Poker Terms
Poker Terms Learn the language of poker
If you want to succeed in the poker world, you need to make sure you know the most important poker terms, poker rules and poker hands understand to avoid missing out. The key to success when playing poker is a keen eye, confidence and an understanding of poker terminology so you can assess how a game is going. For those new to the game, poker expressions can sound like a completely different language and therefore be the difference between winning or losing. Check out our glossary of poker terms to learn the jargon you need to reach the final table, or visit our learn poker page for more information.
A
Ace High
"Ace High" is a term often used in poker to describe a hand in which the highest card is an Ace, but the hand does not contain a pair or any other stronger hand combination. In other words, it is a hand in which the highest card is an Ace and the remaining cards do not form a pair, straight, flush or other poker hand.
Act
Taking your turn; making an action when it is your turn (Bet, Call, Raise or Fold).
Action
A player's turn. The willingness to play. A bet, along with all the calls on that bet.
Action Card
In general, the term "action card" is not a standard poker term, but rather an informal term used in specific contexts to indicate the influence of certain cards on the game.
Active Player
A player who is still competing for the pot. If there are sidepots, an all-in player may be active in some pots but not others.
Add-on
In poker, an "add-on" is an optional opportunity for players to purchase additional chips during a tournament. Add-ons are typically offered at specific times in a poker tournament, often at the end of a designated level or during a break.
Aggressive
A player's tendency to bet or raise rather than call or check.
Aggression Factor
The "aggression factor" in poker is a term used to describe a player's style of play, specifically how often they bet, raise or re-raise (also known as a "3-bet") compared to the number of times they passively go along with a bet (call) or don't go along with the hands at all (fold). It measures a player's level of aggressiveness at the poker table and provides insight into their willingness to take action and put pressure on their opponents.
Air
In poker, the term "air" refers to a hand that does not contain a single valuable card or hand combination. In other words, a player has "air" if their hand has no potential to win based on the cards they received.
All-In
An action in which a player bets all of his or her chips as stakes in a hand. When a player decides to go "all-in," it means they are willing to put all their available chips on the line, and they can no longer participate in the betting round of that hand.
Angle / Angleshoot
In the context of poker, the term "angle" refers to an unethical or manipulative move that a player makes to gain an unfair advantage or to confuse his opponent. Although poker is a strategic game in which players try to outwit their opponents, there are certain behaviors that are considered unsportsmanlike or unethical and are associated with "angling."
Ante
An "ante" is a mandatory bet that players at the poker table must place before the cards are dealt. It is a form of bet intended to encourage action in the game and build the pot before betting begins.
Any Two
Refers to the concept of playing any pair of cards (hole cards) from a standard deck of 52 cards, regardless of their strength or value.
B
Backdoor
Refers to the concept of playing any pair of cards (hole cards) from a standard deck of 52 cards, regardless of their strength or value.
Bad beat
Losing against a weaker hand while someone's hand was significantly ahead of the eventual winning hand.
Balance
Playing different hands in the same way with the goal of making it more difficult for an opponent to pick up useful information about your cards.
Bankroll
The amount of money a player has to wager during the poker career
Bankroll management
Choosing the right stakes and game types to avoid depleting your bankroll during downswings.
Bet
Money wagered while playing a hand. /Opening a betting round./In a Fixed Limit game, the default bet amount.
Bet structure
The complete set of rules regarding mandatory bets, limits, raise caps, and things like that for a specific game.
Big bet game
Big bet game. A game that is not played with a no Limit or pot limit structure.
Big Blind
The larger of the two mandatory bets in certain poker games
Big blind special
A hand won by the player in the big blind because there was no raise preflop while having very weak hole cards
Big stack
A chip stack that is relatively large for the stakes being played, also called deep stack. / The largest stack at the table.
Blank
A card, often a community card, that seemingly adds no value.
Blind
The general term for either the big blind or the small blind. The small blind sits directly to the left of the dealer. The big blind in turn sits to the left of that.
Defending Blinds
Calling or raising your opponent's raise when you are in the big blind. This instead of folding.
