Aces Full

It is when you or someone else is holding a full house with three aces and another pair.

 

Ace High

It is the highest single card with no pairs.

 

Aces up

It is a hand with a pair of aces and another pair.

 

Action

The activity at present on any given table.

 

Active player

This is a player still in the hand.

 

Add On

This is a final opportunity at the end of a rebuy segment to purchase more chips.

 

All In

This is when a player pushes all his remaining chips in as a bet.

 

Ante

It is a small portion of a bet that each player contributes to seed the pot.

 

Bad Beat

This is where you have a hand that is an extreme underdog to win but catch a river to take the best hand out.

 

Belly Buster (Gutshot)

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 five high straight also known as a wheel.(A-2-3-4-5)

 

Big Blind

A designated amount paid by chair two to see the cards.

 

Big Slick

Cards in your hand that are Ace and King.

 

Blind

It is a forced blind bet or half of blind bet. This happens to the first two seats to the left of the dealer.

 

Bluff

To make other players believe that one has a better hand than he might otherwise have by betting or raising when they have a weak hand.

 

Bottom Pair

It is the lowest card on the board that pairs with one of the cards in your hand.

 

Board

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.

 

Broadway

An Ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10).

 

Bring It In

To start the betting on the first round.

 

Bullets

A pair of Aces.

 

Bump

To raise.

 

Button

Also known as the dealer button, a small puck 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 in on a poker game.

 

Call

When a player matches the previous bet.

 

Cap

To take the last of the maximum amount of raises allowed per round of betting.

 

Card room (poker room)

A place where poker is played.

 

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 split a pot.

 

Collusion

When two or more players conspire to cheat in a poker game.

 

Community Cards (board)

Cards face-up and used by all players.

 

Connectors

This is when your dealt two cards that are the same suit and in consecutive sequence.

 

Cowboys

Two Kings.

 

Dead Man's Hand

Two pair - Aces and Eights. The hand that Wild Bill Hickock was holding when he was shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall on August 2nd, 1876, in Deadwood, Dakota Territory.

 

Deuces

A pair of Twos.

 

Down Card

A player’s hole cards.

 

Drawing Dead

This is when you are trying to make a hand with no possible way of winning.

 

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 (The river)

In flop games, this represents the fifth community card on the table and the final round of betting.

 

Flat Call

Calling a bet without raising.

 

Flop

It's the first three cards turned up at the same time. These are community cards.

 

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 (Quads)

Four cards of the same number or face value.

 

Fourth Street

The turn card or fourth card.

Free Card

It is when you don't have to make a bet to see the next community card.

 

Full House (Boat or Fullboat)

Any three cards of the same number or face value, plus any other two cards of the same number or face value.

 

Gutshot straight

Is when your cards mixed with the community cards that are on both sides of a straight, and you hit the middle card to make your straight. Also known as a Belly Buster

 

Hand

A player's best five cards.

 

Hold 'em

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

 

Hole Cards

These are the Down Cards in front of the players.

 

House

The casino or card room 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.

 

Keep Them Honest

To call at the end of a hand to prevent someone from bluffing.

 

Kicker

The unused card in your hand that determines the outcome of the hand. The high kicker prevails.

 

Knock

It is a Check.

 

Ladies

Two Queens.

 

Late Position

Positions on a round of betting where the player must act after most of the other players have. (Usually considered to be the two positions next to the button).

 

Lay it down

A folded hand.

 

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 in order to see a cheap flop (refers to big blind)

 

Live Hand

A hand that could still win the pot.

 

Loose

A player who plays a lot hands.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Muck

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

 

Minimum Buy-In

The least amount you can start a game with.

 

Monster

A very big hand. A very big chip stack. A very big board.

 

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 (Nutz)

The best possible hand.

 

Odds

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

 

Off suit

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-ended Straight

Four consecutive cards whereby one additional 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.

 

Outs

Any cards that, if drawn, give a player the winning hand.

 

Overcard

If you hold a card that's higher than anything on the board.

 

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 two cards you hold in your hand, which nobody else can see.

 

Pocket Rockets (Bullets, American Airlines)

A pair of Aces in the 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.

 

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

To assume what another player is holding as hole cards.

 

Quads

Means four of a kind.

 

Qualifier

In High-Low games, it is a requirement the Low hand must meet to win the pot.

 

Rabbit hunting

Looking through the un-dealt portion of the deck to determine what would have taken place had the hand continued.

 

Rainbow

Is a board with three different suits on it.

 

Raise

To increase the previous bet.

 

Rake

Chips taken from the pot by the card room for compensation for hosting the game.

 

Rank

The value of each card and hand.

 

Rags

Cards on the board that doesn't help anybody.

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.

 

Rock

A player who takes very few chances.

 

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.

 

Rounder

Card hustler.

 

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.

 

Runner Runner:

This is the last two community cards turned up to complete your winning hand.

 

 

Satellite

It is a mini-tournament to gain an entry into a larger tournament.

 

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.

 

Set

This is where you have two of the same numeric value in your hand and a third comes on the board. Far more powerful than trips.

 

Shills

Shills are paid props who help start and maintain poker games.

 

Short stacked

This is where your cash or chips at the table are less than 10 times the small blind.

 

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.

 

Solid

A fairly tight player (and reasonably good).

 

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.

 

Speed Limit

A pair of fives.

 

Splash

When a player throws his chips into the pot. This is considered bad poker etiquette.

 

Split (chop)

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 flush.

 

Straddle

A straddle is a Blind bet which is double the size of that of the Big Blind.

 

Straight

Five consecutive cards of any suit.

 

Straight Flush

Five consecutive cards of the same suit.

 

Suited

This is where you have two cards in your hand that are of the same suit.

 

Tell

A player’s mannerism that gives away his hand or intention.

 

Three of a Kind – Trips, Set (See set)

Three cards of the same number or face value.

 

Tight Play

A player or game where few chances are taken.

 

Tilt

This is where you may be if your not playing your best. There's lot's more to this but this is one I try to encourage everyone to not focus on.

Also known as “steaming”, usually follows a bad beat, when a player is off his game and starts playing badly.

 

Texas Hold'em

This is also the name for Hold'em, the most popular form of poker.

 

Top Pair

Pairing up a hole card with the highest card on board.

 

Treys

A pair of threes.

 

Trips

This is where there is 2 of the same denomination on the board and you hold a third in your hand.

 

Turn

This is the fourth community card dealt.

 

Two Pair

A hand consisting of two different pairs.

 

Under The Gun

This is when you’re first to make a bet on a round.