Poker Vocabulary List
Poker Vocabulary List instead, it brings Vegas into your home. The only thing missing will be all the action happening on the outside. Internet gambling websites have created a thrilling experience which makes Poker Vocabulary List playing at home such a joy with live casinos and Poker Vocabulary List. Poker Terms and Definitions. The following is a glossary of poker terms used in the card game of poker. A big part of learning the game of poker is becoming acquainted with and knowing how to use special vocabulary associated with the game.
It doesn’t matter if you are an expert player or a novice, it is always good to brush up on the basic theory of the game.For this reason, we present a comprehensive list of the most common poker terms.
Ace-High
A five-card hand that has no hand combinations (flush, straight, pair, etc), but contains one Ace.
All-in
When you bet all your money on a hand, either voluntarily in the belief that you have the strongest hand, or because do not have enough money to cover the full amount bet by someone else. You then contend for the pot in an amount proportional to what you contributed.
Ante
The minimum bet that players must place into the pot by each player before betting begins. The ante is placed before any cards are dealt.
Bad Beat
When a good hand that would have been expected to win the pot is beaten by a lucky draw.
Backdoor making a hand you weren’t playing for, eg. You play for a full house but make a flush
Big Blind
The first bet posted by the player to the left of the player who posts the small blind. It is a forced bet. The big blind bet amount is equal to the lower bet. For example, in a $10 – $20 game, the big blind is $10
Big Slick
An A-K combination as pocket (hole) cards.
Blind Bet
A forced bet that is placed before any cards are dealt. It is considered a live bet for the first round of betting. You have big blind and small blind bets in the first round of betting
Bluff
To pretend that you have a better hand than you actually do, by betting aggressively, in the hope that the other players will fold.
Boat
Slang for a full house.
Board
The cards seen by all the players, the community cards in the center of the table or in a players hand in a game like stud poker
Bullets
A pair of Aces. If these are your pocket cards, they are also known as “Pocket Rockets”.
Burning a Card
Discarding the top card from the deck.
Buy-in Amount
the amount you must bring into a game.
Call
When you place a bet equal to the previous bet.
Cash Out
To finish playing and exchange your chips for cash.
Catch
When a player makes the hand s/he was drawing to.
Check
When you want to stay in the game but not place a bet. You can only check if no other bets have been placed in the betting round.
Check-Raise
To check at the beginning of a betting round and then raise when a player to your left bets.
Community Cards
Cards that are dealt to the table. All players can use these cards to complete a five-card hand.
Dead Man’s Hand
Two pair hand consisting of Aces & Eights. This is reputed to be the hand that Wild Bill Hickock was holding when he was shot dead.
Dealer-button
A flat disk that is used to signify the Dealer’s position on the table in online poker. The disk is usually marked with a D.
Deuces
A pair of Twos.
Drawing
Remaining in the round and accepting more cards.
Drawing to a hand
Remaining in the round with the hope of making one’s potential hand as more cards are dealt.
Drawing Dead
When a player is drawing to a hand that is not the best hand offered by the flop and will therefore be beaten even if the hand is made.
Early Position
In an early betting position for a hand weakest position
Family Pot
When everyone at the table is still involved in the pot
Fast Play
Betting and raising aggressively
Flop
The first three community cards dealt to the table
Fold
When players throw in their cards. They give up any claim on the pot in exchange for not having to contribute more money to the pot.
Forced Bet
A bet that a player has no choice but to make, a blind bet
Flush Draw
When a player holds four cards of the same suit and is hoping to draw a fifth card of that suit to complete a flush.
Go on tilt
When a player loses emotional balance during a game and plays irrationally.
Gut Shot
To draw to an inside straight.
Heads Up
A game with only two players in it.
Hole Cards
These are the Down Cards in front of the players. (Also known as “Pocket Cards”)
House
The host of the game (e.g. the casino).
Inside straight draw
Drawing to a straight where the cards needed to complete the straight are those in the middle of the straight. For example, you have 6-7-9-10 and need the middle card (8) to make the straight.
Kicker
The highest unpaired card of a player’s pocket cards.
Limping In
Calling the big blind rather than raising.
Monster
A very strong hand.
Muck
When you do not want to show your hand to the table. The hand is discarded without being displayed to the table. You can muck a losing hand in a show down, or the winning hand if everyone else has folded before you.
