Poker Dictionary For Beginners

Terms in this set (189)

A poker competition, normally with an entry fee and prizes.

A tournament in which the winner (or winners) earn seats in another, larger tournament rather than cash prizes.

The surface on which poker is played.

The rim of a poker table or a barrier outside a poker area.

A chair available for another player.

The amount of money a player has specifically set aside for playing poker.

The minimum amount of money required by a player to sit down in a particular poker game.

An entry fee is usually payable for all tournaments (unless they are freerolls), these may be as little as a few cents or as large as thousands of dollars.

A purchase of more chips (optional) at the end of the rebuy period in a tournament.

A chance to win something at no risk or cost.

The period in which a poker game is held.

A tournament with a faster-than-typical structure in which blinds and antes increase at a quicker rate than usual and levels are often of shorter duration.

To leave a game and convert your chips to cash.

A game where players can bet as much as they like (as long as they have it in front of them) on any round of betting.

The man or woman who handles the cards, gives out the pots, and monitors the game.

The act of mixing the cards before a hand.

An employee of the cardroom who makes rulings and decisions.

A card dealt face down prior to dealing the round of cards.

A mistake on the dealing of a hand which causes the cards to be reshuffled and a new hand to be dealt.

A new deal after a misdeal.

A card that is not legally playable.

Cards that have been (illegally) altered so that their value can be read from the back.

The card being either of Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, or Spades.

Cards of a different suit.

Generally refers to a 'nothing' hand or a hand with zero value.

A hand in which the highest ranking card is an ace with no pair or higher valued combination of cards possible.

Two cards of the same face or number value.

Making three of a kind by having a pocket pair that matches one of the cards on the board.

Three of a kind. Used to describe making three of a kind with one card in your hand and a pair on the board.

Five consecutive cards of any suit.

Any five cards of the same suit.

Any three cards of the same number or face value, plus any other two cards of the same number or face value.

Four of a kind.

Five consecutive cards of the same suit.

An Ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10) of the same suit. The best possible hand in poker.

A pair with a value of 10 or greater.

A pocket pair of lower value than the lowest card on the board.

When a player uses the lowest card on the flop to make a pair with one of his own cards.

In flop games, when a player makes a pair with one of his/her down cards and the middle card on the flop.

When you pair the second highest card on the board.

When the player pairs one of his down cards with the highest card on board.

A pocket pair higher than any of the cards on the board.

Having both your pocket cards match the highest two cards on the board.

A hand containing cards ranked 10 through A.

A starting hand containing two cards that are consecutive in rank.

Suited Connectors

A starting hand containing two cards that are consecutive in rank and of the same suit.

A starting hand with a one-card gap in between two cards preventing them from being connectors.

Term used to describe a hand containing an Ace and any other card.

A pair of Aces.

Pair of kings as your hole cards.

A pair of Twos.

Community Cards

Cards that are turned face up in the middle of the table, and which belong to all players still in the hand.

Often used to refer to a community card that does not appear to affect the relative strength of players' hands.

A very big hand. In a tournament, a player who begins to accumulate chips after having a small stack.

A player's best five cards.

Pertaining situation before the flop.

The first three community cards that are dealt face-up in the center of the table all at one time. It also indicates the second round of betting.

The fourth community card dealt representing the third round of betting.

The fifth community card dealt representing the fourth round of betting.

The texture of the community cards, in which the community cards are suited or connected to make straights or flushes, or to provide draws for either or both.

An adjective used to describe community cards that make a straight and/or flush possible.

A term used to refer to a flop containing three different suits, meaning no flush can be completed on the turn.

A four-card sequence that can be made a straight by two different value cards.

When a player has four cards in hand of the same suit and is hoping to draw a fifth to make a flush.

Gutshot Straight

To draw to and/or hit an inside straight.

A draw which refers to having both straight and flush draws at once.

A way of describing a backdoor draw that has been completed using both the turn and river (running cards).

The best possible hand at any point of the game. A hand that cannot be beat.

The best flush available within each hand.

The best straight available within each hand.

When one card will give you the best possible flush.

Nut Straight Draw

When one card will give you the best possible straight.

A drawing hand that will lose even if it improves.

Also known as the dealer, it is a small round disk that is moved from player to player in a clockwise direction following each hand, to theoretically indicate the dealer of each hand.

