Poker Jargon
Jargon Dictionary (+/-)
- Act
To make a play (bet, call, raise, or fold) at the required time. Test link
Definition of Act - Action
A players turn to act. A willingness to gamble, or a bet, along with all the calls of that bet.
Definition of Action - Active Player
A player still involved in the pot. If there are side pots, an all-in player may be active in some pots, but not in others.
Definition of Active Player - Add-on
In a live game, to buy more chips before you have busted
Definition of Add-on - Advertising
To make an obvious play to deliberately convey an impression to your opponents about your style of play.
Definition of Advertising - Air
Either letting an opponent who might otherwise fold know that you intend to draw one or more cards to entice him to call, or 'Nothing'.
Definition of Air - All In
Betting all of your chips in the current hand.
Definition of All In - Angle
Legal but unethical poker play. Deliberately miscalling one's own hand to induace a fold for example.
Definition of Angle - Ante
A forced bet in which each player places an equal amount of money or chips into the pot before the deal begins.
Definition of Ante - Ante Off
forcing an absent player to continue paying antes so that the contest remains for to the other poker tournament players.
Definition of Ante Off - Back In
entering a pot by checking and calling someone else on the first betting round.
Definition of Back In - Back Into
Winning a pot with a poker hand that would have been folded should ther have been any bet.
Definition of Back Into - Backdoor
A draw requiring two or more rounds to fill, or a hand made other than the hand the player intended to make.
Definition of Backdoor - Backraise
A reraise from a player who had limped into the same betting round.
Definition of Backraise - Bank
also known as the house, the dealer and the person in charge of distributing chips, tracking buy-ins and paying winners of the poker game.
Definition of Bank - Bankroll
the mount of money that a poker player has to wager for his or her's poker career
Definition of Bankroll - Behind
Not currently having the best poker hand.
Definition of Behind - Bet
Any monies wagered during the play of a poker hand.
Definition of Bet - Betting Structure
the complete set of rules for a poker tournament, concerning bets, limits, raise caps, and alike.
Definition of Betting Structure - Big Blind
forced bets by poker players to the left of the dealer butting in poker games in the genre of 'flop-style'.
Definition of Big Blind - Blank
a card of no apparent value.
Definition of Blank - Blaze
A Non-standard poker hand of five face cards that outranks a flush. Straight flush, four of a kind, full house are all examples.
Definition of Blaze - Bleed
consistently losing chips through bad poker play.
Definition of Bleed - Blind
a type of forced bet.
Definition of Blind - Blinded
having your chip stack reduced by paying ever increasing blinds in poker tournaments.
Definition of Blinded - Blocker
In community card poker, blocker refers to holding one of the opponent's outs, typically when the board threatens a straight or straight draw. A blocker is also having a combination of cards that turn your opponents' outs into your own, such as having fou
Definition of Blocker - Blocking Bet
an unusually small bet made by a poker player out of position, intending to block a larger bet by an apponent.
Definition of Blocking Bet - Bluff
To impress, deter, or intimidate by a false display of confidence. e.g When players deliberately bet on a poor set of cards to give the illusion that they have a better set.
Definition of Bluff - Bluff
In poker, to bluff is to bet or raise with an inferior hand. Useful in tricking your opponents in believing you have a better hand, enticing them to fold.
Definition of Bluff - Board
The community cards in a hold'em game, face-up cards in a stud game.
Definition of Board - Both Ways
Both halves of a split pot, often declared by a player.
Definition of Both Ways - Bottom End
The Lowest of several possible straights.
Definition of Bottom End - Bottom Pair
a pair of bottom cards (two's)
Definition of Bottom Pair - Bounty
some poker tournaments reward players for eliminating other players with a cash prize for each player they eliminate, which is separate from the tournament payout structure.
Definition of Bounty - Box
the chip tray in front of a house dealer.
Definition of Box - Break
In a draw poker game, to discard cards that make a made hand in the hoping of making a much better one.
Definition of Break - Brick
a blank, inconsequtential or undesirable card.
Definition of Brick - Brick & Mortar
a term referring to a real casino, rather than one found online.
Definition of Brick & Mortar - Bring In
Another way to describe opening a betting round of poker.
