How To Play Poker

Aces Up

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

Action

The act of checking, betting or raising. A game in which players are raising a lot is considered an 'action' game.

Active Player

Any player who is still in the hand (ie he/she has yet to fold his cards).

Add-On

The opportunity to buy additional chips at the end of the rebuy period in tournaments.

Advertise

To deliberately reveal a bluff to other players in the hand to give the impression that you are a loose player.

Aggressive

Description of a player who raises and re-raises and rarely calls.

Alligator

Plays well under pressure or nerves of steel.

All-In

When a player has bet or called with all their chips.

All-In Merchant

Unflattering nickname given to a player who continuously over bets the pot in order to get all his chips in the middle before the flop (rather than make a normal sized raise and deal with the more intricate skills of post-flop play).

American Airlines

A pair of Aces in the hole aka 'Bullets' or 'Pocket Rockets'.

Ante

A small forced bet placed by all players before each hand. In big tournaments, the first few levels normally have enforced blinds not antes, but then in later levels, both antes and rotating blinds are enforced

B&M

Abbreviation for a real life 'Bricks and Mortar' poker room or casino.

Backdoor

Making a hand other than the one intended by hitting a long-odds hand on the turn and the river eg having 9h-8h, and with a flop of Ah-5c-4h, staying in the pot to try and hit a flush but instead hitting a 'backdoor' straight when the turn and river come 6s-7d.

Bad Beat

When a hand is beaten by an underdog or drawing hand.

Bad Beat Bore

Someone who is constantly bemoaning their luck by going on and on about all the bad beats they've taken.

Bait

A small bet designed to induce opponents to call, bet or raise.

Bankroll

The total amount of money a player has allocated to playing poker.

Bankroll Management

The skill with which a poker player is able to manage his dedicated finances (his bankroll).

Belly Buster

An inside straight draw, aka a 'gutshot'.

Bet

To place chips into the pot.

Bet the pot

To bet the maximum in a pot limit game. For example if the blinds are 100-200 there are initially 300 chips in the pot. If the first player wishes to bet the pot, he/she can bet 700, by calling for 200 (now making the pot 500) and then raising 500 more to make it a total of 700 to play.

Bicycle

A straight, A-2-3-4-5, aka a 'Wheel'.

Big Blind

A predetermined amount that is placed by the player sitting two to the left of the dealer, before any cards are dealt.

Big Slick

A Texas holdem hand that consists of an Ace and a King.

Big Stack

The player with the most chips at the table. If he uses his chips to push other players around he may be known as the table captain or table bully.

Blank

A card that has no effect on the hands of the remaining active players.

Blind

A forced bet put in by one or more players before any cards are dealt. Usually, blinds are put in by players immediately to the left of the button.

Blinded Away

If the player with the short stack doesn't play any pots he may eventually lose all his chips when it comes to his turn to play the blinds.

Bluff

The act of getting an opponent(s) to fold a better or winning hand by betting or raising.

Board

All the community cards in a Texas holdem game - the flop, turn, and river cards.

Boat

Colloquial term for a Full House.

Bottom Pair

Matching one of your pocket cards to the lowest card on the board.

Bounty

Additional prize money rewarded to players who eliminate certain target players from a tournament.

Broadway

The highest possible straight: A-K-Q-J-10

Broomcorn's uncle

A player who refuses to play anything, folds every hand and gets eaten up by the blinds and antes. "You're going out like Broomcorn's uncle" is almost guaranteed to put your opponent on tilt.

Broke

Lost your entire table stack or your entire bankroll.

Bullets

A pair of Aces in the hole aka 'American Airlines' or 'Pocket Rockets'.

Bust

To knock out another player or stack.

Button

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 - the player on 'the button' acts last on each betting round after the flop.

Buy-In

The minimum amount of money required by a player to sit down at a table, also refers to the entry fee of a poker tournament.

Call

The act of matching any current bets, a passive way to remain in a pot

Calling Station

A player who passively calls with a lot of hands and doesn't fold or raise very often.

Cap

To max out the number of allowed raises, usually four, in a fixed limit poker game.

