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Poker Terms
This page is devoted to poker terminology.
There are many terms used in the game of poker. It is essential to know your poker lingo if you are serious about the game. Reading this material will not only help you improve your poker vocabulary but it will also introduce you to all aspects of poker strategy with the strategic terms we covered. Below you will find an alphabetical list of all the poker terms you need to know.
For quicker access and easier navigation we created an alphabetical directory below. You can quickly jump between each section of the alphabet by clicking each letter, so if you want to look up a particular poker term simply choose and click on the letter the term begins with. The top button located at the end of each section of the alphabet will bring you back to the top of the page.
A - Poker Terms
Ace High - A five-card poker hand containing an Ace and no Pairs. An Ace High hand would win the pot if no other hands were accomplished. If none of the players had an Ace then the player holding the highest card would win the pot.
Ace Full - A Full House containing three Aces and any Pair.
Aces Up - A poker hand containing two Pairs, one of which is a Pair of Aces.
Action - The betting structure of the game: betting, raising, calling or an opportunity for a player to act. Player's action is when the betting round reaches him and he has to decide whether to bet, check, raise or fold. If a player didn't realize that it is his turn to bet, a dealer would remind him by saying “your action, sir/madam.
A game in which a lot of money is changing hands or where players are playing a lot of pots is considered an “action game”.
Active Player - A player who remains in the competition to win the pot.
Add-On - The opportunity to purchase additional chips in a tournament.
Aggressive Player - A player who rarely calls but frequently raises and re-raises.
Ajax - Pocket A-J, suited or otherwise.
All-In - Player who bets all his chips is considered “All In”. A side pot for which the “All-in” player has no claim is created in this case. Players may not request more money during the course of the hand.
American Airlines - A hand with two Aces in the hole, also known as Bullets, Rockets or Pocket Rockets.
Ante - Forced bet that has to be posted by each player before the start of the hand. Ante is used mostly in Stud games where other variations like Texas Hold'rem and Omaha use blinds.
B - Poker Terms
Backdoor - A hand that is made by drawing the last two cards dealt. For example, if a player had A-K in Texas Hold'em, the flop came as 10-6-4, and the Q was dealt on the turn and then the J came on a river then the player would have completed a backdoor Straight. Backdoor is also known as the Runner-Runner.
Backraise - A re-raise by a player who originally called.
Bad Beat - When a hand with the highest odds of winning is beaten by a lucky draw.
Bankroll - The money with which the player finances the game.
Belly Buster - An inside Straight. Also known at the Gutshot or Belly Hit. Please refer to the Inside Straight to see a full description.
Bet - To bet is to put money into the pot.
Bet for Value - Please see Value Bet.
Bet the Pot - To bet the amount of the pot.
Big Blind - A forced bet in flop games like Omaha and Texas Hold'em. The big blind is the larger out of the two bets that have to be made before any cards are dealt and it has to be posted by a player seated to the immediate left of the small blind.
Big Slick - Pocket A-K, suited or otherwise.
Bike - A Straight that consists of A-2-3-4-5. Also known as the Wheel.
Blind - A forced bet required before any cards are dealt. Texas Hold'em and Omaha are among the poker variations that use blinds to define betting before the first betting round begins. Stud games use an ante instead of blinds.
Blind Bet - A bet that was made before a player looked at his cards.
Blind Raise - When a player raises without first looking at the cards he was dealt.
Bluff - A bet or raise made with a very poor hand. Player who knows that he is not likely to win with his cards will attempt to take the pot by deceiving his opponents. Such player will put on a strong appearance in order to encourage other players to fold. Visit our poker strategy section if you would to learn more about bluffing.
Boat - Another term for a Full House.
Bottom Pair - A Pair that was made with the use of the lowest card on the board and one of the player's pocket cards.
Bring In - A forced bet in 7 Card Stud that has to be made on the first round of betting by a player with the lowest door card.
Broadway - An Ace High Straight, A-K-Q-J-10.
Bullets - Pocket Aces. Also known as Rockets, Pocket Rockets or American Airlines.
Bump - To raise.
Button - Known as the dealer's button it is a small, round disk used to indicate who is in the dealer's seat. The button is moved from player to player in a clockwise direction at the end of each hand.
Buy-In - The minimum amount of money required to participate in any poker game.
