Term

Explanation

The best possible hand, based on the board cards. Sometimes simply called ‘the nuts’.

The amount of money wagered by a player during a playing session. In poker, the placing of money into the pot. Also used to indicate who is up to bet ('The action in on you...')

One who is still in the pot.

To make an obvious play or expose cards in such a way as to deliberately convey an impression to your opponents about your style of play.

A flush.

To push all of your remaining chips into the pot.

The player sitting in the last position at a poker table before the dealer. This is the person who makes the final decision, thereby anchoring the game.

A term usually used in poker to refer to the first money wagered on a hand, or the minimum amount that each player is required to put into the pot before a new hand can begin.

A pair of Aces. Also known as Bullets or Pocket Rockets.

Taking action or talking when it is not your turn in order to mislead your opponent. Some consider this to be cheating, others consider these tactics to be a part of the game.

Nickname for a player that is loose aggressive. Animals are involved in too many hands and will almost always bet and raise when given the opportunity, often with garbage hands. Also known as a Maniac.

A low ranked card (usually 2 through 5).

To make a hand that is different than the hand you were originally trying for.

An unfinished hand that requires help from both the turn and river in order to win. Also known as a runner runner hand.

Even worse then the gutshot is the backdoor flush. This is when you need two perfect cards of the same suit to complete your hand.

A reraise from a player that previously limped in onthe same betting round.

To have a hand that is the clear mathematical favourite lose to a heavy underdog (especially if that hand should not have been involved in the pot).

Also called the House, the person responsible for distributing chips, keeping track of the buy-ins, and paying winners at the end of the game.

The total amount of money a player has for a gaming session.

An abbreviation for Big Blind.

A draw to fill an inside straight, aka a Gutshot.

A game with many unskilled or "live" players; a lucrative opportunity for profit.

a wager or gamble

The minimum and maximum that can be wagered on one bet.

The position two to the left of the button, who is forced to pay a full small bet prior to the hole cards being dealt in Hold'em.

In Texas Hold’em, an Ace and a Queen (suited or unsuited) as your hole cards.

Big Slick In Texas Hold’em, an Ace and a King (suited or unsuited) as your hole cards.

To lose small amounts continually, so as to add up to a large loss.

A bet that certain poker players are required to make as a result of their betting position.

Refers to holding one of the opponent's outs, typically when the board threatens a straight or straight draw.

In poker, players bluff when raising a weak hand in the hope of driving out players with a stronger hand.

On the last betting round, a hand that cannot win if the opponent is making a legitimate value bet, but that might win if the opponent's bet was a pure bluff.

The community cards.

To raise

Any card placed in the discard rack without being entered into play. After the deck is shuffled and cut, one card is burned.

Brick and Mortar; a real life casino (as opposed to an online casino).

A card that appears useless. Also known as a rag.

The Community Cards

Ful House. Also known as a Full Boat

Belonging to several online poker sites and always taking advantage of each deposit bonus offered. See www.BonusWhores.com for updated info.

A reward given in a tournament to someone who meets certain criteria. Some examples of these criteria from Zoo tournaments are:
knocking a certain person out of the tournament, winning with a certain hand, and finishing the tournament is a certain position.

An abbreviation for bankroll.

Any card Ten or higher. Often used to refer to an ace high straight, although technically that is a Broadway Straight.

Finishing a tournament in the spot nearest the money. Example: In a 60 person tournament, if the top 8 spots pay, finishing 9th would be finishing 'on the Bubble'.

A pair of aces. Also known as American Airlines or Pocket Rockets.

To bluff repeatedly at all opportunities, or a player who does so.

To raise

A card dealt from the top of the deck and laid face down on the table, out of play. A burn card is dealt before each the flop, turn and river in Texas Hold'Em

To lose your buy in.

The disk that represents the dealer in a given hand.

The amount of money that is necessary to play a particular game, or the amount of money that you to play a game.