Definition of Bring In - Broadway
A 10 through ace straight
Definition of Broadway - Brush
to recruit new poker players, or to greet players.
Definition of Brush - Bubble
the last finishing position in a poker tournament before entering the payout structure.
Definition of Bubble - Burn Card
a playing card dealt from the top of a deck, and discarded which is unused by the players. These burn cards are not shown to the players.
Definition of Burn Card - Busted
An uncompleted hand, or to lose all of one's poker chips.
Definition of Busted - Buy The Pot
Making a bet when no one else is betting so as to force the other players to fold, thus winning the pot uncontested. A specialized version of this is "buying the blinds" by making a large raise in the first round forcing all other players out of the game.
Definition of Buy The Pot - Buy-in
The minimum amount of chips that must be bought to be involved in a poker game or poker tournament.
Definition of Buy-in - Call
To call in poker is to match a bet or a raise.
Definition of Call - Call The Clock
A method of discouraging players from taking an excessively long time to act. When someone calls the clock, the player has a set amount of time in which to make his mind up.
Definition of Call The Clock - Cap
A limit on the number of raises allowed in a betting round of poker.
Definition of Cap - Cards Speak
describes a showdown in which the cards speak for the players, and also a declaration of casino house rules.
Definition of Cards Speak - Case Card
The last available card of a certain description. i.e the only king remaining in the deck.
Definition of Case Card - Catch
To receive needed cards on a draw.
Definition of Catch - Catch Up
To successfully complete a draw, defeating a player who previously had a better hand.
Definition of Catch Up - Chase
To continue playing with a hand that is not likely the best because one has already invested money in the pot.
Definition of Chase - Check
to bet nothing, and stay in the round providing nobody raises you.
Definition of Check - Check Out
to fold, in turn, even though there is no bet facing the player.
Definition of Check Out - Check-raise
a common deceptive play in which a player checks early in a betting round of poker, hoping someone else will raise. The player who checked then raises in the same round.
Definition of Check-raise - Chip
A casino token, used to replace cash at a casino table, or for chips in poker tournaments.
Definition of Chip - Chip Leader
The poker player currently holding the highest amount of chips in a tournament.
Definition of Chip Leader - Chop
To either split a pot because of a tie, to cash-out, to chop blinds.
Definition of Chop - Coffee Housing
Attempting to mislead other poker players about the strength of a hand by talking.
Definition of Coffee Housing - Cold Call
When a sum of bets made by more than one players is called and raised.
Definition of Cold Call - Cold Deck
When you are not receiving very good hands or when the dealer is winning more hands than the players, the deck is said to be cold.
Definition of Cold Deck - Collusion
A form of cheating involving cooperation among two or more players.
Definition of Collusion - Color Up
To exchange small sized chips for larger ones. Usually applied in the latter stages of a poker tournament.
Definition of Color Up - Come Bet
A bet or raise made with a drawing hand, building the pot with the intention of anticipating filling the draw.
Definition of Come Bet - Community Card
also known as shared cards or window cards which are dealt face up in the center of the table and are shared by all players.
Definition of Community Card - Complete Hand
a made hand is one that does not need improvement to win.
Definition of Complete Hand - Connectors
Two or more cards of consecutive rank.
Definition of Connectors - Continuation Bet
A bet made after the flop, by the player who took the lead in betting before flop.
Definition of Continuation Bet - Cripple
In some community card games, crippling the deck is having a hand that is almost impossible for anyone else to catch up to.
Definition of Cripple - Crying Call
Calling when a player thinks he does not have the best hand.
Definition of Crying Call - Cut
After a deck of cards are shuffled by the dealer, it is often given to a player other than the one who performed the shuffle for a procedure called a cut.
Definition of Cut - 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. Usually posted by a player entering, or returing to, a poker game.
Definition of Dead Blind - Dead Hand
A player's poker hand that is not entitled to participate in the deal for some reason, sich as having been fouled for touching another player's poker cards etc
Definition of Dead Hand - Dead Man's Hand
a two-pair hand, namely aces and eights, based around a legend of a five card draw hand held by Wild Bill Hickock at the time of his murder.
