General Poker Glossary


	A A-B-C, A-B-C-D 1. A sequence of the lowest cards in a lowball game. For example, the hand 8-6-3-2-A might be called an "eight-six-a-b-c". 2. Uncreative or predictable play. He's an a-b-c player. ace-to-five, ace-to-six Methods of evaluating low hands. action 1. A player's opportunity to act. The action is on you. 2. A willingness to gamble. I'll give you action or There's plenty of action in this game 3. A bet, along with all the calls and raises of that bet. For example, if one player makes a $5 bet and three other players call, he is said to have $5 "in action", and to have received $15 worth of action on his bet. Usually this term comes into play when figuring side pots when one or more players is all in. action button A marker similar to a kill button, on which a player places an extra forced bet. Typically in a stud game, a player is required to post an amount representing a completion of the bring-in to a full bet. For example, in a stud game with $2 and $4 betting limits and a $1 bring-in, a player with the action button must post $2; after the cards are dealt, the player with the low card must still pay the $1 bring-in, then when the betting reaches the player who posted the $2, he is required to leave it in as a raise of the bring-in (and has the option to raise further). Players in between the bring-in and the action button can just call the bring-in, but they know ahead of time that they will be raised by the action button. action player Euphemism for a less skillful player who bets and calls frequently with inferior hands. This is also called, in derogatory terms, an "Action Junkie" add-on (In a live game) To buy more chips before you have busted. In tournament play, a single re-buy for which all players are eligible regardless of their stack size. This is usually allowed only once, at the end of the re-buy period. advertising To make an obvious play or expose cards in such a way as to deliberately convey an impression to your opponents about your style of play. For example, to make a bad play or bluff to give the impression that you bluff frequently (hoping opponents will then call your legitimate bets) or to show only good hands to give the impression that you rarely bluff (hoping opponents will then fold when you do). aggressive A player who frequently bets and raises. air In a lowball game, "giving air" is letting an opponent who might otherwise fold know that you intend to draw one or more cards to induce him to call. all in Having bet one's entire stake, or to run out of chips while betting or calling. In table stakes games, a player may not go into his pocket for more money during a hand. If he runs out, a side pot is created in which he has no interest. However, he can still win the pot for which he had the chips. Alligator blood A tough player who plays well under pressure. ammo, ammunition Chips in play. Example: “I'm going to need more ammo for this game." angle This play is technically legal, but borderline unethical to play. For example, deliberately miscalling one's own hand to induce a fold, or placing odd amounts of chips in the pot to confuse opponents about whether you mean to call or raise. A player employing such tactics is called an "angle shooter". ante Once meaning a first-round bet, now a type of forced bet before cards are dealt, in order to seed the pot at the beginning of a poker hand. Most Hold'em games do not have an ante; they use "blinds" to get initial money into the pot. ante off In tournament play, to force an absent player to continue paying antes, blinds, bring-ins, or other forced bets so that the contest remains fair to the other players. Also known as "blind off". Example: “Go ahead and take that phone call. We'll ante you off until you get back.” B baby A low-ranked card, usually used in lowball games. backdoor 1. Catching both the turn and river card to make a drawing hand.A draw requiring two or more rounds to fill. For example, catching two consecutive cards in two rounds of Seven-card stud or Texas Hold’em to fill a straight or flush. See also "runners." 2. A hand made other than the hand the player intended to make. Example: “I started with four hearts hoping for a flush, but I backdoored two more kings and my trips won.” back in 1. To enter a pot by checking and then calling someone else's open on the first betting round. Usually used in games like Jackpots, meaning to enter without openers. 2. To enter a pot cheaply or for free because of having posted a blind. back into To win a pot with a hand that would have folded to any bet. Example: Two players enter a pot of draw poker, both drawing to flushes. Both miss, and check after the draw. The player with the ace-high draw "backs into" winning the pot against the player with only a king-high draw. Also to make a backdoor draw, for example, a player who starts a hand with three of a kind, but makes a runner-runner flush, can be said to back into the flush. bad beat An event in which a hand that is a large underdog beats a heavily favoured hand. It is generally used to imply that the winner of the pot had no business being in the pot at all, and it was the wildest of luck that he managed to catch the one card in the deck that would win the pot. "Bad beat stories" are frequent topics of conversation at poker tables. In some casinos there is a "bad beat jackpot" awarded to a player who suffers a particular beat, for example, having four of a kind beaten. bank Also called the house, the person responsible for distributing chips, keeping track of the buy-ins, and paying winners at the end of the game. bankroll The amount of money that a player has to wager for the duration of his or her poker career. behind 1. Not currently having the best hand. Example: “I'm pretty sure my pair of jacks was behind Lou's kings, but I had other draws, so I kept playing.” 2. Describing money in play but not visible as chips in front a player. For example, a player may announce "I've got $100 behind" while handing money to a casino employee, meaning that he intends those chips to be in play as soon as they are brought to him. belly buster An inside straight draw. Also called a "gutshot". berry patch A game with many unskilled or "live" players; a lucrative opportunity for profit. bet 1. Any money wagered during the play of a hand. 2. More specifically, the opening bet of a betting round. 3. In a fixed limit game, the standard betting amount. Example: There were six bets in the pot when I called. betting structure The set of specific rules for any game covering how much one may or must bet at any point in the game, including forced bets, limits, and raising cap. big bet In a fixed limit game where the limit is higher in later rounds than in early rounds, the higher amount is called a "big bet". Example: “That $10-$20 game looked good, but I only had 8 big bets in my pocket at the time.” big bet game A game played with a no limit or pot limit betting structure. Big Blind The larger of the two blinds typically used in a Hold'em game. The big blind is a full first round bet. See also "blind" and "small blind." big blind special A situation in which (assuming no raising) the player in the big blind is dealt weak hole cards, but ends up making the best hand because he or she was able to see the flop for free. Example: two pair with unusual cards such as 2-8 or 9-3 blank A card, frequently a community card, of no apparent value (it does not seem to affect the standings in the hand.) Example: Flop comes down J-10-Q Turn 2 River 6 (in this case the 2 and the 6 are blanks) bleed To lose small amounts continually, so as to add up to a large loss. I won that large pot with my kings, but then I bled it all off over the next hour. blind 1. A type of forced bet, put into the pot before any of the cards are dealt. Typically the blinds are put in by players immediately to the left of the button. 2. A term applied to any action taken by a player before seeing some piece of information to which that player would normally be entitled before that action. For example, a player who would be first to act after the draw in a draw poker game might discard cards and then announce "I bet $10 blind" before looking at his replacement cards. One can similarly check blind, raise blind, etc. Also "dark" or "in the dark". blind crowley Folding your hand when the action to check is an option before looking at your cards. blind stud A stud poker game in which all cards are dealt face down. Was popular in California before legal rulings made traditional stud legal there. bluff To bet an inferior hand hoping the opponent will fold. bluff-catcher On the last betting round, a hand that cannot win if the opponent is making a legitimate value bet, but that might win if the opponent's bet was a pure bluff. Example: “It looked like Jim and I were both drawing for a flush. I missed and he bet, but I figured the pair of nines I caught along the way made a bluff-catcher, so I called.” board 1. The set of community cards in a community card game. 2. The set of face-up cards of a particular player in a stud game. 3. The set of all face-up cards in a stud game. bobtail An open-ender, or "outside" straight draw. Occasionally used to refer to an inside straight draw or a four-card flush draw as well. bomb See brick. bone A chip, often of small denomination. Bot Short for "robot". In a poker context, a program that plays poker online with no (or minimal) human intervention. both ways Both halves of a split pot, often declared by a player who thinks he or she will win both low and high. box The chip tray in front of a house dealer, and by extension, the house dealer's position at the table. Example: “You've been in the box for an hour now; don't you get a break?” boxed card A card encountered face-up in the assembled deck during the deal, as opposed to one overturned in the act of dealing. Most house rules treat a boxed card as a misdeal, the hand is dead, the pot is chopped and the cards are re-dealt. In most tournament games and in casinos the running rule is to discard the deck and replace it. Different rules cover cards exposed during the deal. break 1. In a draw poker game, to discard cards that already form a made hand, in the hope of making a much better one. For example, a player with J-J-10-9-8 may wish to break his pair of jacks to draw for the straight, and a lowball player may break his 9-high 9-5-4-2-A to draw for the wheel. 