| Act
|
An intentional tell intended to give false information about a hand. Calling
for a heart or a specific card even though it doesn't affect your hand.
|
| Action
|
Refers to when players are betting and raising. "There's a lot of action
on this table." |
| All-in
|
Putting all of the chips you have at the table into the pot, creating a
side pot for the remaining players. |
| Aggressive
|
Adjective to describe a player who raises and re-raises and rarely calls.
(Also loose money) |
| Angle
|
An action that isn't against the rules, but still incorporates unfair tactics
such as raising when the player after you has checked out of turn. |
| Angle-Shooting
|
Using unfair tactics such as string bets (a delayed raise) |
| Ante
|
The ante is the initial bet to build the pot. Hold'em uses blind bets, 7
stud typically uses a fixed ante. |
| Backdoor
|
Making a hand other than the one intended. Example: Having J/10 of Clubs
with a flop of A of Clubs, 5 of Clubs. 6 of Spades. The turn and river are
K & Q of diamonds. You made a straight instead of the intended (and
more likely) flush. |
| Backraise
|
A re-raise from a player who originally called or placed a bet and was subsequently
raised.. |
| Bad
Beat |
When a good hand is beat by a longshot draw. |
| Bankroll
|
The amount of money you have. |
| Bet
Odds |
The odds you get as a result of evaluating the number of callers to a raise.
If 5 people have called then you are getting 5 - 1 odds for your wager.
|
| Bicycle
or Bike |
A Straight Ace to Five |
| Big
Blind |
The largest blind posted prior to the dealing of cards. This is usually
the player sitting two seats to the left of the dealer. |
| Big
Slick |
The name of an Ace and King in the pocket. Suited or otherwise. |
| Blank
or Brick |
A useless card. |
| Blind
|
A mandatory bet placed before the cards are dealt to force money into the
pot. You usually have to post a blind when you join a game. |
| Bluff
|
Betting even though you don't have a good hand. |
| Boat
|
A full house. |
| Board,
The |
1. The communal cards dealt face up in Hold 'Em that all players can use.
2. The surface these cards are dealt onto. Typically a tabletop. |
| Bottom
Dealing |
A form of live cheating where the bottom card is usually preset and dealt
instead of the top card. |
| Burn
Card |
In Hold 'Em, the cards before the flop, turn, and river that are discarded
to prevent reading of marked cards. |
| Button
|
A symbol to designate which player is sitting in the dealer's position.
|
| Buy-In
|
The necessary amount of money needed to join a game. |
| Call
|
Matching a bet amount. If a player in front of you bets, you can either
call (match the bet), raise (increase the bet) or fold. |
| Calling
Station |
A passive and loose player who does not raise much, but calls more than
he or she should. |
| Cap
or Capping |
The idea that there can only be a raise, a re-raise, another re-raise, and
one final re-raise. That's four bets total per player, per round, at most.
|
| Cards
Speak |
Your hand is the most favorable possible combination of cards, no matter
how you call it. Make sure you put your cards on the table where the dealer
can read them - otherwise, your hand will play as you call it. |
| Cash
Out |
Taking your money and going home. |
| Check
|
When no bets are pending, to pass your turn. |
| Check-Raise
|
The act of calling, then re-raising a raise. |
| Cleaned
Out |
Being taken for all your money, in Hold 'Em or otherwise. |
| Cold
Call |
To call more than one bet at once as result of a re-raise. |
| Collusion
|
A form of cheating where multiple parties help each other in deciding the
best course of action. |
| Community
Cards |
Communal cards dealt face up in Hold 'Em that all players can use. |
| Computer
Hand |
The name of a Queen and Six in the pocket. Called that because computers
have designated that as the perfect average hand. |
| Connected
|
Two sequential pocket cards. Examples : 10/J or 3/4. |
| Cowboys
|
Kings |
| Dead
Man's Hand |
Two Pair of Aces and Eights. The hand Wild Bill Hickock was holding when
Jack McCall shot him in the back. |
| Dealer
|
The man or woman who handles the cards, gives out the pots, and monitors
the game. |
| Dealer's
Position |
Being the last to act in a betting round. On the button. |
| Dominated
Hands |
Hands that are okay to play, but tend to lose against similar non-straight/flush
hands. Example: A2 is dominated because against other hands with an Ace,
it loses or draws without improvement. |
| Dominating
Hands |
Hands that are not only good, solid hands, but have lots of room for improvement
and if they connect are lock winners - example Ace High Flush with no possible
full house or quads. |
| Draw
|
1. A drawing hand.
2. A game result where multiple players split the pot as result of having
equal hands.
