Poker Terms

 

Aces Full - The best full house possible, three aces and any other pair.

 

All-in - A player betting his entire stash on a hand is said to go all-in.

 

Bad Beat - A phrase used to describe surprising loss, for example when full house is topped by a straight or when a player is beaten by a lucky draw.

 

Bankroll - The value of the chips that you have for a game.

 

Big Blind - In big time poker tournaments like the World Series of Poker or the World Poker Tour, the Big Blind is the larger of the two forced bets that kick off the first betting round is required from the player sitting two spots to the left of the dealer. The blind value is usually set for each game and is often twice that of the small blind.

 

Big Slick - A strong starting hand in the game of Texas Hold'em. It refers to being dealt an ace and a king as your hole cards.

 

Blind: A required bet that must be made prior to any cards being dealt.

 

Bluff: To raise or remain in a game despite possessing a hand that is unlikely to beat that of other players.

 

Bottom Pair - Refers to making a pair from the lowest community card on the board.

 

Bullets - Being dealt a pair of aces as your hole cards, stronger even than the "Big Slick".

 

Button - Because a casino game does not involve individual players dealing, a button is used to denote the position on the table that represents the dealer.

 

Buy-in - The amount of money necessary to join a poker game.

 

Check-raise - Refers tot he two-fold process of checking the first time the bet comes to you during a round, but then raising the next time the bet comes around.

 

Connectors - Cards in succession (that begin to form a straight (a Queen and a King for example).

 

Cowboys - A pair of kings as your two hole cards, indicates a very strong hand.

 

Dominated Hand - In games such as Omaha or Texas Hold?em, refers to a hand that looks good on the surface but is generally a hand that will not stand up over the course of the game.

 

Downcards: Cards dealt facedown to players.

 

Double Up - Putting your entire bankroll on the line during a game (all-in) and then winning, thereby doubling your bankroll.

 

Drawing Dead - Refers to a player still in the pot hoping for the right a draw, but who will still lose to superior hand even if the draw occurs.

 

Early Position - A decided position of disadvantage, referring to the first few betting positions to the dealer?s left.

 

Flop - In the game of Texas Hold?em, the flop is the term for the first three community cards turned over.

 

Free Roll - Where no entry money is necessary to get into a poker game, a players is given a "free roll" to begin the game.

 

High Roller - A player who likes to place very big bets. This of course a relative term depending on the stakes played in a game.

 

Hit - Drawing a card in stud poker or getting a great flop from a community card.

 

Hole Card(s) - The cards that poker players get dealt that remain face down in a game are called the "hole cards".

 

Late Position - This a term to describe the betting position of a player again relative to the dealer. Players in the "Late position" have the advantage of seeing how the rest of the table has bet each round.

 

No Limit - A poker game where there is no betting limit. In such a game a player may bet all of the chips he/she has on the table on any given round.

 

Kicker - The highest card that serves as a tie-breaker with equally ranked poker hands.

 

Monster - An extremely strong hand, not a guaranteed winner but a likely winner.

 

Muck - The Muck is the pile of discarded cards.

 

Nuts - As opposed to a monster, the Nuts is an unbeatable hand no matter what community card comes up next.

 

Outs - Refers to the various cards on the draw that could make a player?s existing hand a winner.

 

Over the top - The act of raising yet again another player?s raise.

 

Pot Odds - The term referring to the amount of money in the pot relative to what you must put in the pot to stay in a game. If there is $100 in the pot and you need to call a $10 bet to stay in, we would say the "pot odds" are 10:1.

 

Quads - Refers to the third strongest poker hand possible, four of a kind.

Rakeback - Rakeback is a percentage of the rake which is refunded to players either from the poker room or through a poker room affiliate.

 

River - The fifth community card flipped over in the center in the game of Texas Hold?em is called the River.

 

Short Stack - When a player has the fewest chips during a game that player is said to have a "short stack". Is a serious disadvantage to players in big time poker games due to the forced blinds in such games.

 

Small Blind - In big time poker tournaments like the World Series of Poker or the World Poker Tour, the Small Blind is the smaller of two forced bets that start the betting process off and is required of the player directly to the left of the dealer. The value of the blind is generally set in such games.

 

Structured Betting - Whenever a poker game has specified betting format. In such games, bets come in fixed amounts and often raises come in certain amounts as well. In addition, as the game progresses, subsequent bets must increase in value.

 

Table Stakes - A phrase used for many aspects of the game, from being unable to add money to your bankroll while a game is in progress as well as preventing a player with a smaller bankroll from being forced to fold to a player with a higher bankroll. In such instances, side betting pots are created.

 

Top Pair - Pairing the highest community card on the board.

 

Turn - The fourth card dealt on the board during community card games.(In Texas or Omaha Hold?em, is the fourth community card, sometimes referred to as "Fourth Street" or as the "Turncard".

 

Upcards - Cards that are dealt face up for all opponents to see.

 

Weak - A player who folds easily when playing the game.