An intentional tell intended to give false information about a hand.
Action
A lot of bets or raises. "There was a lot of action when the board paired."
Ajax
Slang name for when your pocket cards contain an Ace and a Jack.
All-in
To have all of your chips at the table into the pot, creating a side pot for the remaining players. In a table stakes game, a player may not reach into his pocket for more money, but doesn't forfeit his chance at the pot if he doesn't have enough chips to meet a raise.
Aggressive
Description of a player who frequently raises and re-raises and rarely calls.
American Airlines
Slang for pocket aces.
Angle
An action that isn't against the rules, but still incorporates unfair tactics.
Angle-Shooting
Using unfair tactics. An angle-shooter might peek at his neighbors hole cards.
Ante
The pot. The total amount being wagered upon.
B
Backdoor
Making a hand by catching both turn and river cards. Common usage is "catching a backdoor flush" or "backdoor straight".
Backraise
A re-raise from a player who originally called.
Bad Beat
A hand that is a large favorite losing to a longshot. Pocket aces losing to pocket queens would be an example.
Bankroll
The money that you have set aside to play poker with.
Bet Odds
The odds you get as a result of evaluating the number of callers to a raise.
Bicycle or Bike
An Ace-Five Straight. Also called a "Wheel".
Big Blind
The largest blind posted pre-flop. This is usually the player sitting two seats to the left of the dealer.
Big Slick
Slang for when your pocket cards contain an Ace and King.
Blank
A card that appears to help nobody. "Then a blank fell on the turn".
Blind
A mandatory bet placed before the cards are dealt to force money into the pot, essentially a "blind bet". Blind bets replace antes in Texas Hold'em poker.
Bluff
Representing a good hand by betting, when you don't have much of a hand.
Boat
A full house.
Board, The
1. The communal cards dealt face up in Texas Hold'em that all players can use.
2. The surface these cards are dealt onto. Typically a tabletop.
Bottom Dealing
A form of cheating where the dealer slyly deals a card from the bottom of the deck.
Bottom Pair
Making a pair with the lowest card on the board.
Burn Card
In Texas Hold'em, the cards before the flop, turn, and river that are discarded to prevent reading of marked cards. Only done in live games.
Button
A symbol to designate which player is sitting in the dealer's position.
Buy-In
The necessary amount of money needed to join a game. Also, the amount of money needed to enter a poker tournament.
Buying the Button
To bet or raise in mid to late position with the intention of making the players between you and the button fold, so that you can act last in the following rounds of betting.
C
Call
Matching a bet amount.
Call-Station
A player who is passive and loose who rarely bets or raises, but almost always calls.
Cap or Capping
The idea that there can only be a raise, a re-raise, another re-raise, and one final re-raise. That's four bets total per player, per round, at most.
Cards Speak
Your hand is the most favorable possible combination of cards, no matter how you call it.
Cash Out
Taking your money and going home.
Check
When no bets are pending, to pass your turn.
Check-Raise
The act of calling, then re-raising a raise.
Cleaned Out
Being taken for all your money, in Hold 'Em or otherwise.
Clubs
One of the four playing card suits. Formerly representing the working class
Cold Call
To call more than one bet at once as result of a re-raise.
Collusion
A form of cheating where multiple parties help each other in deciding the best course of action.
Community Cards
Communal cards dealt face up in Hold 'Em that all players can use.
Computer Hand
Name of Queen and Seven in the pocket.
Connected
Two sequential pocket cards. Examples : 10/J or 3/4.
Cowboys
Kings
D
Dead Man's Hand
Two Pair of Aces and Eights. The hand Wild Bill Hickock was holding when Jack McCall shot him in the back.
Dealer
The man or woman who handles the cards, gives out the pots, and monitors the game.
Dealer's Position
Being the last to act in a betting round. On the button.
Diamonds
One of the four playing card suits. Formerly representing merchants.
Dominated Hands
Hands that are okay to play, but tend to lose against similar non-straight/flush hands. Example: A2 is dominated because against other hands with an Ace, it loses or draws without improvement.
Dominating Hands
Primo hands that are not only good, solid hands, but have lots of room for improvement.
