A
Action
A player’s turn. A willingness to gamble or betting along the calls of that bet.
Add-on
This is the last chip additions after the rebuy period in tournaments. Only allowed once and it’s a bit larger than the usual rebuy.
Advertising
In a live game, it is to make an obvious play or to expose cards to the other players to cause an impression of the style of play.
Aggression
The tendency of a player for open betting or raising.
Air
A low value hand.
All-in
To bet all the chips in the current hand.
Angle
In live poker, a borderline unethical, though permitted in most casinos, play. It means to match incorrectly a hand with many more chips than the opponent betted on to make them think of superiority without demonstrating it. It can also mean to bet strange chips to mess with the opponents.
Ante
A forced bet that each player must make before the hand begins, of usually less than the small blind. It’s common on the last stages of tournaments.
Ante off
In live poker, to force an absent player to continue playing antes, blinds, and bring-ins. Also known as Blind off.
B
Backdoor Project
A hand where one needs two cards to get the winning hand. In Hold’em a backdoor project would need to ace the turn and the river.
Backdoor straight
- Four consecutive cards where whatever card can complete the straight.
- Gutshot: a project where the card missing is internal.
Bad Beat
To lose a hand ahead of the winning hand, because of a backdoor project
Badugi
Also known as Asian poker, it’s a variant of draw poker with only 4 cards. The gameplay bears resemblance to that of the 2-to-7 triple draw. It as three betting rounds where you can discard any card that you don’t want, the best hand is where there are no pairs nor repeated suits.
Bankroll
The amount of money that a player can wager during their poker career.
Bankroll Management
Choosing the correct stakes and game type to avid exhausting a bankroll during downstring periods.
Barrel
A bet made on the flop, whether bluffing or not.
The second barrel is the same, but made on the turn.
Behind
The player has a good hand, but they’re still losing.
Bet
Any money wagered during the play of a hand. Opening bet of the betting round. If the bet is raised, it’s called a raise.
Big bet
In a fixed limit game, this is equal to two bets.
Bigstack
A player that has a larger stack of chips compared to the ones being played. Also called deep stack. It can also mean, in cash games, the one with the biggest stack of chips in the table. In games where the stack is too big for the blinds, there is a marked difference between the deep stack and the big stack with the former being 150 blinds and the latter with more than 75 and less than 150.
Blank
A community card that was of no value to anyone.
Bleed
To lose chips because of a bad hand, possibly resulting from tilting.
Blind
Forced bet to join a hand. In No-Limits Hold’em, the two players to the left of the dealer must bet the blinds.
Blind defense
When a player is in a small or big blind and calls or raises an opponent’s raise rather than folding. It’s a defense against the blind steal.
Blocking bet
A small bet made by a player out of position to discourage another bet from an opponent.
Bluff
Bluff is a bet that has no backup of a good hand to try and make the opponents call their hands.
Bluff Catcher
A weak hand that loses against stronger hands in the showdown, but might catch a player that is bluffing.
Board
The five community cards.
Boat
Another name for full house.
Break
- In a draw poker game, to discard cards that make a made hand in the hope of making a better one.
- In tournament play, it’s when the game is in pause to give the players an intermission.
Break-even
Balance point. Meaning that the costs and benefits get even, which means that the result is the same money, no gain nor loss.
Brick
Another name for blank.
Bring-in
A forced bet in stud games, the holder of the worst upcart must post a bring-in bet.
Broadway
- Another name for the maximum straight hand. Ex: A 10 through ace straight
Bubble
The last finishing position in a poker tournament before entering the payout structure.
Bubbleboy
The last player eliminated before the winner is declared. They’re the last one out who doesn’t get a prize.
Burn card
In live poker tournament, it’s the card that the dealer removes to prevent cheating.
Button
- The most important position on the table since, after the flop, they’re the last to call. Each game, the button position goes clockwise.
- Another name for the dealer. In croupier, the dealer is designated to the player to the right of the small blind.
Buy-in
The minimum amount that the players must pay to enter a tournament. A big part of this becomes part of the pot and a minimum part is for the casino.
C
Call
To match a bet or raise.
Calling Station
A player that calls bets, almost randomly, and tries to match, but rarely raises them.
Cap
A limit on the number of raises allowed in a betting round. Typically, 4.
Cash table/Cash game
A game where each hand is played for real money as opposed to the chips of a tournament play. The blinds always stay at the same level, the modality, too; there’s always the possibility to add new chips at the table, as longs as the house and table limit is respected.
C-bet
A continuation bet. A bet made on the flop by the player who raised the pre-flop.
Chase
To call a bet to see the next card when holding a drawing hand when the pot odds do not merit it.
Check
If there are no previous bets, the player can choose to bet nothing.
Check-Call
To pass and then match the opponent’s bet.
Check-Raise
Check and the raise the opponent’s bet.
Chip
Small disk used in the place of money.
Chip dumping
Illegal tournament strategy where one player deliberately loses chips to another.