Betting or raising in order to make any players between you and the button fold. If successful, you are now last to act on any subsequent rounds of betting.

To bluff bet or raise in order to win the pot.

To receive needed cards on a draw.

To continue playing with a hand that is not likely the best - usually because one has already invested money in the pot.

If you are not required to bet, you can pass the betting on to the next player by Checking.

To raise when you have previously checked in the same round of betting. Often used to draw players in when you have a very good hand (or want to represent one).

A poor hand. Also referred to as Rags.

Tokens used at gaming tables in lieu of cash.

To return the blinds to the players who posted them and move on to the next hand if nobody calls the blind.

When 2 players agree to take back their blind bets if there is no action ahead of them. Note that once you agree to chop the blinds with your neighbour, you are expected to always chop the blinds with them.

Bait that is used to attract hungry sharks and send them into a feeding frenzy. Don’t be chum.

A card that is likely to make your hand the best at the table.

A player on a losing streak.

To call more than one bet at a time. Note that this is not the same as calling a bet, then calling a subsequent raise since you are calling 2 single bets.

A poker hand that is defined by all five cards. That is a straight, flush, straight flush, or a full house.

The dealer divides the deck of cards into two parts and then inverts them after they have been shuffled.

Exchanging chips for those of a lower denomination.

Exchanging chips for those of a higher denomination.

A drawing hand. Example: An open ended straight is a come hand.

Also called a Made Hand. A hand that does not need any help to win.

When the small blind chooses to call by putting in the chips necessary

Consecutive suited or unsuited cards that assist in making a straight.

A bet made after the flop by the player who took the lead in betting before the flop.

When your hand loses value because a board card
duplicates it or a board card gives others a similar hand. Example: You hold A 4 and the board is A 7 4. You have 2 pair, which is now ahead of A K. The turn is a 7. Your hand has just been counterfeited, since your 2 pair is no longer as valuable as it was prior to the turn.

A pair of Kings.

To beat a better hand. Example: to crack AA with J6 on community cards J,J,6,Q,4.

To win a critical hand in a tournament, leaving your opponent very short stacked.

Your hand contains most or all of the beneficial cards that could be used in conjunction with the board.

To call with no cards to come, while expecting to lose.

The person to the right of the button.

Taking action, such as checking or betting, without seeing your hole cards. This is also used when the person who is first to act takes action prior to the next board card being revealed.

Two pair, Aces and Eights - named because it's the hand Wild Bill Hickock is said to have been holding when he was killed.

Money that has been put in the pot by people who are no longer in contention to win the pot.

The muck.

A casino employee who deals the various games.

Another name for a 2.

On a gaming table, the box that serves as a repository for cash, markers, and chips.

A hand that contains 3 or fewer outs against another hand. Example: AK dominates AQ, since AQ needs one of the remaining 3 Queens in the deck in order to beat AK.

In no limit, winning a heads up pot when you have gone all in (thus, doubling your chip total).

A card that is dealt face down.

New cards being dealt.

When no matter what cards come on the turn and / or the river, you cannot beat your opponent's hand. Also called a Come Hand.

When you need more cards to make a viable hand. Example: you have 10, Q and the flop came down J, K, 3. Unless a 9, 10, Q or Ace comes on the turn or the river, you have no hand, so it is a Drawing Hand.

Not drawing dead.

A pair of Twos.

To fold a hand.

The casino's advantage over the player in any game. Also known as house edge.

An abbreviation for "Early Middle Position".

An abbreviation for "Early Position".

The king, queen or jack of each suit.

A pot in which many players are involved in the hand.

Used to describe playing a hand aggressively.

The fifth and last community card. Also known as the River.

A poor poker player, relative to their competition. Also called a Donkey or a Pigeon.

To show one or more of your cards, usually when it is not required.

To call one or more bets without raising, when you are quite sure that you have the best hand. See also smooth call.

Shortened form of “Floor Person”; a casino employee who helps to seat players and makes rules decisions when a dispute arises.