Stealing Blinds
Raising a weak hand in late position when everyone in front of you has folded, with the goal of winning the blinds and antes.
Blocker
Having your opponent's outs in hand. Often relevant when a straight or flush is imminent on the board. / A blocker is also having a combination that turns your opponent's outs into your own outs.
Blocking bet
An abnormally small bet by a player out of position intended to block a larger bet by an opponent.
Bluff
Bluff. A bet made with a hand that is mathematically unlikely to make money, with the intention of making other players believe that one has a better hand in order to hide playing patterns.
Bluff catching range
The number of hands that have no real value left on the river, but can still be good enough to catch an opponent's bluff.
Bluff Induce
Provoking a bluff. showing aggression with a strong hand to give the impression of a bluff in order to provoke an opponent's bluff.
Board
The set of community cards in a deck of community cards. / The set of a given player's face-up cards in a stud game. / The set of all face cards in a stud game.
Boat
Other name for a full house. Also called full boat.
Bottom end
The lowest possible straight that can be made in a given hand.
Bottom pair, bottom set
 In a game of community cards, a pair (or set) is made by matching the lowest board card with one (or two) in one's own hand.
Bounty
An aspect of some poker tournaments that reward players with a cash prize for eliminating other players (regardless of the tournament's payout structure).
Break
Break. A break during a tournament.
Brick
A blank, although more often used in the derogatory sense of a card that is undesirable rather than merely unimportant.
Broadway
A straight 10 through Ace; can also mean any group of cards from 10 through Ace.
Bubble
 The period in a poker tournament just before the payout begins.
Bully
A player who often raises to corner more cautious players, especially someone with a large stack for the given size of the game.
Burn
This is the top card discarded for each betting round.
Busted
busted. An unfinished hand. / Having all your chips to lose.
Button
Indicates the dealer position at the table (note: there are other specialized buttons).
Buy-in
Buy-in refers to participation in a tournament or game that requires a prepayment. The amount of the entry fee determines the total prize pool. It also refers to the minimum required number of chips that must be purchased to participate in a game or tournament.
Buy short
Short buy-in. To buy in to a game for an amount less than the normal buy-in.
C
Call
Matching a bet
Calling station
A player who often calls bets but rarely raises. A calling station is usually a loose passive player.
Cap
A limit on the number of raises allowed in a betting round, usually three or four (in addition to the mandatory bet). In most casinos, the cap is removed when only two players remain at the beginning of the betting round, or at the time the cap would normally have taken effect.
Cap game
Similar to a cap, but refers to a no limit or pot limit game with a limit on the amount a player can bet during a hand. Once the cap is reached, all players still in the hand are considered all-in.
Cash game
A game where every hand is played for real money as opposed to tournaments.
Catch
Getting a card that completes your draw.
Center pot
Also called mainpot in a hand where one or more players are all-in.
Chase
Calling a bet with a drawing hand to see the next card when the pot-odds aren't really worth it. / Continuing to play with a draw over several rounds of betting, especially a hand that is unlikely to succeed. / Continuing to play with a hand that is probably not the best because one has already invested money in the pot.
Check
Don't bet anything. If there is no bet for you, there is nothing to call, and if you don't want to bet, you "check.
Check-raise
Misleading game where a player initially checks with the intention of raising when another player bets.
Chip
A small disc used in place of money.
Chip dumping
A strategy in which a player intentionally loses chips in order to give them to another player. When players have agreed to participate in such action together, it is known as a form of collusion.
Chip leader
The player who currently has the most chips in a tournament.
Chip up
Exchange lower denomination chips for higher denomination chips. In tournaments, the term means removing all small chips from play by rounding up odd small chips to the nearest higher denomination rather than using a chip race. / To steadily accumulate chips while playing tournaments, usually by winning small pots with minimal risk.
Chop
Splitting a pot due to a tie, a game with a split pot, or a player agreement. / An agreement among all remaining players in a tournament to split the remaining chips in the prize pool according to an agreed formula rather than playing the tournament to the end. Usually occurs at the final table of a major tournament.
