Poker seems to have its own language for the beginner. The more you play, the more you will learn these terms. Don't feel like if you don't know all the terms you can't play. You will pick them up over time so don't stress over it and when you want to know what a term means come back here and check it out.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A-Game 1. The game played at the highest available stakes at a particular venue.
2. A description of the quality of a player's performance when he is playing at the top of his ability.


Usage:
Like in sentence "He is playing his A-game." Opposite to Z-Game.

ABC Player A player who follows a predictable and readable betting pattern.

Usage:
Like in sentence "He was an ABC player."

Able An obsolete term for the player immediately to the left of the dealer, in games that use forced bets or blinds.

According to Hoyle A phrase used to emphasise the proper rules of a game. Hoyle was a past authority on the game of whist and his name is used in the title of many books of rules for cards games.

Usage:
With strict adherence to a set of rules; fairly and honorably: "We don't want to lose this case over any legal technicalities; everything must be done strictly according to Hoyle." Hoyle was the author of a book on the game of whist in the eighteenth century; his name has since been used in the titles of many books of rules for card games.

Ace The highest or lowest valued card in the deck depending on the rules of the poker game being played. In a high card game, it ranks higher than the King, except when it is deemed the lowest card in a 5-high straight 5-4-3-2-A. In a low card game, it ranks below the 2.

Ace in the Hole This is what a player has when one of his cards that are dealt to him face down (the hole cards) is an Ace.

Ace Out A verb meaning to win with an Ace-High hand (either by value or by bluff)

Usage:
This phrase passed into general usage with the meaning of winning by deception or just barely beating someone. (If your opponent holds a totally worthless hand, an ace-high hand would just barely beat him; that is, you would ace him out.)

Ace to Five A term applied to a low hand game where the lowest hand is 5-4-3-2-A, and where flushes and straights do not have any value.
The best possible hand in an ace to five game is therefore A2345 (often called a wheel).

Ace Up the Sleeve A phrase coined to describe an Ace card that is withdrawn from the deck by a cheat using sleight of hand (possibly into adjacent clothing) to be re-introduced later at a favourable moment for the cheater.



Usage:
Describing the situation in which a cheater has withdrawn an ace from the deck to be introduced into the game later, or, more generally, has taken some unfair advantage. The phrase passed into general usage to describe the situation in which someone is hiding some probably unfair advantage.

Ace Working An ace in a hand.

Ace-High A five-card hand with an ace but no pair; if nobody has at least a pair, it's the winning hand (similarly "King-high", "Queen-high etc.).

Usage:
Like in sentence "I have an ace high; can you beat that?" "Yes, I got a pair of deuces."

Ace-to-Five Lowball In a game played for low, ace to five means straights and flushes don't count and the ace can be used as a low card. The best possible hand in an ace to five game is therefore A2345 (often called a wheel).

Acepots A form of high draw poker, in which a player cannot open the pot without holding at least two aces as openers.

Aces and Spaces A five-card hand consisting of two aces and three other worthless cards.

Usage:
As in sentence "In Omaha, a hand with a pair of Aces without a good low, a good high, or good flush draws is another Aces and Spaces hand."

Aces Full A full house with three aces and any pair.

Usage:
As in sentence "The person with the pair of 5s would win since he has Aces full of fives and the other person has only Aces full of 4s".

Aces Over 1) Pairs, one of which is aces. 2) A full house with aces over any pair.

Usage:
Used in phrases such as "aces over eights", "aces over Kings", "aces over jacks" etc.

Aces Up A hand that contains two pairs, one of which is Aces.

Usage:
This phrase is used when a player has two pair, one of which is Aces. Since Aces are the highest possible pair, one says Aces up or "Aces over" (meaning they are higher than the second pair).

Acey-Deucey 1) Two pairs, aces and deuces. 2) In hold 'em, A-2 as one's first two cards. 3) A non-poker game, usually played in home games, but also found rarely in casinos, in which players bet that a third card in succession will fall in rank between the first two, which are dealt face up before the bet. Sometimes called Red Dog.

Acey-Uppy Pairs, one of which is aces.

Usage:
The synonym of Aces Up term. This term is just a distorted version of Aces Up.

Act An intentional tell intended to give false information about a hand.

Action Checking/Betting/Raising. A game in which players are playing a lot of pots is considered an "action" game.

Action Button A bet that must be posted, in a seven-card stud high-low game, by the winner of a scoop pot above a certain size, signifying a full bet (a blind raise, in other words), rather than just a call of the original forced bet. Any player who acts before the action button can only call the bring-in. The holder of the action button essentially raises blind, and then, when it gets back to those who have only so far called the opening bet, they can either call or raise. For example, if the low card normally must bet $1 in a $5-$10 game, and there is an action button out, anyone who calls the $1 is committing to bet $5 later. No one would call the $1 without intending at least to call the blind raise by the action button. Whether the action button acts in turn, or after everyone else has acted, depends on the card room.

Action Only In many card rooms, with respect to an all-in bet, only a full bet is considered a legitimate wager, in terms of whether this constitutes a raise that can be re-raised. Anything less than a full bet is considered to be action only, that is, other players can call such a bet but not raise it. For example, Chloe bets $10. Henry calls. John goes all in for $14. When the bet gets back to Chloe, she is permitted only to call the extra $4; the same goes for John. See discussion at full bet.

Active Player Any player who is still in the hand.

Usage:
Like in sentence "A player who has retired is no longer an active player."

Add-on A purchase of more chips (optional) at the end of the re-buy period in a tournament.

Advantage Same as edge (An advantage over an opponent, either specific or subjective).

Usage:
Like in sentence "The casino's built-in advantage may not tick over during brief stints".

Advantage Player A thief or cheater, that is, someone who wins by taking an advantage.

Usage:
Like in sentence "There is nothing more important to a successful advantage player than knowing the RoR for the game you are playing".

Advantage Tool A cheating device, as a marked card or a mechanical device for hiding one or more cards, as, for example, a holdout machine.

Advertise To make a bluff with the deliberate intention of being exposed as a loose player. Advertising usually means showing down a mediocre hand, to give the impression that you play overly loose or that you play a generally weak game. The idea is that other players will then give you more action when you make a legitimate hand. Since people are bad at revising first impressions, this potentially beneficial effect can be long-lasting. Typical advertising plays in hold'em might be to show down top pair with a weak kicker (e.g., K2), middle pair, or a gut shot draw that missed. These hands have marginal intrinsic value, but playing them early in a session might pay off later. Of course, it's best to advertise if you actually want to be called down more often, e.g., at an especially tight table. At a table full of calling stations, it might be unnecessary or even harmful. Advertising can also mean anything you do at the poker table to manipulate how other players assess you.

After-Hours Game A private game, played after a card room closes for the night, often held in a motel or hotel room, and sometimes crooked.

Age An obsolete term for the player immediately to the left of the dealer in games that use an automatic betting scheme. Also called edge, elder hand, or eldest hand. Sometimes the player in that position is the last to bet before the draw, which is equivalent to the situation involving an under-the-gun blind.

Agent 1) Player cheat who frequents casinos and works with casino dealers and employees. The partner of a thief in a cheating scheme. 2) Person who for a fee or commission lures people to a crooked game to be fleeced.

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

Usage:
Like in sentence "John is really an aggressive player".

Ahead 1) Winning. 2) With regard to a reference position at the table, acting before (usually immediately before). If the deal is one position to your right, you are ahead of the deal. If a player is sitting to your right, he acts ahead of you.

Usage:
Like in sentence "Are you ahead or behind?"

Ainsworth In hold'em, 6-2 as one's first two cards.

Usage:
This is a name of card combinations which was succesfully used by a player called Ainsworth.

