cannot be beaten, at a particular point of the game.

Nut Flush

A flush containing the Ace.

Offsuit

Cards of different suits.

Outs

Cards that will make the hand that the player is drawing to.

Paint Cards

The picture cards (King, Queen, Jack).

Pocket Cards

The cards dealt face down to each player. (Also known as "Hole Cards")

Pocket Rockets

A pair of Aces as your pocket cards (hole cards).

Post Now

A choice given to new players joining an existing game. They can either post now or wait for the big blind bet. If they decide to post now, they bet the equivalent of a big blind bet and receive cards immediately.

Pot

The pot is the pile of chips that accumulates as each player ante, bet and raise. All winnings are paid from the pot. The value of the pot varies. It is dependant on the stakes involved and the amount the Players bet. The pot goes to the winner of each round.
Note:
The House takes a small percentage of the pot. This is known as the "rake".
If two or more Players have the same winning hand, they split the pot equally.

Quads

Four of a kind (four cards of the same denomination).

Quartered

When Players tie with either a high or a low hand and earn a quarter of the pot.
Applies to Omaha Hi-Lo Poker.

Rake

Percentage of the pot taken by the house.

Rags

Useless cards - cards that don't improve a hand.

Rainbow

When the board contains 3 or 4 cards of different suits.

Raise

When you increase the bet made by a preceding player. This increases the stakes for remaining Players, who now have to match the total amount including the raise.

Ring Game

A normal real money table game, as opposed to a tournament game.

River Card

The final community card dealt.

Rock

A player who will only play the best hands and nothing less.

Scare Cards

High board cards (e.g an Ace that appears on the flop).

See

To see someone is to call their bet.

Semi-bluff

To bluff with a hand that still has drawing potential and could improve to be the winning hand.

Seven Deuce

The acknowledged weakest starting card combination in Texas Hold-em (7-2)

Seventh Street

The fifth and final round of betting, and is called Seventh Street because the Players have Seven-Cards each.

The following applies to the Seventh Street:
The river card is dealt face down.
The player that played first on the Sixth Street plays first.
If there is more than one player left in the game after another round of betting, the game is resolved by means of a showdown.
You expose the best five-card hand possible. The winner is awarded the pot.

Applicable to Seven-Card Stud Poker.

Showdown

After the last betting round, when the remaining players compare hands to determine the winner. The player with the highest value hand wins the pot.

Sitting Out

When you choose to leave a table for a few hands. Note:
If a player sits out for more than fifteen minutes, or has missed two rounds of blinds, they are removed from the table.

Sixth Street

The fourth round of betting and is called Sixth Street because the players have six cards each.

The following applies to the Sixth Street:
Bet amounts are at the high limit.
The player with the highest ranking hand begins the next round of betting.
Note:
Betting limits are set by the card room.

Applies to Seven-Card Stud Poker.

Slow Playing

Playing non-aggressively with a powerful hand; calling and betting instead of raising. This in the hope of not driving players out of the hand and thus sucking more money into the pot. Also called "sandbagging".

Small Blind

The first bet posted by the player to the Dealer's left. It is a forced bet. The small blind bet amount is equal to half of the lower bet. For example, in a $10 - $20 game, the small blind is $5.

Splash the pot

To toss chips into the pot instead of placing them. Seen as bad etiquette.

Stack

A player's chips.

Steal

To try and win the pot by betting when everyone else has checked, or by making a large raise when everyone else has called.

Suited Cards

Cards of the same suit

Third Street

The first round of betting and is called Third Street because the players have three cards each. The player with the lowest card displayed brings-in the betting in this round.

Applicable to Seven-Card Stud Poker.

Turn

The fourth community card dealt.

Applies to the following games:
Texas Hold'em
Omaha
Omaha Hi-Lo

Under the Gun

The player who must act first in the betting round.

Visible Cards

Cards dealt face up to each Player. Players use these cards to complete a five-card combination.

WSOP

World Series of Poker.