3. To take a card from a deck of cards. |
| Drawing
|
Playing a hand to improve. |
| Drawing
Dead |
A drawing hand that will lose even if it improves. |
| Drawing
Hand |
A hand that needs improvement to win. Usually to a straight or flush. |
| Early
Position |
Being one of the first to act in a betting round. Usually a disadvantage.
|
| False
Shuffle |
A form of live cheating where the deck is shuffled in a manner to prearrange
the cards. |
| Flop
|
1. n. the first three community cards dealt face up on the table.
2. v. used to describe what your hand was after the flop. "I flopped
the nuts!" |
| Flush
|
Having a poker hand of five cards whose suits all match. |
| Fold
|
To give up your hand and forfeit the pot to the remaining players. |
| Four-of-a-Kind
|
A poker hand consisting of all four cards of the same type. |
| Free
Card |
The card you get as result of semi-bluffing from late or last position so
that all the players check to you. |
| Full
House |
A poker hand consisting of three-of-a-kind and two pair. Worded as the three-of-a-kind
being "full" of the two pair. Example: Three Aces and Two Tens
is verbally declared as a "full house, Aces full of Tens". |
| Grinding
|
Playing in a style with minimal risk and modest gains over a long period
of time. |
| Gutshot
Draw |
A straight draw where only one card will complete the hand. Make sure the
return is worth the risk. |
| Hand
|
1. The complete playing of all the cards given out in one deal.
2. The cards used by a player. |
| Heads-Up
|
When only two players are involved with a hand. |
| Hearts
|
One of the four playing card suits. Formerly representing the clergy. |
| High
Limit |
A game where the amounts wagered are high. |
| House,
The |
The establishment where a game is being held. It may be a casino in Las
Vegas, a kitchen table, or an online casino's server in Antigua.
The house regulates and controls the game. |
| Image
|
What kind of player others currently perceive you as. |
| 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. |
| Kicker
|
In a tie hand between one pair, two pair, or three-of-a-kind, the remaining
card(s) that make up the hand. The player with the highest card(s) wins.
|
| Kill
Game |
A game where certain predetermined requirements creates higher stakes and/or
create a third blind. Usually, if a player wins two hands in a row - the
stakes for the next hand double on a full kill (6-12 goes to 12/24 and on
a 1/2 kill the betting increases by 50% so 4 - 8 would go to 6 - 12)
|
| Late
Position |
Being one of the last to act in a betting round. Usually an advantage. |
| Limping
|
Calling a blind pre-flop without raising. |
| Live
Hand |
An active hand. One that has not folded. |
| Live
Game |
A game where you are physically near the other players. |
| Long
Shot |
Making a hand despite having few outs and/or poor odds. |
| Loose
|
Adjective to describe a player who plays lots of hands and gets involved
with a lot of pots. |
| Low
Limit |
A game where the amounts wagered are small. |
| Main
Pot |
The first established pot before a player goes all-in and creates a side
pot. |
| Mechanic
|
A player who has the ability to illegally manipulate cards for favorable
results. |
| Middle
Position |
Being in between early and late position. |
| Mneumonics
|
Mental devices used to remember things. In Hold 'Em, often players have
names for what pocket cards they have, like Big Slick or Maverick. |
| Muck
|
Another word for folding or refers to the discard pile |
| No
Limit |
Considered one of the last true forms of poker, where the amount you can
bet is limited by the number of chips in front of you. |
| Nuts,
The |
The best possible hand. |
| Odds
|
1. The proportion by which one bet differs from that of another.
2. The ratio between the probability for and against something happening.
|
| On
the Button |
Being the last player to act in a betting round. Dealer's Position. |
| Outs
|
The number of cards left in the deck that will improve your hand. |
| Overpair
|
A pocket pair higher than any of the cards on the board. |
| Pair
|
A poker hand comprised of two cards of the same type and three others. |
| Passive
|
Adjective to describe a player who frequently calls and rarely bets. |
| Pocket
Cards |
The two cards dealt to you at the beginning of a Hold 'Em hand that no one
else is entitled to see. |
| Position
|
In a turn-based game like Hold 'Em, your rank in the order of turns. This
is typically categorized into early, middle, and late position. |
| Pot,
The |
The total amount of all bets wagered on in a hand. |
| Pot
Odds |
The odds you get when analyzing the current size of the pot vs. your next
call. |
| Pre-Flop
|
The space of time after you've been dealt your pocket cards and before the
flop is dealt. |
| Raise
|
Increasing a bet - You call $6.00 and raise another $6.00 |
| Rake
|
Money taken by the house to compensate for expenses. |
| Rank
of Suits |
An uncommon ranking system to determine who wins in a game with no draws.
