Poker Dictionary
Poker Dictionary
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COMPLETE POKER DICTIONARY FOR EVERY POKER PLAYER

 

Action

Any act taking the game forward and involving different betting actions (bet, call, check,fold) and other activities that are carried out by all poker players around the poker table.

All In

If a poker player puts all the chips that he has into the pot then he is said to be all-in. In this case, the player does not participate in any other bets above his all-in amount. For other players to play poker, a side pot is created. The main pot can be played only by the all-in player.

Ante

A forced bet of a certain amount that is predetermined and is collected from all the poker players at the table to be contributed to the pot before the beginning of each round.

Anti Banking.

According to poker rules when a player leaves a table with some stack, he cannot join it back for the next 30 minutes with a stack less than what he had when he sat previously on the table.

Backdoor

A situation in which players need two consecutive cards to make a strong hand. It is also known as ‘Runner’.

Bad Beat

Losing a good hand even when the odds of winning were in favour.

Bankroll

The total sum of a poker player’s money that he has set aside for playing poker only.

Bet

To wager your chips or put money into the Pot.

Bet the Pot

To bet an equal amount to the size of the pot.

Big Blind (BB)

The compulsory bet that is made by the second player to the left of the dealer or dealer button which is usually double the small blind.

Big Slick

Nickname for Ace and King as your Hole cards.

Blank

A community card that does connect with a player’s hand and hence is of no use.

Blind

A compulsory bet for the first two players to the left of the dealer or dealer button before the cards are dealt.

Bluff

To act like you have a better hand than it really is.

Board

The five community cards.

Boat

Nickname for a full house which shows three cards of similar rank and two cards of other rank like K-K-K-J-J. 

Bottom Pair

An Acehigh straight.

Broadway

An Acehigh straight. 

Bubble

Bubble in poker is any point in a tournament where the next player out is not entitled to win any money and the players remaining at the tables get money or cash.

Bully

An aggressive player who pushes around other players across the table by controlling or intimidating them by the way of bets in poker.

Bullets

Two Aces as hole cards also known as pocket Aces.

Burn Card

Discarding the topmost card from the deck before dealing the cards at the flop, turn and river to avoid cheating.

Buy The Pot

To make a bet that makes other players fold without having to show your cards. 

Buy In

The minimum amount of cash you pay to enter a game. 

Call

Putting in an equal amount of money to the bet/raise before you.

Cash Game

The type of game involving cash money or poker chips exchanged for money to play the game.

Chase

A poker player who is desperately trying to complete a draw is known as ‘Chasing’.

Check

The move where one does not bet. Could also be considered as a pass. One can only check when other players before him at the table have also checked.

Check Raise

To first check in a betting round, then raise on getting the second chance on the same street after a player has already raised.

Chip

The tokens used in a Poker game that are exchanged for money that denote real money, or tournament money without which you cannot play.

Chip Up

Growing the stack of chips by getting more chips in exchange of money in a poker game usually in tournaments is denoted as ‘Chip up’. It can also be understood as exchanging chips of low denominations with that of larger chips having higher values.

Chop

When the players still in the game decide to split up the pot between themselves before a game ends.

Cold Call

If a player, who has not put any amount of money on stake while playing poker, calls after a bet and a raise then this action of his is known as Cold Calling.

Collusion

It is an act of cheating in a poker game where two players act in collaboration with each other (without showing it to anyone) at the poker table to achieve a common goal.

Community Cards

The board cards or the five cards dealt face up and used by the players to form hands.

Connector

The two hole cards in a sequence. For example, 9 and 10.

Cripple

A player with insufficient chips to play any further in a poker game and is perceived as not to last longer at the poker table then he is known as being ‘Crippled’.

Cut

The shuffling of cards in which the bottom half of the deck is moved from the bottom to the top half is known as ‘Cutting the deck’..

Dealer Button

A pointer indicating the current dealer in case of online poker games.

Drawing Hand

An incomplete hand that has the potential to improve and become a winning hand. It needs one or more cards to turn into a complete hand.

Early Position

The first player to move in a betting round.

Family Pot

A pot in which all, or almost all the players see the flop.

Fifth Street

The fifth community card on the River.

Flop

The second street of betting where the first three community cards are dealt face up on the table. 

Flush

A Poker hand of five cards where all the cards are of the same suit. 

Flush Draw

A Poker hand where you have 4 out of 5 cards to make a Flush.

Four of a Kind

A Poker hand of four cards of the same rank. For example, J-J-J-J.

Fourth Street

The fourth betting round on which the fourth community card is dealt. It is also known as the Turn.

Free Card

The turn or river card in which there was no bet in the previous round. Players only checked in the previous round.

Full Boat

A nickname for a Full House in which there are three cards of the same rank plus two cards of the same rank combine to form a hand. 

Full House

A Poker hand with three cards of the same rank and a pair.

Heads Up

The situation when only 2 players are left in the game.

High Card

The two cards dealt to each player at the beginning of every deal. They are also known as pocket cards or private cards. They are dealt face down and are private to each player.

Hole Cards

The two cards dealt to each player at the beginning of every deal.

In Position

Playing in position means acting after every other opponent in a hand. It is also used to denote that a player is last to act in a street which is the most advantageous position in poker.