Air 1) In a lowball game, letting another player know whether you are going to draw cards or not, sometimes letting the player know how many, usually with the intention of getting that player into the pot. Usually part of the phrase give air. "Gimme some air. I'll draw two if you're drawing one." 2) Inadvertently exposing cards; usually part of the phrase put air into [a hand]. "You'll like sitting next to Johnny; he puts a lot of air into his hand." That is, if you sit next to Johnny, the way he holds his cards you can often see some of them, which, presumably, gives you an edge (albeit an unethical one) on him.

Ajax The name of an Ace and Jack in the pocket, suited or otherwise.

Alabama Night Riders Three kings.

Usage:
This is a name of card combinations which was succesfully used by some player and historically called Alabama Night Riders. Abbreviated signing of this term is K-K-K.

Alcohol An announcement by a player that they will make the minimum bet necessary to continue in the hand.

Usage:
Usually used term is "Alcohol. I'll call". Also it sound like imitation of the phrase "I'll call". It has nothing to do with strong liquor beverages.

Alexander The king of clubs. Probably comes from Alexander the Great.

Usage:
It is believed that four kings in a deck of cards are said to represent famous kings throughout history. The king of spades is King David, the king of clubs is Alexander the Great, the king of hearts is Charlemagne, the the king of diamonds is Julius Caesar.

All Black Having a spade or club flush. Also, all blue, all purple.

All Blue Having a spade or club flush. Also, all black.

Usage:
"Blue" usually referring to black suits and "pink" to red ones. Occasionally one hears "all green" or "all purple".

All Green Having a flush.

Usage:
This term is used only by those who have played a lot in home games and not much in card-rooms. "Green" usually referring to black suits and "pink" to red ones.

All Pink Having a heart or diamond flush. Also, all red.

Usage:
This term is used only by those who have played a lot in home games and not much in card-rooms. "Pink" usually referring to red suits and "Blue" or "Green" to black ones.

All Purple Having a spade or club flush. Also, all black, all blue.

All Red Having a heart or diamond flush. Also, all pink.

Usage:
This term is used only by those who have played a lot in home games and not much in card-rooms. "Red", "Pink" or "Purple" usually referring to red suits and "Blue", "Green" or "Black" to black ones.

All the Way Betting all one's chips, usually preceded by go.

Usage:
Like in sentence "If I make this hand, I'm going all the way."

All the Way in One Play Betting all one's chips, usually preceded by go.

Usage:
Extended version of "All the Way". Can be used like this: "If I make this hand, I'm going All the Way in One Play."

All-In When a player bets all his/her chips.

Usage:
In table stakes games, a player may not go into his pocket for more money during a hand. If he runs out, a side pot is created in which he has no interest. However, he can still win the pot for which he had the chips. Example: "Poor John - he made quads against the big full house, but he was all-in on the second bet."

All-In Over the Top Raising with all of your chips after an opponents bet.

Usage:
Like in sentence "I caught Kings and went all in over the top with a small stack against a medium stack." or "John just calls, Tony raises all in over the top."

Alone Player A card thief working with no confederates.

Usage:
Like in sentence "When cammeras are on, alone player can affect the play happening only very little."

AMC Abbreviation of exlamation "All my chips!" An announcement, usually in a no-limit game, on his turn that a player is betting or raising all of his chips.

Usage:
Like in sentence "What are your bets, gentlemen? - "AMC" - John said loudly."

American Airlines Two Aces.

Usage:
This is a name of card combinations which was succesfully used by some player and historically called American Airlines. Abbreviated signing of this term is A-A.

Ammo Chips.

Usage:
"Houseman, I need more ammo" is a request for more chips. Shortening of "Ammunition". Semantically ammo means "weapon" and is used in contemporary shooting type computer games.

Ammunition Chips.

Usage:
"Houseman, I need more ammunition" is a request for more chips. Also used abbreviation "Ammo". This term means "weapon" and is widely used in contemporary shooting type computer games.

An Ace Working An ace in hand.

Anaconda A form of seven stud in which cards are passed to left and right, sometimes multiple times, and sometimes with five cards chosen at the end and rolled, that is, exposed one at a time. Also called pass the trash, Screwy Louie

Angle An action that isn't against the rules, but still incorporates unfair tactics.

Usage:
A maneuver, usually on the border between legality and illegality (but usually clearly unethical), to take unfair advantage of another player. Extreme example: Some clubs consider putting fewer chips than required into the pot an uncompleted bet that is not valid until completed, and that, furthermore, can be removed until such time as sufficient chips are bet. (Fortunately, there aren't many such clubs.) In such a club, you bet $100 and another player puts in $99. You show your cards, which have him beat. He says, "I put in only $99; I didn't call your bet." He withdraws the chips. Of course, if he had you beat, he would quietly take the whole pot. If someone pointed out at that juncture that he called only $99, he would probably say, "Oh, pardon me, just an oversight; I meant to call," add the missing chip, and then drag the pot. All of that is part of an angle.

Angle-Shooting Using unfair tactics.

Usage:
A poker player who uses various underhanded, unfair methods to take advantage of inexperienced opponents. The difference between an angle shooter and a cheat is only a matter of degree. What a cheat or thief does is patently against the rules; what an angle shooter does may be marginally legal, but it's neither ethical nor gentlemanly. Nor is it in the spirit of the game. Unfortunately, poker is not a gentleman's game. In addition to learning how to protect yourself against cheating players, you must learn to watch out for the angle shooters. See "Angle".

Announce In high/low games, declaring one's hand as high or low or both ways (usually done with chips in hand). Usually played in home games.

Announced Bet A verbal declaration by a player, in turn, in a no-limit or spread game, of the amount of his bet, or, in other games, that he is betting. In games in which announced bets are permitted, they are usually binding (when made in turn).

Ante 1) Money placed in the pot before the hand is begun. 2) The player to the left of the dealer, usually in an ante and straddle game.

Usage:
An ante is not part of a player's next bet, as opposed to a blind, which usually is. All of the antes in a particular pot, taken as a whole; usually preceded by the. "Nobody else had openers when I had aces full, and all I won was the ante." Put an ante into a pot. "Someone's light in this pot; did you ante, Andy?"

Ante and Straddle A game in which the player to the left of the dealer (the ante) puts in (usually) one chip before getting any cards, and the player to his left (the straddle) puts in two chips. (Sometimes the dealer also puts in one chip.) The first player to have a choice on making a bet after having seen his cards is the player two positions to the left of the dealer. This is an old name for what is now called a two-blind traveling blind game. This is similar to a blind and straddle game. Also see little blind, middle blind, big blind.

Ante Bean An ante, or a chip used to ante.

Ante Up Put one's ante in the pot.

Apologizer Same as apology card.

Usage:
Like in sentence "There it is, the Apologizer."

Apology Card In lowball, the appearance in the current hand of the card that would have made one's hand the previous hand. For example, a player draws to A-2-3-4 and catches a four. Next hand, he looks at the first card he receives from the dealer. It's a five, which he turns face up for the whole table to admire (presumably because some of them may never have seen a five before), while saying, "There it is, the apology card."

Apple Big game, often the biggest game in a particular club.

Usage:
Like in sencence "I lost $1000 in the apple today." Also, term "big apple" can be used to emphasize the event.

Argine The queen of clubs. May be an anagram of Regina (queen in Latin), or a corruption of Argea.

Arkansas Flush Four-card flush.

Usage:
This is a name of flush which was succesfully used by some player and historically called Arkansas Flush by the name of one of the USA states Arkansas.

Around-the-Corner Straigh In high draw poker, a special straight, a nonstandard hand sometimes given value in a private or home game, five cards in a series in which the sequence of cards is considered to continue from king through ace, as, for example, J-Q-K-A-2. Sometimes the hand ranks between three of a kind and a "normal" straight; sometimes it ranks between a "normal" straight and a flush.