Nuts
The best possible hand that cannot be beaten, at a particular point of the game.
Nut Flush
A flush containing the Ace.
Off suit
Cards of different suits.
Outs
Cards that will make the hand that the player is drawing to.
Over card
A card on the board higher than your pair
Paint Cards
The picture cards (King, Queen, Jack).
Pocket Cards
The cards dealt face down to each player. (Also known as “Hole Cards”)
Pocket Rockets
A pair of Aces as your pocket cards (hole cards).
Pot
The pot is the pile of chips that accumulate as each player ante, bet and raise. All winnings are paid from the pot. The value of the pot varies. It is dependant on the stakes involved and the amount the Players bet. The pot goes to the winner of each round.
Note:
The House takes a small percentage of the pot. This is known as the “rake”.
If two or more players have the same winning hand, they split the pot equally.
Pot –Limit
A game where a player’s maximum bet is the size of the pot
Pot Odds
The calculated odds the money in the pot represents in relation to how much it will cost to play and hand and the players chances of winning the hand
Quads
Four of a kind (four cards of the same denomination).
Rake
Percentage of the pot taken by the house.
Rags
Useless cards – cards that don’t improve a hand.
Rainbow
When the board contains 3 or 4 cards of different suits.
Raise
When you increase the bet made by a preceding player. This increases the stakes for remaining Players, who now have to match the total amount including the raise.
Ring Game
A normal real money table game, as opposed to a tournament game.
River Card
The final community card dealt.
Scare Cards
High board cards (e.g. an Ace that appears on the flop).
See
To see someone is to call their bet.
Semi-bluff
To bluff with a hand that still has drawing potential and could improve to be the winning hand.
Seven Deuce
The acknowledged weakest starting card combination in Texas Hold-em (7-2)
Show down
After the last betting round when the remaining players compare hands to determine the winner. The player with the highest value hand wins the pot.
Sitting Out
When you choose to leave a table for a few hands.
Note:
If a player sits out for more than fifteen minutes or has missed two rounds of blinds, they are usually removed from the table.
Slow Playing
Playing non-aggressively with a powerful hand; calling and betting instead of raising. This is done in the hope of not driving players out of the hand and thus sucking more money into the pot. This is also called “sandbagging”.
Small Blind
The first bet posted by the player to the Dealer’s left. It is a forced bet. The small blind bet amount is equal to half of the lower bet. For example, in a $10 – $20 game, the small blind is $5.
Stack
A player’s chips.
Steal
To try and win the pot by betting when everyone else has checked, or by making a large raise when everyone else has called.
Tells
Gestures or words by a player that give away the value of his/her hand
Tight
A tight player is a player who never bets unless they hold a good hand
Turn
The fourth community card dealt
Under the Gun
The player who must act first in the betting round.
Visible Cards
Cards dealt face up to each Player. Players use these cards to complete a five-card combination.
WSOP
World Series of Poker
This section includes poker slang lingo and terms that are unique to this popular casino strategy game. For example, Overpair, Play on Your Belly, Rock, Rush and Scoot.
Understanding poker terms is critical to your game play, and this applies whether playing poker offline or online. Many of the terms below also apply to video poker, one of the most popular games at online casinos sites.
Poker Vocabulary List Activities
Poker Slang Lingo: N - O
- No-limit: poker lingo for wide open betting based on each players chips in hand.
- Nuts: the best of hands in the game thus far.
- Odds: calculated probability of winning a specific hand.
- Off-suit: cards that are not of the same suit.
- On the Finger: monies received on credit.
- On Tilt: going into wild play mode after a bad hand.
- Open: player who makes the first bet in a round.
- Outdraw: refers to receiving a better hand by drawing more cards.
- Outs: refers to unseen cards left in the deck that could result in a better hand.
- Overpair: refers to a higher pair than the best card on the board in flop games. Example: You hold KK and the flop is J94.
- Paint: poker slang lingo for a picture card--Jack, King or Queen.
- Pair: refers to two cards that have the same rank with a Pair of Aces topping the list.
- Pass: refers to no betting or folding.
- Passive Play: player who is not likely to bet and raise.
- Pat: this hand is it, no further cards required.
- Pineapple: poker version, known as Crazy Pineapple online, is similar to Holdem in that players are dealt 3 cards each and must toss 1 card after the flop is dealt.