Check

The act of a player opting not to bet when there has been no betting action in front of him/her.

Check-Raise

The act of checking and then re-raising an opponent who has bet behind you.

Cold

If a player says his cards have 'gone cold', it means he is having a bad streak.

Cold Call

To call both a bet and a raise.

Coffee Housing

An attempt to mislead opponents about one's hand by devious behavior sometimes including a Hollywood.

Concealed Trips

When a pocket pair is matched by a card on the board, for example you hold 3-3 and the flop comes A-J-3. aka a 'Set'.

Connectors

Pocket cards that connect in rank, for example 7-8 or Ace-King.

Counterfeit

Having a made hand duplicated by the board so that your own cards become worthless as all players now share the same hand.

Covered Bet

Your all-in bet is covered if your opponent has more chips than you. In that case you will be emiminated if you lose the hand, but he will not.

Cowboys

A pair of Kings.

Cut-off Seat

The player to the right of the button.

Dead Mans Hand

Two pairs - Aces and Eights.

Deuce

A two which is the lowest rank card in high poker.

Deuces

A pair of two's. Aka 'Ducks'.

Dominated Hand

A situation where the hands of two players have a common card such as an ace but the dominated hand's other card is of a lower rank eg where A-K comes up against A-Q, the A-Q is dominated.

Dominating Hand

A situation where the hands of two players have a common card such as an ace but the dominating hand's other card is of a higher rank eg K-Q v K-J , K-Q is dominating.

Double Belly Buster

Two shots at an inside straight draw. For example, someone with pocket cards of J-10 after a flop of A-Q-8 is now drawing to an inside straight with either a 9 or a King.

Draw

Needing another card to come on the turn or river to complete your hand, for example a player holding 8h-9h after a flop of 2h-2s-6h has a draw to a flush.

Drawing Dead

A drawing hand that will lose even if it hits its draw.

Drawing Hand

Any hand which contains a draw.

Ducks

A pair of 2s aka 'Deuces'.

Dwell Up

To think long and hard about a difficult decision.

Early Position

Position on a round of betting where the player must act before most of the other players at the table.

Fifth Street

Also known as the 'River' - the fifth and final community card dealt in flop games, or the last card dealt in non-flop games.

Fourth Street

Also known as the 'Turn' - the fourth card dealt after the three from the flop.

Flop

The flop is the first three community cards dealt in Texas holdem and Omaha.

Flush

When all five cards in your hand are of a common suit. A flush ranks between a straight and a full house.

Flush Draw

A hand that is drawing to a flush.

Fold

The act of throwing your hand away when its your turn aka to 'muck'.

Four of a Kind

A hand consisting of four cards of the same rank, a very strong hand that is higher than a full-house and can only be beaten by a straight flush aka 'quads'.

Freeroll

A multi-table tournament that is free to enter but still has a real money prize pool.

Freezeout

A tournament where once you lose your starting chips you are out (no rebuys or add-ons).

Full House

A strong hand that ranks between a flush and four of a kind consisting of three of a kind and a pair aka 'boat' or 'full boat'.

Gay Waiter

Pocket cards of Q-3 (Queen with a 'trey').

Gutshot

An inside straight draw aka 'belly buster'.

Heads-up

One-on-one poker.

High/low

A game variation where half the pot goes to the player with the best hand and the other half goes to the player showing the worst hand.

Hooks

Pocket Jacks aka 'fish-hooks'.

Hole Cards

The cards dealt face down to each player at the beginning of a hand (two to each player in hold'em, four to each player in Omaha etc. No other player can see these cards.

Hollywood

When a player pretends to be in deep thought to try and make his opponent think his hand is either stronger or weaker than it actually is. The player is deemed to be acting out a genuine dwell-up - hence the name.

Implied Odds

The amount of money you expect to win if you make your hand as a percentage of the amount of cash it will cost you to continue playing.

Initial Pot

The sum of the blinds and antes (if any) before the betting starts.

Inside Straight

Four cards which require another between the top and the bottom card to complete a straight, aka 'gutshot' or 'belly buster'.