Artist A cheat who manipulates the deck. One who unfairly manipulates the cards, such as a cheat who deals cards from the bottom instead of from the top of the deck (where they should come from), or from the middle, or deals the second card from the top, or who falsely shuffles the cards so as to arrange them in a manner he has predetermined, or who palms cards, or uses any other of scores of cheating methods involving card manipulation or sleight of hand. Synonym - Mechanic.

As Nas An ancient Persian game that some say is an ancestor of poker.

Usage:
It seems to have originated from a 16th century Persian card game known as As Nas. This game was played with 25 cards with 5 different suits. The game played in a similar fashion to modern 5 card stud and possessed similar poker hands rankings, such as three-of-a-kind. When Europeans began to play the game, they called it "poque" or "pochen." While poker's origins may lie in Europe and Persia, it truly developed in the United States.

Asian Five-Card Stud A California game, a form of five-card stud played with a stripped deck.

Usage:
Asian Five Card Stud Poker is a five card poker game played with a single deck of standard playing cards which has the 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, 5’s and 6’s removed, leaving 32 cards. Each Player attempts to achieve the best five-card poker hand using the cards dealt to him or her. Each Player competes against all other Players in the game.

Asian Games The former name for California games. The term is still sometimes used in casinos and card-rooms. Se "California games".

Asian Stud A California game, a form of five-card stud played with a stripped deck.

Assault Rifle In Omaha, hole cards that are A-K-4-7 of any suit(s)

Usage:
This is a name of card combinations which was succesfully used by some player and historically called Assault Rifle. Abbreviated signing of this term is KA-K-4-7.

Assigned Bettor The player who is first to bet in a particular round.

Usage:
Used as in sentence "Any player other than the assigned bettor should pass such a hand immediately".

Auto Ante This option determines if you have to manually ante on each new hand. Generally it is easier to let the computer ante for you, but it is more realistic to ante up yourself)

Automatic Being in a must-bet situation.

Automatic Bet A bet, often a bluff, made, regardless of one's cards, in a situation in which the bet usually wins. For example, in a lowball game, if one player drew four cards and passes after the draw, and the next player drew one, the latter almost always makes an automatic bet, because most of the time that player has the best hand and the few times that he doesn't, the drawer of four cards doesn't call anyway.

Automatic Bluff A bet, often a bluff, made, regardless of one's cards, in a situation in which the bet usually wins. For example, in a lowball game, if one player drew four cards and passes after the draw, and the next player drew one, the latter almost always makes an automatic bet, because most of the time that player has the best hand and the few times that he doesn't, the drawer of four cards doesn't call anyway.

Ax The percentage of a pot kept by the management to pay expenses; usually called drop. Term used to describe a hand containing an Ace and any other card.

Usage:
When a game operator extracts a cut (charge) from a Poker pot, a player may say, "There goes the ax." Also like in sentence "Mike put John on an Ax hand after his pre-flop raise"

B&M Abreviated from "Brick and mortar". A cardroom having a real physical location, with live players, as opposed to an online.

Usage:
Used to describe play, cardroom, casino, for example B&M casino means land based casino, but not casino online.

Baby Any of the four non-aces needed for the lowest possible hand (2,3,4,5).

Usage:
Like in sentence "I'll limp preflop with Ace-baby suited multiway if I'm sure there won't be a raise behind me." Or "I need a baby card."

Back Into a Hand To draw cards that make a hand that is different from the hand you were originally trying to make.

Usage:
You back into a hand when you are intentionally in the pot to make a different hand than the one you ended up with. For example, if you flop a straight and up with a flush, you would say "I backed into a flush."

Back-to-back A holding of a pair in five-card stud (when the pair was formed with the first two cards dealt, one in the hole, and the other as the first upcard). Can be referred to as "wired".

Usage:
Also used without dashes like Back to back. Like in sentence "Johnny Chan won back to back in 1987 and 1988".

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 Hearts. You made a straight instead of the intended (and more likely) flush.

Backdoor Flush When you have three cards that would support a flush, but you need the turn and river to make a flush.

Usage:
Like in sentence "You have a pair, gutshot and the backdoor flush draw."

Backdoor Straight When you have three cards that would support a straight, but you need the turn and river to make a straight.

Usage:
Like in sentence "He's likely got 6 outs and a backdoor straight possibility."

Backer A nonplayer who finances an active player.

Usage:
Like in sentece "How you gonna get into the tournament? I thought you were broke." "I have a backer."

Backraise A re-raise from a player who originally called.

Usage:
Usually permitted only in home games, in which the rule that a raise must equal in size the previous bet or raise does not hold. Like in sentence "An oft-used ploy by many players is to backraise with small pairs."

Bad Beat When a hand is beaten by a lucky draw.

Usage:
Like in sentence "I suffered one bad beat after another on my first Vegas trip."

Bad Beat Jackpot A bad beat jackpot is offered by a poker room when a very good hand loses to an even better one.

Usage:
For example:

Player 1 holds AA
Player 2 holds KK

The community cards are: AAKKQ

Player 2 would have four of a kind, Kings but still lose to Player 1 who holds four of a kind, Aces.

This is usually enough to trigger a bad beat jackpot for the hand. Normally the losing player in this hand would be awarded 50% of the jackpot fund, the winner gets 25% and other players who took part in the hand get the remaining 25%. Different poker rooms offer different levels of payouts for bad beat jackpots and have different losing hand requirements, for example, Party Poker bad beat jackpot winners must lose with a hand of four 8s or better to qualify.

Bankroll The amount of money you have.

Usage:
Many serious poker players have a separate bankroll just for poker. If you bankroll someone, you are giving them money to play with, usually in exchange for a percent of their profit. Like in sentence "She doubled her bankroll after 1 month of playing the PartyPoker."

Barn Short for a Full Barn which is slang for a Full House.

Usage:
Like in sentence "Between two barns, the one with the higher ranking set of trips wins". Used very rarely.

Battle of the Blinds When everyone folds to the players who have forced bets.

Usage:
Like in sentence "I don't think you can get in a habit of folding AQ in a battle of the blinds against a loose aggressive opponent."

Bay and a Gray A $6 bet made with a red $5 chip and a white $1 chip, named after the color of horses.

Usage:
Such a bet would be made in a $3-$6 limit game. Bay comes from horseracing, where it is a reddish brown horse with black markings; red casino chips often have black markings on their edges.

Beat the Board Or Beat the Table. To have a hand better than all others showing.

Usage:
Like in sentence "Your friend would actually win though because his 6d beats the board and you can't beat the board."

Behind 1) Losing. 2) With regard to a reference position at the table, acting after (usually immediately after). If the deal is one position to your left, you are behind the deal. If a player is sitting to your left, he acts behind you.

Usage:
Like in sentence "Are you behind or ahead?"

Behind a Log 1) Describing a situation in which a player is far ahead of a game and thus playing only premium hands. 2) (of a poker player) playing conservatively because he is winning and wants to protect his gains.

Usage:
Like in sentence "He was playing behind a log."

Belly Buster A draw and/or catch to an Inside Straight.

Usage:
Like in sentence "Harry hit his 4-out belly buster on the river."

Bet To place chips into the pot.

Usage:
Saying "It's three bets up to you" means, if you come into the pot, you have to put in three betting units." If you were in a $2-limit game, you would have to put $6 in the pot to play (or $8-four bets-if you raised); If you were in a $200-limit game, you would have to put $600 in the pot to play.

Bet Blind Make a bet without looking at one's cards.