The first three community cards in Texas Hold'Em.

A hand consisting of five cards of one suit.

When a player declines a bet and drops out of the hand.

Four cards of the same rank. Also known as quads.

The fourth community card. Also known as the Turn.

A hand consisting of a three of a kind and a pair. Also known as a Boat or a Full Boat.

A mandatory bet.

“Fancy Play Syndrome”. Playing tricky when you probably should have played straight forward.

Betting or raising in late position on the flop in the hopes that the other players will check to you on the turn, give you the option of seeing the river card for free.

A round in which no one bets.

Having a lock on half the pot, but also having a chance to win the whole pot. Example: Player X holds Ks Qc, and player Y holds Kd Qd and the flop comes Kc 7d 4d. Both players are tied for the high hand, but Player Y is free rolling because he could win the entire pot if a diamond comes.

Tournament that only ends when one person has won all of the tournament chips.

A worthless hand. Also used to refer to the Muck.

Nickname for having Qs5s as your hole cards. This is credited to long time 2+2 forum poster GrannyMae.

A player who earns a living by making small profits over a long period of consistent, conservative play.

A gutshot is a straight draw where only one card makes your hand. Also known as an Inside Straight or a Belly Buster.

Records of games played at online sites that show all of the players' hands for past deals.

Playing against a single opponent.

A pair of high-ranked cards. Example: A pair of Jacks

Large-denomination chips.

When the flop cards are helpful to your hand.

An abbreviation for “High limit”.

When a hand that is leading manages to win the pot at showdown.

Your unique cards that are hidden from everyone else. Also known as pocket cards.

A pair of Jacks.

The perception that other people have of your playing style.

Complicated concept related to statistical betting. GOod explanation is given here: implied pot odds

A straight that requires an inside card to complete, as opposed to an open ended straight. Also known as a Belly Buster or Gutshot.

Lots of action, especially raising.

Keep (someone) Honest

To call a final bet while not expecting to win, for the primary purpose of discouraging future bluffs.

A card used as a tie breaker when 2 hand are nearly identical. For example, if 2 hands contain a pair of Tens, the hand that has the highest card in addition to the pair of Tens would win. This card is called the kicker. Thus, a pair of Tens with an Ace kicker beats a pair of Tens with a Queen kicker.

A hand that is played for double stakes based on the previous hand meeting certain criteria.

A button that is placed in front of the player who is responsible for a kill game.

To check (as in knocking on the table).

Having a King and a Jack as your hole cards.

An abbreviation for Loose Aggressive.

To fold a hand.

To enter the round by calling a bet, rather than raising.

A bet posted by a player under conditions that give him the option to raise even if no other player raises first.

A game with a lot of action, usually including many unskilled players, especially maniacs.

A low probability of a certain thing happening.

A low-ranked pair. Example: a pair of threes.

Also called a Complete Hand. A hand that does not need any help to win.

Nickname for a player that is loose aggressive. Maniacs are involved in too many hands and will almost always bet and raise when given the opportunity, often with garbage hands. Also known as an animal.

To become too attached to a hand, usually seeing a showdown when it was clear that you should have folded earlier.

A starting hand of QJ.

A mid-range ranked pair. Example: a pair of sevens.

An abbreviation for “Middle limit”.

A superior hand that is unlikely to lose.

To throw in your cards without showing them. Either on a fold or when everyone else has folded.

An abbreviation for “No limit”.

The best possible type of hand, such as “nut flush” or “nut straight”; this is not necessarily the absolute nuts.

The best possible hand, based on the board cards. Sometimes called the absolute nuts.

Cards that are not of the same suit.

The Jack of Spades, Jack of Hearts and King of Diamonds

When either the top or bottom card of a straight draw could make your straight. Example: you have 5,6 in the hole and the community cards are 7, 10, K. You need either a 4 or an 8 to make your straight, so it is Open Ended.

