Poker glossary

For many years of existence of poker settled definite terminology, which is used by playes in the game. If you want to feel yourself naturally and to speak with another players on the same level, you must know and understand the main terminology. The list of often used terms is given below:

A

Action.
A game in which players are playing a lot of pots. Actions: Checking/Betting/Raising

Active Player
A player who is still involved in the current game.

Aggressive
A style of the game distinguished by the aggressive betting decisions of the player. The aggressive player will rather raise and re-raise than call, check or fold.

All-in
Betting all the chips in a single betting round.

Ante
Money placed in the pot before the hand is begun.

B

Bad Beat
When a hand is beaten by a lucky draw.

Backdoor
Catching both the turn and river card to make a drawing hand. For instance, let's imagine you have Ah-10h as your pocket cards. The flop brings Kd-6c-5h. You bet and are called. The turn is the Jh, which everybody checks, and then the river is the Qh. You've made a "backdoor" nut flush.

Backraise
The term used to call the re-raise from a player who originally called.

Bankroll
Means the amount of money managed by the player.

Bet
The term used to mention the fact of placing the chip into the pot.

Bet Odds
The odds you get as a result of evaluating the number of callers to a raise.

Bet the Pot
When a player bets the same amount as there is in the pot.

Big Blind
The amount fixed by the table limits, which 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 starting hand that contains an A-K cards.

Blinds
The obligatory forced 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 without looking at your cards.) Traditionally there are two Blinds: Small Blind and Big Blind, the amount of them is set by the table limits. For instance, in the game with 2/4 limits, the amount of the Small Blind will be equal to 2, and the amount of the Big Blind will be equal to 4, correspondingly. So, remember, the Small Blind is always a half of the Big Blind.

Blind Raise
The situation when a player raises without looking at his cards.

Bluff
To make other players believe that you are having a better hand than you might have have, by means of aggressive betting and raising.

Board cards
The cards that are dealt face-up in a poker game for all players to see. In Texas Poker, five cards are dealt face-up in the center of the table.

Bottom Pair
The situation when a player uses the lowest card on the flop to make a pair with one of his own cards.

Bullets
The term is used to call a pair of Aces.

Button
The term is 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. That action is performed to theoretically indicate the dealer of each hand.

Buy-in
The term is used to determine the minimum amount of money required by a player to sit down in a particular poker game. Other words, the player “buys” his place at the table.

C

Call
Correspond to the bet amount. In other words it is an answer to the previous raise or bet.

Call Cold
To call both a bet and a previous player's raise.

Cap
The situation when a player decides to take the last kind of raise allowed per round of betting. There are 4 possible amounts of allowed raises, Cap is the last one.

Cash Out
To leave the game and convert chips into cash.

Check
When it's a player's turn to act and there has been no action in front of him and he decides not to place any bet, he 'checks.' Other words, the player checks the next actions at the table.

Check-raise
The term describing the situation when a player first checks and then raises in a single betting round.

Chop
The situation when all the players fold to the blinds before the flop. After that the blinds are returned to the players, who posted them and move on to the next hand. The term is also known as “chopping the blinds”

D

Dealer
A person who handles the cards, gives out the pots, and monitors the game.

Dealer's Position
The term used to determine a player who is the last to act in a betting round. The term is also known as the position ‘on the button”.

Diamonds
One of the four playing card suits. These are the red color cards represented in a form of tiles.

Disconnect Protection
A tool to protect online players in case their internet connection is lost while involved in a pot.

Dominated Hands
Hand that is possible to be played, but tend to lose against similar non-straight or flush hands. Example: A2 is being dominated by the other hands with an Ace, which might have a better second card apart from an Ace. Dominated hand loses or draws without improvement.

Dominating Hands
Strong hands that are not only good, but also have lots of room for improvement.

Down Card
Hole cards, or cards that are dealt face down to the player.

Drawing Hand
A hand that is one or more cards away from the winning combination. The term is usually applied to a potential straight or flush. The missing card may come on any of the next rounds.

Deuces
A pair of Twos.

E

Early Position
Position at the playing table during the betting round, where the player must act before most of the other players at the table. Two positions located to the left of the Blinds are considered to be “early positions”.

F

Fifth Street
The term used to determine the fifth card among the other community cards to be revealed and placed on the board. Also known as the River.

Flop
In Hold'em, the first three community cards that are dealt face-up in the center of the table, before the betting round begin. The 'flop' also indicates the second round of betting.

Flush
Any five cards of the same suit.

Flush Draw
When a player has four cards in his hand, all of the same suit and is hoping to draw a fifth card in the next rounds to make a Flush.

Fold
To throw your cards away when it's your turn to act. When the player decides not to play with his current cards he folds.

Forced Bet
A required bet that starts the action on the first round of a poker hand. This term is also used to determine an obligatory bet a player has to make in order to join the game or return to the game he had temporary left.

Four of a Kind
Four cards of the same number or face value ('quads').

Fourth Street
The term used to determine the fourth card that is revealed and placed on the board among the other community cards. Also known as the Turn.

Full House
Any three cards of the same number or face value, plus any other two cards of the same number or face value.

G

Gut Shot
A situation when a player is 1 card away from a straight and there are two betting rounds left to complete it. It means that he has 4 out of 5 cards required to form a straight.

H

Hand
A player's best five cards.

Heads-up
The situation when only two players remaining in the game and are involved in the pot.

Hearts
One of the four playing card suits. Red suit, represented in a form of a heart.

High-card
In order 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 dealer. The second definition is a hand which ranking is determined only by the value of the highest card in the hand. In case any combination was formed at the table, the player with the high card in the hand wins.

High Limit
A game that requires a large amount of money to wager.

Hi/Low
Games where the pot is spited into High and Low ones for the corresponding hands.

Hold'em
Also known as Texas Hold'em. The poker game, where the players get two down cards and five community cards.

Hole Cards
The term used typically in the community cards poker. These are individual face-down cards dealt to the player so that no other players are entitled to see them. Also knows as “pocket cards”.

I

Inside Straight
Four cards that require another one between the top and the bottom card to complete a straight. In other words - the middle card required to complete a straight. Example: a player has 5, 6, 8, 9 - to complete a straight, a player needs the 7. Players who managed to catch this card make an Inside Straight.

J

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.

K

Kicker
The highest unpaired side card in a player's hand. For example, in 4 of a Kind combination, 4 cards out of 5 cards in the hand are involved in the combination; the remaining card is called a kicker. In Three of a Kind situation - two kickers are remaining.

Kick It
An invitation to make a raise.

Knock
The term used when a player doesn't want to raise, call or fold. The term is also known as Check.

L

Ladies
Two Queens.

Late Position
A Term used to call the position on a betting round where the player must act after most of the other players have acted. Usually is considered to be two positions next to the right of the button.

Limit Poker
A game that has fixed minimum and maximum betting limits, along with a specified number of raises allowed.

Live Hand
A hand that can still win the pot.

Low Limit
A game where the amounts wagered are small.

M

Main Pot
The center pot. The pot, which all the active players have contributed into and all of them are eligible to win it. Any other bets are placed in a side pot(s) are contested among the remaining players. For example: This occurs when a player goes all-in with a smaller amount of money than other players remaining in the pot.

Middle Pair
A pair composed with a pocket card and the second-highest card out of three cards revealed on the flop; second pair.

Middle Position
The position at the poker table between the early position and the late one. The fifth, sixth and seventh players to the left of the button are having the middle position. Any position between the first one-third part of the table and the final third of players to act.

Muck
This term has several meanings. First is the discarded card or cards thrown away and kept in a pile aside. It is also a pile of cards that are no longer in play. And the other meaning is not revealing your cards after another player has won.

Minimum Buy-in
The minimum amount of money which will allow you to start a game.

N

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 during any point of the game. A hand that cannot be beaten.