Usage:
This occurs most frequently in lowball, in which a player draws one or more cards and, on the second round of betting, bets before receiving the card or cards. This is done usually for the purpose of stimulating action, but sometimes to discourage an opponent from raising. Sometimes players claim to bet blind but have actually seen their draw card or cards; doing this is considered bad form, and gives the claimant a bad reputation. The term is also heard in seven-card stud, with a player betting before receiving the river card, or in hold'em before the river card is dealt.

Bet for Value Bet a hand with the intention of getting called by one or more lesser hands, as opposed to getting the others to fold. Usually implies betting a hand that has only a slight edge, and one that a conservative player would likely check with. Also value bet.

Bet in the Dark To announce a bet before cards are dealt or looking at your hand.

Usage:
Like in sentence "Phil announced a $5000 bet in the dark before the flop cards were dealt".

Bet Into To wrest the initiative from a player who bet strongly the previous round, by betting instead of checking.

Usage:
As in: "I bet into him and he folded."

Bet Odds The odds you get as a result of evaluating the number of callers to a raise.

Usage:
Like in sentence "With a 1 in 5 chance of hitting it, and knowing all six of these guys are gonna call my bet, my bet odds are good too."

Bet the Limit To bet the maximum amount allowed.

Usage:
Like in sentence "Next time you see those light posts on slot machines, just think of craps - and how to bet the limit!"

Bet the Pot To bet an amount of chips approximately equal to the amount of chips in the pot.

Usage:
In Pot Limit games, this is the maximum bet; however, the pot size in Pot-Limit games is calculated in an unintuitive way: all the money in the pot, plus (if you have been raised) the amount you would bet if you reraised. Also known as Pot-Sized Bet.

Betting Stakes The dollar limits of all bets and raises permitted.

Usage:
Like in sentences: "Monthly betting stakes up 53%, averaged £2.5 million per month, in comparison to comparative period for the acquired businesses in 2000." Or "Most games can withstand a tenfold to hundred fold increase in the betting stakes."

Bicycle or Bike 1) The lowest possible holding (5,4,3,2,1) in lowball and high-low poker. 2) Ubiquitous design on the back of cards in the USA, produced at the rate of 30,000 a day by the US Playing Card Company; hence "The Bicycle Club" in Bell Gardens, near Los Angeles, California

Usage:
Like in sentence "The turn gave me a bicycle, and I still had the nut flush draw."

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.) In World Poker Tour (tournament play) this amount increases after each timed round.

Big Bobtail An open-ended 4-card straight flush.

Usage:
A nonstandard hand sometimes given value in a private or home game, four cards to a straight flush. The hand ranks just below four of a kind. If the fifth card makes a pair, the hand beats any unpaired bobtail.

Big Dog An underdog. The person who has a very low chance of winning.

Usage:
A nonstandard hand sometimes given value in a private or home game, five cards 9 to ace with no pair, which ranks below a little tiger and above a little dog.

Big Pair A Pair with a value of 10 or greater.

Usage:
Like in sentence "On top of the potential to make a flush, you may make that big pair." Or "With high cards like A-Q or a big pair like Q-Q, you can create a shorthanded raised pot by raising yourself."

Big Slick A hand that contains an Ace and a King (A-K).

Usage:
Used in hold'em games, also known as Santa Barbara.

Big Tiger A nonstandard hand sometimes given value in a private or home game, five cards 8 to king with no pair, which ranks above a tiger and just below a flush.

Usage:
Also called big cat.

Blank A useless card.

Usage:
The term is usually used in stud and hold'em. For example, in hold'em, with a flop of A J T, a turn card of 3 would be considered a blank. The 2 or Q would not be.

Blaze 1) A hand consisting of five face cards. It has no ranking in cardroom poker, though sometimes does in private games. The term is often used by lowball players to embellish their hard-luck stories. 2) A nonstandard hand sometimes given value in a private or home game, consisting of five face cards, ranking between two pair and three of a kind.

Usage:
Like in sentence "That guy just got his second bicycle, and what'd I get? Another blaze."

Bleed Win a lot of money a little at a time, from either a game or a particular player.

Usage:
Like in sentence "I won that large pot with my kings, but then I bled it all off over the next hour."

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 in the dark without looking at your cards.)

Blind Bet To bet before looking at one's hand

Usage:
The same meaning as Bet Blind

Blind Raise A game or situation in which the player to the left of the dealer (the blind) puts in (usually) one chip before getting any cards and the next player puts in two chips. This is a forced raise.

Blind Robber Someone who steals the blind (usually from the middle blind position to win the big blind, or the dealer position to win both blinds), that is, opens a pot without having good cards, hoping the blind will just throw his cards away and the opener can win the chips represented by the blind or blinds without having to actually play the hand. See steal the blinds.

Blistering A cheater's technique to mark cards with his fingernail or a device.

Usage:
Also see Peg

Blocker Required card already in another player's hand.

Usage:
As in: "With my pair of tens I had the blockers on his gutshot straight."

Blow Back To lose all the (or most) of the money you have won.

Usage:
Like in sentence "If he keeps playing, he may blow back a good piece of the winner."

Bluff To make other players believe that one has a better hand than he/she might otherwise have by betting or raisingwhen they do not have the best hand.

Boardcards 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.

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

Bobtail Straight 1) Same as an Open End Straight. Four cards to a straight in denomination sequence. 2)A nonstandard hand, four cards to a straight, that ranks higher than one pair and lower than a four-card flush.

Usage:
Like in sentence "If you have a bobtail straight, such as 8-7-6-5, the odds are 39-to-8 or almost 5-to-1 against filling it, for there are only eight cards that will help you (in this case, the four nines and the four fours)."

Boss Strongest hand at a stage in the betting.

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

Usage:
If you have As-6s, and the flop comes Kd-Th-6c, you have flopped bottom pair.

Boxed Card A card turned the wrong way in a deck. A card encountered face-up in the assembled deck during the deal, as opposed to one overturned in the act of dealing. Most house rules treat a boxed card as if it didn't exist; that is, it is placed aside and not used. Different rules cover cards exposed during the deal.

Bring It In To start the betting on the first round.

Usage:
To bring it in is to make the first bet on the first round of a hand. In seven-card stud, the bring-in is a mandatory bet made by the player with the lowest upcard in the first round of betting.

Bring-In The forced bet made on the first round of betting by the player who is dealt the lowest card showing in Seven Card Stud and Stud 8 or Better. In Razz (Lowball) it is the highest card showing

Broadway An Ace high straight.

Usage:
This is a name of card combinations which was succesfully used by some player and historically called Broadway. Abbreviated signing of this term is A-K-Q-J-10.

Broomcorn's Uncle A player who antes himself broke.

Usage:
Like in sentence "I'll take him out like broomcorn's uncle if i have to." Or "the sixth seat busts like broomcorn's uncle, and Tony takes his place."

Bubbled To be the eliminated in a tournament in the final place before the rpize-money.

Usage:
As in "They paid nine places and I was bubbled in tenth."

Buck The original "Button" (q.v.) was a clasp knife with a buckhorn handle; hence "The buck stops here".

Bug In some variants of poker, the bug is a restricted wild card, which can either represent an ace or fill a gap in a straight or flush

Bull The Game To bluff frequently.

Usage:
Like in sentence "He’s always trying to bull the game".

Bullets A pair of Aces.

Bump To raise.

Buried Pair In stud games, a pair in the hole.

Burn To discard the top card of the deck prior to dealing.

Burn Card A card dealt face down prior to dealing the round of cards.

Bury Card A card taken from the top of the deck and placed in the middle.

Bust A worthless hand that has failed to improve as the player hoped; a busted hand.

Bust a Player To eliminate a player from the game by taking all of his or her chips.