Definition of Dead Man's Hand - Deal
to distribute cards to players at the beginning of each betting round, to comply with the game rules.
Definition of Deal - Dealer
The person dealing the cards.
Definition of Dealer - Declare
verbally indicating an intention or action in a poker game.
Definition of Declare - Deuce
A 2-spot card. Also known as a duck, swan or quack.
Definition of Deuce - Deuce-to-seven
A way of describing a low hand received by a player.
Definition of Deuce-to-seven - Dirty Stack
A stack of poker chips of apparent single denomination, but with one or more chips of another.
Definition of Dirty Stack - Discard
to take a previously dealt card out of play. Also known as muck or the deadwood
Definition of Discard - Donk
to bet out of position into the aggressor on a previous street.
Definition of Donk - Door Card
the first visible card of the flop in Texas hold'em poker.
Definition of Door Card - Dry Ace
A term when you have an ace in your hand without another card of the same suit.
Definition of Dry Ace - Dry Pot
When a side pot creats no extra money.
Definition of Dry Pot - Exposed Card
A card whose face has been revealed to the players in the poker game who are usually not entitled to it during the play of the poker tournament.
Definition of Exposed Card - Family Pot
A deal where every seated player in the poker tournament called the opening bet.
Definition of Family Pot - Fast
Another term to describe aggressive play.
Definition of Fast - Felt
The cloth covering the Poker table.
Definition of Felt - Fifth Street
Also known as the river, it is the last card to be dealt to the board in community card games.
Definition of Fifth Street - Fill, Fill Up
To successfully draw to a poker hand that needs one card to complete it
Definition of Fill, Fill Up - Final Table
the final table in a multi-table tournament. The final poker table is live when a sufficient amount of people have been eliminated from the tournament leaving enough players to occupy one table.
Definition of Final Table - Fish
Generally used to describe an unskilled player who plays loosely and passively, by calling a lot of bets. It can also be used to describe risking money on a long-shot bet.
Definition of Fish - Flash
A term used when showing the bottom card of the deck whilst shuffling, or to show some of your cards after the end of a round.
Definition of Flash - Flat Call
A call in poker, where you might have been expected to raise.
Definition of Flat Call - Float
Calling a bet in order to take a pot down later on in the betting rounds.
Definition of Float - Flop
referring to poker, a flop is the dealing of the first three face up cards on the poker table.
Definition of Flop - Flush
a poker hand consisting of five cards of the same suit.
Definition of Flush - Fold
discarding your poker hand and taking yourself out of the current pot.
Definition of Fold - Forced Bet
in the form of Ante and Blinds.
Definition of Forced Bet - Forced-move
used when describing the re-structuring of tables during a poker tournament.
Definition of Forced-move - Forward Motion
A rule by some casinos that states if a player picks up chips from his poker chip stack and moves hand towards the pot, it constitutes as a commitment to bet or call.
Definition of Forward Motion - Fouled Hand
A hand that is ruled to be unplayable.
Definition of Fouled Hand - Four Of A Kind
A poker hand containing four cards of equal rank, also known as quads.
Definition of Four Of A Kind - Fourth Street
reffered to the fourth card to be dealt in the community area. Also known as a turn.
Definition of Fourth Street - Free Card
A card dealt after a betting round in which no player opened.
Definition of Free Card - Freeroll
used to describe the play of a single hand , or an entire freeroll poker tournament.
Definition of Freeroll - Freezeout
The most common type of poker tournament. You cannot rebuy.
Definition of Freezeout - Full House
also known as full, full boat, full hand, it is a poker hand with three cards of one rank and two of another rank.
Definition of Full House - Gap Hand
Used in Texas hold'em, a gap hand is a hand that starts with at least one rank seperating the two cards.
Definition of Gap Hand - Grinder
describes a poker player who earns a living making small amounts of profit over long periods of consistent, intelligent play.
Definition of Grinder - Gut Shot
also known as an inside straight draw, or gutshot draw or belly buster draw. It is a poker hand with four of the five cards needed for a straight, but missing one in the middle.
Definition of Gut Shot - Gypsy
entering the pot cheaply by calling the blind only, rather than raising it.
