All forms of gambling have their own unique languages and poker is no different. What follows in this section is a list of the most commonly used words and phrases, to help you get to grips with this strange sounding dialect as quickly as possible Action – Pretty much self explanatory the term “action” refers to gambling activity, or more intense gambling activity. If someone asks you where the action is, they’re looking for either a gambling opportunity or the most exciting gambling opportunity available.
All-in –This is the action of putting all your chips in the pot.
All-in Protection – This prevents you from being bet out of a hand. Let’s say there’s $50 in the pot and the player to your right has just raised by $25, but you only have $10 worth of chips left. You can go all-in, calling only the $10 portion of the previous raise. You’re now limited to winning that portion of the pot. Your opponents can still call the additional $15 of the raise, re raise, and raise and call in the following betting rounds but this money goes into a side pot.
Ante- The amount of money or chips each player has to put in the pot before the cards are dealt.
Backdoor- The action of catching two cards in a row to make a hand. Say your pocket cards are A-J, the flop is 5-6-10. The turn card is a K and the river is a Q. You’ve just made a “backdoor straight”.
Banker- The player at the table responsible for distributing the chips, keeping track of the money, and cashing the chips back in at the end of the game.
Bankroll- Your war chest. The amount of money you have that’s available for gambling at poker.
Bet- Unsurprisingly, to make a bet. In any particular betting round, if no one has bet prior to you, you may check or bet yourself.
Betting Round- A betting round comes after each time a new card is dealt (the first deal, the flop, turn, and river). The round concludes when all players have called or folded and a new card is dealt or hand reaches its completion by one player winning.
Big Blind- The table position that is two places to the left of the dealer, or the button. The big blind has to bet one betting in it before the first cards are dealt, in order to stimulate betting activity.
Blank- A card that does nothing to help your hand.
Blind (or Small Blind) - The table position directly to the left of the dealer, or the button. The small blind has to bet half a betting unit before the cards are dealt. Again this stimulates betting activity as the small blind will have to at least double his bet by calling the big blind if he wants to stay in the hand.
Bluff- The act of making a bet to imply that you have a stronger hand than you actually have.
Building a pot- The act of raising with the purpose of increasing the amount of money in the pot.
Button- A disc, usually plastic, placed in front of the current dealer to denote who acts last in the betting round.
Buy in- The amount of money it costs to enter a poker tournament or the minimum amount of money you need to take part in a cash game. If it costs $10 to enter an online poker tournament, it’s a $10 buy-in. Similarly, if it costs a minimum of $20 to join in a cash game, it’s a $20 buy-in.
Call- The act of matching a bet. If a player to your right has raised by $5, it will take you $5 to call him and stay in the round. Of course, you can always fold or re raise, but you cannot check at this point.
Calling Station- Someone who calls other players too often. This indicates a passive, and possibly weak, player.
Capped Pot- This term describes a limit poker game in which a maximum number of bets can be made in each betting round. This can vary depending on the location and game.
Catching- When a card is dealt that you need to make up a particular hand, it’s known as a catching a card.
Chasing- The practice of betting on potential hands that are, statistically, unlikely to materialise. A (bad) player will usually chase when he’s down and hopes this will bring him back in to the winning ways.
Check- The act of not betting. If no one has bet before you in a particular round, then you have the choice of checking and passing the decision on to the player on your left. If everyone checks (or folds) action moves on to the next betting round. If someone makes a bet, or raises, you will have to call or re raise to stay in the hand.
Cold- This implies either a table at which few good hands have been dealt over a period of time, or a player who is having a bad run of cards. In this situation someone has “gone cold”
Community Cards- These cards can be used by any player to help make up their hand. In holde’em these cards are the three flop cards, the turn card and the river card.
Deal- The act of passing out the cards to the players.
Dealers Choice- If you’re playing dealers choice, the dealer chooses which game you’re going to play.
Deuce- An American term used to describe the two cards. If you’re dealt a pair of twos, you have pocket deuces.
Doubling up- A player who doubles up has, basically, twice the amount of chips than when he started.
Down Card- A card for use exclusively by the player dealt that card, and kept face down to conceal its value from other players. Down cards are more commonly known these days as hole cards?