Draw
1. A drawing hand.
2. A game result where multiple players split the pot as result of having equal hands.
3. To take a card from a deck of cards.
Drawing
Playing a hand to improve.
Drawing Dead
A drawing hand that will lose even if it improves.
Drawing Hand
A hand that needs improvement to win. Usually to a straight or flush.
E
Early Position
Being one of the first to act in a betting round. Usually a disadvantage.
F
False Shuffle
A form of live cheating where the deck is shuffled in a manner to prearrange the cards.
Flop
1. n. the first three community cards dealt face up on the table.
2. v. used to describe what your hand was after the flop. "I flopped the nuts!"
Flush
Having a poker hand of five cards whose suits all match.
Fold
To give up your hand and forfeit the pot to the remaining players.
Four-of-a-Kind
A poker hand consisting of all four cards of the same type.
Free Card
The card you get as result of semi-bluffing from late or last position so that all the players check to you.
Full House
A poker hand consisting of three-of-a-kind and a pair. Worded as the three-of-a-kind being "full" of the pair. Example: Three Aces and Two Tens is verbally declared as a "full house, Aces full of Tens".
G
Grinding
Playing in a style with minimal risk and modest gains over a long period of time.
Gutshot Draw
A straight draw where only one card will complete the hand.
H
Hand
1. The complete playing of all the cards given out in one deal.
2. The cards used by a player.
Heads-Up
When only two players are involved with a hand.
Hearts
One of the four playing card suits. Formerly representing the clergy.
High Limit
A game where the amounts wagered are high.
House, The
The establishment where a game is being held. It may be a casino in Las Vegas, a kitchen table, or an online casino's server in Antigua.
I
I Forget
What you say when someone asks, "So what did you have?"
Image
What kind of player others currently perceive you as.
Implied Odds
The odds you are getting after the assumed result of betting for the remainder of the hand.
J
Jackpot
A prize fund awarded to a player who meets a set of predetermined requirements. For example, some casinos will give a jackpot to someone who gets four-of-a-kind or higher and loses.
K
Kicker
In a tie hand between one pair, two pair, or three-of-a-kind, the remaining card(s) that make up the hand. The player with the highest card(s) wins.
Kill Game
A game where certain predetermined requirements creates higher stakes and/or create a third blind.
L
Late Position
Being one of the last to act in a betting round. Usually an advantage.
Limping
Calling a blind pre-flop without raising.
Live Hand
An active hand. One that has not folded.
Live Game
A game where you are physically near the other players.
Long Shot
Making a hand despite having few outs and/or poor odds.
Loose
Adjective to describe a player who plays lots of hands and gets involved with a lot of pots.
Low Limit
A game where the amounts wagered are small.
M
Main Pot
The first established pot before a player goes all-in and creates a side pot.
Maverick
The name of a Queen and Jack in the pocket. Suited or otherwise.
Mechanic
A player who has the ability to illegally manipulate cards for favorable results.
Middle Position
Being in between early and late position.
Mneumonics
Mental devices used to remember things. In Hold 'Em, often players have names for what pocket cards they have, like Big Slick or Maverick.
Muck
1. v. To discard your hand, especially after an opponent reveals a better hand.
2. n. The discard pile.
N
No Limit
Considered one of the last true forms of poker, where the amount you can bet is limited by the number of chips in front of you.
Nuts, The
The best possible hand.
O
Odds
1. The proportion by which one bet differs from that of another.
2. The ratio between the probability for and against something happening.
On the Button
Being the last player to act in a betting round. Dealer's Position.
Outs
The number of cards left in the deck that will improve your hand.
Overpair
A pocket pair higher than any of the cards on the board.
P
Pair
A poker hand comprised of two cards of the same type and three others.
Passive
Adjective to describe a player who frequently calls and rarely bets.
Pocket Cards
The two cards dealt to you at the beginning of a Hold 'Em hand that no one else is entitled to see.
Position
In a turn-based game like Hold 'Em, your rank in the order of turns. This is typically categorized into early, middle, and late position.
Pot, The
The amount of money and sum of the bets being wagered on in a game.
Pot Odds
The odds you get when analyzing the current size of the pot vs. your next call.
Pre-Flop
The space of time after you've been dealt your pocket cards and before the flop is dealt.
