Poker Dictionary

A

Ace-high

A five-card hand that contains one Ace, with no straight or flush or a hand with no pair in it.

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.

Aggressive

Adjective to describe a player who raises and re-raises and rarely calls.

All-in

When a player bets all his/her chips.

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, suppose you have Ah-10h. The flop comes 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

A re-raise from a player who originally called.

Bankroll

The amount of money you have.

Bet

To place chips 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 amount of the pot.

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 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.

Boardcards

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

When a player uses the lowest card on the flop to make a pair with one of his own cards.

Bullets

A pair of Aces.

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.

C

Call

Matching the bet amount.

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.

Cash Out

To leave a game and converting chips into 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'.

D

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.

Diamonds

One of the four playing card suits. Formerly representing merchants.

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.

Down Card

Hole cards, or cards that are dealt face down.

Drawing Hand

A hand that needs improvement to win. Usually to a straight or flush.

Deuces

A pair of Twos.

E

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.)

F

Flop

In Hold'em, 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.

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 to make a flush.

Fold

To throw your hand away when it's your turn to act.

Flush

When you have a poker hand made up of five cards of the same suit (all spades for example). The best flush you can hold is an ace-high flush.

Flush Draw

If you hold four cards of the same suit and stay in the hand hoping that a fifth card of that suit is dealt then you are on a flush draw. Some players might semi-bluff in this situation.

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').

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

To draw to and/or hit an inside straight.

H

Hand

A player's best five cards.

Heads-up

When only two players are involved with a hand.

Hearts

One of the four playing card suits.

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 Limit

A game where the amounts wagered are high.

Hold'em

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

Hole Cards

These are the Сdown cardsТ in front of the players.

I

Inside Straight

Four cards that require another between the top and the bottom card to complete a straight. Players who 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 playerТs hand.

L

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 right of the button).

Limit Poker

A game that has fixed minimum and maximum betting intervals, along with a prescribed number of raises.

Live Hand

A hand that could still win the pot.

Low Limit

A game where the amounts wagered are small.

M

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.

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 players to the left of the button).

Muck

To discard or throw away your hand. It is also a pile of cards that are no longer in play.

Minimum Buy-in

The least amount of money with which you can start a game.

N

No Limit

This is a poker game where a player can bet all of the chips in front of them at any time, whether it is a cash game or a tournament.

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.

O

Odds

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

Offsuit

Cards of a different suit.

On the Button

Being the last player to act in a betting round. Dealer's Position.

Open-ended Straight

Four consecutive cards whereby one additional (consecutive) card is needed at either end to make a straight.

Open Card

A card that is dealt face-up.

Open Pair

A pair that has been dealt face-up.

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.

P

Pair

Two cards of the same face or number value.

Pass

To fold.

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 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

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

If you miss the blind, then you must СpostТ - 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 equal the pot.

Put Down

To fold a hand.

Q

Quads

Four of a kind.

R

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.

Rebuy

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.

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) of the same suit. It is the best possible hand in poker.

S

Satellite

A mini-tournament to gain 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 wish to play.

Second Pair

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

Set

Having a pocket pair that matches one of the 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

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.

Three of a Kind

Three cards of the same number or face value ('trips').

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 match the highest two cards on the board.

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.

U

Underpair

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

Up Card

A card that is dealt face-up.