C - Poker Terms
Call - To match the amount of the previous bet.
Calling Station - A player who is loose and passive. This type of player will not raise or bluff much but will call a lot to see if his hand has won, without taking other player's hands under consideration.
Cash Out - To convert chips into cash.
Check - To pass the action to the next player without putting any money into the pot.
This option is available only to the player who is the first one to act or if there has not been a bet yet. “Check” is also another word for poker “chip” used by casino employees.
Check-Raise - To check and raise in the same round of betting. The player who checks with the intention of raising a bet made by his opponent uses this technique to add more money into the pot.
D - Poker Terms
Dead Man's Hand - A Two Pair consisting of a Pair of Aces and a Pair of 8's. The reason that this particular hand is called a dead man's hand is because the legendary lawman and gambler Wild Bill Hickok was shot to death while holding this hand.
Dealer - House employee in charge of dealing the cards, giving out pots and monitoring the game.
Dime - Gambling slang for $1000.
Door Card - Term used in Stud Poker games that represents the first face up card in player's hand.
Down Card - A hole card that is dealt face down.
Doyle Brunson - A starting hand in Texas Hold'em that consists of 10-2. Doyle Brunson won the World Series of Poker with that hand two years in the row.
Drawing Hand - A poker hand that is not yet complete and requires improvement.
A player who is drawing a Straight for example, does not yet have a Straight but may still fill in his drawing hand and accomplish a Straight with the cards that will be dealt. To learn more about drawing hand from the strategic point, visit our poker strategy section.
Drawing Dead - A drawing hand that has no chance of winning, even if improved.
Draw Poker - It is one of the basic forms of poker in which each player is dealt five cards face down with the option of replacing one or more of those cards in attempt to make a better hand.
Drop - A fold.
Ducks - A Pair of 2's.
Deuces - A Pair of 2's.
E - Poker Terms
Early Position - To be in an early position is to be in either a small blind, big blind and under the gun position.
Eight Ball - Eight hundred dollars.
EPT - Short term for the European Poker Tour.
F - Poker Terms
Fourth Street - Fourth community card dealt in flop games like Omaha and Texas Hold'em, commonly known as the turn. In 7 Card Stud, the forth card dealt to each player (second card face up), which represents the second round of betting.
Fifth Street - In flop games like Omaha and Texas Hold'em, it is the fifth, last community card in the middle of the table. Also called a river, it represents the final round of betting. In 7 Card Stud, it is the fifth card dealt to each player (third card face up) and it starts the third round of betting.
Fish - A bad player who tends to loose a lot of money.
Five Card Draw - A form of poker in which each player is dealt five cards face down. Players have one draw to replace their cards and the best high hand wins the pot.
Five Card Stud - A poker variation in which each player is dealt five cards, one card down and four cards up. The first betting round begins after each player received his first two cards and three more betting rounds follow on the 3rd, 4th and 5th streets.
Five of a Kind - It is a poker hand that consists of five cards of the same rank. This hand can be accomplished only when wild cards are included into the game.
Flat Call - To call a bet without raising.
Floorman - House employee in charge of making rulings and decisions.
Flop - The first three face up community cards dealt at the same time in flop games like Omaha and Texas Hold'em. The flop indicates the second round of betting.
Flop Games - Type of poker games like Omaha and Texas Hold'em in which players can complete their hands with the use of five community cards dealt face up in the center of the table
Flush - A poker hand containing any five cards of the same suit.
Fold - To discard of your hand instead of betting, calling or raising. Players who fold have no chance of winning the pot.
Forced Bet - A required bet that starts the action of the game. The big blind and the small blind are the forced bets in Texas Hold'em and Omaha games. In 7 Card Stud, each player is required to post an ante bet before any cards are dealt. Once the first three cards were dealt to each player, a forced bring-in bet that has to be made by a player holding the smallest door card.
Four of a Kind - A poker hand consisting of four cards of the same rank. Also called Quads or Quadruplets.
Free Card - To see the next card without having to bet or call. This is possible only if everyone has checked and no bet has been made.
Fourth Street - Also known as the turn in flop games like Texas Hold'em and Omaha, it is the fourth community card dealt in the middle of the table. The turn represents the third round of betting. In 7 Card Stud, it is the fourth card dealt to each player (second card face up) and it starts the second round of betting.