2. To end a session of play. The game broke at about 3:00. brick A blank, though more often used in the derogatory sense of a card that is undesirable rather than merely inconsequential, such as a card of high rank or one that makes a pair in a low-hand game. brick and mortar A poker game played in person with real physical cards at a traditional casino. The term is meant to distinguish brick and mortar games from online poker games. Abbreviated "B&M". bring in To open a betting round. Gary brought it in for $5, and Kevin raised $10. A forced bet in stud. brush A casino employee whose job it is to greet players entering the poker room, maintain the list of persons waiting to play, announce open seats, and various other duties (including brushing off tables to prepare them for new games, hence the name). Bubble (1) The point at which only one player must bust out before all others win some money. (2) The person who was unfortunate enough to finish in that position. buck A token used to mark the position of the dealer. . bug A wild card that can serve to fill a straight or flush, but which otherwise plays as an ace. bullet 1. An ace. 2. A chip. bully To bluff repeatedly at all opportunities, or a player who does so. bum deal A mis-deal bump To raise. I raised $5, and Joe bumped it to $20 . burn, burn card To discard the top card from the deck, face down. This is often used in games with multiple rounds. A card is burned in between each betting round before putting out the next community card(s). This is security against any player recognizing or glimpsing the next card to be used on the board. busted 1. Not complete, such as four cards to a straight that never gets the fifth card to complete it. 2. Out of chips. button 1. A token (also called a buck), usually white, used to mark the position of the dealer. In casino games with a house dealer, a buck may still be used to mark the position of the player who acts last on that deal (which would normally be the dealer in a home game). 2. The player currently seated in the position marked by the button. Buy (1) As in "buy the pot." To bluff, hoping to "buy" the pot without being called. (2) As in "buy the button." To bet or raise, hoping to make players between you and the button fold, thus allowing you to act last on subsequent betting rounds. buy-in The minimum required amount of chips to become involved in a game (or the amount of money you pay to enter a tournament). Online, buy-ins are normally expressed as two numbers, for example $100 + $9 ($100 goes to the prize pot and $9 to the House) buy short To buy into a game for an amount smaller than the normal buy-in. Some casinos allow this under certain circumstances, such as after having lost a full buy-in, or if all players agree to allow it. buy the button A rule originating in northern California casinos in games played with blinds, in which a new player sitting down with the button to his right (who would normally be required to sit out a hand as the button passed him, then post to come in) may choose to pay the amount of both blinds for this one hand (the amount of the large blind playing as a live blind, and the amount of the small blind as dead money), play this hand, and then receive the button on the next hand as if he had been playing all along. C call To match the most recent bet or raise amount, maintaining one's interest in the pot. To “see” is of equal meaning, only informal calling station A weak player who frequently checks and calls, but rarely raises. cap 1. A limit on the number of raises allowed in a betting round. In addition to the opening bet, the betting is typically capped at three or four times. 2. Term for the chip, token, or object placed atop one's cards to show continued involvement with a hand. cards speak 1. A common house rule stating that properly shown hands at showdown may be read by anyone, and need not be announced. 2. Describing a split-pot game, one without a declaration. case card The last available card of a certain description (typically a rank). The only way I can win is to catch the case king., meaning the only king remaining in the deck. catch To receive needed cards on a draw. I'm down 300--I can't catch anything today. or Joe caught his flush early, but I caught the boat on seventh street to beat him. Often used with an adjective to further specify, for example "catch perfect", "catch inside", "catch smooth" . catch up To successfully complete a draw, thus defeating a player who previously had a better hand. I was sure I had Karen beat, but she caught up when that spade fell. catch perfect To catch the only two possible cards that will complete a hand and win the pot, usually those leading to a straight flush. Usually used in Texas Hold 'Em. cat-hop In five-card draw, a long-shot draw requiring two desired cards to make a hand, specifically drawing two cards to a straight or flush, or drawing two cards to a small pair and kicker to make a full house. center pot The first pot created during a poker hand, as opposed to one or more "side" pots created if one or more players goes all-in. This is also known as the main pot. chase 1. To continue to play a drawing hand over multiple betting rounds, especially one unlikely to succeed. Frank knew I made three nines on fourth street, but he chased that flush draw all the way to the river. 2. To continue playing with a hand that is not likely the best because one has already invested money in the pot. Chat Box In online poker: a window where conversation between players can be viewed. check (1) To not bet, passing along the option to call or raise later in the betting round. This is the equivalent to betting zero dollars. (2) Another word for chip, as in poker chip. check out To fold, in turn, even though there is no bet facing the player. In some games this is considered a breach of etiquette equivalent to folding out of turn. In others it is permitted, but frowned upon. check-raise To check, and then re-raise when someone behind you bets. chip A token representing money used for betting. chip along To bet or call the minimum required to stay in, often done with little or no reflection. chip declare A method of declaring intent to play high or low in a split-pot game with declaration. chip dumping A form of collusion that happens during tournaments, especially in the early rounds. Two or more players decide to go all-in early. The winner gets a large amount of chips, which increases the player's chance of cashing. The winnings are then split among the colluders. chip race In tournament play, the act of removing all the small chips from play by dealing random cards to players holding odd chips, and awarding a proportional number of larger chips to the highest-ranking cards. chip up To exchange lower-denomination chips for higher-denomination chips. In tournament play, the term means to remove all the small chips from play by rounding up any odd small chips to the nearest large denomination, rather than using a chip race. chop 1. To split a pot because of a tie, split-pot game, or player agreement. 2. To split the tournament money between remaining players 3. To play a game for a short time and cash out; see "hit and run". 4. A request made by a player to a dealer after toking a large-denomination chip that he wishes the dealer to make change. chop blinds An agreement between neighboring players having posted blinds that if all other players fold to them, they will each retrieve their respective blind amounts and discard their hands rather than playing out the hand. This is done to avoid excessive charges by the casino for small pots. It is generally frowned upon by casinos, so it usually takes the form of the small blind folding, and then the player with the large blind refunding the small blind amount while the dealer isn't looking. Agreement must be made ahead of time. Clean Out A card that would almost certainly make your hand best. If you are drawing at a straight, but there is a flush draw possible, then the cards that make your straight but also the flush are not clean outs and could result in your losing with your “made” hand. closed 1. Describing a betting round, the condition that no player is eligible to raise, either because the last raise was called by all players, or because the cap was reached. 