Kicker

The unpaired or side cards in a hand that are often used to settle ties. For example, if both players have a pair of 10s, the player with the highest unpaired card (or kicker) wins. 

Limit Poker

A version of Texas Hold ’em in which a player must bet/raise as per the predetermined betting amounts. 

Live Blind

Live blind in poker is the extra chance given to the big blind to raise if no one before him raises and if he checks then the betting round ends there.

Live Hand

An unfolded or active hand.

Low Limit Game

A game with small stakes.

Middle Position.

The player who has its turn between early and late positions.

Muck

The discarded pile of cards in which the folded hands and burned cards are thrown away.

No Limit Game

A version of poker in which no betting limit is defined. A player can bet up to his or her chips exhaustion.

Nut

The best possible arrangement of cards (hand) in a given situation.

Offsuit

Hole Cards of different suits.

Out of Position

Playing out of position in poker means when a player is supposed to act before all his opponents in a hand. Generally it is used to denote the players at early positions.

Outs

The cards that will possibly allow you to win the hand. 

Over Card

A poker card that ranks higher than any other card or hand to which it is compared. If a pocket card is higher in rank than the board cards then it is said to be an ‘Overcard to the board’.

Over Pair

A pair in the hole cards that ranks higher than the highest community card.

Over the Top

A re-raise or betting over another bet. 

Pair

Two cards of the same rank. For example, two 8s. 

Pocket Cards

Hole Cards or private cards that are dealt face down to each player before the flop.

Pocket Pair

Two hole cards of the same rank.

Position

Position of a player at the table with respect to the dealer. 

Post Flop

Actions on the table that take place after the “flop” round.

Pot

The total amount of money that players bet in a single hand or game. This is also known as the prize pool money that is the sum of money wagered by each player in a hand or game. The winner of the game gets the pot or pool prize money in the end.

Pot Limit

In pot limit games in poker a player is allowed to bet maximum an amount equal and not exceeding to the limit of the pot.

Pot Odds

The ratio between the size of the pot and the size of the bet a player is facing. 

Preflop

The betting round before the flop at which the hole cards are dealt to each player.

Quad

It is a poker hand that consists of four cards of the same rank and one card of another rank. It is also known as Four-of-a-kind according to the poker hand rankings. For example, J-8-8-8-8 is an example of Quad or Four-of-a-kind.

Raise

To increase the amount of an existing bet in a betting round. 

Rake

The amount of money or commission charged by the poker operator to operate the game. 

Rebuy

An option in a poker tournament to buy back the poker chips when a player is short of chips or has lost his entire stack. 

Reg

It is an abbreviation of the term regular in poker. It is used to denote the players who play the game regularly and are better players than the average ones. 

Reraise

Raising over a raise in a particular betting round.

River

The fifth street or the last betting round in a hand or a game where the fifth or the last community card is dealt on the board.

Runner

A situation where a player catches two running cards one after the other to make the hand stronger. A runner usually catches the running cards at the turn and the river street to complete his hand.

Short Stacked

Having a lower stack of chips or very little money as compared to other players in the game.

Showdown

The final round of the game that decides the winner by making the players in the game expose their hand or cards after all the betting rounds are completed.

Side Pot

A pot that is created when a player in a hand or a game goes all-in and other players who are still betting are entitled to win this side pot money at the end of the game. The all-in player is only entitled to win the main pot and not the side pot. 

Small Blind (SB)

The first compulsory bet placed by the player sitting left to the dealer or the dealer button in every betting round. The player placing the bet is also known as the Small Blind. This bet is generally half in size to the big blind bet.

Split Pot

A pot split by two or more players when they have hands of equal standing. 

Stack

The pile of chips a player has in order to play the game.

Straddle

Straddle in poker is the bet which is twice the amount of the big blind placed by the player sitting left to the big blind before the cards are dealt.

Straight

Straight in poker is a poker hand with five cards arranged in a sequential order. For example, 7-8-9-10-J. It is a strong poker hand as per the poker hand rankings structure.

Straight Flush

Street in poker is used to refer to the different betting rounds as well as the cards dealt on each betting round. Like, the cards dealt on the turn and river streets are called the fourth and the fifth street respectively.

Street

Street in poker is used to refer to the different betting rounds as well as the cards dealt on each betting round. Like, the cards dealt on the turn and river streets are called the fourth and the fifth street respectively.

Suited Cards

Suited cards in poker are used to refer to the hole cards of the same suit.

Suited Connector

Suited Connectors in poker are the hole Cards of the same suit and in a sequence. For example, 8 and 9 of clubs.

Three of a Kind

Three of a kind in poker is a poker hand with three cards of the same rank and two of different ranks.

Top Kicker

Top kicker in poker is the kicker card ranking higher..

Trips

Trips in poker is another name for Three of a kind.

Turn

Turn in poker is the fourth street or the fourth betting round after the flop in which the fourth community card is dealt. The term is also used for the fourth community card. 

Two Pair

Two pair in poker is a poker hand with 2 pairs. For example, two 9s and two Kings. 

Uncalled Bet (UB)

An uncalled bet in poker is a bet which is not called by any other player in a betting round. The player who makes this bet wins the pot.