| Poker Dictionary A-F G-Q R-Z All-in - When a player bets all of his/her chips
Ante - The money put into the pot before any cards are dealt.
Bad Beat - When a good hand is beat by a lucky draw
Bankroll - The total amount of money someone has to play with.
Belly Buster - A draw and/or catch to an inside straight
Bet the Pot - Placing a bet the size of the pot
Big Blind - A forced bet before any cards are dealt to ensure money is in the pot. This is the larger of the two forced bets.
Big Slick - A hand containing A-K
Bluff - Making someone think you have a better hand than you do.
Boat - A full house
Broadway - An ace-high straight (A-K-Q-J-10)
Bullets - A pair of aces (also known as pocket rockets or American Airlines)
Button - A marker, usually a white disc, signifying who the dealer is during a round. When a dealer is provided, this button marks who “would be” the dealer if there wasn’t one. This person is also considered to be in last position.
Call - Matching the last bet.
Call Cold - To call both a bet and a raise(s). You better have something good.
Check - Choosing not to bet, but to see what happens.
Check-Raise - Choosing not to bet, then raising someone who bets.
Community Cards - In Texas Hold’em, these are the cards placed in the center of the table for all to see.
Cowboys - A pair of kings
Drawing Dead - Drawing a card with no way to improve your hand over your opponents hand.
Ducks - A pair of 2s
Early Position - Position on a round of betting where the player must act before most of the other players at the table, normally the 2-3 seats after the blinds.
Fish - A easy player to win against, also known as the sucker.
Flop - In Texas Hold’em, these are the first three cards placed in the center of the table, face-up, all at once.
Flush - Any five cards of the same suit
Flush Draw - A player has four of the same suit and hopes to draw a fifth to make a flush
Fold - To throw away your hand, because you don’t think it’s the strongest.
Free Card - A card you get to see without placing a bet.
Full House - Any three cards of the same number or face value, plus any other two cards of the same number or face value
High Card - Any card with a value of Nine or higher.
Hole Cards - In Texas Hold’em, these are the first two cards dealt to each player, that only that player sees.
Inside Straight - Four cards which require another between the top and bottom card to complete a straight
Kicker - The highest unpaired side card in a player's hand
Late Position - Position on a round of betting where the player must act after most of the other players at the table, normally the 2 seats next to the button.
Limit - A Texas Hold’em game that restricts how much you may bet or put in the pot at any given time.
Limp In - To enter the pot by calling rather than raising, of if the first to act, merely betting the minimum possible
Loose - A player who plays a lot of hands
Maniac - A player who is very aggressive and plays a lot of hands
Middle Position - Somewhere between the early and late positions on a round of betting, usually the 5th, 6th and 7th seats to the left of the button
Muck - To discard or throw away your hand. Also the pile of discards on the table
No Limit - A Texas Hold’em game that lets you put in as many chips as you want, whenever you want.
Nuts - The best possible hand during the round.
Open-ended Straight - Four consecutive cards whereby one additional card is needed at either end to complete a straight
Paints - Face or picture cards (Kings, Queens, or Jacks)
Pay off - To call on the final round of betting when you may or may not think you have the best hand
Play Back - To raise or re-raise another player's bet
Pocket - The down cards or hole cards
Position - Where you sit at the table.
Pot - The total amount of money bet during a round, available for someone to win.
Pot Limit - A game where the maximum bet can equal the pot
Quads - Four of a kind
Railbird - Someone who hangs around a poker room who watches the games and/or is looking to get into action
Raise - Increasing the last bet.
Rainbow - A flop with three different suits shown.
Rake - Chips taken from the pot by the cardroom as compensation for hosting the game
Re-raise - To raise a raise
River - In Texas Hold’em, this is the fifth (and last) card placed in the center of the table, face-up.
Rock - A tight player who doesn’t usually bluff.
Round of Betting - Going around the table and letting everyone bet or fold.
Royal Flush - An ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10) of the same suit. The best possible poker hand
Satellite - A mini-tournament to gain an entry into a larger tournament
Shark - A very difficult player to play against.
Showdown - At the end of the final betting round, when all active players turn their cards over to see who won
Side Pot - A separate pot(s) that is contested by remaining active players after one or more players are all-in
Small Blind - A forced bet before any cards are dealt to ensure money is in the pot. This is the smaller of the two forced bets.
Speed Limit - A pair of fives
Steal - Raising the bets to try and get the pot without any competition.
Straight - Five consecutive cards of any suit
Straight Flush - Five consecutive cards of the same suit
Tell - An unconscious thing someone does that gives away the strength of their hand.
Tight - A player who plays only the strongest hands.
Tilt - A player who starts playing reckless.
Trips - Three of a kind
Turn - In Texas Hold’em, this is the fourth card placed in the center of the table, face-up. A-F G-Q R-Z back to top |
