Act, An

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

Action

Bets or betting. "There's a lot of action on this table."

Add On

An option during a tournament to purchase more chips.

All-in

Putting all of the chips you have at the table into the pot, creating a side pot for the remaining players.

Aggressive

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

Angle

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

Angle-Shooting

Using unfair tactics.

Ante

1. The pot. The total amount being wagered on.
2. A forced amount contributed by all players before cards are dealt as a way to create a pot.

Automatic Shuffler

A mechanized box that shuffles a deck (or decks) of cards.

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.

Backraise

A re-raise from a player who originally called.

Bad Beat

When a good hand is beat by a longshot draw.

Bankroll

The amount of money you have.

Belly Buster Straight

(Also 'Double Belly Buster') A straight draw that is essentially two gutshots and is more deceptive than an open-ended straight draw. Example: You hold Queen, Ten with a flop of Jack, Ace, Eight.

Bet Odds

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

Bicycle or Bike

A Straight Ace to Five

Big Blind

The largest blind posted prior to the dealing of cards. This is usually the player sitting two seats to the left of the dealer.

Blank

A useless card.

Blind

A mandatory bet placed before the cards are dealt to force money into the pot. You usually have to post a blind when you join a game.

Bluff

Betting even though you don't have a good hand.

Boat

A full house.

Board, The

1. The communal cards dealt face up in Hold 'Em that all players can use.
2. The surface these cards are dealt onto. Typically a tabletop.

Bottom Dealing

A form of live cheating where the bottom card is usually preset and dealt instead of the top card.

Bounty

An option in some tournaments where by eliminating a certain player or players, you win a set amount of money.

Bubble

In a tournament, the place right before the lowest money payout. Example: In a tournament where the top ten players received a portion of the prize pool, 11th place would be the bubble.

Burn Card

In Hold 'Em, the cards before the flop, turn, and river that are discarded to prevent reading of marked cards.

Button

A symbol to designate which player is sitting in the dealer's position.

Buy-In

The amount a player spends to get into a game or tournament.

Call

Matching a bet amount.

Calling Station

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

Cap or Capping

In a limit game, betting the last amount allowed before the maximum allowed number of raises is reached.

Capped

When betting is no longer allowed in a round because the maximum amount of raises has been reached.

Card Cap

An object (usually a chip) placed on top of your two pocket cards to show that you have an active hand. Also known as a "marker".

Cards Speak

The rule that your hand is the most favorable possible combination of cards, no matter how you call it.

Case Card

The one card that can save your hand. For example, when you're looking for the case ace on the river to make four of a kind.

Cash Out

Taking your money and going home.

Changing Gears

When a player switches his style of play.

Check

When no bets are pending, to pass your turn.

Check-Out

To fold when you have the option of checking.

Check-Raise

The act of checking, then re-raising a bet.

Chip(s)

Small round disks used in poker that respresent a certain dollar amount.

Chip Shuffling

A trick done by casino players where two stacks of chips are "shuffled" together with one hand.

Chop

1. To split a pot.
2. An agreement between the blinds in a ring game that if all other players fold, they do not pursue the hand any farther and take back their blinds.

Clubs

One of the four playing card suits. Formerly representing the working class.

Coffee Housing

Discussing a hand while it is in progress. Considered in bad taste in poker.

Cold Call

To call more than one bet at once as result of a re-raise.

Collusion

A form of cheating where multiple parties help each other in deciding the best course of action.

Community Cards

Communal cards dealt face up in Hold 'Em that all players can use.

Connected

Two sequential pocket cards. Examples : 10/J or 3/4.

Counterfeit

A verb that describes when two higher pair on the board reduces a pocket pair to nothing.

Cover

v. To have more chips than another player.

Crazy Pineapple

A variant of texas holdem where each player gets dealt three cards preflop and discards one of them before the turn card is dealt.

Cutoff or Cutoff Seat

The player to the right of the dealer button. Called so because that player often "cuts off" the button to steal blinds and position.

