Poker Glossary

Confused about what "bullets" are? Can't tell a pair of sailboats from a couple of walking sticks? Brush up on your poker lingo with our handy glossary.

Click on a letter to begin your search.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Ace Magnets

A pair of kings as hole cards (K, K).

Ace-High

A hand that has no card rankings (pairs, flush, etc.) and the highest card is an ace.

Aces Up

A hand that contains two pairs, one of which is aces.

Action

A check, call, bet, or raise. An “action” game has a lot of money changing hands.

Active Player

A player who is still in the pot.

Aggressive Player

A player who bets, raises, and reraises a lot - commonly used poker term in tournament events.

All-In:

When a player bets all his or her chips.

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B

Backdoor Flush

A hand with three cards that would support a flush, but needs the remaining turn and river cards to make it happen.

Back-door Straight

A hand with three cards that would support a straight, but needs the remaining turn and river cards for the straight.

Bad Beat

The situation in which a strong hand is beaten by a long shot or improbable hand, particulary when the holder of the eventual winning hand should have never been in the pot in the first place.

Ballerina

A starting hand of a pair of twos (2, 2).

Bankroll

The amount of money a player has to wager for the game.

Barn

A hand with a full house.

BB

The big blind.

Behind

This refers to a position at the table. For example, if the dealer is one position to your left, you are behind the dealer. If a player is sitting to your left, he acts behind you. Behind is also used to refer to when your hand is not the best hand before all the cards have been dealt.

Bet

Any money wagered during the play of a hand.

Bet the Pot

To place a bet equal to the size of the pot.

Big Blind

The forced bet that is made by the player sitting two positions from the dealer, prior to the cards being dealt.

Blind

The forced bet(s) that are made by the first two players left of the dealer button.

Bluff

To raise or bet a weak hand in order to trick your opponents - a poker term that's used in ordinary conversation.

Board Cards

The community cards that are placed in the center of the table that can be used by all players.

Boat

A nickname for a full house.

Bottom Pair

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

Brick & Mortar

Land-based casinos (not online).

Broadway

The best possible straight in poker, from the ten to the ace.

Bubble

Placing high in a tournament but not winning any money.

Bullets

A pair of aces as hole cards.

Burn

The card that the dealer places face down prior to dealing the flop, turn, and river.

Bust a player

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

Bust Out

To lose all of your chips.

Button

The disk that indicates who the dealer is during play.

Buy-In

The minimum amount of money needed to enter a game.

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C

Call

To match a bet.

Cap

The number of raises allowed in a round.

Cash Game

A game whereby players can buy-in and cash out when they please.

Check

When a player does not place a bet. This can be done only if no other bets have been made that round.

Cold Call

As part of a phrase "cold call" or "come in cold." Call a bet and one or more raises.

Collusion

When two or more players attempt to work together to gain an unfair advantage over their opponents.

Community Cards

The face-up cards in the middle of the table that are shared by all players.

Connectors

In Hold'em, two cards in sequence, usually with reference to hole cards(ex.8, 9).

Cowboys

A pair of kings as starting cards.

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D

Dead Hand

A hand that no longer wins if played out.

Dealer

The person who assumes the dealer role for the purposes of the betting order in a game, even though someone else might be physically dealing.

Double Up

To double-up current chip stack.

Down Cards

The player’s first two cards (hole cards) in Hold'em. These are dealt face down.

Drawing Dead

When you cannot win, no matter what cards will be dealt.

Ducks

A pair of two’s, also known as deuces.

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E

Early Position

When a player must act before most of the others at the table.

EV

An abbreviation for expected value.

Expected Value

A calculation of how much a player would win on a hand in the long run. For example, if your chance of winning a $100 pot is 50% , your expected value in that pot is $ 50.

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F

Family Pot

A pot with a lot of players.

Fifth Street

The fifth community card on the table, also known as the “river” card.

Fish

A loose player who loses his or her money regularly.

Fixed-Limit

A game played with set bet amounts.

Flop

A well known poker term in Texas Holdem - the first three community cards.

Flush

Five cards with the same suit, not in a sequence.

Fold

To withdraw from further participation in the current pot.

Four Of a kind

Four cards in a hand with the same rank (ex. 5,5,5,5).

Fourth Street

The fourth community card on the table, also known as the “turn” card.

Free Card

Cards that are shown without placing a bet in the round.

Freeroll

A tournament with no entry fee.

Full House

A hand with a three-of-a-kind and a pair (ex. 7,7,7,Q,Q).

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G

Grinder

One who bets smaller then usual.

Gut Shot Straight

Four cards of a straight (ex. 7, 8, 10, J) making a straight by being dealt an inside card (9).

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H

Hand

A player’s five card hand, consisting of the best of the seven cards available.

Heads-Up

Only two players are involved in play.

High Card

The highest ranked card.

Hockey sticks

Two sevens as hole cards (7, 7).

Hole Card

The face down cards dealt to each player at the start of the game.

Hooks

Two jacks as hole cards (J, J).

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I

Inside Straight

Four cards that are missing one card between the top and bottom cards to complete a straight (ex. 8, 7, 5, 4).

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J

Jam

To move all-in in a no-limit or pot-limit game

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K

Kamikaze

A pair of kings as hole cards (K, K).

Key Hand

A “turning point” hand in tournament play.

Kicker

An unpaired card used to determine the better of two near-equivalent hands. For instance, suppose you have KQ and your opponent has KJ. If the flop containes a king, you both have a pair of kings, but you have a queen kicker.