Q
Quarter
1. What you need to call your friend to pick you up after you lose all your money playing Hold'em before reading up on strategy.
2. What your opponent will need to call his or her friend after playing you after you read up on strategy.
R
Raise
Putting in the first bet in a round.
Rake
Money taken by the house to compensate for expenses.
Rank of Suits
An uncommon ranking system to determine who wins in a game with no draws. The cards in your final five-card hand are evaluated. The winner is decided by the highest pocket card involved with that hand. The player with the better rank wins. In order the ranks are Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs. If the players still have the same hand, the highest pocket card is the winner, if it is still a tie then the highest ranked pocket card wins.
Ratholing
The illegal action of taking money off the table and putting it somewhere else.
Re-raise
Putting in another bet on top of a previous raise or raises.
Reading
Analysis of a player based on how they play, mannerisms, and tells.
Ring game
A normal game, as opposed to a tournament game or a non-money game with your uncles.
River
The fifth and last community card dealt face up in a Hold 'Em game.
Rock
A passive, tight player.
Royal Flush
The highest ranking hand. Having a straight 10 to Ace of all the same suit.
Run, Going on a
The act of playing with more money than is typical or reasonable for you to play.
Rush
A winning streak
S
Sandbagging
Holding back and calling despite the fact that you have a very good hand, usually to disguise strength, provoke bluffs, and to check-raise.
Semi-Bluff
Betting with a mediocre or drawing hand
Set
Having a pocket pair that matches one of the cards on the board.
Short Buying
Purchasing chips after your initial purchase. Usually the minimum for a short buy-in is less than the initial buy-in.
Short-Handed
An adjective used to describe a game with few players.
Showdown
The final phase after all betting has ended and players reveal their cards.
Side Pot
Bets made into a new pot after a player has gone all-in.
Signaling
A system used by colluding players to let each other know what they hold.
Slow Playing
Playing deceptively with a strong hand by checking and calling with the intention of raising once the pot is larger.
Small Blind
The smaller or the two blinds posted prior to the dealing of cards. This is usually by the player sitting directly to the left of the dealer.
Soft Seat
A seat or game which is favorable because of the lack of skill at the table.
Spades
One of the four playing card suits. Formerly representing nobility.
Splashing the Pot
An illegal move where chips are placed in a haphazard way. Such as being tossed directly into the pot before being counted.
Spread Limit
A betting structure where you can bet any amount within a certain range.
Stash
A poker player's "gamblin' money".
Steal Raise
A raise by someone in late position in an attempt to reduce the number of players and/or steal the pot.
Steamrolling
Re-raising to make a player(s) call two bets instead of one.
Straddle
Posting an extra blind when one sits to the left of the big blind.
Straight
A poker hand with five sequential cards. In Hold'Em, Aces can be high or low.
Straight Flush
A poker hand comprised of five sequential cards all of the same suit.
String Bets
Saying "I'll call your bet....and I'll re-raise!", instead of just "Raise" or "Re-raise". Generally not allowed because of ethics involving angle shooting.
String Calls
An illegal call like saying "I've got a pair of Jacks.", then after your opponents have revealed their hands or just simply reacted to that, saying "Oh, and I've also got a pair of sevens, too" or a similar situation.
Suit
A characteristic of a playing card. The card being either of Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, or Spades.
Suited
Usually used in reference to your pocket cards when they are of the same suit.
T
Table, The
1. The surface on which poker is played.
2. A term used in reference to the players at a table. "A tight table."
Table Stakes
The rule that you can only play a hand with the money you have at the table.
Tell
An action that gives clues about the cards someone is holding.
Three-of-a-Kind
A poker hand consisting of three cards of the same type.
Tight
Adjective to describe a player who selects hands very carefully and folds easily.
Tilt, On
Behavior as a result of losing, usually negative.
Top Pair
Having a pair with the highest card on the board and one in the pocket.
Top Two Pair
Having both your pocket cards match the highest two cards on the board.
Turn
The fourth community card dealt face up in a Hold 'Em game.
U
Under the Gun
Being the first person to act, being in the earliest position.
Underpair
A pocket pair of lower value than the lowest card on the board.
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