Full House - A poker hand that consists of Three of a Kind and any Pair. Also known as the Boat.
G - Poker Terms
Grinder - A player who takes minimal risks and makes little amount of money over a long period of time.
Gutshot - An inside Straight. Also known as the Belly Hit or the Belly Buster. Please refer to the Inside Straight to see a full description.
H - Poker Terms
Hand - This term can either refer to the cards held by a player or to the action of a poker game in general, from the moment the cards are dealt all the way through the game to the moment when the pot is awarded to the winner.
Heads Up - A hand in which only two players remain in the competition to win the pot.
High Card - A poker hand that does not contain anything. If no hands have been accomplished, the player holding the highest ranking card wins the pot.
High Limit - A poker game in which a large amounts of money are wagered.
High-Low - A poker game in which the pot is split between the highest and the lowest ranking hand.
Hold'em - Short form for Texas Hold'em. Also spelled Holdem or Hold em. Please refer to the Texas Hold'em, to see a full description,
Hole Cards - Also referred to as pocket cards. Please look under the pocket to see a full description of this term.
House - The casino or a cardroom hosting the poker game.
I - Poker Terms
Implied Odds - The amount of money a player is expecting to win if he completes his hand vs. the amount of money he will have to spend to stay in that hand.
Inside Straight - A Straight draw that requires one specific card to complete a Straight.
For example, 2-3-4-5 and J-10-9-7 are both an inside Straight draws. One card is needed to complete a Straight in both of those examples, Ace in the first one and an 8 in the second one.
An inside Straight is also known at the Gutshot, Belly Hit or the Belly Buster.
J - Poker Terms
Jackpot - A prize awarded to a player who meets specific requirements. Some casinos for example, will give a jackpot to a player who lost with a Four of a Kind or higher.
Jackpot Poker - A poker game in which a jackpot is given away to a player whose high ranking hand (like Four of a Kind or higher, depending on requirements) was beat at showdown.
Jacks or Better - A form of poker in which a Pair of Jacks or better is required to open the round of betting.
Joker - The fifty third card in a deck. Joker is not normally included in the game of poker except when it's designated as a wild card in games that permit the use of wild cards.
K - Poker Terms
Key Card - A card that completes ones hand.
Kicker - The highest extra card in player's hand that does not contribute to the strength of the hand, except on its own. Kickers are used to break ties. If two players were tied for a Pair of Aces, the kicker would decide which player takes the pot. So if one player had A-J and the other had A-8, the player with the higher kicker (J) would win that hand. If two players had the same Pair and the same kickers they would split the pot. Poker hands that require all five cards to be completed (Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Full House, Flush and a Straight) do not have kickers.
Kick It - To raise the pot.
Knave - A Jack
Knock - To announce a check by tapping on the table.
Kojak - Pocket K-J, suited or otherwise.
Kokomo - Pocket K-8, suited or otherwise.
L - Poker Terms
Ladies - Pocket Queens.
Late Position - To be in a late position is to act later in the betting round. A player with the dealer's button for example, is in late position because he is the last one to act.
Lead - To be the first player to place a bet.
Limit Poker - A poker game with fixed bets. In a $5-10 limit poker for example, all bets and raises are $5 in the first two rounds of betting (preflop and flop), increasing to $10 bets and raises in the last two rounds of betting (turn and river).
Limp Raise - A small raise before the flop. Players who have very strong hands and wish to provoke a reraise usually use this technique.
Limp In - To enter the pot by calling rather than raising.
Live Blind - This term is used in the event in which a player who originally posted the blind gets the chance to raise his own blind if the bet is called around to him. If a situation like this occurs it means that the blind is live.
Live Card - A card that has not been seen yet.
Live Game - A game with a lot of betting action.
Live Hand - A hand that has not yet been folded or a hand that has a lot of potential for improvement.
Lock - Also known as Nuts or a Nut Hand. Please look under Nuts to see the full description of this term.
Longhand - A poker game with seven or more players.
Long Shot - A hand that is made despite the poor odds and the few outs.
Loose Player - A player who plays a lot of hands and holds on to them for a long periods of time, even though there are very slight chances or no chances at all for him to win.
Lowball - A form of poker in which a player with the lowest ranking hand wins the pot.
Low Limit - A game in which the amounts wagered are very low.