Click raise
Making the minimum raise. Refers to online poker in which players click the raise button without specifying the raise amount.
Coin flip
A situation in which two players have invested all their money in the pot and have approximately an equal chance of winning.
Cold call
Calling an amount that is an accumulation of bets/raises made by more than one player.
Collusion
Collusion. A form of cheating in which two or more players work together. See cheating in poker.
Community card
Card opened in the center of the board. These cards can be used by all players.
Completion
To raise a small bet to the amount the normal bet would be. Mainly gberuous in fixed limit games.
Connectors
Two or more cards of consecutive or close to consecutive rank.
Continuation bet
Cbet. A bet made after the flop by the player who bet before the flop.
Cooler
A situation in which a player has the next best hand, which is strong given the circumstances, and tends to lose the maximum with it no matter how he or she plays it.
Counterfeit
A pair on the board that significantly devalues or damages your hand.
Crying call
Call even if a player thinks he or she does not have the best hand.Â
Cutoff
The seat immediately to the right of the dealer button. In home games, the player on the button shuffles and deals the cards while the player on the cutoff cuts the deck (hence the name).
D
Dead blind
A blind that is not live so that the player placing it does not have the opportunity to raise if other players just call. Usually a small blind placed by a player participating or returning to play (in a different position from the big blind) that is placed next to a live blind equal to the big blind.
Deal
Handing out cards to players in accordance with the rules of the game being played. / A single hand of a poker game that begins with the shuffling of cards and ends with the awarding of the pot; also called a hand. / An agreement to distribute tournament prize money other than the announced payouts.
Deal three times
3 turn. In a cash game, when two players are involved in a large pot and one player is all-in, they can agree to deal the remaining cards three times. Each outcome is worth â…“ of the pot.
Dealer
The person who deals the cards. / The person who assumes that role to determine the order of a game, even though this player may not physically deal the cards.
Deep stack
A stack of chips that is relatively large for the stakes being played. Also called a big stack.
Deuce
The number 2 card. Also called duck.
Dominated hand
Dominated hand. A hand that is very unlikely to win against another specific hand, even though it may not be a bad hand in itself. Usually used in Texas Hold'em.
Donk bet
A bet made in early position by a player who did not have the initiative in the previous betting round. The donkbet is so called because this move often indicates a weak player (since it is more often reasonable to expect a continuation bet).
Donkey
A weak player, also called fish or donk.
Double belly buster straight draw
A combination of hole and face cards in hold'em or stud games, which does not include four connected cards, but where there are two different values of cards that complete a straight.
Double suited
An Omaha starting hand in which two pairs of suited cards are held.
Double up, Double through
Usually in a game with a significant pot size, to bet all your chips on one hand against a single opponent (who has an equal or larger stack) and win, doubling the stack.
Downswing
A period when a player loses more than expected.
Draw, drawing hand
A Draw, or a Drawing hand is a hand that needs one more card to turn into a strong hand. For example, a hand that needs one more card to form a Straight has a ´Straight Draw´, a hand that needs one more card to form a Flush has a ´Flush Draw´.
Drawing dead
Playing a drawing hand that will lose even if completed. / Playing a hand that can never improve beyond the opponent's hand.
Drawing live
Opposite of drawing dead, that is, drawing to a hand that will win if completed.
Drawing thin
Not quite drawing dead, that is, chasing a draw while facing bad odds.
Dry board
Dry board. The texture of the community cards. A board is considered dry if the cards on the table show that it is unlikely or impossible for a player to make a strong hand, such as a straight or flush.
Dry jar
Empty pot. A sidepot with no money created when a player goes all-in and is called by more than one opponent with no further raises. When betting subsequently occurs, the money goes into the dry pot.
E
Equity
A person's mathematical expected value in a hand, calculated by multiplying the amount of money in the pot by a person's probability of winning. If a split is possible, equity includes the probability of winning multiplied by the size of that split.
Expectation
Expectancy. Used in poker to mean long-term profitability.
F
Family pot
A hand in which every, or almost every, seated player calls the opening bet.