Chip race
In live poker, an event where the tournament’s director removes the chips of a lower value than the small blind and changes them for the chips of the minimum value to play at that level.
Chop
To split a pot because of a tie or player agreement.
Coin flip
A situation where two players are all-in and the possibilities of any of them taking the pot are even.
Cold call
To call an amount after a raise. Example, a player bets, another player raises, and a third player calls the last bet.
Complete
- In Hold’em, it’s to complete the big blind with the value of the small blind when no-one raises.
- In Stud, the first raise of a betting round.
Connectors
Two or more cards of consecutive or close to consecutive rank. If they’re from the same suit they’re known as suited connectors.
Cut-off
The player sitting to the right of the dealer. It’s a strong position because they´re the last to act in each round.
D
Dead Money
Money in the pot that was put in by players that folded.
Dealer
The person dealing the cards.
The person who assumes that role for the purposes of betting order in a game.
Dominated Hand
If two players have a hand of the same rank and one of them has a better kicker, it’s usually referred to as a dominated hand.
Dominio inverso
En Hold’em un jugador está dominado si el oponente tiene cartas del mismo rango que uno, pero con mejor kicker. Por ejemplo con AJ somos dominados por AK. Pero si el jugador dominado conecta un par con el menor kicker, esto se conoce como dominación inversa, o dominación revertida.
Door Card
In Stud, the first open card.
Double Suited
Omaha starting hand where two pairs of suited hands are held.
Downswing
A period when a player loses more than expected. Almost always in succession.
E
Equity
The size of the pot expected from the current deal, according to mathematical value that one should get. Calculate by multiplying the money in the pot by one’s probability of winning. Example, if your probability to win is 40% and the pot has $10, then our equity is $4.
F
Final table
The last table in a multi-table poker tournament. The final table is set for the same number of players that were at the start; whether it be 9-10 players if its full-ring or 6 players.
Fish
A weak or new player.
Flop
The first three community cards that are dealt in Texas Hold’em or Omaha.
The second round in Texas Hold’em or Omaha.
Flush
5 cards of the same suit, not of sequential rank.
Flush Draw
When a player has four hands of the same suit and only lacks one to make a flush.
Fold
Getting out. Forfeit one’s interest in the pot. Leaving.
Fold Equity
The probability that one or more players fold. The probability of the equity if the other players fold.
.
Free Play
The opportunity to see the next card without making a bet or paying more money.
Freeroll
1. Possibility of getting more money risk free
2. A tournament with no entry fee
Full House
A poker hand with 3 hands of the same kind and a pair.
Full Ring
A cash table with nine or ten participants. Opposite to shorthanded tables.
G
Gutshot
A hand with a card missing for it to be a straight.
H
Hand
- Part of the game where the cards are handed, the bets are made and someone wins the pot. After the dealer moves, the next hand starts,
- The best 5 cards between the hand and community cards.
Heads-up
A game against a single opponent.
High card
A no pair hand, the lowest ranking hand. It has less value than a pair,
High Roller
A player who consistently plays at the high stakes tables.
Hold’em
Texas Hold’em Poker.
Hole Cards
The cards that each player has as a starting hand and are unknown to the rest of the players.
I
Implied Odds
Odds that are calculated taking into consideration the current pot and the past bets.
J/ K
Kicker
It’s an unpaired card in the hand that does not take part in determining the rank, but can be used to break ties.
Es el acompañante de la carta principal. Por ejemplo, si las cartas de mano son y en la mesa hay , la mano es dobles parejas de 4 y 5 con A de kicker. Si otro jugador tiene en la mano tiene dobles parejas de 4 y 5 con “K” de kicker y por tanto usted sería el ganador de la mano, por el “kicker”.
L
Lay-down
To fold when you have a good hand, but not good enough to beat the opponent.
Limit
- Short name for Fixed Limit or Limit Hold’em.
- Size of the blinds or the maximum buy-in
Limp-Raise (Backraise)
A reraise from a player that previously limped in the same betting round.
Limp/Limper
Preflop action, in which a player enters a pot simply by calling a bet instead if raising
Live Cards
Unseen cards that are still available in the deck.
Low Card
A weak card that can be part of low ranking hands in Stud Hi-Lo or Omaha.
M
Made hand
A hand that has very little potential to get better. Example: a flush, a full or a straight.
Marginal hand
A mediocre hand that’s neither good nor bad.
Monotone
Omaha’s initial hand where the cards are all the same suit. It can also be a flop where the 3 cards are the same suit. Also called Monotone flop.
N
Nuts
The best possible hand in a determined situation.
O
Odds
Probabilities. If a play’s probability is 20% in our favour, we’d say that we have 1:4 odd of winning. Meaning that we’d win on 1 and lose on 4. In poker, these are presented backwards as in LOSS WIN, in the case scenario presented beforehand, 4:1
Offsuit
Cards that are not the same suit.
Omaha
A poker type that is played with a 4 card hand, where only 2 are used and there’s 5 community cards. The rules are similar to those of Texas Hold’em.