2. Describing a poker game, one in which each player's cards are concealed from all opponents. cockroach Euphemism for a player who frequently raises the pot in a blatant attempt to steal the antes or blinds. coffeehouse To make annoying small talk during a game, to make comments about a hand in progress, or to make deceptive comments about one's own play. cold 1. Consecutive, as in I caught three cold spades for the flush. 2. Unlucky, as in I've been cold all week. cold call To call more than one bet in a single action. For instance, suppose the first player to act after the big blind raises. Now any player acting after that must call two bets "cold." This is different from calling a single bet and then calling a subsequent raise. Example: Mike bets 20 Ed bets 30 Kurt cold calls 50 cold deck A deck previously arranged to produce a specific outcome, then secretly switched into the game. Called "cold" because such a deck switched in during play will not have been warmed by the dealer's hands. The term "ice" can also be used. collusion A form of cheating involving cooperation among two or more players. color change, color up To exchange small-denomination chips for larger ones. combo, combination game A casino table at which multiple forms of poker are played in rotation. In familiar circumstances this can also be referred to as “dealer’s choice”. come bet, on the come A bet or raise made with a drawing hand, building the pot in anticipation of filling the draw. community card A card dealt face-up to the center of the table (not to any one player's hand), which can be used in some way by multiple players according to specific game rules. completion To raise a small bet up to the amount of what would be a normal-sized bet. For example, in a $2/$4 stud game with $1 bring-in, a player after the bring-in may raise it to $2, completing what would otherwise be a sub-minimum bet up to the normal minimum. Also in limit games, if one player raises all in for less than the normally required minimum, a later player might complete the raise to the normal minimum. Complete Hand A hand that is defined by all five cards -- a straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, or straight flush. Connector A hold'em starting hand in which the two cards are one apart in rank. Examples: KQs, 76. countdown 1. Especially in lowball, two hands very nearly tied that must be compared in detail to determine a winner, for example, 8-6-5-3-2 versus 8-6-5-3-A. 2. The act of counting the cards that remain in the stub after all cards have been dealt, done by a dealer to ensure that a complete deck is being used. 3. In a tournament, counting out a players remaining chips to determine the exact amount. Often requested for intimidation value by a large stack, or before/after an all-in raise is announced. counterfeit Mostly in community card games, a card appearing on the board that does not change the value of one's own hand, but that makes it much more likely for an opponent to tie or beat you, often because it duplicates what was previously a valuable card in your hand. For example, you have 7,8 in the hole and 9,10,J flops. You now have the straight, only the next card to come down is your 8. This 8 has counterfeited your hand and made it all but worthless. cow A player with whom one is sharing a buy-in, with the intent to split the result after play. To "go cow" is to make such an arrangement. crack To beat a better hand, mostly heard in reference to the best Hold em hole cards, AA. eg "My Aces were cracked again" Cripple As in "to cripple the deck." Meaning that you have most or all of the cards that somebody would want to have with the current board. If you have pocket kings, and the other two kings flop, you have crippled the deck. crossfire See "whipsaw". crowley Folding your hand when the action to check is an option. "You could have checked, why did you pull a crowley." crying call A call made reluctantly on the last betting round with the expectation of losing (the call is made with 1) some remote hope of catching a bluff and/or 2) Pot Odds). cut Take some of the cards off the top of a deck and move them to the bottom. cutoff The seat immediately to the right of the dealer button. D dark Describing an action taken before receiving information to which the player would normally be entitled. I'm drawing three, and I check in the dark. See "blind". dead blind A blind that is not "live", in that the player posting it does not have the option to raise if other players just call. Rarely used. dead button A dealer button placed in a position where there is no player. This occurs in some casinos when the player who would otherwise be entitled to the button leaves the game (other casinos move the button forward to the next player). This occurs frequently during poker tournaments, due to player elimination. dead hand A player's hand that is not entitled to participate in the deal for some reason, such as having been fouled by touching another player's cards, being found to contain the wrong number of cards, being dealt to a player who did not make the appropriate forced bets, etc. dead money 1. Money placed into a pot that does not represent equal bets and calls by active players in the pot. This can be the earlier bets of players who have folded, or money placed in the pot before the deal. 2. By extension, it is used as a derogatory term for money put in play by unskilled players who are legally eligible, but unlikely to win it back. Can also refer to the player: Let's play that stud game--Joe and Diane are dead money. deadwood The muck. deal 1. To distribute cards to players in accordance with the rules of the game being played. 2. A single instance of a game of poker, begun by shuffling the cards and ending with the award of a pot. Also called a "hand" (though both terms are ambiguous). 3. An agreement to split tournament prize money differently from the announced payouts. 4. See "business". deal twice In a cash game, when two players are involved in a large pot and one is all-in, they might agree to deal the remaining cards twice. If one player wins both times he wins the whole pot, but if both players win one hand they split the pot. dealer The person dealing the cards, or the person who assumes that role for the purposes of betting order in a game, even though someone else might be physically dealing. In the latter case, that player is often marked with a button, and may be called "the button". dealer's choice A version of poker in which the deal passes each game and each dealer can choose, or invent, a new poker game each hand. declare To verbally indicate an action or intention; see declaration. decloak To raise after having sandbagged for a time (making it clear that you were, in fact, sandbagging). See "in the bushes". deep Describing a large amount of money, either in play or having been lost. How deep are you? (meaning "How much money do you have", in anticipation of making a very large bet). I won that large pot, but I'm in much deeper than that. defense 1. Playing to minimize investment or loss rather than maximize a win; for example, with a drawing hand that is risky but that you think should call an opponent's bet, you might make a smaller "defensive bet" yourself that you think your opponent will just call, rather than checking and calling a larger bet, or showing weakness. 2. Occasionally calling with weak hands to discourage opponents from bullying, especially when in the blinds. deuce 1. A 2-spot card. 2. Any of various related uses of the number two, such as a $2 limit game, a $2 chip, etc. deuce-to-seven A method of evaluating low hands. discard To take a previously dealt card out of play. The set of all discards for a deal is called the "muck" or the "deadwood". dog Underdog; that is, a player with a smaller chance to win than another specified player. Frequently used when the exact odds are expressed. Harry might have been bluffing, but if he really had the king, my hand was a 4-to-1 dog, so I folded. Also referred to as “underdog” Dominated Hand A hand that will almost always lose to a better hand that people usually play. For instance, K3 is "dominated" by KQ. With the exception of strange flops (e.g., 3-3-X, K-3-X), it will always lose to KQ. donation A call made by a player who fully expects to lose; made either out of boredom or irrational optimism. donk, donkey Epithet for an inexperienced, unskilled, or foolish poker player. I played that hand like a donkey. donk (verb) To play a hand poorly. I donked off 15 bucks on that last hand. door card 1. In a stud game, a player's first face-up card. Patty paired her door card on fifth street and raised, so I put her on trips. 