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Action
(1) Opportunity to act. If a player appears not
to realize it's his turn, the dealer will say
"Your action, sir."
(2) Bets and raises. "If a third heart hits the
board and there's a lot of action, you have to
assume that somebody has made the flush."
Ante
A small portion of a bet contributed by each
player 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.
All-In
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. Example: "Poor Bob. He
made quads against the big full house, but he
was all-in on the second bet."
Backdoor
Catching both the turn and river card to make a
drawing hand. For instance, suppose you have
As-7s. The flop comes Ad-6c-4s. You bet and are
called. The turn is the Ts, which everybody
checks, and then the river is the Js. You've
made a "backdoor" nut flush. See also "runner."
Bad Beat
To have a hand that is a large underdog beat a
heavily favored 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. We won't give
any examples; you will hear plenty of them
during your poker career.
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 Slick
A nickname for AK (suited or not). Its origins
are unknown (to me, anyway).
Blank
A board card that doesn't seem to affect the
standings in the hand. If the flop is As-Jd-Ts,
then a turn card of 2h would be considered a
blank. On the other hand, the 2s would not be.
Blind
A forced bet (or partial bet) put in by one or
more players before any cards are dealt.
Typically, blinds are put in by players
immediately to the left of the button. See also
"live blind."
Board
All the community cards in a hold'em game -- the
flop, turn, and river cards together. Example:
"There wasn't a single heart on the board."
Bot
Short for "robot". In a poker context, a program
that plays poker online with no (or minimal)
human intervention.
Bottom Pair
A pair with the lowest card on the flop. If you
have As-6s, and the flop comes Kd-Th-6c, you
have flopped bottom pair.
Brick & Mortar
A "real" casino or cardroom with a building,
tables, dealers, etc. This is in contrast to an
online poker site.
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.
Burn
To discard the top card from the deck, face
down. This is done between each betting round
before putting out the next community card(s).
It is security against any player recognizing or
glimpsing the next card to be used on the
board.
Button
A white acrylic disk that indicates the
(nominal) dealer. Also used to refer to the
player on the button. Example: "Oh, the button
raised."
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
An amount of money you pay to enter a
tournament. Often expressed as two numbers, such
as $100+9, meaning that it costs $109 to enter
the tournament; $100 goes into the prize fund
and $9 goes to the house.
Call
To put into the pot an amount of money equal to
the most recent bet or raise. The term "see" (as
in "I'll see that bet") is considered
colloquial.
Calling Station
A weak-passive player who calls a lot, but
doesn't raise or fold much. This is the kind of
player you like to have in your game.
Cap
To put in the last raise permitted on a betting
round. This is typically the third or fourth
raise. Dealers in California are fond of saying
"Capitola" or "Cappuccino."
Case
The last card of a certain rank in the deck.
Example: "The flop came J-8-3; I've got pocket
jacks, he's got pocket 8's, and then the case
eight falls on the river, and he beats my 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. Also "main
pot."
Chat
Typed conversation that you can have with other
players at an online poker site (or any online
gathering, for that matter).
Check
(1) To not bet, with the option to call or raise
later in the betting round. Equivalent to
betting zero dollars. (2) Another word for chip,
as in poker chip.
Check-Raise
To check and then raise when a player behind you
bets. Occasionally you will hear people say this
is not fair or ethical poker. Piffle. Almost all
casinos permit check-raising, and it is an
important poker tactic. It is particularly
useful in low-limit hold'em where you need extra
strength to narrow the field if you have the
best hand.
Chop
An agreement between the two players with blinds
to simply take their blinds back rather than
playing out the hand if nobody calls or raises
in front of them.
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.
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.
Come Hand
A drawing hand (from the craps term).
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.
Counterfeit
To make your hand less valuable because of board
cards that duplicate it. Example: you have 87
and the flop comes 9-T-J, so you have a
straight. Now an 8 comes on the turn. This has
counterfeited your hand and made it almost
worthless.
Crack
To beat a hand -- typically a big hand. You hear
this most often applied to pocket aces: "Third
time tonight I've had pocket aces cracked."
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.
Crying Call
A call that you make expecting to lose, but feel
that you must make anyway because of the pot
odds.
Cut-Off
The position (or player) who acts one before the
button.
Dead Money
(1) Money contributed to a pot by a player no
longer in the pot. (2) A player in a tournament
who has no realistic chance of winning.
Dog
Shortened form of "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.
Draw
To play a hand that is not yet good, but could
become so if the right cards come. Example: "I'm
not there yet -- I'm drawing." Also used as a
noun. Example: "I have to call because I have a
good draw."
Draw Dead
Trying to make a hand that, even if made, will
not win the pot. If you're drawing to make a
flush, and your opponent already has a full
house, you are "drawing dead." Of course, this
is a bad condition to be in.
Equity
Your "rightful" share of a pot. If the pot
contains $80, and you have a 50% chance of
winning it, you have $40 equity in the pot. This
term is somewhat fanciful since you will either
win $80 or $0, but it gives you an idea of how
much you can "expect" to win.
Expectation
(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's one measure of your anticipated
earnings.
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."
Family Pot
A pot in which all (or almost all) of the
players call before the 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."
Fish
A poor player -- one who gives his money away.
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."
Flop
The first three community cards, put out face
up, all together.
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.
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."
Free Card
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."
Free Roll
One player has a shot at winning an entire pot
when he is currently tied with another player.
For instance, 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.
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.
