POKER GLOSSARY
Imagine this: you’re sitting at the poker table with a couple of new friends who are all engaged in continuous poker banter and strategy talk. Unfortunately for you, it seems that every third word out of their mouths is a term you’ve never heard before, making it tough to keep track of the conversation and even tougher to join in. Whales, floats, advertising, the words themselves seem simple enough but their meanings within the context of the game are anything but, leaving you nodding your head in (mock) understanding, wishing you could decipher what in the world was going on.
Well, wish no longer because our poker glossary is here to save the day! Listed below you’ll find hundreds of the most common poker terms, including strategy terms and poker slang. Before long, you’ll be joining the conversation like a professional poker linguist with decades of experience under your belt. Are you ready? Then let’s begin!
Aa
Ace in the hole
Having an ace card as one of the two cards dealt to each player at the beginning of the hand.
Act
A player’s turn to make a play.
Acting out of turn
Taking action in the hand while it is another player’s turn to act.
Action
A relatively significant amount of chips being wagered in any given pot.
Action card
A card that induces or leads to a significant number of chips being wagered.
Active players
Players that have not yet folded their hands and are thus still participating in any given pot.
Add-on
A predetermined number of chips given to a player in addition to their regular starting stack either at the beginning of the tournament or after the rebuy period has ended.
Advertising
Showing one’s hand without being required to, in order to induce action in future pots.
Aggressive, aggression
Betting or raising instead of checking or calling. An aggressive player is sometimes known as ‘the table captain.’
Aggression factor (AF)
The measure of how aggressive a particular player is, as noted in online hand-tracking software.
Air
A poker hand without at least a pair. Slang for having nothing.
All in
Having all of one’s chips committed to the pot.
Angle
A play that is considered unethical but remains legal within the context of the game.
Angle shooting
Using an unethical play to exact edge at the poker table or take down a pot.
Ante
A mandated preflop bet required to be paid by all participants as a way to induce action and limit tournament length.
Ante off
When a player is missing from a tournament, thus having their stack depleted via the mandated preflop bets.
Any two cards
A player that is (or is seen to be) playing any two cards in the deck absent of any preflop strategy or hand selection.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Bb
Baby
A small card, generally an ace through five. Also refers to the weakest version of any upper-valued hands like a flush or full house.
Backdoor
A hand made by hitting both the turn and river.
Back into
Making a hand that was weak on the flop by hitting both the turn and river.
Backraise
A raise from a player who had previously just called.
Bad beat
Losing a hand that was a dominant favorite at one point in the hand, most often preflop (AA vs KK) or on the river.
Balance
Having a similar number of value hands and bluffs in any given range.
Bankroll
The total amount of money allotted to poker play.
Bankroll management
A way to protect one’s existing bankroll by never risking more than a small portion (often 2%-5%) in any given game.
Behind
Having a worse hand than one’s opponent.
Bet
To place chips into the pot.
Big bet game
A game played without fixed-limit betting, including No Limit and Pot Limit.
Big blind special
A winning hand played from the Big Blind thanks to not having faced a raise preflop.
Big blind
The larger of two forced bets placed into the pot before the hand begins, meant to induce action.
Big stack
The largest chip stack at the table or tournament.
Blank
A card that is unlikely to have completed any draws or changed the standings within a hand.
Bleed
To lose chips slowly, usually due to poor card distribution or an overly tight strategy.
Blind
A forced preflop bet intended to induce action.
Blind defense
Calling a raise from the small or big blind as a way to protect one’s forced preflop investment.
Blind steal
Raising a weaker hand to try to win the blinds.
Blocker
A card that is preventing an opponent from completing a hand.
Blind off, blinded
When a player is missing from a tournament, thus having their stack depleted via the mandated preflop bets.
Blocking bet
A small bet meant to deter a larger bet from an opponent. Usually done with a weak or mediocre hand.
Bluff
A bet made with an unmade hand with the intention of winning the pot without showdown.
Bluff catching
Calling a weaker hand in anticipation of catching an opponent bluffing.