Bust Out To lose all your chips and thus be eliminated from a tournament.

Busted Hand 1) A worthless hand (Bust). 2) A hand that failed to fill a straight or a flush on the draw.

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 To make a large bet in the hope of discouraging other players.

Usage:
As in "He tried to buy the pot".

Buy-In The minimum amount of money required by a player to sit down in a particular poker game.


Usage:
The buy in is the entry fee for any particular table or tournament.

Tournament buy-ins are usually displayed like the following Party Poker example:

Limit Hold Em $20+$2 - The total payable would be $22. $20 to the prize fund and $2 to Party Poker for arranging the event

Cash (ring) table buy-ins are often displayed like this Party Poker table example:

$200 NL - This means the maximum you can bring to the table in cash is $200, NL means the game is No Limit.

Buy-in Limit This is the minimum amount you must bring into a 1-on-1 game. This is applicable to Seven-Card Stud Poker.

By Me An expression meaning to pass or check.

C-Note A hundred-dollar bill.


Usage:
The "C" is likely to be associated with a century.

California games A set of cardroom games, formerly called Asian games, some of which resemble poker, but are not strictly poker, in which players place bets before receiving the hands on which they wager; others resemble blackjack. In these games, to get around the legal restriction against banking games, the only interest the house has is to take a portion of every bet; one player acts as banker, playing one hand against each player in turn. These games include pai gow (played with tiles, and not a card game at all), pai gow poker, super nine (also called super pan nine), California blackjack (also called X blackjack, where X is the name of the club), California Aces (a variant of blackjack in which the object is to get closest to 22, with two aces being the best hand; similarly often called X aces), 13-card (not played with a banker).

California Lowball Ace-to-five lowball with a joker.

Usage:
The primary poker game in California during the 1970s.

Call Matching a bet amount.


Usage:
Like in sentence "Steve decided to call Mike's $4000 bet."

Call Cold To call both a bet and raise(s).

Caller One who makes a call bet.

Calling Station A passive and loose player who does not raise much, but calls more than he or she should.


Usage:
Also known as "Policeman" these type of players rarely bluff.

Cap 1) Put in the maximum number of raises in a round of betting; usually followed by the bet, the bets, or the betting. Make the maximum raise permitted in the current round. "I'll cap it" means that someone has put in the, say, third raise.
2) After dealing the first round in a draw game, put a chip on top of the undealt cards for protection; usually followed by the deck.
3) The point at which the rules dictate that the maximum bets have been made. "The cap is lifted heads up."

Capping a Raise The final raise in most games, the third raise in most games.

Cardroom The room or space in a casino where poker is played.


Usage:
Can be used to describe an internet poker provider also The Party Poker Cardroom - for example.

Cards Speak Your hand is the most favorable possible combination of cards, no matter how you call it.

Case Card The fourth and last card of a particular rank to become available.

Case Chips A player's last chips.

Cash In To exchange poker chips for cash and then to quit (Cash Out).

Usage:
Like in sentence "After playing for four hours John decided to cash in his chips."

Cash Out To leave a game and convert your chips to cash.

Casino Poker Public poker played in gambling casinos.

Usage:
The 2005 WSOP for example will be played at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino with the final at Binion's Horseshoe.

Catch When a draw makes a hand, players may comment "Nice Catch".

Catch Bluffing To win a hand by calling or raising someone who is bluffing.

Center Pot The main pot, as opposed to any side pots (q.v.)

Usage:
Like in sentence "The dealer will verify all bets and rake them to the center pot at the conclusion of each round of betting."

Change Gears Changing your style of play.

Usage:
Like in sentence "Chris has definitely changed gears since the tournament moved to the final table".

Chase To play a hand that is most likely worse than at least one other player.

Chat A feature of most online poker games where players can communicate to each other by typing messages.

Cheater A player who intentionally violates the rules to gain advantage unavailable to others.

Check 1) 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." 2) Alternative name for poker chip.

Check Blind To check without looking at one's own cards. Also Check in the Dark

Check-Raise When a player first checks and then raises in a betting round.


Usage:
This is done in an attempt to "trap" an opponent into betting to extract more chips/cash from them.

Cheese A very substandard starting hand.

Usage:
Like in sentence: After being dealt Seven, Two again Howard announced "Nothing but cheese again!"

Chip A round token used in place of cash at a gaming table.

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".

Cinch Hand The nuts. A hand that can't be beaten

Usage:
Like in sentence "If after all cards are dealt you have a cinch hand BET it, do not checkhoping to raise, if your opponent wants money in the pot he will raise you, don't give anyone a chance to see your hole card free if you have a cinch hand."

Coffeehousing This is when Players chat about a hand they are involved in, with the intent of misleading or manipulating other Players.

Cold Call To call more than one bet in a single action. For instance, suppose the first player to act after the big blind raises. Now any player acting after him must call two bets "cold". This is different from calling a single bet and then calling a subsequent raise.

Cold Deck Deck of cards that a cheat has fixed. A deck, presumably with preset hands in it (usually with several good hands, the best of which will go to the dealer or his confederate), surreptitiously substituted by a cheat for the deck he is supposed to be dealing. So called because, after cards are dealt for awhile, they warm a bit to the touch, while a cold deck actually feels cool.

Cold Hands 1) Showdown hands. 2) A run of poor hands.

Collection The fee charged in a game (taken either out of the pot or from each player).

Collection Drop A fee charged for each hand dealt.

Color Change A request to change the chips from one denomination to another.

Come Hand A drawing hand (probably from the craps term).

Come Over the Top To raise or re-raise another players bet.

Common Card A card dealt faceup to be used by all players at the showdown in the games of stud poker whenever there are insufficient cards left in the deck to deal each player a card individually.

Community cards Cards that are turned face up in the middle of the table, and which belong to all players still in the hand. Community cards are used in Hold 'em and Omaha.

Comp Program Or comps, most sites online offer players cash incentives to signup and points or other benefits for loyalty

Complete Hand A hand that is defined by all five cards - a straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, or straight flush.

Complete the Bet To increase an all-in bet or forced bet to a full bet in limit poker.

Concealed Pair Both of the pair cards are face down.

Connector A hold'em starting hand in which the two cards are one apart in rank. Examples: KQs, 76.

Conservative (of a poker player or play) tending to bet only with a good hand.

Conservative Play A poker strategy that involves betting only hands that have a good chance of winning.

Counterfeit To make your hand less valuable because of board cards that duplicate it. Example: you have 87 and the flop comes 9-T-J, so you have a straight. Now an 8 comes on the turn. This has counterfeited your hand and made it almost worthless.

Court Card A jack, queen or king.

Usage:
Also known as "Paint cards".

Cowboys Pair of kings as your hole cards in Texas Hold em. A very strong hand.

Crack To beat a hand - typically a big hand. You hear this most often used to apply to pocket aces: "Third time tonight I've had pocket aces cracked".

Cranberry A player who calls against the pot-odds.

Crap Shoot A term used for less skillful tournaments with lots of loose action throughout.

Cripple As in to cripple the deck. Meaning that you have most or all of the cards that somebody would want to have with the current board. If you have pocket kings, and the other two kings flop, you have crippled the deck.

Crying Call To complain when making a call. Sometimes a tactic to keep players in the hand.

Cut To divide the deck into two sections in such a manner as to change the order of the cards.

Cut It Up To split the pot after two hands are revealed to be of equal value.

Cut the Cards Putting the bottom cards of a deck on top of the deck.

Cut the Deck To divide the deck, fairly evenly, into 2 stacks.

Cut The Pot Taking the house rake or vig

Usage:
Like in sentence "Yes, I cut the pot a quarter on five dollars and another quarter on ten so I get a little edge betting after the flop."