Dead Button

A situation where only one blind is posted occurring most often when the big blind is eliminated.

Dealer

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

Dealer's Position

Being the last to act in a betting round. On the button.

Deck Change

Substituting a deck of cards for another. This may be requested by a player or prescribed by the house.

Diamonds

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

Dominated Hands

Hands that 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.

Double Flop Holdem

A holdem variant where two flops, two turns, and two rivers are dealt out (but can't be mixed) to make a final hand.

Draw

1. A drawing hand.
2. A game result where multiple players split the pot as result of having equal hands.
3. To take a card from a deck of cards.

Drawing

Playing a hand to improve.

Drawing Dead

A hand that will lose even if it improves.

Drawing Hand

A hand that needs improvement to win. Usually to a straight or flush.

Early Position

Being one of the first to act in a betting round. Usually a disadvantage.

False Shuffle

A form of live cheating where the deck is shuffled in a manner to prearrange the cards.

Fee

Money taken by the house to compensate for expenses in a poker tournament.

Fish

A poor, weak player.

Flop

1. n. the first three community cards dealt face up on the table.
2. v. used to describe what your hand was after the flop. "I flopped the nuts!"

Flop Games

The family of poker games that uses community cards in combination with personal cards. More...

Flush

A poker hand of five cards where the suits all match.

Fold

To give up your hand and forfeit the pot to the remaining players.

Four-of-a-Kind

A poker hand consisting of all four cards of the same type.

Free Card

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

Freezeout

A tournament structure where only the top player gets paid.

Full House

A poker hand consisting of three-of-a-kind and a pair. Worded as the three-of-a-kind being "full" of the pair. Example: Three Aces and Two Tens is verbally declared as a "full house, Aces full of Tens".

Grinding

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

Gutshot Draw

A straight draw where only one card will complete the hand.

Hand

1. The complete playing of all the cards given out in one deal.
2. The cards used by a player.

Heads-Up

When only two players are involved with a hand.

Hearts

One of the four playing card suits. Formerly representing the clergy.

High Limit

A game where the amounts wagered are high.

House, The

The establishment where a game is being held. It may be a casino in Las Vegas, a kitchen table, or an online casino's server in Antigua.

Image

What kind of player others currently perceive you as.

Implied Odds

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

Isolation Bet

A raise designed to put you heads-up with the previous raiser.

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.

Kicker

The remaining undeclared cards in a five-card poker hand. More...

Kill Game

A game where certain predetermined requirements creates higher stakes and/or create a third blind.

Late Position

Being one of the last to act in a betting round. Usually an advantage.

Limit

1. Fixed Limit / Structured Limit.
2. The type of betting in a game (no limit, pot limit, fixed limit).
3. Dealing with the money aspect of a game. See "Low Limit, "High Limit".

Limping

Calling a blind pre-flop without raising.

Live Hand

An active hand. One that has not folded.

Live Game

A game where you are physically near the other players.

Long Shot

Making a hand despite having few outs and/or poor odds.

Loose

Adjective to describe a player who plays lots of hands and gets involved with a lot of pots.

Low Limit

A game where the amounts wagered are small.

Main Pot

The first established pot before a player goes all-in and creates a side pot.

Markers

An object (usually a chip) placed on top of your two pocket cards to show that you have an active hand.

Mechanic

A player who has the ability to illegally manipulate cards for favorable results.

Middle Position

Being in between early and late position.

Misdeal

Stopping the hand (most often before it starts) and redealing the hand, usually because of dealer error.

Mneumonics

Mental devices used to remember things. In Hold 'Em, often players have names for what pocket cards they have, like Big Slick or Maverick.

Muck

1. v. To discard your hand, especially after an opponent reveals a better hand.
2. n. The discard pile.

No Limit

Considered one of the last true forms of poker, where the amount you can bet is limited by the number of chips in front of you.

Nuts, The

The best possible hand.