- Playback: action whereby a player raises an opening bet.
- Playing the Rush: refers to a player who 'is on a roll' of good cards and pots won.
- Play on your Belly: refers to legal play, no cheating.
- Pocket Cards: refers to cards dealt face down.
- Position: poker term for a player's position at the table in reference to betting. Example: early position means that player is the first to bet.
- Post: to bet or wager chips in the pot or a position directly in front of you at the table.
- Pot: winning hand(s) take the spoils, either all the money in the middle of the table or a share of the pot in certain games.
- Pot-limit: refers to the maximum bet/raise that is of no greater value than the total pot.
- Pot Odds: refers to amount of money in the pot versus the amount of money required to call a bet.
- Proposition Player/Shill: refers to the casino/card room hired help whose duties include filling up tables or jump-starting games.
- Protect: poker lingo for increased betting or otherwise attempting to eliminate players who could outdraw your hand.
- Quads: four of a kind—a very sweet hand. Example: 4 queens.
- Qualifier: refers to the minimum standard a hand must meet to qualify for all or part of the pot. Example: with Caribbean stud poker, the dealer must have a minimum hand of ace/king to qualify and continue the round.
Poker Vocabulary List Words
Poker Slang Lingo: R- Rabbit Hunting: jargon for looking into the future as to what cards would have been if the round had continued. Do you want to see if you would have received that Full House? Some poker rooms forbid this hunting.
- Rabbits: poker jargon used for weak or amateur players.
- Rack: poker slang lingo for tray that holds poker chips.
- Rags: term for cards coming your way that do not help your hand.
- Raise: poker term for wagering more than the last bet thereby increasing the bet for other players in the game.
- Railbirds: spectators or lookie-lous watching the action.
- Rake: a percentage and/or flat fee deducted from the pot after each betting round for the casino services. These services include a dealer and equipment
- Rank: value of a set of cards.
- River: poker term for the last cards dealt in a game of Holdem, Omaha or 7-card Stud.
- Read: skillful players use this method to predict cards held by other players.
- Re-buy: purchasing additional chips after initial buy, if tournament rules allow.
- Represent: term for wagering in a specific way that tells you have a specific hand.
- Riffling or Zipping: method used to shuffle cards before dealing.
- Road Gang: poker jargon for a gang of cheating players.
- Rock: player who raises or folds and rarely calls, thus playing few hands.
- Rock Garden: poker lingo for a game consisting of tight players.
- Round: can mean either a betting round or round of poker hands.
- Rounder: skillful player who makes a comfortable living playing poker—a dream job for many poker players.
- Round of Play: a segment of game play that includes dealing, betting and a declared winner.
- Royal Flush: the best of the best, sequence of AKQJ10, all in the same suit.
- Running: you receive the cards you need from the last two cards dealt.
- Rush: poker lingo for a big win quickly—truly a rush.
- Sailboats: poker jargon for a pair of fours starting hand.
- Sandbag: strategy used to check and then raise the opener to increase the pot.
- Scare Card: jargon for a dealt card that may produce a better hand. For example, a third card in an outside straight sequence (Jack, 10 and 9).
- Scarne Cut: refers to cutting the cards by taking a bunch of cards from the center of the deck and putting them on top of the deck.
- Schoolboy Draw: amateur draw, not using sound judgment.
- Scoot: poker lingo for sending some pot winning chips to another player.
- Seat Position: refers to the position of a poker player in accordance to other players. When it comes to betting in poker, position can be an advantage if you are the last to bet in a poker round.
- Seconds: lingo about the cheater who deals the second card instead of the top card.
- Semi-bluff: the difference from a bluff is that a semi-bluff has a higher certainty of a win.
- Sequence: refers to cards of consecutive value, example: 56789 straight.
- Session: term for time span for poker games played.
- Set: refers to 3-of-a-kind to include two in the hole or a method of play for paigow poker whereby cards are set into two hands of low-hand=2 cards and high hand=5-card.
- Shiner: cheaters use these mirror-like devices to view unexposed cards.
- Shorthanded: refers to a game where there are only a few players.
- Short Pair: refers to a pair that is lower than the openers.
- Short Stack: situation where a player does not have sufficient chips to cover the betting at the table.
- Short Stud: poker slang lingo for 5 rather than 7-card stud poker.
