- When table-stakes are played, a player is said to go "all-in" when they put all the money they have on the table into the pot. When a player goes "all-in" he is guaranteed to be able to make it to the showdown even though he cannot call any additional money that has been or is bet by other players.
Ante - An ante is a small bet that all players are forced to make at the start of each hand in many types of poker game.
Bad Beat - when a player bets with the best hand and is beaten by an unlikely draw, he is said to have suffered from a "bad beat."
Betting - Whenever a player places money in a poker pot, they are betting. However, a player is usually said to have "bet" when he makes the first bet in a betting round (or raises the ante or blind in the first betting round). A player who merely calls is not usually described as having "bet."
Big Blind - Usually, in Texas Hold 'Em, the two players to the left of the dealer are forced to make bets at the start of the hand. The player to the immediate left of the dealer makes a bet known as the "small blind." The player to his left normally makes a bet twice as large as the small blind, known as the "big blind."
Blinds - Any bet made before a player sees his cards is known as a "blind bet." The compulsory bets at the start of a game such as Texas Hold 'Em are referred to as "the blinds."
Bluff - When a player bets without what he thinks is a hand good enough to win if there is a showdown, hoping that all other players will fold, he is said to be "bluffing" or to be making a "bluff."
Board (The) - "The Board" refers to the face-up communal cards in a game of poker - usually referring to the face up cards used in Texas Hold 'Em.
Button - The "button" is literally a round token with a "D" or "Dealer" written on it. The button is used to show who is the nominal dealer - i.e. the person who would be dealing if a dealer (or the computer software) were not dealing on their behalf. The button is placed in front of this nominal dealer. Cards are dealt first to the player on this player's left. A player in the button position (said to be "on the button") will be in late position throughout a hand of Texas Hold 'Em.
Checking - Whwn no-one has yet bet in a particular betting round, a player has the option to "check" - this merely mean he does not with to make a bet at this stage. He stays in the hand because no-one else has bet yet either.
Check-Raise - This refers to when a player checks but intends to raise anyone who bets. Usually, this player will have an excellent hand. He is trying to trap his opponents by initially pretending to have a weak hand.
Chips - In many poker games, chips (usually round counters of various designs) are used to represent cash amounts. Players will usually buy chips at the beginning of the game and cash them in at the end.
Deuce - A two in a game of poker is often referred to as a "Deuce."
Double-bet - In some Fixed Limit Stud games, a bet twice as large as the normal bet may be made when a player first has a pair showing.
Draw - When a player is looking to additional cards being dealt (in games such as Texas Hold 'Em) to improve his hand, we say he is "drawing to a hand."
Drawing Dead - Sometimes a player will be drawing to a hand which, even if he gets it, will still be beaten by a hand another player already holds. For example, a player may be drawing to a flush when his opponent already has a full house. We say he is "drawing dead."
Flop - The first three communal cards in a game of Texas Hold 'Em or Omaha.
Flush - A hand where a player has all five cards of the same suite.
Flush Draw - This usually refers to when a player has four cards of a suit and still has a chance to get a fifth card of the suit. He is said to be "on a flush draw."
Folding - Whenever a bet is made in poker, other players have the opportunity to "fold" their hand if they don't want to match the bet that has been made. They place their cards in a discard pile and take no further part in the hand.
Full House - A poker hand with three cards of one number and two of another number (a full house may also be known as "a full boat" or simply "a boat").
Hole Cards - In Texas Hold 'Em and in other games, the cards a player has to himself (not the communal cards) are known as his "hole cards."
Inside Straight Draw - When a player needs to hit an "inside card" to get a straight. For example, he may have 3 4 6 7. Only a 5 will give him his straight (Also known as a "Gutshot (Straight) Draw").
Kicker - When two players have very similar hands - e.g. they both have the same pair, the value of each player's highest other card may come into play to determine the winner of the hand. This high card is known as a player's "kicker." In Texas Hold 'Em, opponents often end up with the same pair, each using one of their hole cards. Their other hole card will be referred to as their "kicker" and the value of this card will often determine who wins the hand.
Limits - The amount that can be bet in a game of poker can be limited in many different ways.
Muck - A player who discards his cards without showing them may be said to have "mucked" his hand. Usually this refers to when a player has bet and everyone else folds. He wins the pot and has the option to show his cards or "muck" them.
Nuts - The best possible hand available is known as "the nuts." In a game of Texas Hold 'Em , a player must use at least 3 of the communal cards. Thus, which hand will constitute "the nuts" will depend on what is on the board.
Outs - Often a player will need one more card to complete his hand - i.e. to get a hand that will probably win. The number of individual cards that will complete a player's hand is referred to as the number of "outs" they have available. E.g. If a player has four hearts, there are nine cards left that will give him his flush. We say he has nine "outs."
Overcard - A card higher than the ones (usually a pair) that a particular player has, is referred to as an "overcard." E.g. In Hold 'Em, if a player starts with a pair of Jacks, an overcard would refer to a Queen, King or Ace that arrives on the board. Overcards are clearly dangerous since they could give another player a higher pair than the one you are holding.
Pocket - A player's hole cards (usually in Texas Hold 'Em) are said to be "in the pocket." Thus, if a player has a pair as his hole cards, he is said to have a "pocket pair."
Raising - When a player has already bet in a betting round, another player may raise this bet - i.e. he matches the previous bet and bets an additional amount.
River - In Texas Hold 'Em, the last communal card to be dealt is known as "the river."
Rock - A "Rock" is a player who plays very tightly - and tends to only bet or call with a good hand.
Slowplay - When a player does not bet strongly with a strong hand, in the hope that he can trick someone else into betting, he is said to be "slowplaying" his hand.
Stud - Stud poker games are games where some of the cards in a player's hand are exposed. - i.e. some of their cards are face up. The main Stud games are 5-card Stud and 7-card Stud. In a sense, however, even Texas Hold' Em could be considered to be a stud game, although all the exposed cards in this game are communal cards.
Set (A) - another name for Three of a Kind.
Straight Draw - When a player needs just one more card to get a straight, they may be said to be "on a straight draw."
Tell - a tell is something that helps give away how good a hand a player is holding. For example, a bluffing player may be given away by the way he bets when he is bluffing, the amount he bets, the things he says or by involuntary physical twitches of some kind. Sometimes, the word, "tell" is used to specifically refer to changes in body language that give a player away, such as when a player sits forward in his seat whenever he has a good hand. Clearly some "tells" are not applicable in internet games.
Tournament - a poker game where the rules are that play continues until one person has all the chips.
Turn - The fourth communal card revealed in Texas Hold 'Em is referred to as "the turn."
Under-Raise - An under-raise is a raise that is smaller than the previous bet or raise in a particular betting round and is often not allowed. e.g. if the last bet was 5, you cannot raise by 1. If you raise at all, it must be by at least 5. You are often only allowed to under-raise if you are going all-in.