2. Window card. double-board, double-flop Any of several community card game variants (usually Texas hold 'em) in which two separate boards of community cards are dealt simultaneously, with the pot split between the winning hands using each board. double-draw Any of several Draw poker games in which the draw phase and subsequent betting round are repeated twice. double gutter, double belly buster In games involving six or more cards, a draw to a straight that can be filled by two ranks, but that is not an open-ender. For example, K-J-10-9-7, which can become a straight with any Q or 8. double through, double up In a big bet game, to bet all of one's chips on one hand against a single opponent (who has an equal or larger stack) and win, thereby doubling your stack. I was losing a bit, but then I doubled through Sarah to put me in good shape. downcard A card that is dealt facedown. down to the felt All in, or having lost all of one's money. Refers to the green felt surface of a poker table no longer obscured by chips. drag light To pull chips away from the pot to indicate that you don't have enough money to cover the bet. If you win, the amount is ignored. If you lose, you must cover the amount from your pocket. draw 1. Draw poker. 2. To replace one or more cards in one's hand with new ones from the deck stub, as in draw poker. 3. The act of staying in a hand in hopes of improving, usually to a straight or flush--on a draw. 4. A drawing hand. drawing dead Playing a drawing hand that will lose even if successful (a state of affairs usually only discovered after the fact). I caught the jack to make my straight, but Rob had a full house all along, so I was drawing dead. drawing live Not drawing dead; that is, drawing to a hand that will win if successful. drawing thin Not drawing completely dead, but chasing a draw in the face of poor odds. Example: a player who will only win by catching 1 or 2 specific cards is said to be drawing thin. drink pot A pot won by a player with the agreement that drinks will be bought from the proceeds. drop 1. To fold. 2. Money charged by the casino for providing its services, often dropped through a slot in the table into a strong box. See "rake". 3. To drop ones cards to the felt to indicate that one is in or out of a game like guts. dry pot A side pot with no money. Created when a player goes all in and is called by more than one opponent, but not raised. Bluffing into a dry pot is a play that cannot possibly earn a profit, so doing so is considered foolish. It may also be unethical, because it serves to protect the all-in player at the expense of the bettor and the other players, and so is a form of collusion. dump, dumped To lose a large quantity of ones stack to another player on a particular hand or set of hands in short succession. I dumped half my stack to John after he cracked my Kings. duplicate To counterfeit, especially when the counterfeiting card matches one already present in the one's hand. E early position In a betting round with multiple players involved, those who bet first are said to be in early position. See position. equity One's mathematically expected income from the current deal, calculated by multiplying the amount of money in the pot by one's probability of winning. For example, if the pot currently contains $100, and you estimate that you have a one in four chance of winning it, then your equity in the pot is $25. If the pot contains $80, and you have a 50% chance of winning it, you have $40 equity in the pot. Compare to "expected value". expectation 1. Expected value. 2. One's typical win rate for a particular game, ignoring variance. That is, how much one expects to win (or lose) per hour or per hand over the long run. Example: (1) The amount you expect to gain on average if you make a certain play. For instance, suppose you put $10 into a $50 pot to draw at a hand that you will make 25% of the time, and it will win every time you make it. Three out of four times, you do not make your draw, and lose $10 each time for a total of $30. The fourth time, you will make your draw, winning $50. Your total gain over those four average hands is $50-$30 = $20, an average of $5 per hand. Thus calling the $10 has a positive expectation of $5. (2) The amount you expect to make at the poker table in a specific time period. Suppose in 100 hours of play, you win $527. Then your expectation is $5.27/hr. Of course, you won't make that exact amount each hour (and some hours you will lose), but it is one measure of your anticipated earnings. expected value, EV In probability theory, the overall expected payoff of a particular event, calculated by multiplying the probability of each possible outcome by the payoff from each. For example, if there are two possible outcomes from an event (say, flipping a coin), one of which pays $2 and the other of which pays nothing, your EV for the event is $1 (in the long run, if this event happened many times, you would average $1 per event). In poker, one generally associates an EV with a particular action. One's EV from calling a bet, for example, is the sum of all possible outcomes from calling the bet multiplied by the probability of each. Note that since a bet costs money to make, the payoff of some outcomes--and therefore the EV itself--may be negative. exposed card A card whose face has been deliberately or accidentally revealed to players normally not entitled to that information during the play of the game. Various games have different rules about how to handle this irregularity. Compare "boxed card". Extra Blind A blind put in by a player just entering the game, returning to the game, or otherwise changing his position at the table. See also "blind" and "post." F family pot A deal in which every (or almost every) seated player called the first opening bet (in Hold’em, pre-flop) Fast play To play a hand aggressively, betting and raising as much as possible. Example: "When you flop a set but there's a flush draw possible, you have to play it fast." feeder In a casino setting, a second or third table playing the same game as a "main" table, and from which players move to the main game as players there leave. Also called a "must-move table." fence-hopper See "hop the fence". fifth street 1. The last card dealt to the board in community card games. Less common than river. 2. The fifth card dealt to each player in stud poker. fill, fill up To successfully draw to a hand that needs one card to complete it, by getting the last card of a straight, flush, or full house. Jerry made his flush when I was betting my kings up, but I filled on seventh street to catch up. fire To make the opening bet of a round, following the same analogy by which chips are called "ammo". I called Ken's bet on fourth with a draw, but I bricked, and when he fired again I had to fold. or I think Randy suspected my earlier bet was a bluff, but when I fired a second shot he let it go. fish 1. An unskilled player, or an otherwise skilled player playing carelessly. 2. To risk money on a long-shot bet It's a well-known (though not well-followed) rule among good players to not upset the bad players, because they'll stop having fun and perhaps leave. Thus the phrase, "Don't tap on the aquarium." fixed limit, flat limit A betting structure in which a player never chooses the amount to bet, only whether to bet a fixed amount or not. See fixed limit. flash To show the bottom card of the deck while shuffling. flat call A call, in a situation where one might be expected to raise. Normally I raise with jacks, but with three limpers ahead of me I decided to flat call. floorman, floorperson A casino employee whose duties include adjudicating player disputes, keeping games filled and balanced, and managing dealers and other personnel. Players may shout "floor!" to call for a floorperson to resolve a dispute, to ask for a table or seat change, or to ask for some other casino service. flop In a community card game, the first set of community cards dealt, and the betting round that follows. In Texas hold 'em and Omaha hold'em in particular, this involves a set of three community cards dealt before the game's second betting round. The verb flop is to catch something on the flop. flop game Community card game. fold To relinquish one's cards, forfeiting any further interest in the pot for this deal. See fold. Fold Equity The extra value you get from a hand when you force an opponent to fold. That is, if you don't have to see a showdown, your hand has more value than if you do. forced bet Money that a player is required to place into the pot by the rules of the game. The three common forms are antes, blinds, and bring-ins. forced-move In a casino where more than one table is playing the same game with thesame betting structure, one of the tables may be designated the "main" table,and will be kept full by requiring a player to move from one of the feeder tables to fill any vacancies. Players will generally be informed that their table is a "forced-move" table to be used in this way before they agree to play there. Also "must-move". forward motion A house rule of some casinos states that if a player in turn picks up chips from his stack and moves his hand toward the pot ("forward motion with chips in hand"), this constitutes a commitment to bet (or call), and the player may not withdraw his hand to check or fold. Such a player still has the choice of whether to call or raise. fourth street 1. The fourth card dealt to the board in community card