Odds

1. The proportion by which one bet differs from that of another.
2. The ratio between the probability for and against something happening.

On the Button

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

Online Poker Room

A website or their software that allows you to play poker with other players around the world.

Open-Ended

Adjective to describe a straight draw that can be filled at either end. Twice as easy to complete as a gutshot straight draw. Example: You hold Seven, Eight with a flop of Ace, Nine, Ten.

Option

The big blind's ability to check or raise in an unraised preflop pot.

Outs

The number of cards left in the deck that will improve your hand.

Overcards

Cards higher in rank than the highest card on the board.

Overpair

A pocket pair higher than any of the cards on the board.

Pair

A poker hand comprised of two cards of the same type and three others.

Passive

Adjective to describe a player who frequently calls and rarely bets.

Pineapple

A variant of texas holdem where each player gets dealt three cards preflop and discards one of them.

Pocket Cards

The two cards dealt to you at the beginning of a Hold 'Em hand that no one else is entitled to see.

Poker

A bluffing/strategy game with many variants that uses a standard 52 or 54 card deck.

Position

In a turn-based game like Hold 'Em, your rank in the order of turns. This is typically categorized into early, middle, and late position.

Post

To place down an initial amount before cards are dealt out, either as part of blinds, antes, or for a new player just sitting down at a table.

Pot, The

The amount of money and sum of the bets being wagered on in a game.

Pot Limit

A limit where you may bet up to the size of the pot.

Pot Odds

The odds you get when analyzing the current size of the pot vs. your next call.

Potting Out

An agreement to take money out of a pot for another purpose (cigarettes, pizza, beer, etc.).

Pre-Flop

The space of time after you've been dealt your pocket cards and before the flop is dealt.

Prop Player

A player who is paid by the house to play in games with their own money as a way to fill up games.

Pro

A professional poker player.

Push

To receive all of your money back as a result of a tie. More often used in casino games than in poker.

Rabbit Hunting

Asking to see additional cards even though the hand has already ended.

Rainbow

Used to describe cards of all different suits.

Raise

Putting in the first bet in a round.

Rake

Money taken by the house to compensate for expenses.

Rank of Suits

The order of suits in a game with no draws. The order from high to low is Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs. More...

Rag

A useless card.

Ratholing

The illegal action of taking money off the table and putting it somewhere else.

Re-raise

Putting in another bet on top of a previous raise or raises.

Reading

Analysis of a player based on how they play, mannerisms, and tells.

Rebuy

A tournament option where players can purchase more chips after going below a certain amount or after losing all of their chips.

Reverse Tell

Intentionally acting in a different way to give a false image.

Ring game

A normal game, as opposed to a tournament game or a non-money game with your uncles.

River

The fifth and last community card dealt face up in a Hold 'Em game.

Rock

A passive, tight player.

Royal Flush

The highest ranking hand. Having a straight 10 to Ace of all the same suit.

Run, Going on a

A streak of good fortune and/or good play where a player wins a series of hands.

Runner, Runner

When a player hits two running cards to make a hand.

Rush

A winning streak

Sandbagging

Holding back and calling despite the fact that you have a very good hand, usually to disguise strength, provoke bluffs, and to check-raise.

Scared Money

Money that is being played timidly because it is all a player has left.

Scramble

A thorough shuffling technique whereby the shuffler spreads the cards face down over a large area and scrambles them. This is also known as a wash.

Semi-Bluff

Betting with a mediocre or drawing hand

Set

Three-of-a-kind using a pocket pair that matches a card on the board.

Shark

A good player or player who disguises his skill to trick others.

Shill

A player who is paid an hourly rate with house money to play in games as a way to fill them up.

Short Buying

Purchasing chips after your initial purchase. Usually the minimum for a short buy-in is less than the initial buy-in.

Short-Handed

An adjective used to describe a game with few players.

Showdown

The final phase after all betting has ended and players reveal their cards.

