Poker Terminology

Poker Ace-High
A five-card poker hand that has no hand combinations (flush, straight, pair, etc.), but contains one Ace.

Poker All-In
When you bet all your money on a poker hand, either voluntarily in the belief that you have the strongest poker hand or because do not have enough money to cover the full amount bet by someone else. You then contend for the poker pot in an amount proportional to what you contributed.

Poker Ante
The minimum bet that poker players must place into the poker pot by each poker player before poker betting begins. The ante is placed before any cards are dealt.

Poker Bad Beat
When a good poker hand that would have been expected to win the poker pot is beaten by a lucky draw.

Poker Big Blind
The first bet posted by the poker player to the left of the poker player who posts the small blind. It is a forced poker bet. The big blind poker bet amount is equal to the lower poker bet. For example, in a $10 - $20 game, the poker big blind is $10.

Applies in the following games:
Texas Hold 'em
Omaha
Omaha Hi-Lo

Poker Big Pair
A Pair with a value of 10 or greater.

Poker Big Slick
An A-K combination as pocket (hole) cards.

Poker Blind Bet
A forced poker bet that is placed before any poker cards are dealt. It is considered a live poker bet for the first round of poker betting. You have poker big blind and poker small blind bets in the first round of poker betting.

Applies in the following games:
Texas Hold 'em
Omaha
Omaha Hi-Lo

Poker Bluff
To pretend that you have a better poker hand than you actually do, by betting aggressively in the hope that the other poker players will fold.

Poker Boat
Slang for a full house.

Poker Bullets
A pair of Aces. If these are your pocket cards, they are also known as "Pocket Rockets."

Poker Burning a Card
Discarding the top card from the poker deck.

Poker Buy-In Amount
The amount you must bring into a poker game.

Poker Buy-In Limit
The minimum amount you must bring into a 1-on-1 poker game.

Applies to Seven-Card Stud Poker.

Poker Call
When you place a poker bet equal to the previous poker bet.

Poker Cap
The limit used to describe the third raise in a poker round. Betting is then capped and poker players can only call or fold.

Poker Cash Out
To finish playing and exchange your poker chips for cash.

Poker Catch
When a poker player makes the hand s/he was drawing to.

Poker Check
When you want to stay in the poker game but not place a poker bet. You can only check if no other poker bets have been placed in the poker betting round.

Poker Check-Raise
To check at the beginning of a poker betting round and then raise when a poker player to your left bets.

Poker Coffeehousing
When poker players chat about a poker hand they are involved in, with the intent of misleading or manipulating other poker players.

Poker Call Cold
Calling both a poker bet and a raise at the same time.

Poker Collusion
When two or more poker players work together in order to win a poker hand or succession of poker hands.

Poker Community Cards
Cards that are dealt to the poker table. All poker players can use these poker cards to complete a five-card poker hand.

Dead Man's Hand
Two pair poker hand consisting of Aces & Eights. Reputed to be the poker hand that Wild Bill Hickock was holding when he was shot dead.

Poker Dealer-Button
A flat disk that is used to signify the Dealer's position on the poker table in online poker. The disk is usually marked with a D.

Deuces
A pair of Twos.

Poker Drawing
Remaining in the poker round and accepting more cards.

Poker Drawing to a Hand
Remaining in the poker round with the hope of making one's potential poker hand as more cards are dealt.

Poker Drawing Dead
When a poker player is drawing to a poker hand that is not the best poker hand offered by the flop and will therefore be beaten even if the poker hand is made.

Equalized
When all poker players have contributed the same amount of credits to the poker pot.

Fifth Street
The third round of poker betting is called Fifth Street because the poker players have five cards each.

The following applies to the Fifth Street:
Poker bet amounts are at the high limit.

Note:
Poker betting limits are set by the card room.
The poker player with the highest ranking poker hand begins the next round of poker betting.

Applies to Seven-Card Stud Poker.

Flop
The first three community cards dealt to the poker table.

Applies to the following games:
Texas Hold 'em
Omaha
Omaha Hi-Lo

Poker Fold
When poker players throw in their cards. They give up any claim on the poker pot in exchange for not having to contribute more money to the poker pot.

Fourth Street
The second round of poker betting is called Fourth Street because the poker players have four cards each.

The following applies to the Fourth Street:
The poker player with the highest ranking poker hand begins the next round of poker betting.
Poker Players can Fold, Call, Raise or Check.

Note:
If the highest ranking poker hand is a Pair, the first poker player to bet has the option to bet either the low or high poker betting limit. This becomes the raise amount for the rest of the poker game. The other poker players must follow this amount when they raise.

Applies to Seven-Card Stud Poker.

Poker Flush Draw
When a poker player holds four cards of the same suit and is hoping to draw a fifth card of that suit to complete a flush.

Go on Tilt
When a poker player loses emotional balance during a poker game and plays irrationally.

Poker Gut Shot
To draw to an inside straight.

Poker Hand
The best combination a poker player can make with the cards s/he holds plus the communal cards.

Poker Heads Up
A poker game with only two poker players in it.

Poker Hole Cards
These are the Down Cards in front of the poker players (also known as "Pocket Cards").

Poker House
The host of the poker game (e.g. the casino).

Poker Inside Straight Draw
Drawing to a straight where the cards needed to complete the straight are those in the middle of the straight. For example, you have 6-7-9-10 and need the middle card (8) to make the straight.