Bluff induce
A bet made with the hope of inducing one’s opponent to bluff.
Board
A collective name for the flop, turn, and river.
Boat
Slang for a full house, three of a kind plus two of a kind.
Bomb pot
To make a bet that’s a large percentage of the existing pot.
Bottom dealing
Dealing the cards from the bottom of the deck, namely used by cheaters.
Bottom end
The low end of a made hand.
Bottom pair, bottom set
The lowest pair or three of a kind possible using the flop, turn, and river.
Bounty
A bonus payout given to the player eliminating another.
Brick
A card that failed to complete a draw.
Brick and mortar
A physical poker location – such as a casino or poker room – rather than an online game.
Bring in
The first bet put into the pot in a hand of poker.
Broadway
A collective name for all cards within the range of ten to ace.
Bubble
The final unpaid position in a poker tournament.
Bully
An aggressive player who constantly puts their opponent to the test by betting or raising.
Burn card, burn
A discarded card.
Busted
To lose all of one’s chips or be eliminated from a tournament.
Button
The position directly to the right of the blinds.
Buy-in
The amount of money brought to a poker table, or the price required to enter a tournament.
Buy short
Buying into a game for less than the standard amount, usually less than 100 big blinds.
Buy the button
To agree to pay both blinds in order to enter the game immediately rather than waiting for the next rotation.
Buy the pot
Betting into a pot that has been checked around.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Cc
Call
Matching an opponent’s bet (as opposed to raising or folding).
Call the clock
Forcing an opponent to act in a timely manner under threat of having their hand folded.
Calling station
A player who plays a lot of hands and rarely folds.
Cap game
A limit on the amount of bets or chips a player can put into the pot in any given hand.
Card protector
A trinket placed on top of one’s cards to avoid having them collected by the dealer or flipped over accidentally.
Cards
A trinket placed on top of one’s cards to avoid having them collected by the dealer or flipped over accidentally.
Case card
The only card in the deck left of that variety.
Cash game
A format of poker that is untimed, has unchanging blinds, and allows infinite rebuys.
Cashing
Making it into the money in a poker tournament.
Cashing out
Converting one’s chips into cash and leaving the game.
Catch up
Pulling ahead after trailing in the hand.
Catch perfect
Hit the only two consecutive cards to win a pot (such as two nines when holding pocket 9s against a higher-denomination three of a kind).
Chase
Remain in the pot looking to complete a draw, usually under unfavorable pot odds.
Check
Pass on the option to bet.
Check-raise
To check first only to raise after an opponent’s bet.
Chip
The item used to represent money in a game of poker.
Chip dumping
Purposely losing money to another player, usually to help them gain an advantage over the remaining opponents.
Chip leader
The player with the most chips remaining in a poker tournament.
Chip race
Determining which player will receive the leftover chips when chipping up, generally by drawing high cards.
Chip up
Slowly accumulating more chips.
Chop
To split a pot between two or more players.
Chopping the blinds
When the small and big blind pull back their blinds in a cash game to avoid paying rake in a heads-up pot.
Click raise
The minimum raise allowable at the table.
Coin flip
A situation in which two or more players have a near equal chance to win the pot, like in the case of a pair against two overcards.
Cold call
To call a raise and reraise.
Collusion
Two or more players illegally sharing information or playing in a manner that gains them an edge over the table.
Color change, color up
Exchanging lower-denomination chips for higher-denomination chips in a poker tournament.
Community card
A card that can be used by all players at the table – the flop, turn, and river.
Complete
To call the big blind from the small blind without raising.
Connectors
Two cards that can be used within a straight.
Continuation bet
Betting on the flop, turn, or river after raising preflop.
Cooler
A strong hand that loses to an even stronger hand.
Counterfeit
When a community card devalues a player’s holding by putting a bigger hand on the board.
Cripple
To win nearly all of an opponent’s chips.
Crying call
Making a call while anticipating not having the best hand.
Cutoff
At the poker table, the position to the right of the button.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Dd
Dark
Acting without looking at one’s cards.