Raising as the first one in the pot preflop (rather than simply calling the bet).

The choice given to the player in the big blind, allowing them to call or raise.

One complete rotation around the table.

To lose to another hand with a better kicker than yours.

To beat a hand that you were losing to on an earlier street.

Cards remaining in the deck that will help your hand win a pot.

Calling a bet after at least one other person has already called.

A pocket card that is higher than the highest board card.

A pocket pair that is higher than the highest board card.

Raise after one has been raised. Also called a re-raise.

Another term for a face card.

To not bet, to fold.

A style of play characterized by checking and calling.

To call a river bet when the prior action leads you to believe that you are beat, but the pot is big enough to make the call reasonable.

Deciding to see the turn or river when the odds don’t quite justify a call.

An abbreviation for “pre flop”.

Where 5 community cards are delt, if your best hand is on the board and you go to the showdown you are said to "play the board".

Your unique cards that are hidden from everyone else. Also known as hole.

A pair of Aces. Also known as Bullets or American Airlines.

A blank face that does not reveal anything about the cards being held. Often used metaphorically outside the world of poker.

To bet or raise.

To pay the blind(s) when not in the big blind position, often done when first sitting at a table or when you sat out and missed your turn to pay the blinds.

To post a bet amount equal to the small and the big blind combined.

Someone who posted during the current hand.

The amount of money that accumulates in the middle of the table as each player antes, bets, and raises. The pot goes to the winner of the hand.

When a player has put so much of their stack into the pot that they cannot afford to fold, even if they don't think they will win, they are said to be Pot Committed.

A method of calculating how much you should bet on a given hand, based on how likely the hand is to win and the amount of money in the pot. Risk versus reward.

Holding a pair of 5’s as your hole cards in Texas Hold’em.

A bet after the flop by a player who did not take the lead in betting before the flop (and when the player that did take the lead in betting before the flop declined to act).

Prop (proposition) Player

A player that gets paid an hourly rate to start poker games or to help them stay active. Prop players play with their own money, which distinguishes them from shills, who play with the casino's money.

Dealer button.

To play a hand aggressively.

To suspect that someone has a certain hand.

Four of a Kind

A card that appears useless. Also known as a blank.

A board containing cards that don’t appear helpful.

Poor cards.

Game observers. Railbirds should not comment on game play.

A board that contains all different suits, making it impossible for a flush on the next card.

A player raises by matching the previous bet and then betting more, to increase the stake for remaining players.

The money that the casino charges for each hand of poker. It is usually a percentage (5-10%) or flat fee that is taken from the pot after each round of betting.

Three of four cards of different suits

The worth of a set of cards.

To represent a hand is to play as if you hold it (whether you actually hold it or are bluffing).

Raise after one has been raised. Also coming "over the top".

A game that is played for actual stakes, as opposed to a tournament game. Also known as a live game.

The fifth and last community card. Also known as 5th Street.

Losing a hand on the river, while you were ahead and the clear favorite on the turn. Can also be used to describe a hand being made using the river card.

A tight player who is normally only involved in hands in which he/she is the heavy favorite to win. A rock will generally only bet or raise with top notch hands.

A game comprised of many rocks.

Another term for 2 aces as your hole cards.

An abbreviation for "Return on Investment".

A professional poker player.

A movie released in 1998 that portrays Matt Damon and Edward Norton as poker players.

An ace high straight flush; the best possible hand.

A come hand that requires help from both the turn and river in order to win. Also known as a backdoor hand.

Losing for a period of time.

Winning streak. A player who has won several big pots recently is said to be on a rush.

Another term for slow playing.

A tournament in which the prize is a free entrance to another (larger) tournament.

An abbreviation for small blind.

A board card that can easily turn a winning hand into a losing hand. The classic scare card example is when you hold KK and board flops an Ace.

Winning an entire pot, usually (but not necessarily) by having a hand that is both the high and low hand in a split game.

Giving someone a small amount of chips when you win a pot. Also called horsing.

