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Poker Terminology
Following is the ranking of general poker
hands from highest to lowest.
1. Royal Straight Flush - 10-J-Q-K-A, all of
the same suit.
2. Straight Flush - five cards, of the same
suit, in order, such as 2-3-4-5-6 all of
diamonds.
3. Four of a Kind - four of the same card,
such as K-A-A-A-A.
4. Full House - a set of three of a kind
plus a pair, such as 8-8-Q-Q-Q.
5. Flush - five cards of the same suit
6. Straight - five running cards not
necessarily of the same suit, such as
6-7-8-9-10
7. Three of a Kind - three cards of the same
value, such as 10-10-10
8. Two Pair – four cards with two of the
same value and the other two of the same
value, such as 8-8 and A-A
9. One Pair – two cards of the same value,
such as 2-2
10. High Card – any one card with the
highest value
Slang for specific hands:
A-A – American Airlines, bullets, pocket
rockets
A-K – Big Slick, “Walking back to Houston”
A-J -- Ajax
K-K – Cowboys
K-Q – Marriage
K-J – Kojak
K-9 -- Canine
Q-Q – Dames, divas, ladies, the Hilton
sisters
Q-J – Maverick, Oedipus Rex
Q-7 -- Computer Hand
J-J – Jokers, hooks
J-5 – Jackson Five, Motown
10-5 – Five and dime
10-2 –Doyle Brunson
8-8 – Snowmen, Octopuses
7-7 – Hockey Sticks, walking Sticks
7-2 – The Hammer
5-5 – Nickels, presto
5-4 – Jesse James (for his Colt .45)
4-4 - Sailboats
2-2 – Ducks
Poker Vocabulary
Ace-High
A five-card hand that has no hand
combinations (flush, straight, pair etc),
but contains one Ace.
All-in
When you bet all your money on a hand,
either voluntarily in the belief that you
have the strongest hand, or because do not
have enough money to cover the full amount
bet by someone else. You then contend for
the pot in an amount proportional to what
you contributed.
Ante
The minimum bet that players must place into
the pot by each player before betting
begins. The ante is placed before any cards
are dealt.
Bad Beat
When a good hand that would have been
expected to win the pot is beaten by a lucky
draw.
Backdoor making a hand you weren't playing
for, eg. You play for a full house but make
a flush
Big Blind
The first bet posted by the player to the
left of the player who posts the small
blind. It is a forced bet. The big blind bet
amount is equal to the lower bet. For
example, in a $10 - $20 game, the big blind
is $10
Big Slick
An A-K combination as pocket (hole) cards.
Blind Bet
A forced bet that is placed before any cards
are dealt. It is considered a live bet for
the first round of betting. You have big
blind and small blind bets in the first
round of betting
Bluff
To pretend that you have a better hand than
you actually do, by betting aggressively, in
the hope that the other players will fold.
Boat
Slang for a full house.
Board
The cards seen by all the players, the
community cards in the center of the table
or in a players hand in a game like stud
poker
Bullets
A pair of Aces. If these are your pocket
cards, they are also known as “Pocket
Rockets”.
Burning a Card
Discarding the top card from the deck.
Buy-in Amount
the amount you must bring into a game.
Call
When you place a bet equal to the previous
bet.
Cash Out
To finish playing and exchange your chips
for cash.
Catch
When a player makes the hand s/he was
drawing to.
Check
When you want to stay in the game but not
place a bet. You can only check if no other
bets have been placed in the betting round.
Check-Raise
To check at the beginning of a betting round
and then raise when a player to your left
bets.
Community Cards
Cards that are dealt to the table. All
players can use these cards to complete a
five-card hand.
Dead Man's Hand
Two pair hand consisting of Aces & Eights.
This is reputed to be the hand that Wild
Bill Hickock was holding when he was shot
dead.
Dealer-button
A flat disk that is used to signify the
Dealer's position on the table in online
poker. The disk is usually marked with a D.
Deuces
A pair of Twos.
Drawing
Remaining in the round and accepting more
cards.
Drawing to a hand
Remaining in the round with the hope of
making one’s potential hand as more cards
are dealt.
Drawing Dead
When a player is drawing to a hand that is
not the best hand offered by the flop and
will therefore be beaten even if the hand is
made.