Dead blind
The small or big blind of a player absent from the table.
Dead hand
A player’s cards that have been deemed ineligible due to having been exposed, misdealt or touched by another player’s cards.
Dead money
Slang for a weak player with little chance of winning.
Deal
To distribute the cards among the participants of the game.
Dealer
The person distributing the cards among the participants of the game.
Declare
To verbally state your intentions at the poker table.
Deep stack
A larger than average stack, usually 200 big blinds or more.
Deuce
A card with a value of 2.
Deuce-to-seven
Name for the collection of cards between 2 and 7.
Dirty stack
A stack that’s mostly divided by chip denomination but has one or more misplaced chips within it.
Discard
To get rid of a card.
Dominated hand
A hand trailing an opponent’s hand by a sizable margin, such as AK against AA.
Donkey
Slang for a weak player that makes plays not based on mathematical reason.
Donk bet
Leading into the preflop raiser as opposed as checking to them.
Double belly buster straight draw
A draw with disconnected cards that can hit two different cards to complete a straight.
Double suited
Having two cards each of two different suits in a game of Omaha poker.
Double up, double through
To grow one’s chip stack by 100%.
Downswing
An extended period of loss at the poker table.
Draw, drawing hand, come hand
A hand whose value is dependant on hitting more cards on the flop, turn, or river.
Drawing dead
Having no possible way to win the hand, such as being up against a royal flush.
Drawing live
Having a hand that is currently behind an opponent’s holdings but still has ways to improve to the best hand.
Drawing thin
Having very little chance to make the best hand, mathematically speaking.
Dry board
When the 5 community cards do not work well together and thus are unlikely to be used in many draws.
Dry pot
A pot that does not have any chips in it, such as when one player is all-in against two or more opponents who still have additional chips left but have not yet invested any of them into the pot.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Ee
Early position
Generally speaking, the 2-3 players to the left of the big blind.
Eight or better
A format of poker that discards all cards with a value between two and seven.
Equity
The worth of one’s poker hand, determined by calculating the chips invested vs. the probability of winning the hand.
Expectation, expected value, EV
The amount of chips a player is expected to win over the long run, based on the mathematical probability of winning the hand.
Exposed card
A down card that has accidentally been shown to the players at the table.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Ff
Family pot
A pot that goes to the flop with all (or a large portion of) the players at the table.
Favorite
A player that has the mathematical edge in any given pot.
Feeder
A poker tournament where the winner(s) are rewarded with entry into a larger tournament. Also known as a satellite.
Felt
The material covering the poker table. Also slang for busting an opponent out of the game or winning all their money.
Field
The collective name for all the players registered in a poker tournament.
Fill, fill up
To complete one’s drawing hand, most often a full house.
Final table
The final group of players left at a poker table, most often 9 or 10.
First position
The position immediately left of the big blind. Sometimes referred to as being ‘under the gun’.
Fish
An often-offensive name for a weak or inexperienced poker player.
Fixed limit, flat limit
A game in which players may not bet all-in but rather a fixed amount.
Flash
To show a card meant to be hidden, either by accident or to an opponent after winning a pot without showdown.
Flat call
Matching an opponent’s bet without raising.
Float
To call a bet with a weak hand in anticipation of potentially bluffing later in the hand.
Floorman, floorperson
The person at a brick-and-mortar casino responsible for dealing with disagreements or providing cash game players with chips.
Flop
The three community cards dealt on the middle of the table after all preflop action has been completed.
Flush
Five cards of the same suit.
Fold
To forfeit one’s involvement in the pot and therefore the chips already committed to it.
Fold equity
The amount of expected value gained by forcing an opponent to fold their hand.
Forward motion
In a brick-and-mortar casino or poker room, the motion of moving one’s chips towards the center of the table, often cementing one’s action to avoid attempts of ‘tricking’ an opponent into revealing the strength of their hand.
Four-flush
When a player holds 4 cards of the same suit.
Four of a kind
Holding four cards of the same denomination, such as QQQQ.
Four-straight
When a player holds 4 cards in sequential order, such as 6789.