games. Less common than turn. 2. The fourth card dealt to each player in stud. Foul A hand that may not be played for one reason or another. A player with a foul hand may not make any claim on any portion of the pot. Example: "He ended up with three cards after the flop, so the dealer declared his hand foul." fox hunt After a hand is over, a fox hunt means to reveal the next card that would have come up. If the next card would have been the final card, such as in a community card game with a fixed number of cards, this is called rabbit hunting. Such activity is usually prohibited in most casinos. free card A card dealt to one's hand (or to the board of community cards) after a betting round in which no player opened. One is thereby being given a chance to improve one's hand without having to pay anything. I wasn't sure my hand was good, but I bet so I wouldn't give a free card to Bill's flush draw. A turn or river card on which you don't have to call a bet because of play earlier in the hand (or because of your reputation with your opponents). For instance, if you are on the button and raise when you flop a flush draw, your opponents may check to you on the turn. If you make your flush on the turn, you can bet. If you don't get it on the turn, you can check as well, seeing the river card for "free." freeroll 1. A situation in which a player is guaranteed to at least break even and may possibly profit. Common in split-pot games. See freeroll. Ex: suppose you have Ac-Qc and your opponent has Ad-Qh. The flop is Qs-5c-Tc. You are tied with your opponent right now, but are free rolling, because you can win the whole pot and your opponent can't. If no club comes, you split the pot with him; if it does come, you win the whole thing. One player has a shot at winning an entire pot when he is currently tied with another player. 2. A tournament with no entry fee. Sometimes offered as a casino promotion, or as a reward for earlier play. freezeout A winner-take-all tournament. That is, a game in which play continues until one player has all the chips. full bet rule In some casinos, the rule that a player must wager the full amount required in order for his action to constitute a raise. For example, in a game with a $4 fixed limit, a player facing an opening bet of $4 who wagers $7 is deemed to have flat called, because $8 is required to raise. The alternative is the "half bet rule". G Gap Hand A starting hand with cards more than one rank apart. For instance, T9 is a one-gap hand. 86 is a two-gap hand. gretzky In games like Texas hold 'em to have pocket 9's. A reference to hockey player Wayne Gretzky's number 99. grinder A player who earns a living by making small profits over a long period of consistent, conservative play. See "rock". guts, guts to open 1. A game with no opening hand requirement; that is, where the only requirement to open the betting is "guts", or courage. 2. Any of several poker variants where pots accumulate over several hands until a single player wins. gutshot An inside straight draw ("gutshot draw") A straight filled "inside." If you have 9s-8s, the flop comes 7c-5h-2d, and the turn is the 6c, you've made your gutshot straight. gypsy To enter the pot cheaply by just calling the blind rather than raising. Also "limp". H half bet rule In some casinos, the rule that placing chips equal to or greater than half the normal bet amount beyond the amount required to call constitutes a commitment to raise the normal amount. For example, in a game with a $4 fixed limit, a player facing a $4 opening bet who places $6 in the pot is deemed to have raised, and must complete his bet to $8. The alternative is the "full bet rule". half kill A kill for less than double the normal limits. For example, a $6 game may have a kill for $9 rather than the usual $12. half-pot limit A betting structure resembling pot limit, but which allows maximum raises of half the amount in the pot rather than the full amount. hammer 1. To bet and raise aggressively. Nora kept hammering, so I folded. 2. "Having the hammer" is being in last position, especially head up. You've got the hammer; I check to you. 3. A "hammer lock" refers to a player with an almost 100% chance of winning the pot. 4. In Texas Hold'em, The Hammer refers to a starting hand consisting of a 7-2 offsuit. Hand 1. A single instance of a game of poker, begun by shuffling the cards and ending with the award of a pot. Also called a "deal" (though both terms are ambiguous). Hand for hand In tournament play, the act of equalizing the number of hands played at two or more tables by waiting for slower tables to finish each hand before beginning the next hand on every table. This is usually done to ensure an accurate finishing order to distribute prize money. hard 1. Aggressive and uncompromising, said of one's play. Jim played me hard all night; I could never get a break. 2. Chips, as opposed to paper money. I gave the floorman $100 for $50 hard and $50 soft. head up, heads up Playing against a single opponent. A pot that is being contested by only two players. After Lori folded, Frank and I were head up for the rest of the hand. here kitty kitty A conspicuously small bet made with a very powerful hand in the hope of getting a call from one or more opponents who would otherwise fold to a normal-sized bet. high-low, high-low split Any of several games in which the pot is divided between the player with the best conventional poker hand and the best lowball hand. high society 1. Large-denomination chips. Also "society". 2. $10,000 worth of chips. "Give me three stacks of high society." Hit As in "the flop hit me," meaning the flop contains cards that help your hand. If you have AK, and the flop comes K-7-2, it hit you. hit and run To play for a short time, make money, and leave. Also called "chopping" a game. hog, hogger To win all of the pot in a split-pot game, for example, by having both the best high hand and best low hand simultaneously. Also called "scooping" the pot. hole, hole card 1. Face-down cards. I think Willy has two more queens in the hole. 2. A seat, often preceded by a number relative to the button. Sara opened from the 2-hole. Hollywood Overt acting to deceive other players. Karl had a big smile when he bet, but it seemed too Hollywood to me, so I called anyway. home game A game played at a private venue (usually the home of one of the players), as opposed to a casino. hop the fence The enter the pot with a cold call. House The establishment running the game. Example: "The $2 you put on the button goes to the house." horse A player financially backed by someone else. I lost today, but Larry was my horse in the stud game, and he won big. H.O.R.S.E. A combination game with five games played in rotation: Texas hold 'em, Omaha hold'em, razz, seven-card stud, and eight-or-better seven-card stud high-low. Other combinations of the letters are often seen as well: S.H.O.E., H.O.E., etc. hunt Looking further into the deck after the hand is over to see what cards would have come next (see also: fox hunt, rabbit hunt). I ice A cold deck. idiot end, ignorant end The bottom end of a straight. immortal Unbeatable; often said of a hand that a player knows cannot be beaten under the circumstances of play. See also "lock", "nuts". implied odds Similar to pot odds, but including future bets one can reasonably expect to win. I only had 3-to-1 pot odds for a 5-to-1 draw, but I knew if I made it I'd get two extra bets from Jim, so I called for the implied odds. Pot odds that do not exist at the moment, but may be included in your calculations because of bets you expect to win if you hit your hand. For instance, you might call with a flush draw on the turn even though the pot isn't offering you quite 4:1 odds (your chance of making the flush) because you're sure you can win a bet from your opponent on the river if you make your flush. improve To achieve a better hand than one currently holds by adding or exchanging cards as provided in the rules of the game being played. I didn't think Paula was bluffing, so I decided not to call unless I improved on the draw. inside, inside straight A draw to a straight with a single missing rank in the interior, for example, 8-9-J-Q, seeking a 10. Sometimes used to describe a one-end straight, which is mathematically equivalent. Also "belly buster", "gutshot". Compare "bobtail", "open-ender". insurance A "business" deal in which players agree to split or reduce a pot (roughly in proportion to the chances of each of them winning) with more cards to come rather than playing out the hand, or else a deal where one player makes a side bet against himself with a third party to hedge against a large loss. This is usually done when one player is all in. in the bushes, in the weeds A player sandbagging is said to be "in the bushes" during the time he is quietly checking and calling while others bet aggressively. He will eventually "decloak". in the middle 1. In a game with multiple blinds, an incoming player may sometimes be allowed to post the blinds "in the middle" (that is, out of their normal order) rather than having to wait for them to pass. 2. A player being whipsawed is said to be "in the middle". in the money To place high enough in a tournament to get prize money. in turn A player, or an action, is said to be in turn if that player is expected to act next under the rules. Jerry said "check" while he was in turn, so he's not allowed to raise. irregular declaration An action taken by a player in turn that is not a straightforward declaration of intent, but that is reasonably interpreted as an action by other players, such as rapping the table to signify "check", or pointing a thumb up to signify "raise". House rules or dealer discretion may determine when such actions are meaningful and/or binding. irregularity Any of a number of abnormal conditions in play, such as unexpectedly exposed cards, that may call for corrective action. See irregularities. isolation To play aggressively in order to drive out all but one specific opponent who you believe to be weak. I reraised to isolate Diane because she's been playing junk all day. J jack it up To raise. jackpot 1. A game of "jackpot poker" or "jackpots", which is a variant of five-card draw with an ante from each player, no blinds, and an opening requirement of a pair of jacks or better. 