Being the first person to act, being in the earliest position.

Position on a round of betting where the player must act before most of the other players at the table. Considered the two positions located to the left of the Blinds.

Middle Position

Somewhere between the early and late positions on a round of betting.

Position on a round of betting where the player must act after most of the other players have acted (usually considered to be the two positions next to the button).

Dealer's Position

Being the last to act in a betting round. On the button.

The amount put in the pot by the person immediately to the left of the dealer 'button' prior to the cards being dealt.

A designated amount that is placed by the player sitting in the second position, clockwise from the dealer, before any cards are dealt.

The bet(s) that must be made by the two players sitting directly to the dealer's left which will start the action on the first round of betting. They blinds are posted before any cards are dealt.

A pile of chips.

Effective Stack

The actual amount of chips being played for between two opponents with unequal stacks.

Money placed by every player in the pot before the hand is begun.

The money or chips in the center of a table that players try to win.

The center pot. Any other bets are placed in a side pot(s) and are contested among the remaining players. This occurs when a player(s) goes all-in.

A pot distinct from the main pot that only the players still betting play for it, created once a player is all in and other players continue betting on the side.

A pot in which all (or almost all) of the players call before the flop.

A check, fold, call, or raise.

To throw your hand away when your turn to act.

Matching a bet amount.

To place chips into the pot.

To increase the previous bet.

When it's a player's turn to act and there has been no action in front of them and they opt not to bet, they do it.

A bet in which a player commits his entire stack.

Preflop, to enter the pot by calling of the big blind amount.

To check without looking at one's own cards. Also check in the dark.

When a player first checks and then raises in a betting round.

Continuation Bet

A bet made by a player after having raised on an earlier round, such as when a player raises preflop and then bets after the flop.

Postflop, the first bet into the pot.

Typically used in no-limit games to describe a bet that is equal to or greater than the size of the pot.

To raise a raise.

Commonly used to refer to an initial reraise before the flop.

To call a raise after there has been a bet and one or more raises.

Calling a bet in a spot when a player might have been expected to raise.

To call an opponent's post-flop bet with a weak hand in order to try and bluff on a later street.

The act of reraising before the flop after there has been a raise and one or more callers.

An opening raise before the flop, usually from late position and often with a weak hand, the purpose of which is primarily to win the blinds (and antes, if there are any) without having to proceed further in the hand.

To make other players believe that one has a better hand than one might otherwise have by betting or raising when one does not have the best hand.

To bet an amount of chips approximately equal to the amount of chips in the pot.

Raise in expectation that all other players will fold, if they fold the player has stolen the pot.

A bet or raise made with what is likely an inferior hand at the time, but which has the potential to improve on a later betting round.

An all-in reraise after a player originally called (an example of a 'back-raise').

A flush that is completed using both the turn and river cards.

Backdoor Straight

A straight that is completed using both the turn and river cards.

Battle of the Blinds

When everyone folds to the players who have forced bets.

Bet in the Dark

To announce a bet before cards are dealt or looking at your hand.

A postflop bet - usually a small one - made from out of position usually designed to prevent or 'block' an opponent from making a bigger bet.

To call a bet on the final round of betting with a relatively weak holding after suspecting the betting player is bluffing.

This means that the person doing the betting wants the opponent to call the bet, unlike is the case with a bluff when the betting player desires a fold.

A hand that can only win by calling a player who has bluffed.

To win a hand by calling or raising someone who is bluffing.

Your 'rightful' share of a pot.

The number of cards left in the deck that will improve a player's hand to a likely winner.

The probability of winning a hand.

The amount of money in the pot compared to the amount you must put in the pot to continue playing.

The odds you are getting after the assumed result of betting for the remainder of the hand.

A 'bad luck' hand in which a player with a strong hand unfortunately clashes with an opponent holding something even better.

When a hand is beaten by a lucky draw.

A slang term referring to a player drawing out an opponent to win a hand after having been an underdog to do so.

A measure of the upswings and downswings your bankroll goes through, not necessarily a measure of how well you play.

A series of results totaling an overall loss, such as over the course of multiple sessions or a particular time period.

The showing of cards following the final betting round when more than one player remains in the hand in order to compare them and determine the winner(s).