Gutshot Straight
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.
Heads-Up
A pot that is being contested by only two
players. Example: "It was heads-up by the
turn."
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.
House
The establishment running the game. Example:
"The $2 you put on the button goes to the
house."
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.
Jackpot
A special bonus paid to the loser of a hand if
he gets a very good hand beaten. In hold'em, the
"loser" must typically get aces full or better
beaten. 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 move all-in in a no-limit (or pot-limit)
game.
Kicker
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.
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."
Limp
To call. Generally the term refers to pre-flop
action. For instance: "He limped in early
position with 77."
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.
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.
Maniac
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.
Made Hand
A hand to which you're drawing, or one good
enough that it doesn't need to improve.
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."
Muck
The pile of folded and burned cards in front of
the dealer. 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."
No-Limit
A version of poker in which a player may bet any
amount of chips (up to the number in front of
him) whenever it is his turn to act. It is a
very different game from limit poker.
Nuts
The best possible hand given the board. If the
board is Ks-Jd-Ts-4s-2h, then As-Xs is the nuts.
You will occasionally hear the term applied to
the best possible hand of a certain category,
even though it isn't the overall nuts. For the
above example, somebody with Ah-Qc might say
they had the "nut straight."
Offsuit
A hold'em starting hand with two cards of
different suits.
One-Gap
A hold'em starting hand with two cards two apart
in rank. Examples: J9s, 64.
Out
A card that will make your hand win. Normally
heard in the plural. Example: "Any spade will
make my flush, so I have nine outs."
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 card higher than any card on the board. For
instance, if you have AQ and the flop comes
J-7-3, you don't have a pair, but you have two
overcards.
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.
Pat
A hand that you make on the flop. For instance,
if you have two spades in your hand and the flop
has three spades, then you've flopped a pat
spade flush.
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."
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."
Pocket Pair
A hold'em starting hand with two cards of the
same rank, making a pair. Example: "I had big
pocket pairs seven times in the first hour. What
else can you ask for?"
Post
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."
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 version of poker in which a player may bet up
to the amount of money in the pot whenever it is
his turn to act. Like no-limit, this is a very
different game from limit poker.
Pot Odds
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."
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."
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."
Quads
Four of a kind.
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.
Rainbow
A flop that contains three different suits, thus
no flush can be made on the turn. Can also mean
a complete five card board that has no more than
two of any suit, thus no flush is possible.
Rake
An amount of money taken out of every pot by the
dealer. This is the cardroom's income.
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.
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 regular poker game as opposed to a tournament.
Also referred to as a "live" game since actual
money is in play instead of tournament chips.
River
The fifth and final community card, put out face
up, by itself. Also known as "fifth street."
Metaphors involving the river are some of
poker's most treasured cliches, e.g., "He
drowned in the river."
Rock
A player who plays very tight, not very
creatively. He raises only with the best hands.
A real rock is fairly predictable: if he raises
you on the river, you can throw away just about
anything but the nuts.
Runner
Typically said "runner-runner" to describe a
hand that was made only by catching the correct
cards on both the turn and the river. Example:
"He made a runner-runner flush to beat my
trips." See also "backdoor."
Satellite
A tournament that does not award cash to its
winners, but a seat (or seats) in a subsequent
"target" 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.
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 powerful concept first discussed by David
Sklansky. 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.
Set
Three of a kind when you have two of the rank in
your hand, and there is one on the board.
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.
Showdown
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 pot created in which a player has no interest
because he has run out of chips. 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
To play a strong hand weakly so more players
will stay in the pot.
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."
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.
Splash the Pot
To toss chips directly into the pot rather than
put them in a stack in front of you. Don't do
it.
Split Pot
A pot that is shared by two or more players
because they have equivalent hands.
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-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.
Stop-and-Go
A play where you call (rather than re-raising) a
raise, but then come out betting on the next
card.
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."
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.
Suited
A hold'em starting hand in which the two cards
are the same suit. Example: "I had to play J-3
-- it was suited."
Table Stakes
A rule in a poker game meaning that a player may
not go into his pocket for money during a hand.
He may only invest the amount of money in front
of him into the current pot. If he runs out of
chips during the hand, a side pot is created in
which he has no interest. All casino poker is
played table stakes. The definition sometimes
also includes the rule that a player may not
remove chips from the table during a game. While
this rule might not be referred to as "table
stakes," it is enforced almost universally in
public poker games.
Tell
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.
Tilt
To play wildly or recklessly. A player is said
to be "on tilt" if he is not playing his best,
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").
To Go
The amount a player must call if he wishes to
continue playing. Example: "The big blind was
$20. Sarah raised $40 more, making it $60 to
go."
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.
Top Pair
A pair with the highest card on the flop. If you
have As-Qs, and the flop comes Qd-Th-6c, you
have flopped top pair. See "second pair."
Top Set
The highest possible trips. Example: you have Tc-Ts,
and the flop comes Td-8c-9h. You have flopped
top set.
Top Two
Two pair, with your two hole cards pairing the
two highest cards on the board.
Top and Bottom
Two pair, with your two hole cards pairing the
highest and lowest cards on the board.
Trips
Three of a kind.
Turn
The fourth community card. Put out face up, by
itself. Also known as "fourth street."
Under the Gun
The position of the player who acts first on a
betting round. For instance, if you are one to
the left of the big blind, you are under the gun
before the flop.
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."
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.
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.
Wheel
A straight from ace through five.
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