Definition of Gypsy - Hand
In poker, a hand is a construction of five cards that are valued according to predetermined rules. These hands are given strengths which determine who wins the pot during a poker tournament.
Definition of Hand - Hanger
the bottom card of the deck sticks out past the other, which tells of a dealer dealing from the bottom of the deck.
Definition of Hanger - Heads Up
Playing against a single opponent, where both players' cards are shown.
Definition of Heads Up - Heater
also known as a rush, it is a term used when describing a long and continued winning streak in a poker game.
Definition of Heater - High Card
a high card in the deck, which is the lowest poker hand ranking. It is also a way of beating another poker player, who has the same poker hand as you bar a high card, which is also known as a high kicker.
Definition of High Card - Hijack Seat
The seat to the right of the cutoff seat, which in turn is to the right of the dealer.
Definition of Hijack Seat - Hole Cam
when there is a televised poker game, a hole cam displays a players face-down hole cards to viewers.
Definition of Hole Cam - Hole Cards
They are known as pocket cards which are face down.
Definition of Hole Cards - Horse
A poker player who is financially backed by someone else.
Definition of Horse - Idiot End
In flop games, a player drawing to, or even flopping, a straight with undercards to the flop is said to have the idiot end of it.
Definition of Idiot End - In The Money
a term used when you have qualified past the bubble and will be paid something when you finish the tournament.
Definition of In The Money - In Turn
the next player to act in the poker game is in turn.
Definition of In Turn - Inside Straight
a hand with four of the five cards needed for a straight, but missing one in the middle.
Definition of Inside Straight - Isolation
A raise that is usually made to encourage other poker players to fold.
Definition of Isolation - Juice
Also known as rake.
Definition of Juice - Kicker
also known as a side card, it is a card in a poker hand that does not determine the rank of the hand, but solves issues with draws between hands of the same rank.
Definition of Kicker - Lag
A term given to someone who plays a loose aggressive style of play.
Definition of Lag - Laydown
a touch choice, where you are made to fold a good hand in anticipation of superior opposition.
Definition of Laydown - Lead
the poker player who makes the last bet or raise in a round of betting is stated to have the lead at the start of the next round.
Definition of Lead - Level
used in poker tournament play to refer to the size of the blinds which are increased periodically.
Definition of Level - Light
a poker hand that is not necessarily going to be the best in this round.
Definition of Light - Limit
defined as the maximum or minimum amount of a bet.
Definition of Limit - Limp
you are said to 'limp' when you enter a pot by simply calling the bet rather than raising.
Definition of Limp - Limp-reraise
A reraise from a poker player that did a limp in the same betting round at an earlier stage.
Definition of Limp-reraise - Loose
a term used to describe a way a poker player strategically plays in a poker tournament.
Definition of Loose - Made Hand
a term that describes a poker hand that does not need improvement to win.
Definition of Made Hand - Match The Pot
when you put an equal amount of chips into the pot, that equals the current amount in the pot.
Definition of Match The Pot - Misdeal
a deal in a poker game which is ruined for one reason or another and must be redealt.
Definition of Misdeal - Move In
also known as 'all in', when you bet your entire stake on the hand currently being played.
Definition of Move In - Muck
to either fold your poker hand, to discard your poker hand without revealing the cards or another name for the discarded pile of cards.
Definition of Muck - Multi-way Pot
also known as a family pot, where several poker players compete for it.
Definition of Multi-way Pot - Negative Freeroll
refers to a situation, usually occurring in no-limit poker or pot-limit poker when contemplating an all-in bet, where the player acting first checks in a situation where they would be forced to call an opponent's final bet.
Definition of Negative Freeroll - No-limit
a rule that means players are allowed to wager any or all of their chips in a single bet.
Definition of No-limit - Nut Hand
if you have 'the nuts', you have the best possible hand in the given situation.
Definition of Nut Hand - Offsuit
Cards that are not the same suit.
Definition of Offsuit - One-eyed Royals
A term used to refer to Jack of Spades, Jack of Hearts and Kind of Diamonds.
Definition of One-eyed Royals - Open
To bet first, or begin the opening round of poker.
Definition of Open - Open Ended
Refers to an outside straight draw, which is a poker hand with four of the five cards needed in sequence, which could be completed on either end.