Playing a very strong hand weakly in order to disguise your strength and keep other players from folding. Also known as slow playing.

A term coined by David Sklansky. To bet or raise with more cards to come when you believe your hand is currently beaten, but has a fair chance of improving into the best hand.

A period of time spent playing in a poker game, normally measured in hours.

Three of a kind when you hold a pair in your hand and a third shows on the board.

A poker tournament format where the last remaining player of a table goes on to play the remaining players of other tables.

A poker game that is played with around six players or less, as opposed to a full ring game, which is usually nine or ten players.

A relatively small amount of chips (as compared to the other players at the table). Also used to identify the player who has the smallest number of chips at the table.

When two or more players are left after betting has been completed and they show their cards to see who wins.

The extra pot that is created when someone goes all in. The person who went all in is only eligible for the main pot, not the side pot(s).

A card that is the only one of its rank.

To stop playing a hand as aggressively as it was played on earlier streets.

Playing a very strong hand weakly in order to disguise your strength and keep other players from folding. Also known as sandbagging.

In a limit game, the smaller of the two bets in the betting structure. Therefore, in a 10/20 game, each $10 bet is considered a small bet.

The position one to the left of the button, who is forced to pay a fraction (usually 1/2 or 2/3) of a small bet prior to the hole cards being dealt in Hold'em.

To call one or more bets without raising, when you are quite sure that you have the best hand. See also flat call.

An abbreviation for a "Sit and Go" tournament, as opposed to a scheduled tournament.

For the next board card to be a specific rank that you need to help your hand.

Tossing your chips into the pot, rather than placing them on the table in front of your cards. Splashing the pot is frowned upon.

For a casino or poker room to offer a certain poker game.

The amount of money you currently have at the table.

In Texas Hold'Em, your two hole cards.

To win the pot by bluffing.

Preflop open betting from the cutoff or button in the hopes that everyone following you will fold.

Playing recklessly when you're frustrated.

In poker, a hand consisting of five cards of consecutive ranks.

A hand consisting of five cards of consecutive ranks of the same suit.

An optional raise by the person to the immediate left of the big blind, declared before the cards are dealt. Also known as a “live straddle”, because that same person then has the option to re raise.

A raise that is not done in one single motion (this is not allowed in any casino, to my knowledge). The purpose of string betting is to call a bet, quickly gauge your opponents’ reactions, then decide that
you’d like to raise instead.

Losing, often in regards to a certain amount of chips.

A straight completed on the low end of the possible straight on the board.

To win a hand with a hand that was a heavy underdog. This implies that the winner should not have been in the hand, and was very lucky to win the pot.

Observing all or part of a session that one player is involved in, with their consent.

An abbreviation for Tight Aggressive.

The table know-it-all who likes to tell everyone how he or she should be playing their cards.

Losing all of your money.

A "tell" in poker is when you pick up on the behaviour of another player that gives you a strong sense of the strength or weakness of their hand.

The first re raise (putting 3 bets in).

Three cards of the same rank.

Another term for Three of a Kind.

A player who is playing like a fool and gambling all of their money away is said to be throwing a party.

Playing recklessly, usually as a result of a bad beat (real or perceived).

Pair matching the highest card on the board.

When one player is caught between 2 (or more) bettors / raisers, and is unlikely to win the pot.

Another name for a 3.

The fourth community card. Also known as 4th Street.

A hand consisting of two sets of pairs and a singleton.

The first player to act in a given round of betting.

A hand that is unlikely to win the pot.

A pocket pair that is lower than the lowest board card.

A bet in which you wish for your opponent(s) to call. This could be because you have the best or hand or because you have enough outs in order make this bet profitable in the long run.

Abbreviation for "very nice hand" in online poker.

A pair of sevens.

An ace with a low kicker.

A 5 high straight, also known as a bicycle.

Holding a pair in the hole.

A high roller.

An abbreviation for the “World Poker Tour”.