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.
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
Pocket Aces.
Ante
Money placed in the pot before the hand is begun.
B
Bad Beat
When a hand is beaten by a lucky draw.
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. (Players joining a game in progress must post a Big Blind, but
may do so from any position.)
Big Slick
A hand that contains an A-K.
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 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
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.
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).
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.
C
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.
Check
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."
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 Eights (Wild Bill Hickock was shot in
the back while playing this hand).
Down Card
Hole cards. Cards that are dealt face down.
Ducks
A pair of Twos.
Deuces
A pair of Twos.
E
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.)
F
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 or bad player, often being taken advantage of by the
sharks.
Flat Call
Calling a bet without raising.
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.
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.
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
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.
Back to top
G
Gut Shot
To draw to and/or hit an inside straight.
H
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.
I
Inside Straight
Four cards which require another between the top and the
bottom card to complete astraight.Players who catch this card make an Inside
Straight.
J
Jacks-or- Better
A form of poker in which a player needs to have at least a
pair of jacks to open the betting.
K
Kicker
The highest unpaired side card in a players' hand.
Knock
Check.
Kojak
A hand that contains a K-J.
L
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).
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.
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.)
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.
Loose
Is a player who plays a lot hands.
M
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).
Muck
To discard or throw away your hand. It's also a pile of
cards that are no longer in play.
N
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.
O
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.
P
Paints
Face or picture cards (Jack, Queen and King). Pair
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).
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. (You
must post the Blinds.)
Pot
The money 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.
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.
Q
Quads
Four of a kind.
R
Rack
A tray that holds 100 poker chips in five stacks of twenty
chips each.
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.
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.
Re-buy
The amount of money 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.
Rock
A very tight and solid player.
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.
Rounders
Guys who hustle for a living. This is also the name of a
popular poker movie starring Matt Damon and Ed Norton.
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.
S
Satellite
It is a mini-tournament to gain an entry into a larger
tournament.
Second Pair
In flop games, when you pair the second highest card on the
board.
Shark
The predator on the table, always taking advantage of any
fish.
Showdown
At the end of the final betting round, it's when all active
players turn their cards face- up to see who has won the pot.
Side Pot
A separate pot(s) which is contested by remaining active
players when one or more players are all-in.
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.
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.
Straight
Five consecutive cards of any suit.
Straight Flush
Five consecutive cards of the same suit.
T
Texas Hold'em
This is also the name for Hold'em, the most popular form of
poker.
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.
Tilt
When a player plays very poorley/loosely after losing.
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.