Draw- A situation in which a player requires a single card to make a hand. For instance, If you have pocket K, 10 Spades, and the flop revels A,7,Spades and 6 Diamonds, then you have a flush draw, as you only need one more club to be dealt to complete that hand.
Drawing Dead- In this situation a player cannot win the hand, no matter what cards are dealt.
Early Position- The first three positions immediately to the left of the big blind are considered early positions and are more difficult to play as most of the players see you make your bet (or check, or call) before they have to decide their next course of action.
Even Money Pot- A situation in which there is approximately a 50% chance of you winning the hand.
Fast- Another term to describe a loose player, who plays a lot of hands and bets and raises more than he calls or folds.
Fifth Street - Another phrase used almost exclusively in America , used to describe the fifth community card dealt face up on the table. More commonly known as “the river”.
Final Table- This is the last table in a tournament in which the survivors of the previous rounds battle it out to see who wins the competition.
Flat Call- A player makes a flat call when he has a strong hand, but calls instead of raises.
Flop- In Hold’em the flop are the first three community cards dealt in the middle of the table after the players have been dealt their pocket cards.
Flush- A poker hand, consisting of five cards of the same suit.
Fold- The action of quitting that hand. You take no further part until that hand is decided and a new hand is dealt.
Four of a Kind- A poker hand, consisting of four cards of the same rank, such as four kings.
Forth Street- Another term for the turn card, used mostly in America .
Hand- Used to describe both your and other players’ hands, made up (in Hold’em) of any five cards from your pocket cards and the five community cards, and also used to denote a period of play from the cards being dealt to the pot winner being decided.
Heads-up- A game of poker in which there are only two players going ‘head-to-head’.
Hole Cards- Cards for use exclusively by the player to whom they’re dealt. Also known as down cards.
Hot- Used to describe a player who is winning a lot of hands, or at least more than everyone else.
In the Money- If you’re in the money, you’re in one of the prize positions in a poker tournament.
Kicker- A card used to establish the winner of a hand in the case of a draw. Say two players both have a pair of kings, but the first player’s best card other than his kings is an ace, while the second player’s best card outside his kings is a queen. The first player wins the pot with a pair of kings, ace kicker, because an ace outranks a queen.
Late Position- A favorable betting position at the table. The player on the button (the dealer) and the two players to his right are considered to be sitting in late positions.
Limit Poker- A poker variant in which the value of the bets is already established and, therefore, limited. In most limit games there is a maximum of one bet and three raises in any single betting round, and the limit increases for the last two betting rounds. For instance, in a $2/$4 limit game, players can bet a maximum $2 and raise that bet by $2 a further three times after the deal and the flop, bringing the total bet to $8. After the turn and river cards this increases to a $4 maximum bet, with a further three possible raises at most.
Live Hand- Any hand that has yet to be folded is considered a live hand.
Loose- A style of play, in which a player plays a lot of hands, many of them being marginal particularly before the flop.
Made Hand- A term indicating any hand that ranks as a straight or better.
Marginal Hand- A relatively weak hand that, statistically, is a long-shot to win.
Money Game- Any game that is played for cash but is not a tournament is a money game.
Multiway Pot- Any hand in which more than two people are involved.
No-limit- Another poker variant in which there is no limit to the amount players can bet and raise at anytime. No-limit Hold’em is also occasionally abbreviated to NLH.
Nuts- A term specific to Hold’em and Omaha , which applies to the best possible hand available.
Odds- The percentage chance of winning a pot.
Off-suit- This term denotes hole cards of different suits, such as King of spades and 1O of harts.
Omaha- A version of poker in which each player is dealt four cards, with five community cards being dealt in the middle. Players must make a hand out of two of their hole cards and three community cards.
Open ended Straight Draw- A situation in which a player can make a straight by hitting two cards rather than one. For instance, a player with 9 10 J Q can make a straight by catching either an eight or a king.
Overcard- This is a community card that outranks a pair held by a player. For instance, if a player is holding a pair of tens, any community card dealt with a value of jack or better is an overcard.
