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Poker Lingo

This section contains the most common terms and names of specific hands in most poker games. They are listed in alphabetical order and should cover most of the questions you have when hearing the jargon/lingo of players speaking about the game on TV or in live games. For internet play, look at this list and the abbreviations also to learn the poker language.
A
Aces Full A full house with three aces and any pair.

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

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

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

Add-on                A purchase of more chips (optional) at the end of the re-buy period in a                            tournament.
All-In                  When a player bets all his/her chips.   In online poker, you may be deemed "All-in" when you are disconnected (even if you have chips remaining).

American Airlines Two Aces.

Ante Chips placed in the pot before the hand is begun.

B

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

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

Bet To place chips into the pot.

Bet the Pot When a player bets the amount of the pot.

Bicycle A straight that is A-2-3-4-5.

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 .

Big Chick A hand that contains an Ace and Queen.

Big Dick A hand that contains and Ace and Jack.

Big Lick A hand that contains a 6 and 9 unsuited

Big Slick A hand that contains an Ace and King.

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.

Blind Raise When a player raises without looking at his hand.

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

Boardcards Community cards in a Hold’em game dealt face-up for all players to see. In flop games, five cards are dealt face-up in the center of the table. In 7 Card Stud, four cards are dealt face-up in front of each poker player.

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

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

Bring-In` The forced bet made on the first round of betting by the player who is dealt the lowest card showing in 7 Card Stud and Stud 8 or Better. In Razz (Lowball) it is the highest card showing.
Bring It In To start the betting on the first round.

Bullets Pair of Aces.

Bump To raise.

Button Also known as the dealer button, it is a small round disk that is moved from player to player in a clockwise direction following each hand, to theoretically indicate the dealer of each hand.

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

Call When a player chooses to match the previous bet.

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

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

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

Case Chip A player's last chips.

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

Check When it's a player's turn to act and there has been no action prior to them and he opts not to bet, he ‘checks’.

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

Chop To return the blinds to the players who posted them and move on to the next hand if no other players call. It also means to "split the pot".

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

Community Cards Cards that are face-up and used by all players.

Cowboys Two Kings.

D

Dead Man's Hand     Two pair - Aces and Eight

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

Down Card Hole cards Cards that are dealt face down.

Doyle Brunson It's a Texas Hold’em hand consisting of a 10-2 (Brunson won the World Championship of Poker two years in a row on the final hand with these cards).

Draw To play a poker hand that is not yet good, but could become so if the right cards come.
Example: "I'm not there yet -- I'm drawing." Also used as a noun.
Example: "I have to call because I have a good draw."

Draw Dead Trying to make a poker hand that, even if made, will not win the pot. If you're drawing to make a flush, and your opponent already has a full house, you are"drawing dead." Not a good spot to be in.

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.

Drop                      Fold.

Ducks                    A pair of Twos.

Deuces                  A pair of Twos

Early Position Position on a round of betting where the player must act before most of the other players at the table.(two positions located to the left of the blinds)

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.

Fish A weak player -- one who gives his money away. It's a well-known (though not well-followed) rule among good players to not upset the bad players, because they'll stop having fun and perhaps leave. Thus the phrase, "Don't tap on the aquarium."

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, & 5cards.

Flat Call Calling a bet without raising.

Flop In Texas 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 Games Poker games (Texas 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 poker hand away when it's your turn to act.

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

Four of a Kind 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 poker games, it is the fourth card dealt to each player and represents the second round of betting.

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

Gabor Sisters Pocket Queens

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

Hand A player's best five cards.

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.

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.

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

Inside Straight Four cards which require another between the top and the bottom card to complete a straight. Players who catch this card make an Inside Straight.

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 (Aces full or better).

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

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.

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

Kick It Raise.

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

Knock Check.

Kojak A hand that contains a King and a Jack.

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.

Lead The first player to bet into a pot.

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

Limper The first player who calls a bet.

Limp In To enter the pot by calling rather than raising. The most common understanding of limping in, is when the first person to speak only calls the Big Blind.

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 An inexperienced player who plays a lot of hands.

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

Loose A player who plays a lot hands.

Main Pot The center pot.Any other bets are placed in a side pot(s) and are contested among the remaining players. This occurs when a player(s) goes all-in.

Make To make the deck is to shuffle the deck.

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

Middle Pair In flop games, when a player makes a pair with one of his/her down cards and the middle card on the flop.

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.

Monster A very big hand. In a tournament, a player who begins to accumulate chips after having a small stack is considered to be a monster

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

No Limit A game where players can bet as much as they like (as long as they have it in front of them) on any round of betting.

Nuts The best possible hand at any point of the game. A hand that cannot be beat.

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

Offsuit Cards of a different suit.

Omaha A game in which each player is dealt four down cards with five community cards.To make your hand, you must play two cards from your hand and three from the board.