Early Position
In an early betting position for a hand
weakest position
Family Pot
When everyone at the table is still involved
in the pot
Fast Play
Betting and raising aggressively
Flop
The first three community cards dealt to the
table
Fold
When players throw in their cards. They give
up any claim on the pot in exchange for not
having to contribute more money to the pot.
Forced Bet
A bet that a player has no choice but to
make, a blind bet
Flush Draw
When a player holds four cards of the same
suit and is hoping to draw a fifth card of
that suit to complete a flush.
Go on tilt
When a player loses emotional balance during
a game and plays irrationally.
Gut Shot
To draw to an inside straight.
Heads Up
A game with only two players in it.
Hole Cards
These are the Down Cards in front of the
players. (Also known as “Pocket Cards”)
House
The host of the game (e.g. the casino).
Inside straight draw
Drawing to a straight where the cards needed
to complete the straight are those in the
middle of the straight. For example, you
have 6-7-9-10 and need the middle card (8)
to make the straight.
Kicker
The highest unpaired card of a player’s
pocket cards.
Limping In
Calling the big blind rather than raising.
Monster
A very strong hand.
Muck
When you do not want to show your hand to
the table. The hand is discarded without
being displayed to the table. You can muck a
losing hand in a show down, or the winning
hand if everyone else has folded before you.
Nuts
The best possible hand that cannot be
beaten, at a particular point of the game.
Nut Flush
A flush containing the Ace.
Off suit
Cards of different suits.
Outs
Cards that will make the hand that the
player is drawing to.
Over card
A card on the board higher than your pair
Paint Cards
The picture cards (King, Queen, Jack).
Pocket Cards
The cards dealt face down to each player.
(Also known as “Hole Cards”)
Pocket Rockets
A pair of Aces as your pocket cards (hole
cards).
Pot
The pot is the pile of chips that
accumulates as each player ante, bet and
raise. All winnings are paid from the pot.
The value of the pot varies. It is dependant
on the stakes involved and the amount the
Players bet. The pot goes to the winner of
each round.
Note:
The House takes a small percentage of the
pot. This is known as the “rake”.
If two or more Players have the same winning
hand, they split the pot equally.
Pot –Limit
A game where a player's maximum bet is the
size of the pot
Pot Odds
The calculated odds the money in the pot
represents in relation to how much it will
cost to play and hand and the players
chances of winning the hand
Quads
Four of a kind (four cards of the same
denomination).
Rake
Percentage of the pot taken by the house.
Rags
Useless cards – cards that don’t improve a
hand.
Rainbow
When the board contains 3 or 4 cards of
different suits.
Raise
When you increase the bet made by a
preceding player. This increases the stakes
for remaining Players, who now have to match
the total amount including the raise.
Ring Game
A normal real money table game, as opposed
to a tournament game.
River Card
The final community card dealt.
Scare Cards
High board cards (e.g. an Ace that appears
on the flop).
See
To see someone is to call their bet.
Semi-bluff
To bluff with a hand that still has drawing
potential and could improve to be the
winning hand.
Seven Deuce
The acknowledged weakest starting card
combination in Texas Hold-em (7-2)
Show down
After the last betting round when the
remaining players compare hands to determine
the winner. The player with the highest
value hand wins the pot.
Sitting Out
When you choose to leave a table for a few
hands.
Note:
If a player sits out for more than fifteen
minutes, or has missed two rounds of blinds,
they are usually removed from the table.
Slow Playing
Playing non-aggressively with a powerful
hand; calling and betting instead of
raising. This is done in the hope of not
driving players out of the hand and thus
sucking more money into the pot. This is
also called “sandbagging”.
Small Blind
The first bet posted by the player to the
Dealer's left. It is a forced bet. The small
blind bet amount is equal to half of the
lower bet. For example, in a $10 - $20 game,
the small blind is $5.
Stack
A player’s chips.
Steal
To try and win the pot by betting when
everyone else has checked, or by making a
large raise when everyone else has called.
Tells
Gestures or words by a player that give away
the value of his/her hand
Tight
A tight player is a player who never bets
unless they hold a good hand
Turn
The fourth community card dealt
Under the Gun
The player who must act first in the betting
round.
Visible Cards
Cards dealt face up to each Player. Players
use these cards to complete a five-card
combination.
WSOP
World Series of Poker |
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