Pair- A hand made by two cards of equal value, for example g-g or K-K.
Pocket Rockets- A pair of aces dealt as players hold cards
Pot- The total money in the middle of the table, won by the player with the best hand
Pot limit- Another poker variant in which the maximum betas equal to the current value of the pot when the bet is made. For instance, if the pot at the start of the hand is $50 and another player bets $10, your maximum raise would be $60
Pot Odds- A method of calculating the value of a poker bet. Pot odds are calculated by dividing the pot by the cost of calling a bet. For instance, if there is $100 in the pot, and the bet is $20, then the pot odds would be 5-1; the amount you can win is worth five times the cost of your bet if the odds of you holding the winning hand are shorter than this (4-1, 3-1 and so on) that represents a good bet. If they’re longer that represents a riskier bet, and poor value. If they’re the same, it’s even money bet.
Protecting Hands- A player protects his hand when he bets or raises to force opponents to fold. This reduces the competition and increases the chance of a good hand winning.
Rack- A chip holder that in casino terms holds 100 chips.
Raise- The act of increasing a bet made by another player. For instance, an opponent bets $10, and you call his $10 and raise him $10 making the total bet $20.
Read- The act of trying to work out what hand an opponent is holding Poker pros try to find ‘tells (see Tells) to help them increase their chances of successfully reading an opponent.
Re-Raise- The act of raising, when someone else has already raised for instance the bet is $10, an opponent calls that $10 and raises it by $10, making the bet $20.You call that $20 and raise another $20, making the bet $40.
River- In Holdem the river as the last fifth community card dealt in the middle of the table after which the final round of betting takes place.
Royal Flush- The top ranking hand, consisting of Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 of the same suit. A straight flush is the highest ranking type of hand in poker, and an ace-high straight flush therefore beats all.
Satellites- Mini-tournaments that occur around larger events. Players put up a fraction of the buy-in of the major tournament, with first prize being a seat at the larger event.
Set- Another term for three-of-a-kind.
Seven Card Stud- A poker variant, and considered the classic American form of the game. Players are dealt three cards to begin the hand, two face down and one face up. Players staying in the hand end up with a total of seven cards at which point the strongest hand wins.
Showing Down- The act of revealing hands after all betting has finished, to determine the winner.
Slider- A player who goes all-in frequently in no-limit games.
Slot Player- A player who plays almost every hand, if not every hand in the hopes of catching a big hand. Because this strategy involves only luck it is compared to playing a slot machine. Very common in free play games.
Slow-rolling- The act of showing a winning hand late, when another player thinks he has just won the pot. Considered very bad etiquette.
Small blind- The position immediately to the left of the dealer. The player sitting in the small blind position must put a small bet (half a betting unit) into the pot before the cards are dealt. The small blind must also act first in each betting round making it a weak position.
Split Pot- A pot that is divided by two or more players whose hands rank equally.
Stakes- The stakes indicate how serious the game is a low stakes game will involve small bets and, therefore, small pots. A high-stakes game is the opposite.
Stealing the Blinds- The act of betting heavily in the first round to try and force other players to fold, leaving the better to pick up the blinds with little effort.
Straight- A poker hand that consists of five card of consecutive value. For instance, 7-8-9-10-Jack.
Straight Flush- A poker hand similar to the straight, but in this case all the cards must be of the same suit. For instance 5of Harts-6 of Harts 7 of Harts 8 of Harts of Harts.
Suit- The four symbols that denote the four card ‘families’: clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades.
Suited- In Hold’em this term indicates that a player’s cards are of the same suit. For instance A+-10+ would be described as ace-ten suited.
Three-of-a-kind- A poker hand consisting of three cards of equal value, eg 8-8-8.
Tight- A poker strategy in which the player adopts a more conservative approach, playing only select hands and discarding most others.
Tilt- Used to describe a player that has, quite simply, lost it.
Top Kicker- This term denotes the best possible card to accompany a pair, two pair or, occasionally, three-of-a-kind. For most of these hands the top kicker is the ace, although in hands with aces, the top kicker is the next highest-ranking card.
TheTurn- In Hold’em the turn is the fourth community card to be dealt face up on the table.
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