- Shotgun: game where betting begins once the third card is dealt.
- Shove them Along: version of 5-card stud poker where every player can either play the first upcard or pass to the next player.
- Showdown: poker term to describe the end of betting where a winner is declared by a show of hands by the remaining players.
- Shuffle/Shuffling: mix up those cards before starting another game.
- Side Pot: occurs when a player is unable to match the bet made, but continues play of the game. This pot is for players who have the funds and want to bet more. Winner of the side pot goes to the best hand from the players who participated.
- Slowplay: strategy to under bet an excellent hand.
- Slowroll: don't you just hate those players who ever so slowly, roll out their hand while the other participating players await the result?
- Smooth Call: method of holding back a raise in order to call additional bets with a very good hand.
- Snap Off: you call the bluffer and beat him/her with a not-so-hot-hand—'tis a sweet deal.
- Snarker: player who wins and taunts the loser—bad manners and strategy rolled into one.
- Soft Play: poker lingo for intentionally going easy on a player.
- South: poker slang lingo for player folding as in Going South.
- Spikes: here comes that stunning pair of Aces again.
- Splash the Pot: player who tosses chips in rather than putting them in front.
- Spread Limit: poker term for fixed minimum-maximum bets allowed per round.
- Squeeze Bet or Squeeze Raise: poker term for a third player with a weak hand who is in the middle of the squeeze and it's costing him/her because of the larger bets made by other players with better hands.
- Stack: poker term for total of all your chips.
- Steal: winning the pot by bluffing—a card sharp's specialty.
- Stenographers: Four Queens, also know as Administrative Assistants in the pc world.
- Still Pack: term for the deck set aside two card decks are used.
- Stonewall: player who remains to the bitter end holding a weak hand.
- Straddle: refers to doubling the blind wherein the player betting becomes the bigger blind. He/she who bets the straddle then bets last in the pre-flop round.
As a straddle is designated as a blind, not a bet, the player can then raise if everybody calls his/her straddle. - Straight: refers to 5-card sequence, example: 78910J.
- Straight Draw: refers to the game of draw poker that does not require openers.
- Straight Flush: beauty of a hand that has 5-cards of consecutive rank and are the same suit, example=78910J of clubs.
- Streak: run of either winning or losing hands—what streak do you prefer :-)
- Stringer: poker slang lingo for a straight.
- Stripping: refers to a method of shuffling/changing the order of the cards in a deck.
- Suicide King: poker lingo for the King of Hearts as the card displays a sword poised to the head.
- Suit: refers to the 4 suits in a deck of cards—clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds.
- Super Stud Poker: another name for Caribbean Stud Poker and Casino Stud Poker, however, with a Progressive Jackpot
Poker Vocabulary List Printable
Poker Slang Lingo: T- Table Stakes: we are talking money here in reference to the amount a player places on the table that cannot be changed during the hand.
- Talon: poker slang lingo for the rest of the deck after the deal.
- Tap or Tap Out: you have bet all your money and if you lose, you are tapped out.
- Tell or Tell play: refers to a player giving out signals or 'telling' about his/her hand.
- Thirty days or Thirty miles: poker jargon for 3 tens.
- Three of a kind: 3 cards of the same rank, AAA.
- Tierce: refers to a three-card straight flush.
- Tiger: poker lingo for a low hand to include 23456 or 7.
- Tight Player: poker term for a cautious player who rarely bets on weak hands.
- Trap: poker lingo for a situation where a player may have to call a big raise to stay in the game.
- Trey: refers to the 3-card with 3 pips.
- Two-card Poker: version where the best 2 cards are winners.
- Two Pair: refers to a 5-card hand that includes two different pairs, QQ773.
- Underdog: card contest wherein the underdog is usually the loser.
- Under the Gun: refers to the first player's action once the blind bets are completed.
- Unlimited Poker: no bet or raise limits in this game.
- Washing the Cards: the dealer blends the deck of cards in a circular motion with both hands before a shuffle is performed.
- White Meat: poker slang lingo for profit or money made with the game of poker.
- Wild Card: card(s) that can sub for any other card to improve your hand.
- World Series of Poker WSOP: the granddaddy of all poker tournaments played at Binion's Horseshoe Casino in Vegas yearly. A gold bracelet awaits the winner.
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