The cards in your final five-card hand are evaluated. The winner is decided
by the highest pocket card involved with that hand. The player with the
better rank wins. In order the ranks are Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs.
This is usually only used to determine the low card on a short handed game
if the low card has a forced bet. |
| Re-raise
|
Putting in another bet on top of a previous raise or raises. |
| Reading
|
Analysis of a player based on how they play, mannerisms, and tells. |
| River
|
The fifth and last community card dealt face up in a Hold 'Em game. |
| Rock
|
A passive, tight player. No emotion - personality - or pulse. |
| Royal
Flush |
The highest ranking hand. Having a straight 10 to Ace of all the same suit.
|
| Rush
|
A winning streak |
| Sandbagging
|
Holding back and calling despite the fact that you have a very good hand,
usually to disguise strength, provoke bluffs, and to check-raise. Some think
it's rude - but then again, I don't get too many Christmas cards |
| Semi-Bluff
|
Betting or raising with a mediocre or drawing hand with a chance of winning
|
| Set
|
Having a pocket pair that matches one of the cards on the board. |
| Short
Buying |
Purchasing chips after your initial purchase. Usually the minimum for a
short buy-in is less than the initial buy-in. |
| Short-Handed
|
An adjective used to describe a game with few players. |
| Showdown
|
The final phase after all betting has ended and players reveal their cards.
|
| Side
Pot |
Bets made into a new pot after a player has gone all-in. |
| Signaling
|
A system used by colluding players to let each other know what they hold.
Watch out for this - it is cheating and treated accordingly - don't do it,
and if you suspect it - talk to a floor person to move to another table
(and have the suspected players watched). |
| Slow
Playing |
Playing deceptively with a strong hand by checking and calling with the
intention of raising once the pot is larger. |
| Small
Blind |
The smaller or the two blinds posted prior to the dealing of cards. This
is usually by the player sitting directly to the left of the dealer. |
| Soft
Seat |
A seat or game which is favorable because of the lack of skill at the table.
|
| Splashing
the Pot |
An illegal move where chips are placed in a haphazard way. Such as being
tossed directly into the pot before being counted. This is done so you can
call $10 instead of $12 ... If you can't afford the game then don't play.
|
| Spread
Limit |
A betting structure where you can bet any amount within a certain range.
$ 1-4 let's you bet anywhere from $1 to $4 even in the later betting rounds.
|
| Steal
Raise |
A raise by someone in late position in an attempt to reduce the number of
players and/or steal the pot. If you suspect this, you can often steal from
the button by reraising a strong hand if you are big blind. |
| Steamrolling
|
Re-raising to make a player(s) call two bets instead of one. |
| Straddle
|
Posting an extra blind when one sits to the left of the big blind. |
| Straight
|
A poker hand with five sequential cards. In Hold'Em, Aces can be high or
low. |
| Straight
Flush |
A poker hand comprised of five sequential cards all of the same suit. |
| String
Bets |
Saying "I'll call your bet....and I'll re-raise!", instead of
just "Raise" or "Re-raise". Generally not allowed because
of ethics involving angle shooting. |
| String
Calls |
An illegal call like saying "I've got a pair of Jacks.", then
after your opponents have revealed their hands or just simply reacted to
that, saying "Oh, and I've also got a pair of sevens, too" or
a similar situation. |
| Suit
|
A characteristic of a playing card. The card being either of Clubs, Diamonds,
Hearts, or Spades. |
| Suited
|
Usually used in reference to your pocket cards when they are of the same
suit. |
| Table
Stakes |
The rule that you can only play a hand with the money you have at the table.
|
| Tell
|
An action that gives clues about the cards someone is holding. |
| Three-of-a-Kind
|
A poker hand consisting of three cards of the same type. |
| Tight
|
Adjective to describe a player who selects hands very carefully and folds
easily. |
| Tilt,
On |
Behavior as a result of losing, usually negative. |
| Top
Pair |
Having a pair with the highest card on the board and one in the pocket.
|
| Top
Two Pair |
Having both your pocket cards match the highest two cards on the board.
|
| Turn
|
The fourth community card dealt face up in a Hold 'Em game. |
| Under
the Gun |
Being the first person to act, being in the earliest position. |
| Underpair
|
A pocket pair of lower value than the lowest card on the board. |
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