M - Poker Terms
Main Pot - The amount of money or chips in the middle of the table that all active players are contesting for. A side pot is created in the event in which a player bets all his money and goes “all in”. Such player can only win the main pot to which he has contributed and has no chance of winning the side pot.
Make - To make a hand is to complete a decent hand that has a chance to win the pot.
Make a Hand - To complete a decent hand that has a chance of winning the pot.
Major Hand - A Straight or better.
Marked Cards - Cards with small markings that enable cheaters to read them from the backside.
Matching Card - A card of the same rank or value as another card.
Match the Pot - To make a bet that is equivalent to the amount of the pot.
Maniac - A very aggressive player. Such player plays many hands, raises a lot and bluffs very frequently. Maniacs are known to lose a lot of money playing poker.
Mate - A card that matches or pairs another card.
Maverick - Pocket Q-J, suited or otherwise.
Meet - To meet is to call.
Meet a Bet - To call the full amount of the bet.
Middle Pair - A Pair that is made with one of player's pocket cards and the second highest community card.
Middle Position - To be in a middle position is to act in the middle of the betting round. The middle position is located somewhere between the early position and the late position. In the game of 9 players for example, players seated in the 4th, 5th and 6th seat are in middle positions.
Milker - A tight and conservative player who is not playing many hands.
Minimum Buy In - The lowest amount of money required to enter particular game.
Misdeal - Incorrectly dealt hand that must be re-dealt.
Monster - A very strong poker hand that will more certainly win the pot.
Monte - A three-card poker game.
Mneumonics - Mental devices used to remember things. To avoid constant looking at their pockets cards Texas Hold'em players for example, use names like Big Slick or Maverick to help them remember what their hole cards are.
MTT - Short term for a multi table tournament.
Muck - This poker term can be used in two ways. Muck is a pile of cards that are no longer in play. All cards that were either burned or folded are placed in the muck located in front of the dealer. To muck a hand also means to fold.
N - Poker Terms
Near Nuts - Almost the best hand possible that can be beat by one or more hands that are very unlikely to happen. If a player has pocket A-A for example and the community cards are A-Q-Q-7-5, then the player has near nuts because there is still a chance although very slim, that someone has Four of a Kind queens.
Newlyweds - Pocket K-Q, suited or otherwise.
Nickel - Gambling slang for $500.
Nit - A player who is tight and passive. This type of player doesn't like to gamble and avoids confrontations and big pots. Also known as the Rock.
Nits and Lice - Two Pair or a Full House containing deuces or threes. This term can also be used to name deuces and threes that were designated as wild cards.
No Limit - A poker game in which there is no set amount for what the maximum bet can be and players can bet as much money as they want at anytime.
Nut Straight - The highest Straight possible in a current hand play.
Nut-Nut - The best high and the best low hand possible in a given game, accomplished by the same player with the use of his hole cards and the community cards in a high-low split game like Omaha Hi-Low for example. Also known as Double Nuts
Nuts - Also known as a Lock or a Nut Hand, it is the best hand possible that will surely win the pot.
O - Poker Terms
Octopus - Pocket 8's. Also known as the Snowmen.
Odds - The probability of making a hand vs. the probability of not making a hand. If you have a 25% chance to complete a hand then the odds against you making that hand are 3:1. Check out our poker odds section to learn more about this subject.
Offensive Bet - A bet made with the purpose of building the pot.
Off Suit - Cards of a different suit.
Oldsmobile - Pocket 9-8, suited or otherwise.
Omaha - Variation of poker in which each player is dealt four cards face down and five community cards in the middle of the table. To complete a hand, players may use any two of their pocket cards and any three community cards.
Online Poker - A virtual poker room available via the Internet where players can compete against opponents from all over the world. Visit our online poker section to learn more.
On the Button - To be in dealer's position. The player who is currently in dealer's position is marked by a round disc and is the last one to act in a betting round.
Open - The first bet. The person who makes the first bet opens the round of betting.
Open Card - A card that is dealt face up.
Open Ended Straight - A Straight draw that needs one card on either end to complete a Straight.
Open Game - A game in which anybody can play.
Open Pair - A Pair that was dealt face up. In 7 Card Stud it is an exposed Pair in player's hand.
Open Poker - Stud Poker.
Open Seat - A seat that is available to any player who wants to participate in a game.