Definition of Open Ended - Open Limp
describes the first person in the pot, who doesn't raise.
Definition of Open Limp - Outside Straight
used to describe a situation where a hand with four of the five needed cards in sequence have been aqcuired, with one needed to complete a straight.
Definition of Outside Straight - Overbet
when a bet is made that is more than the size of the pot in a no-limit poker game.
Definition of Overbet - Overcall
to call a bet after the other poker players have called.
Definition of Overcall - Overcard
A term used to describe a community card with a higher rank than a poker players pocket pair, or simply a higher card.
Definition of Overcard - Overpair
Used in Texas hold'em to describe a pocket pair with a higher rank than any community card.
Definition of Overpair - Pair
Two cards of the same value.
Definition of Pair - Passive
used to describe a type of poker play. It generally means the player consistently checks and calls.
Definition of Passive - Pat
used in describing a poker hand that is complete on the first five cards dealt in a poker game.
Definition of Pat - Pay Off
calling a bet when you are more than likely drawing a dead hand due to the pot odds justifying the call.
Definition of Pay Off - Pocket Cards
describes the two cards you hold in your hand, which are for your use only. Also known as hole cards.
Definition of Pocket Cards - Pocket Pair
When two of your private cards, also known as hole cards and pocket cards, make a pair
Definition of Pocket Pair - Poker Face
A blank expression that does not reveal anything about the cards being held, or the poker hand that you have obtained.
Definition of Poker Face - Post
describes the required small or big blind bet that you must put forward before a the poker hand begins.
Definition of Post - Pot
the combined sum of chips that have been used to bet on the current poker round, which will be passed to the winner of the hand.
Definition of Pot - Pot Limit
describes a type of Texas Hold'em, where the maximum amount that can bet bet is the amount currently held in the pot. You cannot go all-in in Limit Poker, unless your stack is less than the current pot amount.
Definition of Pot Limit - Pot Odds
in poker, pot odds are described as the ratio of the current size of the poker pot against the cost of a contemplated call.
Definition of Pot Odds - Pot-committed
an unfortunate situation where you can no longer fold because the size of the poker pot is so large compared to the size of your private stack.
Definition of Pot-committed - Pre-flop
A time during the poker game when players have their pocket cards but no flop has yet been dealt.
Definition of Pre-flop - Probe Bet
A bet after the flop by a poker player who did not take the lead in betting before the flop.
Definition of Probe Bet - Put On
A type of tell, where a poker player deduces another poker players' hand, using their knowledge and initiative.
Definition of Put On - Quads
The 'Nickname' for a Four of a Kind poker hand.
Definition of Quads - Quarter
when you or another poker player wins a quarter of a pot. This usually occurs in a split game.
Definition of Quarter - Rabbit Hunt
Once a hand is complete, sometimes cards are revealed that would have been dealt later should the round have continued.
Definition of Rabbit Hunt - Rack
a collection of 100 chips of the same amount.
Definition of Rack - Rag
Another name for a low-valued, unwanted card.
Definition of Rag - Rainbow
Three or four cards of different suits. This term is mostly used to describe a flop, should it fit the criteria.
Definition of Rainbow - Raise
increasing the size of the bet required to stay in the pot, and in the current round.
Definition of Raise - Rake
describes the scaled commission fee taken by a cardroom operating a poker game
Definition of Rake - Rebuy
An amount of chips purchased after the buy-in, which is your entry fee in a poker tournament.
Definition of Rebuy - Redraw
To have already made on poker hand and have a draw for a better poker hand.
Definition of Redraw - Represent
used in poker strategy, whether you are actually holding the cards or are bluffing, you are representing the poker hand.
Definition of Represent - Reraise
Raising after one player has already raised. This is also known as coming over the top.
Definition of Reraise - River
The final card to be dealt in a poker hand.
Definition of River - Rock
Used in poker strategy to describe a very tight player who plays very few hands of poker and plays only with strong hands.
Definition of Rock - Royal Cards
Used to describe Jack, Queen and King cards.
Definition of Royal Cards - Runner-runner
A poker hand that is made by hitting two consecutive cards on the last two cards dealt, the turn and the river. Also known as backdoor
Definition of Runner-runner - Rush
A prolonged winning streak.