Fourth street
Another name for the turn, or the card that comes after the flop but before the river.
Free card
When any given street goes unbet.
Freeroll
The name of a tournament that has no entry fee. Also the name when a player can not lose the entire pot such as after winning the first runout when agreeing to run it twice.
Freezeout
A tournament that does not allow re-entries.
Full ring
The name given to a tournament or cash game that sits 9 or 10 players at a table, as opposed to 6 or less.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Gg
Get away
To rightfully fold one’s hand when trailing, usually said when folding relatively strong holdings.
Grinder
Either a player that puts in a lot of hours at the poker table, or one that plays a style that minimizes variance and avoids unnecessary risk.
Gut shot, gutshot, gutter
When holding a straight with a middle card missing, such as 2356.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Hh
Hand
The cards dealt to each individual player. Also the name for a completed round of poker.
Hand-for-hand
When each table in a tournament plays the same number of hands, most often when approaching the money bubble to avoid stalling.
Hand history
A written transcript of the action in a hand of poker, primarily seen in online poker or written analysis.
Hanger
When the bottom card of a deck is sticking out past the others, often indicating the dealer is dealing from the bottom.
Heads up poker
A form of poker that pits one player directly against another.
Heater
A sustained winning streak at the poker table.
Hero
Either the player being spoken of, or slang for a player that likes to call down with marginal holdings.
Hero call
A river call made with weak holdings in an attempt to catch one’s opponent bluffing.
High card
The highest card dealt, often used to determine seat position or during a chip race.
Hijack seat
The position directly to the right of the cut-off, one of three that makes up ‘late position’.
Hit and run
The act of leaving shortly after sitting at the table after securing some early winnings.
Hole cards, hole
The two cards dealt down to each player at the table.
Hole cam
A camera used in live poker broadcasts that allows the audience to view each player’s cards.
Hollywood
To make overdramatic gestures at the poker table in an attempt to have one’s opponent make a desired play.
Home game
A game at an unsanctioned poker location, such as one’s home or communal space without a gambling license.
Horse
The name for a player who has sold portions of their action to outside investors.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Ii
ICM
An acronym for Independent Chip Model – a way for converting a player’s tournament stack into a dollar-equity format. Often used late in tournaments to split up the prize pool in a mathematically based manner.
Ignorant end, idiot end
Slang term for the bottom end of a straight, such as when holding 56 on a board of 789xx.
Implied pot odds, implied odds
The amount of chips one is expected to win if he or she completes their draw.
Improve
Have one’s hand made better by a tabled community card.
In position
Getting to act after one’s opponent.
In the money
When all remaining players in a poker tournament are guaranteed to be paid out, though not necessarily more than the amount they invested.
In turn
Acting when it is appropriate to do so based on the rules of the game.
Inside straight
A straight made by hitting a card in the middle of a run, such as when holding A5 on a board of 3467.
Insurance
Paying an outside entity a premium to preserve one’s equity in a pot or game, usually when leading, to be paid out in case of loss.
Isolation
The act of raising after one or more players has limped into the pot in order to isolate against them.
ITM
Acronym for In The Money (see above).
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Jj
Jackpot
A side prize in a game of poker, usually awarded for hitting a particular hand or a particularly bad beat.
Joker
A wild-card, typically not used in poker.
Juice
The amount paid to the house for hosting or running a poker game, often paid per pot in cash-games and up-front in tournaments.
Junk
A bad hand.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Kk
Kicker
The high card outside a made hand, most often used to determine the winner between two hands of equal value.
Kill button
A button to indicate which player has the kill in a kill game.
Kill game, kill pot
A variant of poker that has additional blinds and increasing blind limits.
Kitty
The name for the rake or juice in a home-game, sometimes used for the benefit of all players, such as buying refreshments for all.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Ll
Lag
A connection problem in an online game of poker. Also slang for a loose-aggressive player.
Lammer
A voucher used to indicate won entry into a tournament via a satellite.
Last to act
The final player to act before the next round of action. Also known as being in position.