Option - If no one had raised the big blind, the player who originally posted the blind is given the option to raise it when his turn comes around.
Out Button - A button placed in front of a player who wants to remain in the game but wishes to sit out a hand.
Outdraw - To make a better hand than an opponent by drawing more cards.
Outrun - To beat. To outrun someone's trips is to beat their Three of a Kind hand.
Outs - Cards needed to complete a hand. If a player is holding Q-10 for example, and the flop comes as J-9-5 then he has eight outs. He either needs a King or an 8 to complete a Straight and there are four Kings and four 8's in a deck of cards, each of them will make his hand therefore giving him a total of eight outs. To learn more about poker outs please visit our poker strategy section where we further explore this subject.
Over Bet the Pot - To make a bet that is larger than the current amount of the pot.
Overcall - To call a bet that has already been called by other players.
Overcard - Pocket card that is higher than any card on the board.
Overpair - Pocket Pair that is higher than any card on the board.
P - Poker Terms
Paint Cards - Face cards (King, Queen and Jack). Also referred to as Picture cards.
Pair - A poker hand consisting of two cards of the same rank and any three additional cards.
Pass - To fold.
Passive Player - A player who does not bet and raise a lot.
Pay Off - When a player who doubts that he has the strongest hand calls a bet because the pot is large enough to justify the call.
Picture Card - Face Cards (King, Queen, Jack). Also referred to as Paints.
Pinball Machine - A player who starts to play very loosely and aggressively as a result of a bad loss.
Play Back - To raise or re-raise a bet.
Play Fast - To bet aggressively with a drawing hand in order to win the most money in case the hand gets completed.
Playing the Board - When the best five-card hand in flop games like Omaha and Texas Hold'em is accomplished with the use of all five community cards.
Pocket - Cards that are dealt to the player face down that only he can see, also known as hole cards. Both cards dealt to a player in Texas Hold'em and all four cards dealt to a player in Omaha games are pocket cards. In 7 Card Stud, the first, second and the seventh cards given to a player are his pocket cards.
Pocket Pair - Two cards of the same rank in a hole.
Pocket Rockets - Pair of Aces in a hole. Also referred to as Bullets, American Airlines or simply Rockets.
Position - The order in which players are acting in a round of betting. There are three such positions: the early position, middle position and the late position.
Visit our poker strategy section if you would like to explore position play in more detail.
Post - To post a bet is to put money into the pot. Players don't put their money directly into the pot. Each player places his chips in front of him instead and it is the dealer's job to collect all bets and add them to the pot.
Pot - The money or chips in the center of the table that accumulates through betting. The pot is awarded to the player who has the best hand at showdown. Players who fold their hands have no chance of winning the pot. If all but one player folds before the showdown, the sole remaining player wins the pot.
Pot Limit - A poker game in which the maximum bet can equal the amount of money in the pot.
Pot Odds - The ratio of the amount of money in the pot to the size of the bet. For example, if the pot is worth $100 and the player must call $10 to stay in the game then his pot odds are 10 to 1. The greater the pot odds the more likely the player should call the bet. Visit our poker pot odds section to further explore this topic.
Pre-flop - In flop games like Omaha and Texas Hold'em it is the early stage of the game after each player received his hole cards and before the community cards are dealt.
Prop - Short for proposition player. Proposition player is a person hired by a casino to play poker. Such player gambles with his own money but is paid a salary to participate in the game in order to keep the action going.
Protection Bet - A bet that is meant to encourage opponents to fold and reduce the chances of being beat. Visit our poker strategy section if you wish to further explore this subject.
Protect Cards - To place a chip or other small object on top of ones hole cards in order to protect them from getting mixed with other player's discards or accidental mucking.
Put Down - To fold a hand.
Q - Poker Terms
Quads or Quadruplets - Four of a Kind poker hand.
Qualifier - A requirement that a hand must meet in High-Low split pot games, usually applies to the lowball side.
Quorum - The minimum number of participants required to start a game.
Quartered - To be quartered is to win one fourth of the pot.
R - Poker Terms
Rack - A tray that holds 100 poker chips in 5 stacks of 20 chips.
Rag - A card that doesn't seem to affect the hand very much, usually a low card between 2 and 9.
Ragged - A flop that doesn't seem to help anybody very much.