Cut-Card Another term for the bottom card.

Dark Bet To bet without looking at your hand.


Usage:
The same as <a href="pokerterms/bet-in-dark.html">Bet In The Dark</a>

Darken To make a bet without looking at one's cards; required in some forms of poker.

Dead Card A card that is not legally playable.

Dead Collection Blind A fee posted by the player having the dealer button, used in some games as an alternative method of seat rental.

Dead Hand A foul hand that cannot be played.

Usage:
Players hand or entire round is often voided and replayed.

Dead Man's Hand Two pair - Aces and Eights.


Usage:
According to a legend, Wild Bill Hickok was shot during a poker game in Deadwood, South Dakota, and that the hand he held was two pair, black aces and black eights. The fifth card is not known for certain.

There is also a computer game about these cowboys.

Dead Money Chips that are taken into the center of the pot because they are not considered part of a particular player&#8217;s bet.

Usage:
Used to describe an inexperienced player with little chance of winning.

Deal To give each player cards, or put cards on the board. As used in these rules, each deal refers to the entire process from the shuffling and dealing of cards until the pot is awarded to the winner.

Deal Me In Request to be dealt cards during a temporary absence

Usage:
Like in sentence "I asked you to deal me in before I ran to the bathroom".

Deal Me Out Notice that a player is absenting himself from a game for at least one hand.

Usage:
Like in sentence "Deal me out this hand. I have to sit a couple hands out."

Deal Off To take all the blinds and the button before changing seats or leaving the table. That is, participate through all the blind positions and the dealer position.

Deal Twice When there is no more betting, agreeing to have the rest of the cards to come determine only half the pot, removing those cards, and dealing again for the other half of the pot.

Dealer The man or woman who handles the cards, gives out the pots, and monitors the game.

Dealer's Choice In home games, a rule that permits the dealer to name which poker game to be played that hand.


Usage:
This format is now also played in casino poker, usually towards the start of large events.

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

Dealers Button A flat disk that indicates the player who would be in the dealing position for that hand (if there were not a house dealer). Normally just called "the button".

Deck A set of playing-cards. In these games, the deck consists of either: 1) 52 cards in seven-card stud, hold’em, and Omaha. 2) 53 cards (including the joker), often used in ace-to-five lowball and draw high.

Declaration Declaring which share of the pot a player is bidding for in a hi-lo (q.v.) game. Usually done with two coins or chips hidden under the table and then declared - none for the low hand, one for the high hand, both for both the high and low hand.

Deuces A pair of Twos.

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

Discard(s) In a draw game, to throw cards out of your hand to make room for replacements, or the card(s) thrown away; the muck.

Disconnect Protection A tool to protect players in the event that their internet connection is lost while involved in a pot.


Usage:
Also known as "All-in protection".

Dog Shortened form of "Underdog".

Usage:
Like in sentence "Mike knew he was a real dog in this hand with just the bottom pair."

Dolly Parton A straight 5-9 (Nine to five).

Dominated Hands Hands those 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 Primo hands that are not only good, solid hands but have lots of room for improvement.

Door Card This is the first exposed card, or "up" card, in a player's hand in Stud games.

Double Belly Buster A two-way inside straight. ie:, 3-5-6-7-9. Also called a Double Gutshot.

Double Bluff A bluff that involves in an initial bet, being raised, and reraising.

Double Up Going all in on a hand during a no-limit game and winning, which essentially doubles your bankroll. Even with a short stack, a player who doubles up 2 or 3 times in a row can get right back into contention in most poker tournaments.

Double-Pop When the second player re-raises a raise.

Down and Dirty The final hole card dealt in seven-card stud.

Down Card Hole cards. Cards that are dealt face down.

Down to the Green When a player has gone all in.


Usage:
The "green" referring to the table felt where the players chips used to be.

Doyle Brunson It's a Holdem hand consisting of a 10-2 (Brunson won the world championship two years in a row on the final hand with these cards).

Draw 1) High draw poker. 2) The point during the playing of a hand at which active players discard the cards they don't want and receive new ones. "You must bet or fold before the draw." 3) The receiving of draw cards. "What was the draw?" is a request by a player to find out how many cards each player drew. 4) A particular hand you are trying to make, as, a flush draw, which is four cards to a flush. In addition to draw games, this usage is often heard in games other than draw games. 5) Specifically an unmade hand, usually heard in hold 'em and seven-card stud. "I raised him all in because I knew he was on a draw." That is, I knew that at the moment, his hand did not beat mine, but that he was trying to make a straight or flush (which, presumably, would win if he did make it). 6) Receive cards. 7) Not stand pat, as opposed to doing so. "You're pat? Then I've got to draw."

Draw Card The card that one has received on the draw.

Draw Dead Draw to a hand that cannot win even if made; sometimes followed by to when referring to the other hand. In lowball, if the other guy has a wheel, and you draw one to a 6-4, you're drawing dead, because you can't win, even if you jam up the hand (make it perfect). You are drawing dead to his hand.

Draw Down In lowball, draw more than one card so as to be drawing to the best possible hand, instead of drawing fewer cards (generally one) to a poorer hand; sometimes followed by to and a or the hand. For example, if you have K-8-6-4-2, you could draw one to the 8, or draw down (that is, draw to a 6) by throwing both the king and the 8. A lowball player might say, "When he stood pat, I figured I better draw down," or, "When he stood pat, I figured I better draw down to the hand."

Draw For Deal Participate in a top-card draw.

Draw For Seats A method of determining which players sit where, usually the participants in a small tournament. Each player draws a card from the deck, which is often fanned face down on the table, and the holder of the highest card sits in seat 1, the next highest card to that player's left, and so on; often suits are used to break ties (in the bridge order of spades, hearts, clubs, diamonds).

Draw Game A game in which or a table at which Draw Poker is played.

Draw Live Draw to a hand that will win if made; sometimes followed by to when referring to the other hand. If the other guy has a flush, and you draw one to two pair, you're drawing live, because you can win with a full house. You are drawing live to his hand.

Draw Lowball Form of poker where each player is dealt five cards with the option of discarding one or more and replacing them with new ones and the low hand wins.

Draw Out To improve your hand so that it beats an opponent who had a better hand than yours prior to your draw.

Usage:
Like in sentence "Steve drew out on John by making his straight on the river."

Draw Poker Form of poker where each player is dealt five cards down with the option of discarding one or more and replacing them with new ones to attempt to make a better hand.

Draw Snow (In draw poker) to bluff before and after the draw.

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.

Driver's Seat A player in the "Driving Seat" is the one taking the initiative in all the betting

Usage:
"I'll check to you; you're in the driver's seat" implies that it is after the draw in a draw game, or in a late round in a stud or hold 'em game, and the person being checked to had bet large in a no-limit game, raised earlier, or bet every preceding round.

Drop Fold.

Drop Out To retire from a hand by not calling a bet or raise (Fold).

Ducks A pair of Twos.

Eagles The cards of a fifth suit in a sixty-five-card deck.

Early Bet A small bet after the first card in stud or the first two cards in draw.

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. )

Edge 1) An advantageous position. 2) The dealer or sometimes the Age.

Edge Odds The advantage or disadvantage of a player relative to all other players.

Edge Shot A bet made from an advantageous position.

Eldest Hand The first player to the dealer's left.

Elimination Like Cincinnati, but cards matched with table cards are discarded (Weary Willie).

End Bet The last bet of an interval.

End Bets Last-round bets.

End Strippers Cards tapered along the ends for cheating.

English Poker Draw played with a blind opening.

English Stud A stud game with a draw.

Entry Fee An entry fee is usually payable for all tournaments (unless they are freerolls) these may be as little as a few cents or as large as thousands of dollars.