To discard or throw away your hand. It's also a pile of cards that are no longer in play.

A pot which is shared by two or more players because they have equivalent hands.

Playing the Board

When your best five card hand is all five of the community cards.

Money in the pot other than that which has been contributed by players still active in the hand such as the money put in by players who have since folded.

Holding a pocket pair before the flop, engaging in a pot solely in the hopes of turning the pair into a set.

Any player who is still in the hand.

A 'by the book'-style of poker that is straightforward and avoids fancy play.

A playing style marked by a tendency to bet or raise more often than to check or call (as someone playing a 'passive' style might do).

A style of play that avoids potentially exploitable patterns by performing different actions in similar situations.

Calling Station

A passive and loose player who does not raise much, but calls more than he or she should.

A playing style characterized by playing more hands than the average, with the player likely getting involved with a wide range of hands including weak ones.

Loose-Aggressive

Playing style with a higher frequency of hands than others and by leading with bets or raising more often than checking or calling when playing those hands.

Playing style with a higher frequency of hands than others and by checking and calling more often than leading with bets or raising when playing those hands passive.

A very aggressive player who plays a lot of hands.

A playing style marked by a tendency to check or call more often than to bet or raise (as someone playing an 'aggressive' style might do).

A playing style characterized by playing fewer hands than the average, with the player likely only getting involved with a narrow range of hands most of which are strong.

Tight-Aggressive

Playing style with a lower frequency of hands than others yet when playing those hands often leading with bets or raising rather than checking or calling.

To play a strong hand weakly so more players will stay in the pot.

An action that gives clues about the cards someone is holding.

A deliberate action made by a player to convey the opposite of whatever information that action might appear to convey.

To show (let somebody to know) one's hole cards (often unknowingly).

Analysis of a player based on how they play, mannerisms, and tells.

Often used to refer to players making decisions and performing at the highest level, either with reference to their own capabilities or in a broader sense.

Usually used to refer to a player holding a card that represents one of an opponent's 'outs'.

A situation when each table must wait for all other tables to complete their hands before starting play on another hand.

The period when just one or a few players need to be eliminated before reaching the cash.

Eliminated in a tournament in the final place before the prize-money.

To eliminate a player from the game by taking all of his or her chips.

To lose all your chips and thus be eliminated from a tournament.

A pot that is being contested by only two players.

A face not showing any emotion or change in expression.

Behavior as a result of losing, usually negative, because a player has become emotionally upset.

Often used to refer to a grouping of starting hands, usually in the context of speaking of an opponent's likely holdings.

To play as if you hold a certain hand.

About a restricted range of hands of a player who is said to either have the nuts or air.

To delay revealing a strong hand at showdown to make other players show their hands first, considered poor etiquette for giving players false hope of winning a hand.

A hand that could still win the pot.

Winning, or enjoying a profit during a session.

Losing. The opposite of 'ahead'.

Running It Twice

If a player is all in before the river has been dealt, the players can agree to deal the remaining streets twice. Half the pot in each instance goes to the the best hand player.

Return On Investment

The term most often used with reference to tournaments as a way to measure and compare players' profitability

A person or hand who is not mathematically favored to win a pot.

A player who wagers money at unfavorable edge odds.

A player who loses money.

A good/crafty player often posing as a fish early in the game.

A loose, flexible framework of traditions for playing poker.

The gap between a poker tournament's guaranteed prize pool and the actual prize pool generated by entrants to be made up by the tournament host.

Dealer's Choice

In home games, a rule that permits the dealer to name which poker game to be played that hand.

A prize fund awarded to a player who meets a set of predetermined requirements.

Bad Beat Jackpot

A bad beat jackpot is offered by a poker room when a very good hand loses to an even better one.

A side bet made between two or more tournament players in which the last player to be eliminated wins the bet.

Side bets between players that are not related to the outcome of the hand.

A form of collusion in which a player fails to bet or raise in a hand when the situation would warrant doing so, primarily so as to avoid winning money or chips from a friend.

The rule that any player placing a single chip forward without any accompanying verbal declaration after another player has bet is making a call and not a raise.

Using various underhanded, unfair methods to take advantage of inexperienced opponents. Marginally legal, thus not cheating, but not in the spirit of the game.

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