Rail - The rim around the poker table or a barrier surrounding the poker area.
Railbird - A person who hangs out around the poker room to either watch the game or try to get into the game.
Railroad Hand - Pocket J- 6, suited or otherwise.
Rainbow - Community cards containing a mixture of all suits. If this is the case then there is no possibility of accomplishing a Flush.
Raise - To increase the amount of the previous bet.
Rake - The money that the dealer takes out of the pot after each hand on behalf of the casino. The amount, which varies and could either be a flat fee or anywhere from 5 to 10% of the pot worth is meant to compensate the casino for hosting the game.
Rank - The value of a card or a poker hand.
Rap - A knock on the table indicating that the player checks.
Razz - A lowball version of 7 Card Stud in which the lowest five-card hand wins the pot.
Reading - Analyzing an opponent by watching his playing techniques or looking for tells that may give away a hint as to the strength of his hand.
Re-Buy - The opportunity to buy additional chips in a tournament, if permitted.
Rembrandt - A poker game in which all face cards are wild.
Re-Raise - To raise a raise.
Ring Game - A poker game that is not a tournament.
River - The last card that represents the final betting round. In Texas Hold'em and Omaha games, it is the fifth community card dealt in the middle of the table face up. The river comes after the turn and is also known as the 5th street. In 7 Card Stud the river card is also called the 7th street and it represents the 7th card received by a player.
Riverboat - A Full House that is made on a river.
Rock - Also known as a Nit. Please look under the Nit to see the description of this term.
Rockets - Pocket Aces. Also referred to as American Airlines, Bullets, or Pocket Rockets.
Roger - Pocket 10-4, suited or otherwise.
Rounder - A professional poker player who attends big poker games.
Rover - A person who is unable to play because the game is full.
Round of Betting - The part of a poker game in which all active players can make bets, checks, calls and raises. The betting round ends after all players participating in the game have called the last bet or raise.
Route 66 - Pocket Sixes.
Royal Flush - The best hand in poker, the Royal Flush consists of A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit.
Runner-Runner - Also known as the Backdoor. Please refer to the Backdoor to see a full description of this term.
Running - When the last two community cards dealt complete ones hand.
Running Bad - To be on a loosing streak.
Running Good - To be on a winning streak.
Running Over - Playing aggressively in attempt to control other players.
Running Pair - When the last two community cards make a Pair.
Runt - A hand with no Pairs and mixed suits.
Rush - To win several poker hands in a short period of time.
S - Poker Terms
Sailboats - Pocket 4's.
Sandbagging - Also known as slowplaying, it means to hold back and play weakly while holding a strong hand. This technique is meant to disguise strength and to provoke bluffs. Visit our poker strategy section to find out more about this subject.
Satellite - A mini-tournament in which a player can gain an entry to a larger tournament.
Sausage - A player whose playing techniques make no sense. Someone who goes all-in with 3-8 for example, would qualify as a sausage.
Second Pair - A Pair that is made with the second highest card on the board.
Scare Card - The community card that can possibly improve your opponent's hand.
For example, if the flop came as A , Q, 2 and J was drawn on the turn, then the J would be considered a scare card because it could complete a Flush draw, a Straight draw, or even a Royal Flush draw.
Scoop - To win the full pot.
See - To call.
Seed - An Ace.
Sell - To bet rather small with a very strong hand to influence a call. This is a good technique to use when trying to milk a calling station out of money.
Semi-Bluff - Making a bet with a drawing hand or a hand that doesn't have a significant strength.
Set - A Three of a Kind hand that was accomplished with a pocket Pair and another community card.
Seventh Street - The final, fifth round of betting in 7 Card Stud, which begins after the final 7th card was dealt to each player.
Seven Card Stud - 7 Card Stud, is a variation of poker in which each player is dealt seven cards. Three of those cards (the first two and the last, seventh card) are dealt face down. A five card hand is chosen out of those seven cards. Each player has to post a forced bet called an ante before any cards are dealt. The first round of betting begins on the third street after each player was dealt the first three cards. This is when a forced bring-in bet has to be made by a player who received the lowest door card.
Shark - A good player who usually wins. Making money is often his only motivation for playing so he will search for games filled with fish where he can easily win some cash.
Short Handed - Poker game with very few players. A game in which the number of participants falls under seven would be considered a short handed game.