Poker Kicker
The highest unpaired card of a poker player's pocket cards.

Limping In
Calling the big blind rather than raising.

Poker Live Blinds
Blind poker bets that are in play.

Example:
Poker Player A posts a small blind poker bet. Poker Player B joins the poker game and posts a big blind poker bet. Poker Player A must now equalize the poker betting as the big blind poker bet is in play and is live.

Poker Lowest Card
The card that has the lowest value. Aces are high. If two poker players have the same lowest card, the value is determined by suit. Suits are arranged in alphabetical order from lowest to highest value - Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades.

Poker Maniac
A very loose and aggressive poker player, playing almost any poker hand and usually raising rather than calling.

Poker Monster
A very strong poker hand.

Poker Muck
When you do not want to show your poker hand to the poker table. The poker hand is discarded without being displayed to the poker table. You can muck a losing poker hand in a showdown or the winning poker hand if everyone else has folded before you.

Poker Nuts
The best possible poker hand that cannot be beaten at a particular point of the poker game.

Poker Nut Flush
A flush containing the Ace.

Poker Offsuit
Cards of different suits.

Poker Outs
Cards that will make the poker hand that the poker player is drawing to.

Poker Paint Cards
The picture cards (King, Queen, Jack).

Poker Pocket Cards
The cards dealt face down to each poker player (also known as "Hole Cards").

Poker Pocket Rockets
A pair of Aces as your pocket cards (hole cards).

Post Now
A choice given to new poker players joining an existing poker game. They can either post now or wait for the big blind poker bet. If they decide to post now, they bet the equivalent of a big blind poker bet and receive cards immediately.

Poker Pot
The poker pot is the pile of chips that accumulates as each poker player ante, bet and raise. All winnings are paid from the poker pot. The value of the poker pot varies. It is dependent on the stakes involved and the amount the poker players bet. The poker pot goes to the winner of each poker round.

Note:
The House takes a small percentage of the poker pot. This is known as the "rake". If two or more poker players have the same winning poker hand, they split the poker pot equally.

Poker Quads
Four of a kind (four cards of the same denomination).

Quartered
When poker players tie with either a high or a low poker hand and earn a quarter of the poker pot.

Applies to Omaha Hi-Lo Poker.

Poker Rake
Percentage of the poker pot taken by the house.

Poker Rags
Useless cards - cards that don't improve a poker hand.

Poker Rainbow
When the board contains 3 or 4 cards of different suits.

Poker Raise
When you increase the poker bet made by a preceding poker player. This increases the poker stakes for remaining poker players, who now have to match the total amount including the raise.

Poker Ring Game
A normal real money table poker game, as opposed to a tournament poker game.

Poker River Card
The final community card dealt.

Poker Rock
A poker player who will only play the best poker hands and nothing less.

Poker Scare Cards
High board cards (e.g an Ace that appears on the flop).

See
To see someone is to call their poker bet.

Poker Semi-Bluff
To bluff with a poker hand that still has drawing potential and could improve to be the winning poker hand.

Seven Deuce
The acknowledged weakest starting card combination in Texas Hold 'em (7-2).

Seventh Street
The fifth and final round of poker betting is called Seventh Street because the poker players have seven cards each.

The following applies to the Seventh Street:
The river card is dealt face down.
The poker player that played first on the Sixth Street plays first.
If there is more than one poker player left in the poker game after another round of poker betting, the poker game is resolved by means of a showdown.
You expose the best five-card poker hand possible. The winner is awarded the poker pot.

Applicable to Seven-Card Stud Poker.

Poker Showdown
After the last poker betting round, when the remaining poker players compare poker hands to determine the poker winner. The poker player with the highest value poker hand wins the poker pot.

Sitting Out
When you choose to leave a poker table for a few hands.

Note:
If a poker player sits out for more than fifteen minutes or has missed two rounds of blinds, they are removed from the poker table.

Sixth Street
The fourth round of poker betting is called Sixth Street because the poker players have six cards each.

The following applies to the Sixth Street:
Poker Bet amounts are at the high limit.
The poker player with the highest ranking poker hand begins the next round of poker betting.

Note:
Poker betting limits are set by the poker card room.

Applies to Seven-Card Stud Poker.

Slow Playing
Playing non-aggressively with a powerful poker hand; calling and betting instead of raising. This in the hope of not driving poker players out of the poker hand and thus sucking more money into the poker pot. Also called "sandbagging."

Poker Small Blind
The first poker bet posted by the poker player to the poker dealer's left. It is a forced poker bet. The small blind poker bet amount is equal to half of the lower poker bet. For example, in a $10 - $20 poker game, the small blind is $5.

Splash the Pot
To toss chips into the poker pot instead of placing them. Seen as bad etiquette.

Poker Stack
A poker player's chips.

Poker Steal
To try and win the poker pot by betting when everyone else has checked or by making a large raise when everyone else has called.

Poker Suited Cards
Cards of the same suit.

Third Street
The first round of poker betting is called Third Street because the poker players have three cards each. The poker player with the lowest card displayed brings in the poker betting in this round.

Applicable to Seven-Card Stud Poker.

Poker Turn
The fourth community card dealt.

Applies to the following games:
Texas Hold 'em
Omaha
Omaha Hi-Lo

Under the Gun
The poker player who must act first in the poker betting round.

Poker Visible Cards
Cards dealt face up to each poker player. Poker players use these cards to complete a five-card combination.

WSOP
World Series of Poker.