Knock

Check.

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L

Ladies

A pair of queens as hole cards (Q, Q).

Late Position

When a player can act after most of the players have already acted.

Lay Down

Folding your hand in anticipation of a superior hand.

Legitimate Hand

A strong hand – not a bluff.

Limit Poker

A poker game with structured betting limits.

Limp In

When a player enters the round by only calling.

Loose

A player who plays relatively more hands than other players and tends to continue with weaker hands.

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M

Main Pot

The center pot.

Maniac

An aggressive player who does a lot of aggressive raising, betting, and bluffing.

Monster Hand

A very good hand.

Muck

The discarded hands.

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N

NL

Abbreviation for no-limit, as in no-limit Texas Hold’em.

No-limit

No maximum bets at anytime.

Nut flush draw

A hand that needs one more card for the best possible flush.

Nuts

The strongest possible hand in a given situation.

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O

Odds

The probability of making a hand.

Offsuit

Starting cards of different suits.

On a Short Stack

An amount held by a player that is considerably less than the amount held by other players at the table.

On the Button

Player in the dealer position.

On Tilt

Playing recklessly, usually due to losing the previous hand.

Online Poker

Poker that is played on the internet, for either real or play money.

Open Card

A card that is dealt face-up.

Open Ended Straight

Four cards of a straight with no holes and can make a straight on either end(ex. 5, 6, 7, 8).

Out

Any unseen card that, if drawn, will improve the hand to win.

Out of Position

Not in a good position to act.

Outdraw

When a player draws a better hand than the opponent.

Over the Top

One player raised $10, then another player re-raises to go over the top for more.

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P

Paint

Picture, or face cards (J, Q, K).

Pair

Two-of-a-kind (ex. 5, 5).

Play Money

A game where chips do not represent real money.

Pocket Cards

The two cards dealt to each player at the start of each hand (hole cards).

Pocket Pair

Hole cards of the same rank (ex. 8, 8).

Pocket Rockets

A pair of aces as hole cards (A, A).

Position

Where the player sits in relation to the dealer.

Pot

The chips in play in a particular hand.

Pot Limit

A poker game where the betting maximum in each round is equal to the current size of the pot.

Preflop

Situation before the flop.

Push

When a new dealer comes to the table.

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Q

Quads

Four of a kind hand.

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R

Rack

Unit representing the number of chips that fill the chip rack.

Raise

To increase the previous bet.

Rake

The percentage (commission) that the house takes.

Rank

The denomination of a card.

Re-raise

To raise after a previous raise.

Ring Games

A non-tournament game, whereby players can buy-in and cash out as they please. Ring games are also called “cash games.”

River

The final community card (fifth card). Also termed fifth street.

Round of Betting

When players have the chance to check, bet, or raise.

Rounder

A player who makes his living entirely from playing cards.

Route 66

A pair of sixes as hole cards (6, 6).

Royal Flush

An ace high straight (A, K, Q, J, 10) of the same suit. It is the best hand in poker.

Running Bad

A player on a losing streak.

Running Good

A player on a winning streak.

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S

Sailboats

Two 4's.

Satellite

A tournament where players can qualify for bigger events.

SB

An abbreviation for a small blind.

See

To call a bet.

Shark

A common poker term - a good player that wins often.

Short Odds

A high probability that a particular hand will occur.

Short Stack

The player with the least amount of chips.

Showdown

When players still in the game turn over their cards after the final betting round.

Side Pot

A separate pot contested by the remaining active players when another player is all-in.

Signup Bonus

A cash bonus for new online, real money players.

Sit and Go

Also known as a single-table tournament, it starts when all the seats are filled (usually two, six, or nine seats).

Slow roll

Stalling your opponent by waiting to show a winning hand.

Small Blind

The forced bet made by the player to the immediate left of the dealer button. It is made prior to the hand being dealt.

SNG

An abbreviation for a sit and go tournament.

Snowmen

A pair of eights as an hole card (8, 8).

Speed Limit

A pair of fives as an hole card (5, 5).

Stack

The player’s amount of chips.

Straight

Five consecutive cards of any suit.

Straight Flush

Five consecutive cards of the same suit.

Suit

Either clubs, diamonds, hearts, or spades.

Suited

When a player’s hole cards are of the same suit.

Swans

A starting pair of two’s (2, 2).

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T

Tell

Body language, such as a gesture or mannerism, that gives away the strength of a player’s hand.

Three of a kind

Three cards of the same rank (ex. 5, 5, 5).

Tilt

To play recklessly after you lost a previous hand.

Turn

The fourth community card, also known as fourth street.

Two Pair

A hand with two different pairs (ex. 4, 4, 10, 10).

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U

Under the Gun

The playing position to the direct left of the blinds. The player who is under the gun must act first on the first round of betting.

Unsuited

A starting hand with cards not of the same suit.

Up Card

A card that is dealt face up.

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V

Value Bet

A minimal bet made with the expectation that oppenents will call based upon the value of the oppenent's hand in relation to the pot size and minimal bet, usually made on the river.

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W

Walking Sticks

A starting hand of a pair of sevens (7,7).

Wayne Gretzky

A starting hand of a pair of nines (9,9).

Wired Pair

When the hole cards form a pair.

WPT

World Poker Tour®

WSOP

World Series of Poker

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X

No Results

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Y

Young

A starting hand of a pair of Jacks (J, J).

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Z

No Results

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