Laydown
To fold one’s hand, often when having relatively strong holdings.
Lead
To bet into a preflop raiser rather than checking one’s option to them.
Level
Increasing blind-limits in a poker tournament.
Light
Having relatively weak holdings.
Limit
Refers to the amount of blinds paid.
Limp, limp in
To enter a pot by just calling the big blind, as opposed to raising.
Limp-re-raise
To enter a pot by just calling the big blind only to re-raise once someone else has raised.
Live cards
Cards that have yet to be mucked.
Live hand
A hand that is still participating in a game of poker.
Live poker
A game of poker happening face-to-face in a place such as a casino or home-game as opposed to online.
Loose
A player who plays a wide-range of hands.
Low
The lowest hand in a game of Omaha poker.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Mm
Made hand
Relatively strong holdings that do not require any additional cards.
Maniac
Nickname for a player who plays aggressively and unconventionally.
Mark
A weak player at the table who is a target of the stronger players.
Micro-limit
Table-stakes small enough that they are generally only found online, generally under $0.25/0.5 blinds.
Middle pair
Pairing a board-card that is not the highest nor lowest.
Middle position
In a full-ring game, seats 3-5 to the left of the big blind.
Misdeal
A dealer error forcing the cards to be shuffled and redealt.
Missed blind
When a player responsible for paying the big or small blind is away from the table.
Move in
To go all in.
Multi-way pot
A pot that has 3 or more participants.
Multi-table tournament (MTT)
A large poker tournament made up of multiple tables or groups of players.
Multi-way pot
A pot that has 3 or more participants.
Muck
To throw one’s hand away, either as a fold or when losing the pot and not required to show.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Nn
Nit
Nickname for an extremely tight or risk-averse player.
No-limit
Having no limits on the size of bet or raise one can make.
Nosebleed stakes
The highest stakes available at the poker table.
Nothing card
A card that is unlikely to help the participants of the hand, also known as a blank.
Nut hand (the nuts)
The best possible hand in any given situation.
Nut low
The best possible low hand when playing a high-low game such as PLO8.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Oo
Offsuit
A non-suited hand, 2 cards of different suits.
On the button
The position to the immediate right of the small blind, considered to be the most powerful position in poker as it allows the player to act last.
Open
To raise the blinds before anyone else has.
Open-ended straight draw, open-ended
A straight draw that can be completed by hitting a card on either end such as when holding 4567.
Open limp
Only calling the big-blind as opposed to raising when acting first in a pot.
Option
When a player has the choice either to raise, call, or check, most often used when talking about the big blind’s option in a limped pot.
Orbit
A complete revolution of paid blinds by all the participants at the poker table.
Outs
The cards that can complete a draw in any given hand.
Out of position
Having to act before an opponent on any given street.
Overbet
Betting more than the size of the pot.
Overcall
Calling against a bet and raise.
Overcard
A card that is higher than the highest card on the board.
Overpair
A pair higher than the highest card on the board.
Overs
Cards that are higher in value than all the cards on the board.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Pp
Paint
A collective name for all cards 10 through King.
Pair
Two cards of the same value.
Passive
A player that does not regularly raise, preferring instead to check or call.
Pay off
To call a bet at the end of the hand, generally used when expecting to lose.
Play the board
When the highest possible hand one can make is using only the cards on the board.
Pocket aces
When both dealt cards in one’s hand are aces.
Pocket cards
The two cards dealt to each player at the beginning of the hand.
Pocket pair
When both dealt cards in one’s hand have the same value, such as KK.
Poker face
Keeping a stoic expression to avoid giving away information.
Poker table
The table upon which poker is played.
Polarized
When a player is equally as likely to be holding a value-hand as a bluff.
Position
One’s seat at the poker table relative to the blinds.
Position bet
Making a bet due to getting to act last on any given street.
Post
To put one’s blinds into play.
Pot
The total amount of chips committed by all participants at the table in any given hand.
Pot-committed
Having a large enough percentage of one’s chips in the pot that folding no longer makes mathematical sense.