2. A large pool of money collected by the house and awarded for some rare occurrence, typically a bad beat. In some of the large southern California card clubs, jackpots have gotten over $50,000. Of course, the jackpot is funded with money removed from the game as part of the rake. jam To open or raise the maximum amount allowed (all in or pot max, depending on the game) juice Money collected by the house. See also "rake". K keep (a bettor) honest To call a final bet while not expecting to win, for the primary purpose of discouraging future bluffs. kicker 1. A card not directly involved in evaluating a hand, but that may be used for breaking ties. See kicker. Also "side card". 2. A non-paired card kept before the draw in draw poker in hope of pairing it. An unpaired card used to determine the better of two near-equivalent hands. For instance, suppose you have AK and your opponent has AQ. If the flop has an ace in it, you both have a pair of aces, but you have a king kicker. Kickers can be vitally important in hold'em. kill, kill pot 1. An occasional hand played at double the usual stakes at an agreed-upon time; often when a player wins two hands in a row, or when a player scoops in a split-pot game. The "lucky" player is often required to post an extra blind for double the usual blind amount. See also "half-kill". 2. The custom of dealing one card face down to the side for each card dealt face up as community in community games. The cards dealt face down (not to any players) are out of play (have been killed) and ensure that the deck is not stacked. kitty A pool of money built by collecting small amounts from certain pots, often used to buy refreshments, cards, and so on. The home-game equivalent of a rake. L laydown A tough choice to fold a good hand in anticipation of superior opposition. Leak A weakness in your game that causes you to win less money than you would otherwise. Example: "She takes her pocket pairs too far; it's a leak in her game." limit The minimum or maximum amount of a bet. limp in To enter a pot by simply calling instead of raising. Generally the term refers to pre-flop action. For instance: "He limped in early position with 77." live Still raisable. A live bet is one which a player can raise even if they've already bet and everyone else has made a call, typically because the player posted a blind. Live Cards that are not duplicated in an opponent's stronger hand. For example, if you have A9 and your opponent has AJ, then your ace is not "live" because making a pair of aces won't do you any good. The nine, however, is live; making a pair of nines gives you the better hand. Live Blind A forced bet put in by one or more players before any cards are dealt. The "live" means those players still have the option of raising when the action gets back around to them. loose A player who plays many hands, often including those that are of lesser value. Compare to "tight"; see also "aggressive", "passive". loose cannon A player who is not afraid to put money in the pot; one who is "gambling" alot and liable to lose all his money at any given time. lord crowley Folding your hand out of turn when the action to check is an option. see also "blind crowley", "crowley" low 1. The lowest card by rank. 2. The low half of the pot in a high-low split. M maniac A loose and aggressive player. A player who bets constantly and plays many inferior hands. A player who does a lot of hyper-aggressive raising, betting, and bluffing. A true maniac is not a good player, but is simply doing a lot of gambling. However, a player who occasionally acts like a maniac and confuses his opponents is quite dangerous. match the pot To put in an amount equal to all the chips in the pot. Micro-Limit Games so small that they couldn't be profitably dealt in a real cardroom. They exist only at online poker sites. You might arbitrarily call games $.25-.50 and smaller "micro-limit." misdeal A deal which is ruined for some reason and must be redealt. move in In a no-limit game, to "move in" or to "go all in" means to bet one's entire stake on the hand in play. See table stakes. muck 1. To fold. 2. To discard one's hand without revealing the cards. Often done after winning without a showdown or at a showdown when a better hand has already been revealed. 3. The discard pile. Example: "His hand hit the muck so the dealer ruled it folded even though the guy wanted to get his cards back." Also used as a verb. Example: "He didn't have any outs so he mucked his hand." N natural card A card that isn’t wild or otherwise modified by the game rules. In some houses, a natural hand beats an equivalent hand that uses wild cards, though this is not generally the case. no-limit A betting structure where players may wager as much as they like. O offsuit Cards that are not of the same suit. Example: the Ace of Clubs and the King of Spades is Ace-King Offsuit One-Gap A hold'em starting hand with two cards two apart in rank. Examples: J9s, 64. open To bet first. openers The cards held by a player in a game of "jackpots" entitling him to open the pot. "Splitting openers" refers to holding onto one of your openers after discarding it to prove you had the necessary cards to open should you win the pot. option An optional bet or draw, such as getting an extra card facedown for 50 cents or raising on the big blind when checked all the way around. out of pocket A game which gives the players the ability to add more money to their stack in the middle of a hand. See table stakes. outs Cards remaining in the deck that can improve one's hand. outside straight A draw to a straight with a single missing rank in the exterior, for example, 10-J-Q-K, seeking an ace or a 9. Also "open-end straight", "two-way straight draw". Outrun To beat. Example: "Susie outran my set when her flush card hit on the river." Overcall To call a bet after one or more others players have already called. overcard A community card with a higher rank than a player's pocket pair. Overpair A pocket pair higher than any card on the flop. If you have QQ and the flop comes J-8-3, you have an overpair. over the top re-raising a player's raise, as in, "I opened the pot from early position, the button popped me back, but I came over the top all in and shut him out." P paint The face cards, Jacks, Queens, and Kings, in a deck. In Texas hold'em, a flop can be said to be "all paint" if it consists of only these cards. passive An opponent who rarely raises. Compare to "aggressive"; see also "loose", "tight". pat Already complete. A hand is a pat hand when, say, a straight comes on the first five cards in Texas hold'em. Pay Off To call a bet when the bettor is representing a hand that you can't beat, but the pot is sufficiently large to justify a call anyway. Example: "He played it exactly like he made the flush, but I had top set so I paid him off." pigeon Old School term for donkey, i.e., a bad player. play twice See "deal twice". Play the Board To show down a hand in hold'em when your cards don't make a hand any better than is shown on the board. For instance, if you have 22, and the board is 4-4-9-9-A (no flush possible), then you must "play the board": the best possible hand you can make doesn't use any of your cards. Note that if you play the board, the best you can do is split the pot with all remaining players. Pocket Your unique cards that only you can see. For instance, "He had pocket sixes" (a pair of sixes), or "I had ace-king in the pocket." poker face A blank face that does not reveal anything about the cards being held. Often used metaphorically outside the world of poker. pooted Cards that are not of the same suit. This is the antonym of the term "suited", and is primarily used in the game of Texas Hold'em. position bet A bet that is made more due to the strength of the bettor's position than the strength of the bettor's cards. post To make the required small or big blind bet in Texas Hold 'em or other games played with blinds rather than antes To put in a blind bet, generally required when you first sit down in a cardroom game. You may also be required to post a blind if you change seats at the table