Kicker

If a player makes a pair with one of his hole cards, the other is called the kicker. If another players holds the same pair, the highest kicker wins the pot.

Late Position

Position on a round of betting where the player must act after most of the other players have acted , usually on or next to the button

Ladies

Pocket Queens aka 'Siegfired & Roy', 'Hilton sisters' or even 'bitches'.

Level

Someone who makes and sustains the action by raising and reraising the majority of pots. Maniacs are not scared to play with all kind of draws and bluffs and can make dangerous opponents in the short term (albeit that they rarely win big in the long-term).

Middle Pair

Matching one of your pocket cards to the second highest card on the board.

Middle Position

Somewhere between the early and late positions on a round of betting.

Minimum Buy-In

The least amount you can sit at a ring game table with.

Muck

To discard or throw away your hand. Also refers to the pile of cards that are no longer in play in front of the dealer in a live game.

No-Limit

A version of poker in which a player may bet any amount of chips up to the amount in front of him, whenever it is his turn to act.

Nuts

Having the best possible hand that can be made according to the circumstances of the hands (the game variety, the communal cards etc) eg holding K-Q whilst playing holdem with a board of Jc-4s-5c-10h-9d board with no flush being possible is 'the nuts'.

Nut Flush Draw

A hand that is drawing to the top flush, for example Kh-5h after a flop of Ah-7h-2s.

Nut Straight Draw

A hand that is drawing to the top straight possible for example K-Q after a flop of J-10-5.

Odds

The probability of completing a drawing hand vs the probability of not completing the hand.

Off-Suit

Cards with different suits.

Omaha

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

Open

To make the first bet in a round.

Open-Ended Straight Draw

A straight draw with four consecutive cards that can be completed on either end. An example is 6-7-8-9, since a 5 or a 10 will make a straight.

Outs

The total number of cards that can come to make a player win a pot based on the current situation. If he holds Q-Q and needs another Queen to win, then he would have a total of two outs.

Overbet the pot

To bet significantly more than there is in the pot at that stage [only applies in a no limit game]. For example, if blinds are 100-200, two players call (making the total in the pot 700) and then a third player raised it up to 2,000 he would be 'overbetting the pot'.

Over Cards

Pocket cards that have a value higher than the highest card currently on the board.

Overpair

A pocket pair higher than any of the community cards.

Pair

Two cards of the same value such as a K-K.

Pocket cards

The two down cards dealt to each player at the beginning of the hand. No other player can see these cards.

Pocket Rockets

A pair of Aces in the hole aka 'American Airlines' or 'Bullets'.

Poker Caddies

A phrase started by The Judge to affectionately refer to those of his friends and family who regularly watch and support him while he plays online tournaments. The caddies bring him drinks and snacks while he plays as well as offering general thoughts on the action and moral support.

Position

Where a player is seated in relation to the dealer, establishing that player's place in the betting order.

Post

To post is to put the required amount in the pot before the hand starts, such as an ante or blind.

Pot

The money gathered in the middle of the table from blinds, bets, and raises. This money goes to the winner, or winners.

Pot Odds

A mathematical solution to whether or not a particular situation is worth a call. The ratio of the amount of money in the pot to the amount of money it will cost you to call a bet. The greater the pot odds, the more likely you should be to call.

Pot Limit

A game where the maximum bet a player can make or raise is limited the amount in the pot at that time.

Pre-Flop

Refers to all actions before the flop is dealt.

Priced In

Colloquial term for Four of a Kind

Rags

Weak cards that can not win unless the player holding them bluffs in order to make them look strong. Can also refer to meaningless communal cards that do not alter the outcome of a hand

Railbird

An active spectator of an ongoing poker game waiting to get a seat, been busted out or content just to watch and comment on the game.

Rainbow

A flop containing three different suits.

Raise

The act of increasing the previous bet.

Rake

The house cut of each pot. The rake amount and method of calculation changes from card room to card room but is usually around 5%.

Rank

The numerical value of a card. Each card has a suit and a rank. The three of spades and the three of hearts have the same rank. A pair is two cards of the same rank.

Re-buy

A tournament format that, for a limited time only, allows players who bust out of a tournament to buy their way back in again.