Definition of Rush - Sandbag
used to describe slow play.
Definition of Sandbag - Satellite
A poker tournament in which the prize is a free entrance to a larger poker tournament.
Definition of Satellite - Scare Card
A community card that could create a strong hand for someone.
Definition of Scare Card - Scoop
you scoop the pot, by winning both the high and low halfs of the pot.
Definition of Scoop - Semi-bluff
when a poker player bluffs on one round of betting, in the hope that his hand will improve at a later stage.
Definition of Semi-bluff - Set
Also known as Three of a Kind & Trips
Definition of Set - Shark
used to describe a professional poker player.
Definition of Shark - Short Stack
A relatively small stack of chips compared to the stakes (blinds, ante) currently being played.
Definition of Short Stack - Side Pot
A secondary pot used when another player has gone all in.
Definition of Side Pot - Sit And Go
the name given to a poker tournament which has no scheduled starting time, and will start whenever the amount of players specified have registered or bought in.
Definition of Sit And Go - Slow Play
also known as sandbagging or trapping is used in poker strategy to describe betting weekly or passively with a strong hand.
Definition of Slow Play - Slow Roll
describes delaying showing your hand in a poker showdown.
Definition of Slow Roll - Small Blind
one of the forced blinds at the start of a poker round, which is the smaller of the two, hence the name small blind.
Definition of Small Blind - Smooth Call
calling, when you would normally be expected to raise.
Definition of Smooth Call - Snow
playing a bad hand in order to bluff.
Definition of Snow - Spread
describes the difference between the table's maximum and minimum bets.
Definition of Spread - Squeeze Play
when you have poorc cards and you bluff reraise.
Definition of Squeeze Play - Stack
the amount of chips that a poker player currently has.
Definition of Stack - Stakes
the cost determining your buy-in to join the poker tournament.
Definition of Stakes - Steal
stealing is to raise your hand which is less valuable than one normally considered to be a raising hand.
Definition of Steal - Steam
poor poker play and performance, spurned by a state of anger or lack of concentration.
Definition of Steam - Stop And Go
used to describe halting aggresive play by another poker player.
Definition of Stop And Go - Straight
a poker hand, which contains five cards of sequential rank, but in more that one suit.
Definition of Straight - Straight Flush
a poker hand that contains five sequential cards, that are all of the same suit.
Definition of Straight Flush - Suited
Card of the same suit.
Definition of Suited - Suited Connectors
describes cards, suited which are connected to each other sequentially
Definition of Suited Connectors - Tell
a noticeable change in a poker players behaviour or actions that gives a clue to the assessment of that players poker hand.
Definition of Tell - Three Of A Kind
Three of the same type of card, in 3 out of the 4 suits.
Definition of Three Of A Kind - Three Of A Kind
also known as trips and a set, it is a poker hand where you have three of the same rank of cards.
Definition of Three Of A Kind - Tight
a poker playing strategy
Definition of Tight - Tilt
also known as steam, where the player's strategy becomes unusual due to emotional upset, confusion or frustration.
Definition of Tilt - Top Kicker
a top kicker is the best possible high card that strengthens your hand.
Definition of Top Kicker - Trips
also known as Three of a Kind.
Definition of Trips - Turn
the fourth community card to be dealt, after the flop and before the river.
Definition of Turn - Two Pair
Two of the same type of card, in different suits
Definition of Two Pair - Underdog
a player who has a lower chance of winning the hand as he holds a smaller ranked hand than other players is considered the underdog.
Definition of Underdog - Up
describes a two pair poker hand with the named card being the higher pair of the two.
Definition of Up - Up The Ante
increasing the stake of the ante.
Definition of Up The Ante - Upstairs
a term also used to describe a raise in poker.
Definition of Upstairs - Value Bet
a bet by a poker player who wants calling rather than raising.
Definition of Value Bet - Walk
a term which describes all players folding to the big blind
Definition of Walk - Weak Ace
An ace with a low kicker.
Definition of Weak Ace - Wheel
describes a 5-high straight where the Ace plays the lowest card in the poker hand.
Definition of Wheel
