Poker Glossary 

Action:

Another poker term for “betting,” that is, to start the action is to start the betting.

Ante:

A small sum of money, placed in the pot by each player.
Antes are used in Stud and Draw, but not in Hold’em or Omaha.

Big Blind:

A bet that must be posted by the player two seats to the left of the button. It is equal to the amount of the smaller betting limit in a game, for example, in a 10-20 game, the big blind would be $10.

Blind:

Forced bets placed in the pot by the first two players in
front of the dealer button, in Hold’em and Omaha. See
“small blind” and “big blind.”

Bluff:

To bet when you hold a weak hand, hoping that the
intimidation factor of your bet can win the hand.

Bring-in:

In Stud, a bet that must be made on the very first betting
round. Usually the player showing the lowest card is forced to
make a bet; in some games, the player showing the highest card
is forced. The bring-in applies only on the very first betting
round, though. On all further rounds, the player showing the
highest hand on board has the OPTION to bet first, but need
not.

Call:

To match a bet that has been made.

Check:

To possess the option to bet, but decline. A player cannot
check once someone else has bet; at that point, the player
must call, raise, or fold. But if no one has yet bet, a player
can check, allowing the betting option to pass to the next
player.

Check-raise:

To check, indicating weakness, with the intention of
raising after someone else bets.

Check-raises are allowed in all casino poker games; in some
home games, they are frowned upon.

Fifth Street:

The fifth community card in Hold’em or Omaha (in these
games, 5th street is more often called “the
river.”). Also sometimes used to refer to the fifth card
received in 7 Card Stud.

Flop:

In Hold’em or Omaha, the first three community cards,
turned up all at once.

Fold:

To drop out of a hand.

Fourth Street:

The fourth community card in Hold’em or Omaha (in these
games, 4th street is more often called “the turn.”).
Also sometimes used to refer to the fourth card received in 7
Card Stud.

Hole cards:

Cards that are face down and cannot be seen by the other
players.

Kicker:

Two meanings.

1) A single card kept along with a pair, in Draw, in an
attempt to make two pair. For example, someone might keep
3-3-K, drawing two cards, in the hope that he might get either
a three (for trips) or a King (making two pair, Kings-up).

2) The highest single card held by two players in Hold’em
who each hold the same pair. For example, if the board in
Hold’em is A-10-8-5-2, and Player One holds A-J as his hand,
and Player Two holds A-Q, each player has a pair of Aces, but
Player Two has a better kicker and would win the hand.

Narrowing the Field:

To bet or raise in the hopes that you will drive out some
players whose hands are currently worse than yours, but who
might improve if allowed to stay in.

Nuts, The:

The best possible hand. This phrase is almost always used
in the context of a particular hand (otherwise “the
nuts” would just be a term for a royal flush). For
example, in Hold’em, a player holding 8-9 would hold “the
nuts” if the flop came 6-7-10. At that moment, the
6-7-8-9-10 straight is the best possible hand. However, if the
Turn card were a Jack, and the River a Queen, a player holding
A-K would then have the nuts-a 10-J-Q-K-A straight.

Pot:

The money in the center of the table, being contested by
the players still remaining in the hand.

Rake:

The amount of money the casino takes from the pot to make
money from the poker game. In low limit games, the casino
usually rakes some percentage of the pot, usually a maximum of
10% of the pot. In higher limit games, the casino makes money
either by charging players an hourly fee to play, or by
collecting a fee each time a player holds the button.

River:

In Hold’em or Omaha, the fifth and final community card.
Also sometimes called fifth street.

Rock:

A player known to be very conservative, who usually bets or
raises only when he has a very powerful hand.

Satellites:

Ten handed qualifying mini tournaments in which players put up a much smaller amount than the buy-in to a regular tournament in hopes of winning a seat to the much larger tournament.

Seat position:

The position of a player in relation to the dealer’s button.

Set:

Poker hand that contains three cards of equal rank. Also call trips.

Show:

To expose one’s cards.

Shuffle:

Mixing cards prior to the deal.

Short Stack:

A relatively small amount of chips compared with the other players at the table.

Showdown:

The point in a particular hand when all players remaining in the hand turn their cards over to determine the best five card hand.

Slow Play:

Intentionally under betting a strong hand in order to lure other players into calling.

Side Pot:

The pot(s) from all side bets. Any player(s) All-in can not win any side pots that they did not invest in.

Sitting Out

A player leaving the table or being timed out is “Sitting Out”. In a live game, if a player sits out, there is a time limit for a player to remain out at which time he will be removed from the game.

Small Blind:

A bet that must be posted by the player one seat to the
left of the button. It is usually equal to one half of the
smaller betting limit in a game, for example, in a 10-20 game,
the small blind would be $5. Occasionally, the small blind is
some other fraction of the big blind.

Smooth-Calling:

Intentionally calling other players bets with a strong hand in order to lure other players into the pot.

Snowmen:

A pair of eights.

Split Pot:

A pot which is shared and won by two or more players.

Suck Out:

A winning hand that is made by a player who catches a lucky card on the river.

Suited Connectors:

A starting poker hand in which your two hole cards are only one rank apart and are of the same suit.

Tell:

A hint or giveaway that a player unknowingly gives as to the strength of his hand.

Tilt:

Term for a player that is playing wildly and recklessly by playing far too many hands because they have become emotionally unbalanced.

Top Pair:

Poker hand in which you combine one of your hole cards with the highest exposed card on the flop.

Under the Gun:

The position to the immediate left of the big blind.

Value Bet:

A bet that you would like an opponent to call instead of fold because you believe the chances are better that you will win rather than lose the hand.

Variance:

The positive or negative swings in ones bankroll. This is not necessarily a measure of a player’s skill level but it is a good indicator of a player’s style.

Village People:

Poker hand containing four queens.