Pot-limit
When one is not permitted to raise or bet more than the size of the pot.
Pot odds
The ratio between the size of the pot and the bet faced.
Pre-flop
Action taking place after the deal but before the first 3 community cards are revealed.
Probe bet
A bet made when the preflop raiser fails to make a continuation bet.
Prop, proposition player
A player hired by the poker room or site to get games started or kept going.
Purse
The total amount of winnings to be divided between all winning players.
Push
When two or more players have hands of equal strength at the conclusion of all betting rounds.
Put the clock (on someone)
To request a time limit be put on an opponent who is determined to be taking too long to act.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Quads
Slang for 4 of a kind.
Qualifier, qualifying low
When a low hand is made in a split-game such as PLO8.
Quartered
When a player in a split-game loses one of either the high or low and pushes on the other thereby earning only a quarter of the pot.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Rr
Rabbit hunt
After a hand of poker is complete, looking at what the next card would have been had the hand continued. Usually done by a player who folded a draw.
Rack
The holder poker chips are transported in, also slang for a stack of 20 chips.
Race
When two hands are nearly equal in win probability such as AK vs QQ. Also known as a coin-flip.
Rag
A low card that is unhelpful to the strength of the hand.
Rail
The place where non-players observe the action from at a live poker venue.
Railbird
People observing the action from the rail.
Rainbow
A flop with 3 cards of different suits.
Raise
Make a bet larger than the previous bet.
Rake
The fee taken out of each pot or tournament by the hosting entity.
Rakeback
A portion of the rake given back to high-volume players.
Rakeback pro
A player who makes the majority of their profits from earning rakeback through high-volume play.
Range of hands
A group of hands likely to be held by a player in any given situation.
Rathole
Leaving the table after a short winning session only to return a short time later with the minimum buy-in, effectively removing profits from the game.
Rebuy
Paying an additional fee to re-enter a game after busting out.
Redeal
When the dealer is forced to deal the cards out again due to a dealing error.
Redraw
Reseating players in a poker tournament in order to balance the tables.
Represent
To make as if one is holding a particular hand.
Re-raise
To raise a raise.
Ring game
Another name for a cash-game.
River
The final community card dealt on the table.
Rock
A very tight or risk-averse player, generally more skilled than a nit.
Rounder
A player who travels from game to game looking for an edge.
Royal cards
Cards between the values of 10-A that make up a potential royal flush.
Royal flush
A row of cards from 10 to ace that are all the same suit. The best hand in poker.
Run it twice, running it twice
When two or more players agree to flip the remaining cards twice so as to reduce variance.
Runner-runner
A hand made by hitting two perfect cards on the turn and river.
Rush
A consecutive string of winning hands or sessions.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Ss
Satellite
A feeder-tournament into a larger tournament.
Scare card
A card that completes a draw or hits an opponent’s range, thereby slowing the action.
Scoop
Winning both the high and low parts of the pot in a split-game like PLO8.
Second pair
A pair made with the 2nd highest card on the board.
Semi-bluff
Betting with an unmade hand, usually a draw, that has the potential to improve to the best hand.
Set
A pocket-pair that turns into three of a kind using a card on the board.
Shark
A nickname for a very good poker player.
Shill
Someone paid by the hosting party to play in a game of poker, either to drive action or prevent others from winning.
Shoe
A holder cards are dealt out of, most often seen at the blackjack table but sometimes in poker as well.
Shootout
A poker tournament format where the winner of each table moves on to the next round.
Short stack
The player with the least amount of chips remaining in a poker tournament.
Shorthanded
When players have left or been eliminated from a poker game leading to a table with fewer players than seats.
Shove
To go all in.
Showdown
When all the betting has been completed and the players left reveal their holdings.
Side game
A secondary game that is generally composed of players who have been eliminated or are waiting to enter the main game.
Side pot
An active pot between the remaining players after one or more is already all in.
Sit and go
A shorter version of a poker tournament, most often composed of just one table.
Slow play
To play passively with a strong hand in the hopes of inducing action.