Usage:
A Party Poker entry fee may look something like this:

No Limit Hold Em $30+$3

The total payable is therefore $33. $30 goes to the prize fund and $3 to the game organiser, in the example, Party Poker.

Equity Your "rightful" share of a pot. If the pot contains $80, and you have a 50% chance of winning it, you have $40 equity in the pot. This term is somewhat fanciful since you will either win $80 or $0, but it gives you an idea of how much you can "expect" to win.

Ethics or Etiquette The understandings and courtesies of which violations do not constitute cheating.

Even Money A wager made in hopes of earning the amount that was wagered.

Expectation 1. A term referring to the amount of you expect to gain on average if you make a certain play. For instance, suppose you put $10 into a $50 pot to draw at a hand that you will make 25% of the time, and it will win every time you make it. Three out of four times, you do not make your draw, and lose $10 each time for a total of $30. The fourth time, you will make your draw, winning $50. Your total gain over those four average hands is $50-$30 = $20, an average of $5 per hand. Thus calling the $10 has a positive expectation of $5. 2. The amount you expect to make at the poker table in a specific time period. Perhaps in 100 hours play, you have won $527. Then your expectation is $5.27/hr. Of course, you won't make that exact amount each hour (and some hours you will lose), but it's one measure of your anticipated earnings.

Exposed Cards Cards purposely dealt face-up as in stud.

Exposed Pair An exposed pair, as opposed to a split pair or a hidden pair.

Facecard A king, queen, or jack.

False Cut 1)A cheating maneuver in which the deck appears to be cut, but the stacked portion remains unchanged at the top. 2) Give the deck such a cut.

False Openers A hand that was opened without having opening requirements.

Usage:
For example, in jacks or better, the opener must have already in his hand at least a pair of jacks. Someone in next-to-last position in an unopened pot might have four cards to a straight flush and dearly like to open the pot. If he does, he is said to have false openers. Usually the opener of a pot has to show openers. If he cannot prove he had openers, the player cannot win the pot.

Family Pot A pot in which all (or almost all) of the players call before the flop.

Usage:
Like in sentence: "Everybody wants to see the flop here, this sure is a family pot".

Fast As in "play fast". To play a hand aggressively, betting and raising as much as possible. Example: "When you flop a set but there's a flush draw possible, you have to play it fast".

Fifth Street Also known as the "river" card. In flop games, this represents the fifth community card on the table and the final round of betting. In Stud games, this is the fifth card dealt to each player and represents the third round of betting.

Fill To draw a card that makes a five-card hand (straight, flush, full house, straight flush).

Fill Up To fill a Full House.

Fish A player who loses money. An old saying is "If you can't spot the fish at the table, *you* are the fish."

Fishhooks Slang for Jacks.

Five of a Kind Five cards of the same value.

Five-card Draw A poker game in which the player is dealt five cards down. They have one draw to replace them and the best high hand wins the pot.

Five-card Stud A poker game in which each player is dealt five cards, one down and four up, with betting after 2, 3, 4, & 5 cards.

Fixed Limit In limit poker, any betting structure in which the amount of the bet on each particular round is pre-set.

Flash 1) To turn up a common card for everyone's use when insufficient cards are available to complete a stud game. 2) Five cards, one of each suit plus the joker.

Flashed Card A card that is partially exposed.

Flat Call Calling a bet without raising.

Flat Limit A variant of fixed limit where all bets are the same amount.

Floorman An employee of the cardroom who makes rulings and decisions.

Flop In Hold'em and Omaha, 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.

Flop a Set To catch a third card of the same denomination on the Flop when holding a pocket pair.

Usage:
As in "I managed to flop a set."

Flop Games Poker games (Hold'em and Omaha) that are played using community cards that are dealt face up in the center of the table.

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.

Force-In A mandatory blind bet, usually with an option to raise.

Forced Bet A required bet that starts the action on the first round of a poker hand.

Foul A hand which may not be played for one reason or another. A player with a foul hand may not make any claim on any portion of the pot. Example: "He ended up with three cards after the flop, so the dealer declared his hand foul".

Foul Hand A hand containing the wrong number of cards.

Four Flush Four cards to a Flush.

Four of a Kind Four cards of the same number or face value ("quads").

Fourth Street In flop games, it is the fourth community card dealt (also known as "the turn") and represents the third round of betting. In Stud games, it is the fourth card dealt to each player and represents the second round of betting.

Free Card The card you get as result of semi-bluffing from late or last position so that all the players check to you.

Freeroll A chance to win something at no risk or cost.

Freeze-Out A table-stakes game that continues until a small number of players (possibly only one) has all the money.

Full Barn Slang for Full House.

Full Boat Slang for Full House.

Full Buy A buy-in of at least the minimum requirement of chips needed for a particular game.

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

Usage:
Three kings and two 3s is a full house, often known as kings full, and sometimes more specifically as kings full of 3s.

Full Tub Three of a kind with another pair (Full Hand).

Gallery Nonplaying spectators.

Gambler A player who wagers money at unfavorable edge odds.

Gambling Betting money at unfavorable investment and edge odds.

Get Full Value To raise, bet or re-raise with the intention of getting the maximum pot odds if you win the hand.

Go All In To bet all of one's money in table stakes.

Grand A thousand dollars or other currency.

Graveyard The shift between midnight and breakfast in a 24-hour cardroom or casino.

Usage:
Graveyard shift usually starts anywhere between midnight and 2 am and ends eight hours later.). As in: "When do you work?" "I'm on graveyard."

Gravy One's winnings.

Grifter A cheat

Grinding Playing in a style with minimal risk and modest gains over a long period of time.


Usage:
Like in sentence "Tony has been grinding away at $5/$10 limit all month".

Gut Shot To draw to and/or hit an inside straight.

Gutshot Straight An straight filled "inside". If you have 9s-8s, the flop comes 7c-5h-2d, and the turn is the 6c, you've made your gutshot straight.

Gypsy In In lowball it's to limp in.

Hand A player's best five cards.

Head to Head Two people playing poker.

Heads Up A pot that is being contested by only two players.

Usage:
Like in sentence "It was heads up by the turn".

Hearts One of the four playing card suits.

Help Card One that improves one's hand.

High Hand The best hand in any round of poker.

High Limit A game where the amounts wagered are high.

High Roller A gambler who plays for large stakes. Being a High Roller is often times relative. Extreme High Rollers are also referred to as "Whales".

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-Low Split pot games.

High-Low Split Games where half the pot goes to the highest ranking poker hand and half goes to the lowest ranking poker hand

Hit As in "the flop hit me". It means the flop contained cards that help your hand. If you have AK, and the flop comes K-7-2, it hit you.

Hit And Run The act of joining a poker game, winning big in a short period of time, and leaving the table.

Hitchhiker A player who comes into a pot cheaply as the victim of a trap.

Hold'em Also known as Texas Hold 'em, where the players get two down cards and five community cards. See our complete Hold 'em rules in our Game Rules section.

Hole Cards These are the Down Cards in front of the players.

Home Run Hitter A player who makes risky calls and wins.

Hook A Jack. So named because the "J" resembles a hook.

Horsing Passing a small amount of money to another player after winning a pot, AKA "scooting".

Hot Deck A deck from which good hands are being dealt.

Hot Hands A run of high-value hands.

Hot Seat A seat in a poker game where the players have had winning hands.

Usage:
Like in sentence "Players to watch and coaches who are on the hot seat".

Hot Streak A run of good "luck" or winning hands (Spinner).

House The casino or cardroom that is hosting the poker game.

House Rules Rules, especially betting, agreed upon by the players.

Ice A cold deck.

Ideal Edge Odds The theoretical maximum edge odds, which are impossible to achieve.