Open To make the first bet.

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

Open Card A card that is dealt face-up.

Open Pair A pair that has been dealt face-up.

Option An option is a Live Blind made before the cards are dealt.
If no one raises, the ‘option’ player may raise the pot.

Out Button A disc placed in front of a player who wishes to sit out a hand(s) but remain in the game

Paints Face or picture cards (Jack, Queen and King).

Pair Two cards of the same face or number value.

Pass To fold.

Pay Off To call on the final round of betting when you may or may not think you have the best hand.

Picture Cards Face cards (Jack, Queen and King).

Play Back To raise or re-raise another player's bet.

Playing the Board In flop games when your best five card hand is all five of the community cards.

Pocket The down cards or hole cards.

Pocket Rockets A pair of Aces in the pocket or hole.

Position Where a player is seated in relation to the dealer, therefore establishing that player's place in the betting order.
Post When you post a bet, you place your chips in the pot. Also, if you miss the blind, then you must ‘post’ - add as many chips as were in the blind itself.

Pot The chips or chips in the center of a table that players try to win.

Pot Limit This is a game where the maximum bet can equal the pot.

Prop A person hired by the cardroom to work as a shill.

Push When the dealer pushes the chips to the winning player at the end of a hand. It's also when dealers rotate to other tables.

Put Down To fold a hand

Quads Four of a kind.

Qualifier In Hi/Lo games, it is a requirement the Low hand must meet to win the pot.

Rail The rim of a poker table or a barrier outside a poker area.

Railbird Someone who hangs around a poker room who watches the games and/or is looking to get into action.

Railing A person not in the game is watching a person playing, sometimes called "sweating".

Raise To increase the previous bet.

Rake Chips taken from the pot by the cardroom for compensation for hosting the game.

Rank The value of each card and hand.

Rap When a player knocks on the table indicating that he/she has checked.

Razz 7 Card Stud where the lowest five cards win the pot.

Re-buy The amount of chips a player pays to add a fixed number of chips to his/her stack in a tournament.

Re-raise To raise a raise.

Ring Game A "live" game that is not a tournament.

River This is the last card given in all games. In Hold'em and Omaha, it is also known as 5th street. In stud games, it is also known as 7th street.

Round of Betting This is when players have the opportunity to bet, check or raise. Each round of betting ends when the last bet or raise has been called.

Royal Flush This is an Ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10) of the same suit. It is the best possible hand in poker.

Satellite A mini-tournament to gain an entry into a larger tournament.

Scoop To win the entire pot.

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

See To call.

7 card Stud A well-known poker game in which players get three down cards and four up cards. You play the best five of those seven cards. Click here for information on 7-Card Stud.

Seventh Street This is the final round of betting in 7 Card Stud and Stud 8 or Better.

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

Showdown At the end of the final betting round, it's when all active players turn their cards face-up to see who has wonthe pot.

Side Pot A separate pot(s) which is contested by remaining active players when one or more players are all-in.

Sigfried and Roy Pocket Queens

Sixth Street In 7-Card Stud, this is the fourth "up" card dealt to the player (their 6th card). It is also the 4th round of betting.

Soft play Soft play refers to players that are not acting according to the cards they have. They are trying to help a friend or other player by not betting or raising when it would be appropriate to do so. It is considered collusion andcan result in the suspension of a player's account.

Solid A fairly tight player (and reasonably good).

Small Blind The amount put in the pot by the person immediately to the left of the dealer "button" prior to the cards being dealt.

Snowmen A pair of 8's

Speed Limit A pair of fives.

Split Tie.

Stack A pile of chips.

Stay When a player remains in the game by calling rather than raising.

Steel Wheel A five high straight (A-2-3-4-5) of the same suit.

Straddle A straddle is a blind bet which is usually double the size of the big blind, (and one that player may raise when the action gets to him).

Straight Five consecutive cards of any suit.

Straight Flush Five consecutive cards of the same suit.

Structure The limits put on the blinds/ante, bets, and raises in any particular game.

Stud Games Games in which players get down cards and up cards.

Stuck A player who is losing in a game.

Sweat When a player not in the game is following a player while playing. Sometimes called "railing".

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

Third Street In 7 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud 8 or Better, this is the first betting round on the first three cards.

Thirty Miles Three tens.

Three of a Kind Three cards of the same number or face value ("trips").

Tight A player who doesn't play many pots. A tight game is one that doesn't have much action.

Top Pair In flop games, when the player pairs one of his down cards with the highest card on board.

Treys A pair of threes.

Trips Three of a kind.

Turn In flop games, this is the fourth card dealt. It is the third round of betting.

Two Pair A hand consisting of two different pair

Up Card A card that is dealt face-up.

Walking Sticks A pair of sevens.

Wild Card A card that can be played as any value.

Worst Hand A losing hand.

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WSOP World Series of Poker

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