Poker Terms

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A

Ace

The highest value card in poker.

Ace High

When a player’s best hand is a single ace.

Ace to Five

In reference to a hand combination of A-2-3-4-5 in a lowball poker variant.

Aces Full

A full house combination of 3 aces and any pair.

Aces Up

When a player’s hand holds two pairs, one of which is aces.

All In

A move where a player bets all of their chips on a single play.

Angle Shooting

Using underhanded methods against novice players.

Anna Kournikova

A starting hand consisting of cards from A-K.

Ante

Referring to the amount of money in the pot before the game begins or the player to the left of the dealer.

Ante and Straddle

The player to the left of the dealer and the player to the left of them, respectively.

Apple

A term used to refer to the main or largest game in the venue.

B

Backdoor

Making an unexpected hand different to an expected one.

Backdoor Flush

Three cards that support a flush but missing the turn and river.

Backdoor Straight

Three cards that support a straight but missing the turn and river.

Bad Beat Jackpot

A jackpot for the loser that differs with poker rooms. E.g. loser wins 50% of the jackpot; higher hand gets 25%.

Barreling

Slang for betting on upcoming streets – usually the turn and river.

Big Slick

An Ace and King. Originally called “Santa Barbara” named after the famous oil spill.

Boat

An Ace and King. Originally called “Santa Barbara” named after the famous oil spill.

Broadway

Interchangeable with the term ‘Full House’.

Buy-in

Minimum entry fee for a particular poker game.

C

Check

May refer to a poker chip or when a player opts out of betting upon no action in front of them.

Cold Deck

A yet unplayed deck presumed to have preset hands inside beneficial to the dealer.

Computer Hand

Refers to a Queen – Seven off suit in Texas Hold’em, based on an 1970’s poker simulation result.

Counterfeiting

When you and other players both hold your best hand in the community deck essentially “counterfeiting” each other.

Cowboys

Pocket kings in Texas Hold’em.

D

Dead Man’s Hand

A pair of Aces and Eights – named after a player holding them was murdered in 1876.

Dime

One thousand dollars.

Donkey

(Derogatory) An unskilled player.

Donk Bet

An often small, non-aggressive bet to block bets or strategically trigger raises.

Draw

Refers to the received cards. Players can also be aiming for or “drawing to” specific hands.

Drop

Interchangeable with “Fold” – to throw away your hand.

Ducks

A pair of Two’s.

E

Equity

The pot value multiplied by your chance of winning it. E.g. 50% chance of winning a $40 pot = $20 equity.

Expectation

The estimation of how much you’ll make per hour based on your average performance rate.

F

Face Card

A Jack, Queen or King.

Five of a Kind

Five cards with the same number.

Flop

The first three community cards that are dealt face-up before the “Turn” and “River”.

Flop a Set

To start with a pair that turns into a Three of a Kind using the flop.

Flush Draw

When a player can potentially draw a fifth card to make a flush.

Folding

An action to discard your hand and forfeit the current round for the pot.

Forward Motion

A rule that treats the movement of chips towards the pot as intentional betting.

Full Boat

Interchangeable with Full House.

Full House

A hand consisting of Three of a Kind and any pair.

G

Grinder

High bankroll players that like to make consistent and relatively small wins.

Gutshot Straight

Four cards of a Straight hand with the middle card missing. Also known as “Inside Straight”.

H

High Roller

Players that play with large stakes, also known as “Whales” in extreme cases.

Hot Streak

A series of fortunate hands for the same player.

I

In the Money

Staying in a tournament long enough to receive a payout regardless.

Inside Straight

Four cards of a Straight hand with the middle card missing. Also known as “Gutshot Straight”.

J

Jackpot

A huge prize fund rewarded to a player when they achieve a specific set of results.

Jesse James

A Four – Five combo named after the .45 that murdered its namesake.

K

Kicker

The highest value stand-alone card in a player’s hand.

Knave

Used interchangeably with a Jack.

L

Limit

The Maximum amount a player can bet or raise.

Little Blind

The initial blind bet which has the lowest value.

M

Mississippi Straddle

A Straddle that can be made from any table position rather than only Under the Gun.

Monster

A player holding an incredibly strong hand.

N

Neocheating

Cheating that is practically invisible to other players and audiences.

Nut Flush

The best possible flush for that particular hand.

Nut Flush Draw

When the next card could give you a “Nut Flush”.

O

On the Button

The last player to bet. Otherwise known as the Dealer’s Position.

Open-ended Straight Draw

Four cards of a Straight hand with the missing Fifth card being either end.

OTB

Abbreviation for “On the Button”.

P

Pass

When a hand is folded.

Pokerface

A common word used to describe when poker players hide their emotions and expressions.

Preflop

The poker hand move made before the flop.

Puppy Feet

A reference to the suit of clubs due to the resemblance of the shape to puppy feet.

Q

Quads

Four of a kind.

Qualifying Low

The minimum hand to qualify for a “lo” pot in a hi/lo game.

Quart

A straight flush with four cards.

R

River

The last community card dealt on the table. Also referred as 5th street and 7th street in different poker variants.

Rolled Up

A term used in seven card stud poker when you receive the strongest starting hand with three of a kind.

Royal Flush

The highest value hand in poker consisting of 10-J-Q-K-A in the suit of spades.

Runner Runner

When a hand is made from cards on the turn and the river.

S

See

Calling a bet.

Side Bet

A bet made outside of the pot.

Slow Roll

Purposely dragging out a game even though you are highly likely to win in order to tilt an opponent.

Small Blind

A forced bet made by the player immediately to the left of the dealer button.

Smooth Call

Bluffing by calling instead of raising even though you have a strong hand to bait other players to continue.

Stake

A player’s buy-in value.

Steam

Playing randomly by calling and raising frequently, commonly a result of ’tilt’.

Straight Flush

A poker hand consisting of five consecutive numbers all in the same suit.

String Bet

A bet or raise in which a player does not throw all the chips required into the pot in one move.

Stub

The leftover cards from the deck that haven’t been dealt.

Suicide King

Coined term for the king of hearts due to the supposed image of stabbing himself in the head on the card.

T

Table Stakes

A rule that restricts players from using money outside of the amount in front of him during a hand.

Three Bet

Poker slang for a ‘re-raise’.

Three of a Kind

Three of the same cards.

Tilt

A psychological phenomenon describing when a player is playing irregularly after losing a big pot.

U

Under the Gun

The first player to make a move, seated to the left of the big blind.

V

Value Bet

When the player makes a bet with the intention of fishing for others to call.

W

Wet Board

When the community cards are connected in a way that players can make many different straight and flush combinations.

Wheel

The best hand you can have in a low hand game consisting of A-2-3-4-5.

Wired

When a pair, trips or four of a kind is dealt one after another in a hand.

X

We haven’t come across any poker terms that begin with X but if you find one, let us know using the contact form so we can credit you for it!

Y

Yard

A $100 bill.

Yeast

A term referred to when raising.

Z

Zero Sum

Games where the odds of winning are the same as losing.

Adam, our resident poker guru, has extensive knowledge on both sides of the table. When he’s not playing on US poker sites, you will find him busy revising strategies to give him an edge over his opponents. He is also a firm believer that poker allows individuals to grow intellectually. And so, he has decided to put a significant effort in helping others catch themselves up and meet the highest standards of poker. A bit of a dab hand himself, Adam is active in several real money cardrooms, which he frequents not only for the sake of a review but also to test strategies.