Side Pot

Bets made into a new pot after a player has gone all-in.

Signaling

A system used by colluding players to let each other know what they hold.

Slow Playing

Playing deceptively with a strong hand by checking and calling with the intention of raising once the pot is larger.

Small Blind

The smaller or the two blinds posted prior to the dealing of cards. This is usually by the player sitting directly to the left of the dealer.

Soft Seat

A seat or game which is favorable because of the lack of skill at the table.

Spades

One of the four playing card suits. Formerly representing nobility.

Splashing the Pot

An illegal move where chips are placed in a haphazard way. Such as being tossed directly into the pot before being counted.

Split Pot

When two or more winning hands tie and divide the pot.

Spread Limit

A betting structure where you can bet any amount within a certain range.

Stash

A poker player's "gamblin' money".

Steal Raise

A raise by someone in late position in an attempt to reduce the number of players and/or steal the pot.

Steaming

Being on "Tilt".

Steamrolling

Re-raising to make a player(s) call two bets instead of one.

Straddle

Posting an extra blind when one sits to the left of the big blind.

Straight

A poker hand with five sequential cards. In Hold'Em, Aces can be high or low.

Straight Flush

A poker hand comprised of five sequential cards all of the same suit.

String Bets

Saying "I'll call your bet....and I'll re-raise!", instead of just "Raise" or "Re-raise". Generally not allowed because of ethics involving angle shooting.

String Calls

An illegal call like saying "I've got a pair of Jacks.", then after your opponents have revealed their hands or just simply reacted to that, saying "Oh, and I've also got a pair of sevens, too" or a similar situation.

Structured Limit

The typial limit in land-based casinos, where all players must bet a certain amount before and after the flop, and double that amount on the turn and river.

Suck Out

To win a hand after the flop despite poor odds of winning. Often used in reference to the player who was likely to win. "I had pocket kings against Adam's pocket aces and even though the flop didn't help either of us, I sucked out on him on the river when a king hit."

Suit

A characteristic of a playing card. The card being either of Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, or Spades.

Suited

Usually used in reference to your pocket cards when they are of the same suit.

Super Holdem

See "Tahoe Poker".

Super System

Considered the "Bible of Poker". A manual of poker instruction by Doyle Brunson with contributions from a number of professionals.

Table, The

1. The surface on which poker is played.
2. A term used in reference to the players at a table. "A tight table."

Table Stakes

The rule that you can only play a hand with the money you have at the table.

Tahoe Poker

A variant of texas holdem and omaha where a player gets dealt three cards instead of two but can use only up to two of them along with the five community cards to make a final hand. Also called "Super Holdem".

Tell

An action that gives clues about the cards someone is holding.

Texas Holdem

What this site is all about! A poker variant where each player is dealt two cards, then five communal cards are turned face up on the board.

Three-of-a-Kind

A poker hand consisting of three cards of the same type.

Tight

Adjective to describe a player who selects hands very carefully and folds easily.

Tilt, On

Behavior as a result of losing, usually negative.

Top Pair

Having a pair with the highest card on the board and one in the pocket.

Top Two Pair

Having both your pocket cards match the highest two cards on the board.

Trips

Three-of-a-kind using one of your hole cards that matches a pair on the board.

Turn

The fourth community card dealt face up in a Hold 'Em game.

Two Pair

A hand consisting of two different pairs and one kicker.

Under the Gun

Being the first person to act, being in the earliest position.

Underpair

A pocket pair of lower value than the lowest card on the board.

Verbal Declaration

Verbally stating your action, such as "Fold", "Call", or "Raise One Million Dollars". In holdem and most forms of poker, verbal declarations are binding and take precedence over what your hands do.

Value Bet

A bet made from a player with a winning hand intended to get more money in the pot and not to drive a player out of the hand.

Wash

A thorough shuffling technique whereby the shuffler spreads the cards face down over a large area and scrambles them. This is also known as a scramble.

Wired

Having two pocket cards of the same rank.