Short Stacked - To have a small amount of chips left.
Showdown - The point of the game at which all remaining players turn their cards face up and the winner is determined. The pot is then awarded to the player with the highest ranking hand.
Side Pot - A side pot is created when an active player runs out of money during the course of the hand and goes “All In”. Such a player can only win the pot in which he has participated and has no business in any other pots that were started after he went “All In”. Additional pots are created if several players run out of money at different points of a hand.
Sign Up Bonus - Cash bonus that an online poker room gives to a new player. The amount of such bonus can vary. Some poker rooms offer new players a percentage of their fist deposit, others don't require a deposit and will give a player a fixed amount of money upon sign-up.
Sixth Street - The fourth round of betting in 7 Card Stud, which begins after the sixth card (the forth card face up) has been dealt to each player.
Slowplaying - Also known as sandbagging. Please see sandbagging for a full description of this term.
Slowroll - When a player is trying to heighten the tension at showdown by revealing his cards very slowly, one by one.
Small Blind - In flop games like Omaha and Texas Hold'em , it is the second, smaller forced bet that has to be made before any cards are dealt. The small blind has to be posted by a player seated to the immediate left of the dealer's button.
Smooth Call - To call a bet rather than raising.
Snap - To crash a better hand. A player holding 3-8 for example, would snap a Pair of Aces held by another player if the community cards came as A-A-3-3-3.
Snap Off - To defeat an opponent, usually a bluffer with a hand of insignificant strength.
Snowmen - A Pair of pocket 8's. Also known as Octopus.
Solid - A tight enough player who is reasonably good.
Speed - The pace of the game or the level of aggressiveness of ones play. Players who play aggressively are fast players and those who are passive are characterized as slow players.
Speed Limit - Pocket 5's.
Splash the Pot - To splash is to toss chips into the pot before anyone can verify the amount.
Splash Around - To play more loosely than one should.
Split-Pot - A tie in which case two or more players split the pot.
Stack - A pile of chips in front of a player.
Stake - The money with which a player enters the game or the amount of money a player is willing to risk in a betting round.
Starting Hand - Cards that are dealt at the beginning of the game with which a player enters the first round of betting. Visit our poker strategy section to learn more about playing your starting hand.
Stay - To remain in the game by calling the bet rather than raising.
Steal - To win the pot by bluffing or to make a bet when it is apparent that other players don't have anything.
Steal Raise - When a player in late position raises the bet in attempt to reduce the number of players competing for the pot.
Steamrolling - When a player re-raises to make opponents call two bets instead of one.
Stone Nuts - This term is used to accentuate that a hand is not only near nuts but is the absolute sure winner.
Stone Wall - A player who is holding a weak hand but continues to call to the end
Straight - A poker hand consisting of five cards of consecutive rank.
Straight Flush - A poker hand consisting of five cards of the same suit in consecutive rank.
Streak - A run of loosing or winning hands or a run of good or bad cards.
Stuck - To suffer a substantial loss in a game.
Stud - A type of poker games like the 7 Card Stud for example, where there are no community cards and players are dealt cards face up as well as face down.
Sucker Straight - The lower end Straight draw, also known as the Bad End or the Idiot End. For example, if a player was holding 2-3 and the flop came as 4-5-7, the player would be drawing a sucker Straight because even if he was dealt the 6 he needed to complete his Straight he may still be beat if another player had an 8. The probability of loosing with such Straight is very high and fish often loose a lot of money this way.
Suck out - When a weak hand wins at showdown despite very poor pot odds.
Suit - ,  ,  or
Suited - Two or more cards of the same suit.
Suited Connector - Two consecutive cards of the same suit in a hole.
Sunset Strip - Pocket 7's. Also known as Walking Sticks.
Sweeten the Pot - It means to raise, in slang.
T - Poker Terms
Table Stakes - Table stakes apply to all poker games. It means that a player can only bet what he has on the table and cannot reach for more funds if he runs out of money during the course of the hand. If a player bets all his chips he is considered all in.
Talon - Cards that are remaining in the deck after a deal.
Tap - To wager all ones money in one bet. To tap someone is to make a bet that is large enough to put a player all-in.
Tapped Out - To lose all money and go broke in a poker game.
Tell - A conscious or subconscious act or omission, which gives out a clue as to the quality of the hand held by a player.