Slow roll
Causing an opponent to think they won the hand by purposely taking time to reveal the winning hand.
Small blind
The lesser of the two forced bets at the table.
Snap call
Making an immediate call against a bet or raise.
Snow
In draw poker, playing a bluff hand as if it’s a value hand.
Soft-play
A form of collusion where two or more players play passively against one another to gain an edge over the remaining players.
Splash the pot
Throwing one’s chips into the pot in a disorderly or aggressive manner.
Spread
The difference between a poker table’s allowed minimum and maximum bets.
Squeeze play
Raising after a bunch of limpers or raise-callers have entered the pot in order to thin the field.
Stack
The amount of chips held by any given player.
Stakes
The limits played.
Staking
When an investor puts up all or part of a player’s buy-in in exchange for a portion of their winnings.
Stand pat
To reject one’s option to draw more cards.
Starting hand
The cards dealt to each player at the beginning of the hand.
Steal
To make a preflop raise, often with weak holdings, in an attempt to win the blinds.
Steam
Playing recklessly, usually while being on tilt.
Stop and go
Calling a preflop raise with the intention of shoving one’s remaining chips on nearly any flop.
Straight
Five consecutive cards such as 34567.
Straight flush
Five consecutive cards that are all the same suit.
Street
The generic name for each of the flop, turn, and river.
String bet
An often-illegal move of putting one’s chips into the pot then reaching back into one’s stack to put more in.
Stud
A variant of poker where the cards are dealt face up.
Suck out
Getting lucky by hitting a card when trailing in the hand.
Suited
Cards of the same suit.
Suited connectors
Two consecutive cards of the same suit, such as 7/8 of hearts.
Super satellite
A feeder tournament into a feeder tournament for a larger target tournament.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Tt
Table stakes
The buy-in or blind limits in any given game of poker.
Tainted outs
Cards that appear to help one’s hand but would in fact give their opponent an even stronger hand.
Tank, in the tank
Taking a significant amount of time to make a decision at the poker table.
Tell
An unconscious action that reveals the strength of one’s hand to their opponents.
Texture
The makeup or composition of the board in a game of poker.
Three bet, three betting
A raise of a raise.
Three of a kind
Three cards of the same value such as JJJ.
Tight
A player who is particularly risk-averse.
Tilt
A negative emotional response to losing that often causes one to play poorly.
Top kicker
Having the best remaining card in the deck as one’s kicker.
Top pair
A pair made up of the highest card on the board.
Top two
Two pairs made up of the highest two cards on the board.
Trap
Feigning weakness to induce action from an opponent.
Trey
Slang term for a 3.
Trips
Three of a kind.
Turbo
A poker tournament that has shorter levels or bigger blind-level jumps in order to speed up the action.
Turn
The fourth community card dealt on the table.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Uu
Under the gun
The first player to act in a round of poker. Also the name for the position to the direct left of the big blind.
Underdog
A hand that is trailing another hand.
Underfull
A full house where the pair is higher than the three of a kind.
Upswing
A sustained winning streak.
Up the ante
Increasing the forced bet required by all players in the late stages of a poker tournament.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Vv
Value bet
A bet with a marginal hand meant to extract additional chips from weaker hands.
Variance
The amount won or lost due to luck.
Vigorish, vig
The fee taken out of each pot or tournament by the hosting entity.
Villain
One’s opponent in a hand of poker.
VPIP
In online poker stat tracking, Voluntarily Put In Pot, meaning any chips bet that were not forced bets such as blinds or antes.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww
Ww
Wake up
To be dealt a strong hand.
Walk
To win the pot from the big blind without challenge.
Wash
To mix up a deck of cards.
Weak ace
An ace with a low kicker such as a 2 or 3.
Weak player
An unskilled player.
Webcam poker
A form of online poker where each player can be seen via a webcam.
Wet board
When the community cards dealt on the table have the potential to be used in numerous draws.
Whale
A player with a large bankroll that is not particularly skilled.
Wheel
The lowest straight possible: A2345.
Window card
The first card seen when revealing the flop.
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww