Ace-High |
A five card hand that contains one Ace,
with no straight or flush or a hand with no pair in it. |
Aces Full |
A full house with three aces and any pair. |
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. |
Bring It In |
To start the betting on the first round. |
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 |
Broadway |
An Ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10). |
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). |
Deuces |
A pair of Twos. |
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. |
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. |
Floorman |
An employee of the cardroom who makes
rulings and decisions. |
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. |
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. See our complete
Hold 'em rules in our Game Rules section. |
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. |
Kick It |
Raise. |
Kicker |
The highest unpaired side card in a
players' hand. |
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. |
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.) |
Limper |
The first player who calls a bet. |
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). |
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. |
Muck |
To discard or throw away your hand. It's
also a pile of cards that are no longer in play. |
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 Card |
A card that is dealt face-up. |
Open Pair |
A pair that has been dealt face-up. |
Open-ended Straight |
Four consecutive cards whereby one
additional (consecutive) card is needed at either end to make a
straight. |
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 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. |
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. |
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. |
Solid |
A fairly tight player (and reasonably
good). |
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. |
Stuck |
A player who is losing in a game. |
Stud Games |
Games in which players get down cards and
up cards. |
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. |