in a way that moves you away from the blinds. Example: a player leaves one seat at a table and takes another in such a way that he moves farther from the blinds. He is required to post an extra blind to receive a hand. See also "extra blind." post dead To post a bet amount equal to the small and the big blind combined (the amount of the large blind playing as a live blind, and the amount of the small blind as dead money). In games played with blinds, a player who steps away from the table and misses his turn for the blinds must either post dead or wait for the big blind to re-enter the game. post-oak bluff To bluff with a very small bet, in the hope that it will be perceived as a here-kitty-kitty bet. pot · The already-bet money or chips that players in the hand can win. · To agree with a group of other players that the next pot-winner will pay for something, typically drinks or refreshments. Joe, let's pot for the next round. Pot Committed A state where you are essentially forced to call the rest of your stack because of the size of the pot and your remaining chips. pot limit A limit where the maximum amount one can bet is the amount in the pot. pot odds The size of the pot in comparison to the bet. Example: in Hold 'em, the pot contains $100, Joe bets $10, and Ed ponders a call. Ed is getting pot odds of $110:$10, or 11:1 The amount of money in the pot compared to the amount you must put in the pot to continue playing. For example, suppose there is $60 in the pot. Somebody bets $6, so the pot now contains $66. It costs you $6 to call, so your pot odds are 11:1. If your chance of having the best hand is at least 1 out of 12, you should call. Pot odds also apply to draws. For instance, suppose you have a draw to the nut flush with one card left to come. In this case, you are about a 4:1 underdog to make your flush. If it costs you $8 to call the bet, then there must be about $32 in the pot (including the most recent bet) to make your call correct. price The pot odds you are getting for a draw or call. Example: "The pot was laying me a high enough price, so I stayed in with my gutshot straight draw." proposition player, prop A player that gets paid an hourly rate to start poker games or to help them stay active. Prop players play with their own money, which distinguishes them from shills, who play with the casino's money. Protect (1) To keep your hand or a chip on your cards. This prevents them from being fouled by a discarded hand, or accidentally mucked by the dealer. (2) To invest more money in a pot so blind money that you've already put in isn't "wasted." Example: "He'll always protect his blinds, no matter how bad his cards are." push To put yourself all-in. Put On To mentally assign a hand to a player for the purposes of playing out your hand. Example: "He raised on the flop, but I put him on a draw, so I re-raised and then bet the turn." Q Quads Four of a kind. quarter To win a quarter of a pot, usually by tying the low or high hand of a high-low split game. Generally, this is an unwanted outcome, as it seldom wins enough money to cover the amount bet during the hand. R rabbit hunt After a hand is over, a rabbit hunt means to reveal the last card that would have come up in a community card game with a fixed number of cards. Such activity is usually prohibited in casinos. rack 1. A collection of 100 chips of the same denomination, usually arranged in 5 stacks in a plastic tray. 2. A plastic tray used for storing a rack of chips. rags Worthless (or apparently worthless) cards. Most often refers to small cards in high-hand games, while high cards in low games are more often called bricks. Ragged A flop (or board) that doesn't appear to help anybody very much. A flop that came down Jd-6h-2c would look ragged. rail The rail is the sideline at a poker table - the (often imaginary) rail separating spectators from the field of play. Watching from the rail means watching a poker game as a spectator. People on the rail are sometimes called railbirds. rainbow Three or four cards of different suits, especially said of a Flop (Thus there is no flush possible on the turn.) raise 1. To put in more money than the existing bet. 2. The amount raised. rake A fee taken by the house. ram and jam To aggressively bet, raise, and reraise on a draw to a strong hand. Similar to a come bet but a bit more aggressive. Rank The numerical value of a card (as opposed to its suit). Example: "jack," "seven." rebuy An option to buy back into a tournament after you've lost all your chips. Tournaments may offer one or more rebuys or (often) none at all. . redeal To deal a hand again, possibly after a misdeal. reraise Raise after one has been raised. Also called "coming over the top." Represent To play as if you hold a certain hand. For instance, if you raised before the flop, and then raised again when the flop came ace high, you would be representing at least an ace with a good kicker. ring game A non-tournament poker game played for stakes, as in a casino or a serious home game. Also referred to as a "live" game since actual money is in play instead of tournament chips. river The fifth card dealt in communal card games such as Texas hold 'em, or the seventh card dealt in seven-card stud. The verb river is to catch a winning card on the river. Metaphors involving the river are some of poker's most treasured cliches, e.g., "He drowned in the river." rob rob Refers to the starting hand of 4-7, either suited or unsuited. rock A passive and tight player. The rock barely plays any hands at all. Aces and kings he loves, though. And when he gets them, he knows exactly how to play them. He is a good reader of the game who risks very few unexpected, big losses. He knows when his aces have been cracked. rockets A pair of aces as your hole cards. rolled-up trips In seven-card stud, three of a kind dealt in the first three cards. rounder A gambler who makes their living entirely at cards. Rounding used to be illegal in the United States due to gaming laws, however many states have eased these and allowed "home" poker games to take place. runner A tournament entrant, a contestant. runner-runner a hand made by hitting two consecutive cards on the Turn and River. See also, "Backdoor", and "Bad Beat" rush a player who has won several big pots is said to be on a rush (example: Sue wins three hands out of five). S sandbag To play your hand slowly to gain an advantage in a tournament with a timed blinds structure. Sandbagging can also refer to wasting time before checking in a hand to lure opponents into thinking you have a poor hand. See sandbagging. satellite A tournament in which the prize is a free entrance to another (larger) tournament. Scare Card A card that may well turn the best hand into trash. If you have Tc-8c and the flop comes Qd-Jd-9s, you almost assuredly have the best hand. However, a turn card of Td would be very scary because it would almost guarantee that you are now beaten. scoop In high-low split games, to win both the high and the low half of the pot. Second Pair A pair with the second highest card on the flop. If you have As-Ts, and the flop comes Kd-Th-6c, you have flopped second pair. See "top pair." Sell As in "sell a hand." In a spread-limit game, this means betting less than the maximum when you have a very strong hand, hoping players will call whereas they would not have called a maximum bet. semi-bluff A large bet on a drawing hand. A strategy used because of its dual purpose of both possibly winning the pot immediately by forcing your opponents to fold, but still having the potential to win if you are called and subsequently make your hand. See "draw". It is a bet or raise that you hope will not be called, but you have some outs if it is. A semi-bluff may be correct when betting for value is not correct, a pure bluff is not correct, but the combination of the two may be a positive expectation play. Example: you have Ks-Qs, and the flop is Th-5s-Jc. If you bet now, it's a semi-bluff. You probably don't have the best hand, and you'd like to see your opponents fold immediately. Nevertheless, if you do get callers, you could still improve to the best hand. Short Stack A number of chips that is not very many compared to the other players at the table. If you have $10 in front of you, and everybody else at the table has over $100, you are playing on a short stack. set Three of a kind with two of the cards in the player's hole cards and the third card in the community cards. Often confused with "trips". showdown When the cards are revealed at the end of the game. Also used outside poker to mean facing up to an opponent. The point at which all players remaining in the hand turn their cards over and determine who has the best hand -- i.e., after the fourth round of betting is completed. Of course, if a final bet or raise is not called, there is no showdown. side pot A separate pot created to deal with the situation of one player going "all in". See table stakes. Example: Al bets $6, Beth calls the $6, and Carl calls, but he has only $2 left. An $8 side pot is created that either Al or Beth can win, but not Carl. Carl, however, can still win all the money in the original or "center" pot. slow play A strategy whereby good cards are