Idle Card A card that adds no value to a hand.

If See Gambler's Last Charge.

Ignorant End The lower end of a straight in a game that has community cards.

Image What kind of player others currently perceive you as.

Immortal 1) The best possible hand. 2) A certain winner.

Implied Odds The odds you are getting after the assumed result of betting for the remainder of the hand.

Improve To draw cards that improve one's hand.

In To remain in the pot.

In a Row Or in a Line. A sequence or a straight.

In Action The time when a player is involved in playing his hand.

In the Hole Cards dealt face-down in stud poker.

In the Middle The position of the players calling bets between two raising players (Middle Man).

Index 1) The number or letter printed on the corners of cards. 2) The marks a cheater puts on the edge of cards.

Indexing A cheater's technique to mark cards with his fingernail or a device.

Indirect Bet An opponent betting or raising for a player sandbagging a strong hand.

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.

Insurance A side agreement when someone is all-in for a player in a pot to put up money that guarantees a payoff of a set amount in case the opponent wins the pot.

Intentional Flashing Purposely flashing or showing one's closed cards to an opponent.

Investment Odds The estimated returns on betting investments.

Iron Duke An unbeatable hand (Ironclad Hand).

J Hook A Jack

J-Boy A jack.

Jack and Back Jackpot poker that reverts to low-ball if no one opens (Jack and Reverse, Jacks Back, Jackson).

Jack Up To raise.

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.

Jackpot Poker A form of poker in which the cardroom or casino offers a jackpot to a player who has lost with a really big hand (usually Aces full or better).

Jacks to Open Draw poker in which jacks or better are required to open (Jackpots).

Jacks-or- Better A form of poker in which a player needs to have at least a pair of jacks to open the betting.

Jackson Five A hand with a pair of Jacks and at least one Five.

Usage:
Also "Rock and Roll". Derived from the Motown singing group the Jackson Five, where pop king Michael Jackson started his career.

Jagging A cheater's technique to mark cards with his fingernail or a device.

Jake A jack.

Jam A pot where several players are raising.

Jammed Pot A pot that has been raised the maximum number of times.


Usage:
Like in sentence "Mark had the nuts and jammed the pot."

Jinx A curse of bad luck.

Jog An unevenly stacked deck used by a cheater to mark where his partner should cut the deck (Step).

John A jack.

Joker The joker is a "partially wild card" in high draw poker and ace-to-five lowball. In high, it is used for aces, straights, and flushes. In lowball, the joker is the lowest unmatched rank in a hand. The 53rd card added to a deck.

Joker Poker Poker played with the joker as wild.

Jonah An unlucky player.

Kansas City Lowball Form of lowball poker in which the worst poker hand (2, 3, 4, 5, 7 of different suits) is the best hand. It's also known as Deuce to Seven.


Usage:
In ace-to-five lowball, the hand 7-5-4-3-2; so called, because that is the best hand in Kansas City lowball. In ace-to-five lowball, when used attributively with a rank, generally means that card plus 5-4-3-2. For example, a Kansas City 8 is the hand 8-5-4-3-2.


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

Key Card A card that gives you a big draw or makes your hand.

Key Hand In a session or tournament, the one hand that ends up being a turning point for the player, either for better or worse.

Kibitzer A commenting spectator.

Kick It Raise.

Kicker The highest unpaired side card in a players' hand.


Usage:
Like in sentence "John has made a pair of Aces but he must be worried about his low kicker".

Kill Also Kill Blind. An oversize blind, usually twice the size of the big blind and doubling the limit. Sometimes a “half-kill” increasing the blind and limits by fifty percent is used. A kill can be either voluntary or mandatory. The most common requirements of a mandatory kill are for winning two pots in a row at lowball and other games, or for scooping a pot in high-low split.

Kill Button A button used in a lowball game to indicate a player who has won two pots in a row and is required to kill the pot.

Kill Pot A method to stimulate action. It is a forced bet by someone who has just won a pot(s).

Knave A Jack.

Knock Check.

Kojak A hand that contains a K-J.

Komodo Dragoned When a players hand is defeated because of an opponent completing a straight or flush on the river.

Ladies Two Queens.

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 button).

Lay Down Your Hand When a player folds.

Lay Odds To give favorable odds to an opponent.

Lead The first player to bet into a pot.

Leader The player who is betting first.

Leak To show one's hole cards (often unknowingly).

Leg Up Being in a situation equivalent to having won the previous pot, and thus liable to have to kill the following pot if you win the current pot.

Legitimate Hand A strong hand. A hand that is not a bluff.

Let Slide To not call another player one thinks is probably bluffing.

Lid The top card of the deck.

Limit The maximum bet or raise allowed.

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

Limit Stakes Poker with maximum bets and raises established by the house rules.

Limp In To enter the pot by calling rather than raising. (The usual concept of "Limp In" is when the first person to speak just calls the Big Blind.)

Limper The first player who calls a bet.

Liner A face card. (Because you can see a line when the card is face down and the lower right corner is lifted).

List The ordered roster of players waiting for a game.

Little Blind The first and smallest blind bet.

Little Cat A nonstandard hand sometimes given value in a private or home game, five cards 3 to 9 with no pair (in some circles, 3 to 8 with no pair), ranks above a big dog, and below a big tiger.

Usage:
Also called little tiger.

Little Dog A nonstandard hand sometimes given value in a private or home game, five cards 2 to 7 with no pair, ranks below a big dog and above a straight.

Live Blind An instance where the player puts in a dark bet and is allowed to raise, even if no other player raises. It's also known as an "option".

Live Card(s) In Stud Games, cards that have not yet been seen and are presumed to still be in play.

Live Hand A hand that could still win the pot.

Live One A not so knowledgeable player who plays a lot of hands.

Lock A hand that cannot lose.

Lock-Up A chip marker that holds a seat for a player.

Long Odds When there is a very low probability that something will happen.

Look When a player calls the final bet before the showdown.

Loose Is a player who plays a lot hands.

Loose Game A game with a lot of players in most hands.

Usage:
Like in sentence "The games on <a href="party-poker">PartyPoker</a> are very loose."

Low Limit A game where the amounts wagered are small.

Lowball Is a form of draw poker in which the lowest hand wins the pot.

Lowcard The lowest upcard at seven-card stud, which is required to bet.

Luck An illusion of winning or losing beyond statistical reality.

Luck Out To outdraw and beat a good hand.

Usage:
Like in sentence "I had the nuts until the river when he lucked out on me with a straight".

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.

Make To make the deck is to shuffle the deck.

Maniac A very aggressive player who plays a lot of hands.

Marked Cards Cards that have been (illegally) altered so that their value can be read from the back.

Maverick The name of a Queen and Jack in the pocket. Suited or otherwise.

Mechanic A cheat who manipulates the deck. One who unfairly manipulates the cards, such as a cheat who deals cards from the bottom instead of from the top of the deck (where they should come from), or from the middle, or deals the second card from the top, or who falsely shuffles the cards so as to arrange them in a manner he has predetermined, or who palms cards, or uses any other of scores of cheating methods involving card manipulation or sleight of hand. Synonym - Artist.

Meet To meet is to call.

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.


Usage:
Like in sentence "You have Ad 9h in your hand, the flop is Ks 9s 6h. You have a pair of Nines, the middle pair."

Middle Position Somewhere between the early and late positions on a round of betting (the fifth, sixth and seventh seats to the left of the button).

Minimum Buy-In The least amount you can start a game with.

Miscall An incorrect verbal declaration of the ranking of a hand.

Misdeal A mistake on the dealing of a hand which causes the cards to be reshuffled and a new hand to be dealt.

Miss The act of not being able to make a drawing hand when a player's final cards are dealt.

Missed Blind A require