Texas Hold'em - Also known by its shortened name Hold'em, it is the most popular form of poker in which the player can make his five-card hand by combining his two pocket cards with the five community cards dealt in the middle of the table. There are four betting rounds in Texas Hold'em. The first betting round happenes after the first two face down cards were dealt to each player, the second one is after the flop (the first three community cards dealt face up in the center of the table), the third one after the turn (the third community card dealt) and the fourth one after the river (the fourth community card dealt).
The Trucker - Pocket 10-4. This is probably one if the worst hands that a player can get in a Texas Hold'em game.
Third Pair - A Pair that is made with the use of a pocket card and the third highest card on the board.
Third Street - The first round of betting in 7 Card Stud, which begins after the first three cards were dealt to each player. Out of those three cards, the first two are dealt face down and the third one comes face up.
Thirty Miles - Three 10's.
Three Flush - Three cards of the same suit.
Three of a Kind - A poker hand consisting of three cards of the same rank and any other two cards of any suit and rank. Also known as Trips or Triplets.
Three Wise Man - Poker hand consisting of three Kings.
Throwing Party - When there are several large bets made in a round of betting, mainly by amateur and loose players.
Tight Player - Conservative player who doesn't play many hands or plays only strong hands.
Tight Game - A game in which there is not much action.
Tilt - Playing very poorly or wildly, usually after a bad loss or a big win. To go “on tilt” means to change playing method and start playing badly.
TOC - Short term for the Tournament of Champions.
Toke - A tip for a dealer. This is a gambling term that diverted from a “Token of Appreciation”.
Top Pair - A Pair that is created with the use of the highest card on the board. For example, if a player had K, J and the flop came as J- 7- 6 then the player had flopped a Top Pair.
Top Two Pair - A Two Pair hand that is accomplished by pairing both pocket cards with the highest two community cards. If a player had pocket J-K for example, and the community cards were 4-8-10-J-K then the player would have a top Two Pair.
Trap Hand - A weak poker hand that will likely be beat by a better hand.
Trash Hand - A weak poker hand.
Trey - A three.
Treys - A Pair of 3's.
Trips - Three of a Kind poker hand. Also known as the Triplets.
Turn - The fourth out of five community cards dealt face up in Texas Hold'em and Omaha poker games.
Two Flush - Two cards of the same suit.
Two Pair - A hand consisting of two different Pairs.
Two Way Hand - A hand that has a chance of winning the high half and the low half of the hi-low poker game.
U - Poker Terms
Underpair - Pocket Pair that is lower in value than the lowest community card on the table.
Under the Gun - A player in the earliest position. To be under the gun is to be the first person to act.
Unsuited - Cards of a different suit.
Up Card - The card that is dealt face up.
V - Poker Terms
Value Bet - Making a bet with the purpose of increasing the pot value. This method is used by players who are expecting to win at showdown and want to encourage their opponents to call their bet. To learn more about value betting please visit our poker strategy section.
W - Poker Terms
Wager - To wager money is to make a bet or a raise.
Walking Sticks - A Pair of 7's in a hole. Also known as the Sunset Strip.
Weak Player - A player who folds too frequently and is very reluctant to raise a bet.
Wheel - A Straight to the five, A-2-3-4-5. Also referred to as a Bike, it is the lowest Straight possible.
Whipsaw - A situation in which a calling player in the middle position is faced with an aggressive raising from both sides.
Wild Card - A card, such as joker or any other card designated as wild that can be assigned any rank and suit.
Wild Game - This term can be used to either describe a very fast paced game or a game played with the use of wild cards.
Winning hand - The strongest hand that wins the pot at Showdown.
Wired Pair - Pocket Pair or a door card that pairs the hole card in 5 Card Stud.
Worst Hand - A hand that has not chance in winning the pot.
WPT - Short term for the World Poker Tour.
WSOP - Short term for the World Series of Poker.
Thank you for visiting our poker terms section. We hope that you found the above information valuable and we wish you all the best in your future poker game.
If you would like to view graphic examples of all hands in poker, please visit our poker hands page.
Our poker skills and poker strategy sections may be of great interest to you if you are looking to improve your poker game.
If you are interested in learning more about poker we recommend visiting our poker history page. To find out more about poker online visit our online poker section.
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