played conservatively, with hopes that other players will keep playing the hand and build a larger pot. slow roll To expose only part of one's hand at the showdown with the intent of deceiving an opponent as to the actual strength of one's hand. Usually done by someone with a winning hand by first exposing a card or cards, waiting for a reaction from an opponent, and then exposing the remaining cards to show the winning hand. Considered distasteful and very poor etiquette. Also can refer to simply waiting to expose one's winning hand until after all other players have shown theirs. Small Blind The smaller of two blind bets typically used in a hold'em game. Normally, the small blind is one-third to two-thirds of a first round bet. See also "big blind" and "blind." small blind special A situation in which (assuming no raising) a player is dealt weak hole cards in the small blind, but ends up making the best hand because they got to see a relatively inexpensive flop. See "big blind special". Smooth Call To call. Smooth call often implies slow playing a strong hand. Example: "I flopped the nut flush but just smooth called when the guy in front of me bet -- I didn't want to scare anybody out." Soft-Play To go easy on another player at the table (e.g., not betting or raising against him). Suppose you and your brother are the last two people left in a hand. On the river, you have the nuts, but he bets. If you don't raise, you are "soft-playing" him. Please note that soft-playing is prohibited in tournaments and can result in penalties, up to and including forfeiture of winnings. speeding To play very loose with no identifiable pattern, or to bluff frequently. Also known as speeding around. spike When a flop is spread out, if the first card revealed is the card an underdog needs, they spike that card. More loosely, if any of the flop cards help you, then you spike it. I had Q9 to my opponent's pocket jacks, but I spiked a queen on the flop to take the lead. splash the pot To throw one's chips in the pot in a disorderly fashion. Not typically allowed, because the dealer can't tell how much has been bet. Split pot One share of a multi-way pot, such as the high hand in a high-low game. Split Two Pair A two pair hand in which one of each of your cards' ranks appears on the board as well. Example: you have T9, the flop is T-9-5, you have a split two pair. This is in comparison to two pair where there is a pair on the board. Example: you have T9, the flop is 9-5-5. spread The range between a table's minimum and maximum bets. Spread-Limit A betting structure in which a player may bet any amount in a range on every betting round. A typical spread-limit structure is $2-$6, where a player may bet as little as $2 or as much as $6 on every betting round. stack A collection of 20 chips of the same denomination, usually arranged in an orderly column. stakes The definition of the amount one buys in for and can bet. For example, a "low stakes" game might be a $10 buy-in with a $1 maximum raise. stand pat In draw poker, playing the original hand using no draws, either as a bluff or in the belief it is the best hand. steal In poker, the term steal is often used as merely a synonym for bluff, but there is a more specific use of the term. See Steal steam Act of playing recklessly when one is frustrated. Same as tilt. stop 'n go A play where you call (rather than re-raising) a raise, but then come out betting on the next card. When a player bets into another player who has previously raised or otherwise shown aggression. Example: On the flop, Bill bets into Tom, Tom raises, and Bill just calls. On the turn, Bill bets into Tom again. Bill has just pulled a stop 'n go. Straddle An optional extra blind bet, typically made by the player one to the left of the big blind, equal to twice the big blind. This is effectively a raise, and forces any player who wants to play to pay two bets. Furthermore, the straddler acts last before the flop, and may "re-raise." strategy card A wallet sized card that is commonly used to help with poker strategies in online and casino games. string bet A bet (more typically a raise) in which a player doesn't get all the chips required for the raise into the pot in one motion. Unless he verbally declared the raise, he can be forced to withdraw it and just call. This prevents the unethical play of putting out enough chips to call, seeing what effect that had, and then possibly raising. Structured Used to apply to a certain betting structure in poker games. The typical definition of a structured hold'em game is a fixed amount for bets and raises before the flop and on the flop, and then twice that amount on the turn and river. Example: a $2-$4 structured hold'em game: bets and raises of $2 before the flop and on the flop; $4 bets and raises on the turn and river. stuck Having lost money. I'm stuck $300 right now. STT Single Table Tournament. A tournament comprised of between 2-10 players. See also Sit N Go, or SNG. stud A card placed upwards in Stud poker; also, that form of poker itself. suck out To draw a winning hand despite poor odds. sucker straight This refers to drawing to the lower end of a straight. While a decent hand, it has a high probability of losing. See also "idiot end, ignorant end" suited Cards that are of the same suit super satellite A multi-table tournament in which the prize is a free entrance to a satellite tournament or a tournament in which all the top finishers gain entrance to a larger tournament. sweat To sweat someone is to watch them play from the rail, in order to lend your support. T table stakes A rule that states that only money on the table at the beginning of a hand is playable, and that a player may not retrieve money from his or her wallet or purse during the play of a hand. This rule prevents abuse of all-in protection. tell A motion or statement that gives away information about one's cards. A clue or hint that a player unknowingly gives about the strength of his hand, his next action, etc. May originally be from "telegraph" or the obvious use that he "tells" you what he's going to do before he does it. Thin As in "drawing thin." To be drawing to a very few outs, perhaps only one or two. throwing a party A player who is playing like a fool and gambling all of their money away. three of a kind Three cards of the same rank. See trips and set. tight A player who rarely calls. Compare to "loose"; see also "aggressive", "passive". tilt To make reckless betting decisions as a result of frustration. Players showing this behavior are often said to be on tilt. playing too many hands, trying wild bluffs, raising with bad hands, etc. Time (1) A request by a player to suspend play while he decides what he's going to do. Simply, "Time, please!" If a player doesn't request time and there is a substantial amount of action behind him, the dealer may rule that the player has folded. (2) An amount of money collected either on the button or every half hour by the cardroom. This is another way for the house to make its money (see "rake"). Toke A small amount of money (typically $.50 or $1.00) given to the dealer by the winner of a pot. Quite often, tokes represent the great majority of a dealer's income. Trips Three of a kind. turn The fourth card dealt in communal card games such as Texas hold 'em. Also used to describe the sixth card dealt in seven-card stud. U under the gun The playing position to the direct left of the blinds in Texas hold 'em or Omaha . The player who is under the gun must act first on the first round of betting. Underdog A person or hand not mathematically favored to win a pot. For instance, if you flop four cards to your flush, you are not quite a 2:1 underdog to make your flush by the river (that is, you will make your flush about one in three times). See also "dog." upcard A card that is dealt faceup. up the ante Increase the stake. Also commonly used outside the context of poker. V Value As in "bet for value." This means that you would actually like your opponents to call your bet (as opposed to a bluff). Generally it's because you have the best hand. However, it can also be a draw that, given enough callers, has a positive expectation. value bet A bet made for the purpose of increasing the size of the pot, and which the player wants his opponents to call. This is in contrast to a bluff or a protection bet (though some bets may have a combination of these motives). Variance A measure of the up and down swings your bankroll goes through. Variance is not necessarily a measure of how well you play. However, the higher your variance, the wider swings you'll see in your bankroll. W window artist someone who is transparent in his or her betting action (seeing through a window) and also likes to stay in for draws (drawing like an artist). whipsaw When a player is caught in the middle between two raisers and must call each bet because of the pot odds. wild card a card designated by the dealer before dealing (for instance all sevens) that may be used as any of the 52 cards to fill a hand. In some cases, wildcards can also be used to make five of a kind, a hand that is not possible using the standard 52-card deck, In this case 5 of a kind beats all other hands. See also "bug".