O

Odds
The probability of making a hand vs. the probability of not making a hand.

Offsuit
Cards of different suits.

On the Button
To be on the button means to be the last player to act in a betting round. The term is also recognized as the Dealer's Position. The latest position at the table is called “on the button”.

Open-ended Straight
Four consecutive cards whereby one additional (consecutive) card is needed to make a Straight. There are two possible card ranks that will complete a straight; as opposed to a one-ended straight draw or an inside straight draw.

Open Card
A card that is dealt face-up.

Open Pair
A pair that has been dealt face-up.

Out Button
A disc placed in front of a player who wishes to sit out a hand, but remain in the game and simply observe the process.

Outs
The number of cards left in the deck that theoretically can improve your hand.

Overpair
The term used to call pocket pair of cards which are higher than any of the cards on the board.

P

Pair
Two cards of the same face or number value.

Pass
Means to fold.

Play Back
Term used when a player decided to raise or re-raise another player's bet.

Playing the Board
In flop games, when your best five card hand consists of all five community cards.

Pocket
The initial cards dealt to the player. The term is also known as the down cards or the hole cards.

Pocket Cards
The two cards dealt to you at the beginning of a Hold'em hand that no one else is entitled to see.

Pocket Rockets
Another name for a pair of Aces in the pocket.

Position
This term is used to determine the actual place where a player is located in relation to the dealer. Position therefore establishes the player's turn in the betting rounds.

Post
If you miss the blind, and then you must post - add as many chips as were in the blind itself.

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 be equal to the amount of money in the pot.

Put Down
Means to fold a hand.

Q

Quads
Another name of Four of a Kind combination.

R

Raise
To raise means to increase the previous bet.

Rake
The certain amount of chips taken from the pot by the card room in a form of compensation for hosting the game is called Rake.

Rank
Means the placement of the cards value starting from the best to the worst basing on the face value of cards regardless of their suits.

Rap
When a player physically knocks on the table indicating that means he/she has checked.

Reading
Analysis of a player based on how he plays, mannerisms, and talks performed in order to see the broad picture of the opponent and create the gaming strategy based on personal examinations.

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 after a raise.

Ring Game
Any "live" non-tournament game played for real money.

River
This is the last card given in all games.

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.

Royal Flush
This is an Ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10) all cards of the same suit. It is the best possible hand in poker.

S

Satellite
A mini-tournament winning in which will give a player an entry into a larger tournament.

Seating List
A waiting list. A player can put his or her name on this list if there are no players at the table at which they are willing to play.

Second Pair
In flop games, when you pair the second highest card on the board.

Set
Means having a pocket pair that matches one of the cards on the board. In other words Three of Kind formed by two pocket cards of the player and one out of the community cards on the board.

Showdown
At the end of the final betting round, it's when all active players turn their cards face-up 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.

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.

Split
1. Describes the portions of the pot divided between several winners.
2. The situation when both players do not want to show cards in the showdown and decide to split the pot between them.
3. A showdown involving multiple hands of equal rank; a tie.

Stack
A pile of chips.

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.

Suit
A characteristic of a playing card. The card being either of Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, or Spades.

T

Table
The surface on which poker is played.

Texas Hold'em
This is also the name for Hold'em, the most popular form of poker played with two face-down cards dealt to each player, and 5 community face-up cards on the board.

Three of a Kind
Three cards of the same number or face value ('triplet').

Tight
Either a player who doesn't play many pots, or a game that doesn't have much action.

Top Pair
In flop games, when the player pairs one of his down cards with the highest card on board.

Top Two Pair
Having both your pocket cards matching the highest two cards on the board.

Turn
In flop games, this is the fourth dealt card. It is the third round of betting.

Two Pair
A hand consisting of two different pairs.

U

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

Up Card
A card that is dealt face-up.

W

Worst Hand
A term used to call a losing hand.

WSOP
World Series of Poker. The biggest poker tournament played annually in Las Vegas.