Re-raise

When one player's raise is raised again by another player.

Read

The skill of identifying another player's tells and analysing their play in order to determine their pocket cards.

Re-steal

To reraise a bet that you think is a steal specifically in order to "re-steal" the original raiser's bet and the blinds

Ring games

Ring games refer to any games other than tournament games

River

Also known at "Fifth Street" - the fifth and final community card dealt in flop games, or the last card dealt in non-flop games.

River Killer

A decisive card that arrives on the river to turn a losing hand into a winning hand and in so doing busts the player with the now losing hand

Rock

A word to describe a passive, tight player.

Round

A betting round begins after a card or several cards are dealt. Each player is given a chance to act, and the round ends when everyone has either folded to or called the last bet or raise..

Royal Flush

This is the highest possible ranked hand. To achieve this hand you need an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 of the same suit.

Rush

A streak of winning a lot of hands in a short time.

Satellite

A tournament where players can win or place to qualify for a bigger or higher buy-in tournament

Scare Card

Any card that brings the possibility of a better or unbeatable hand such as a straight or flush, so named because it's usually scary for the player holding and betting a medium hand eg top pair or an overpair

Semi Bluff

To raise someone's bet when you are holding a draw. At that time it is a bluff as you do not have a hand, but it is not a pure bluff because you know that if your draw hits then you will have a good hand

Set

Having a pocket pair that matches one of the cards on the board to make a concealed three of a kind. AKA "Concealed trips"

Short-Handed

A term used to describe a game with few players.

Short Stack

The player with the fewest chips at the table.

Showdown

The procedure of revealing the pocket cards at the end of a hand to determine the winner, if there is more than one player left.

Shuffle

The mixing and rearranging of the cards before each hand so that the cards occur randomly. This is done by the dealer.

Side Pot

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

Sit In

To join in a game that has already started.

Small Blind

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

Snowmen

Pocket 8s

Split Pot

A tie between at least two players. This happens when both players show the same hand such as a straight.

Stack Ratio

The ratio of the number of chips in your stack divided by the initial pot.

Starting Hand

The two pocket cards in Texas Holdem or the first three cards in seven-card stud.

Steal

To make a strong bet in an unraised pot before the flop. Unlike a general bluff, this move is made specifically in order to 'steal' the blinds

Straight

A straight is five cards of any suit in ascending order. The ace can be either high or low and the highest straight wins the pot.

Straight Flush

A hand consisting of five cards of consecutive ranks of the same suit, aces being high or low.

Straight Flush Draw

A hand that is drawing to a straight flush

Super Satellite

A tournament where players can win a place at a satellite to qualify for a bigger or higher buy in tournament

Suited

Starting hand where both cards are matching in suit

Suited Connectors

Connectors that are suited

Table Stakes

A standard rule saying that a player may only bet or call with money they have on the table at the beginning of a hand.

Tell

A clue, hint or mannerism that reveals the true strength of a player's hand. In live games often detected through body language. In online games, often detected by observing a player's betting patterns or the speed with which he/she acts.

Three of a Kind

Having three cards of the same rank aka "Trips".

Tight

Term to describe a player who doesn't play many pots. A tight game is one that doesn't have much action.

Tilt

Playing recklessly and badly due to frustration at having lost previous pots (often in an unlucky manner through a bad beat)

Top Pair

Matching one of your pocket cards to the highest card on the board.

Trap

To play a strong hand weakly in order to try and deceive your opponents and induce them to bet or raise with a weaker hand

Trey

A three which is the second lowest ranked card in poker after a deuce

Trips

Colloquial term for Three of a Kind

Turn

Also known as "Fourth Street" - the fourth card dealt after the three from the flop.

Two Pair

A hand consisting of two pairs of cards with the same rank.

Under The Gun

The position to the immediate left of the big blind.

Underpair

A pocket pair lower than any of the community cards .

Weak Ace

An Ace accompanied by a weak kicker. (The definition of "weak" depends on the situation as for example in a full ring game, A-10 will be considered a weak ace, whereas in a heads up tournament it would be considered a relatively strong ace).