Option
The right to raise possessed by the big blind if there have been no raises.
Out of Position
A player is said to be out of position if they are out of position if they act first or are not the last to act in a betting round. A player might be out of position in regards to another, but in position regarding a third one.
Overcard
A community card with a higher rank than a player’s pocket pair.
Overpair
A pocket pair with a higher rank than the highest community card.
P
Pocket pair
When two of a player’s private cards make a pair. Also called wired pair.
Poker Tracker
Software that records the hands played and shows player statistics as the game goes on, it analyses each play.
Position
Refers to the order in which players are seated around the table and the dealer. The closer to the dealer, the better the position.
- Blinds: The players at the left of the dealer. They have to make forced bets preflop and they’re the first to call the bet in each round, except preflop when they´re the last.
- Late position: The dealer and the cut-off position. The best positions to play a hand.
- Middle position: The three players at the right of the cut-off.
- Early position: The three players at the blinds’ left.
These vary according to the number of players at the table. This example is according to a 10 player table.
Postflop
After dealing the first 3 community cards. All the bets after the flop.
Pot Committed
In No Limit games, the situation where one can no longer fold because the size of the pot is so large compared to the size of one’s stack.
Pot Limit
At a pot limit table, no player can raise more than the size of the total pot in their turn. The most popular pot limit is the Pot Limit Omaha, but Hold’em and 5-Card Draw use this version of the game, too.
Pot Odds
The odds ratio of the current size of the pot to the cost of a contemplated call. The bigger the pot odds, the bigger the probability of a win. Example, if there’s $30 in the pot, someone bets $3 and then it’s our turn. The pot has now $33 and we only have to match $3, so our pot odds are 11:1
Preflop
The time when players already have their pocket cards but no flop has been dealt yet.
Project
A project hand. A hand that needs one or two cards to be complete.
Q / R
Rainbow
- Hold’em: A flop of three or four cards of different suits.
- Omaha: a hole hand with 4 cards of 4 different suits.
Raise
Increasing the size of an existing bet in the same betting round.
Rake
Fee or percentage taken by a cardroom per each bet, as a commission.
Range of hands
The list of holdings that a player considers an opponent might have when trying to deduce their holding.
Reverse Implied Odds
When calculating the implied odds, the main pot benefits are added. The reverse implied odds are when a player will win the minimum if holding the best hand, but lose the maximum if not having the best hand.
Royal straight
The best poker hand. A flush 10-Ace of the same suit.
S
Satellite
A tournament in which the prize is a free entrance to another, larger tournament.
Seat
Place for a player in a table.
Second Barrel
A bet made on the turn, whether bluffing or not.
Semi-bluff
When a player bluffs on one round of betting with a weak hand that has a chance of improving in another round. The objective is for the rivals to throw and for the player to win with an inferior hand, but if it doesn’t work, there are still possibility for improvement as a backdoor project.
Set
Three of a kind, a pair in the hand and one in the community cards.
Shark
A professional or good player.
Shorthanded
A small poker table of 3 to 6 seats.
Shortstack
The player with the smallest stack of chips. Usually, less than 30 big blinds in cash plays or less than 15 in tournaments.
Showdown
If there’s more than one player in the last round, the players expose and compare their hands to determine the winner or winners.
Single-suited
Omaha hole hand with 2 cards of the same suit and 2 more of a different suit.
Slow Play
When a player plays in a passive manner, in spite of their strong hand.
Speculative Hand
A weak hand that has the potential to be strong.
Split Pot
To split the pot if two players or more have same ranking hands.
Stack
Cash or chips that a player can use on a table.
Steam
A state of anger, mental confusion, or frustration in which a player adopts a less than optimal strategy, usually resulting in poor play that can end up in a tilt.
Straight
Five consecutive cards, not all of the same suit.
Straight flush
Five consecutive cards of the same suit
Street
Each betting round or dealt card. Flop, turn and river are also streets.
Stud
A variant of poker in which the players have some cards face up and others face down. Seven Card stud and Razz are examples.
Suck-out
Also known as bad beat. When a player is lucky and wins against a superior hand.
Suited
Cards of the same suit.
T
Table limit
Maximum bet that a player can bet in a cash game table
Third Barrel
A bet made on the river, whether bluffing or not.
Tight
Player that uses fewer hands than average. Usually, throws weak hands.
Tournament director
In live poker, it’s the casino employee running the poker tournament. They settle any trouble that might arise over the dealer and players. Also known as floorman, they have higher authority than the dealer.
Trash hand
Hand of low or no value.
Trío
Three cards of the same rank, two of the community cards and one part of the hand.
Turn
Fourth betting round of Texas Hold’em and Omaha.
U
Under the Gun
The position at the big blind’s left.
Underpair
A pocket pair of lower value than the lowest card on the board.
Upswing
A period in which a player loss or wins more than expected.
V / W / X / Y / Z
Walk
A situation where all players fold to the big blind.
Wheel
The lowest straight possible, A-2-3-4-5, with the ace plating low.