Fantasy Land
In Open Face Chinese poker, if you meet a certain condition, you are allowed to play a hand in Fantasy Land, which gives the player a big advantage.
Favorite
A hand that, when compared against another in a showdown, has an advantage over the other. A hand can be called a small or big favorite, depending on how dominant it is as opposed to the underdog, where the situation is reversed. Favorites are usually used to compare how one player's two hole cards do pre-flop against another player's two hole cards.
Felt
The fabric covering of a poker table, regardless of the actual material. / Metaphorically, the table itself.
Field
All players as a collective in a major tournament.
Fifth Street
The 5th card dealt in games with community cards Also called the river in Hold'em and Omaha
Final table
Final table. The final table in a multi-table poker tournament. The final table starts when a sufficient number of people have been eliminated from the tournament, leaving a certain number of players to occupy one table (usually no more than ten players).
First position
Also known as under the gun. The player in first position must act first during the first round of betting.
Fish
A weak player. / Chasing Draws with a weak hand, especially when facing aggressive players.
Flat call
A call in a situation where one could raise.
Float
Calling a bet with the intention of bluffing in a later round of betting.
Flop
Sharing the first three face cards on the board, also referring to those three cards themselves.
Flush
A hand consisting of five cards of the same suit, not in sequential order. The dlush is below a full house and above a straight.
Fold
Discarding someone's hand and forfeiting any shares in the current pot. It involves placing your cards face down on the table and is done when you feel your hand is too weak to play against other players.
Fold equity
The probability that a player folds against a bet or raise.Â
Four-flush
Four to a flush. Four cards of the same suit. A non-standard poker hand in some games, an incomplete draw hand in most games.
Four of a kind
Square. A hand with four cards of equal value. Also called quads.
Four-straight
Small street. Four cards in rank order; either an open-ender or one-ender. A non-standard poker hand in some games, an incomplete draw hand in most.
Fourth Street
The fourth card dealt to the board in games with community cards. Also called the Turn in Hold'em and Omaha.
Free card
A card dealt to one's hand (or to the board of community cards) after a round of betting in which no player opened. One thereby gets a chance to improve one's hand without having to pay anything.
Freeroll
A poker event with no buy-in.
Freezeout
The most common form of tournaments. There are no rebuys and play continues until one player has all the chips.
Full house
A hand with three cards of one rank and two of a second rank. Also called boat.
Full ring
A full ring game is a cash game with more than six players involved, usually nine to 11. This term is normally used in the context of online poker.
G
Gap hand
Refers to a poker hand consisting of cards of non-consecutive values.
Get away
Folding against what you suspect is a better hand.
Grinder
A player who makes his living by making small profits over a long period of consistent, conservative play.
Gutshot
Inside straight draw with one possible card. The opposite of an open-ended straight, which is completed by one of two outside cards.
H
Hand
Five cards consisting of a player's hole cards and the community cards.
Hand history
The textual representation of a played hand(s).
Heads up poker
Refers to playing against a single opponent, meaning one pot contested by two players.
Hero call
Call when a player has a relatively weak hand but suspects that his or her opponent is bluffing.
High card
A hand without a pair, ranked according to the highest cards.
Highroller
A high roller is a gambler who often plays in high-stakes tournaments and consistently wagers large sums of money.
Hijack seat
The seat to the right of the cutoff seat, or the second to the right of the button. In tournaments, this is generally considered the easiest position to steal the blinds, hence the name.
Holecards
Cards dealt to the player face down at the beginning of a new hand. Also known as pocket cards.
Horse
A player financially supported by someone else.
I
Implied odds
Refers to taking into account future calls from fellow players when drawing to a hand. Speculative rather than concrete.
Improve
Improve.To get a better hand than what one currently has by getting or changing cards as in the rules of the game being played.
In position
A player is said to be in position when the player acts last in the flop, turn or river betting rounds.
In the money
To finish high enough in a poker tournament to win prize money.
Isolation
A bet or raise made with the intention of isolating a player to play heads-up.
J
Junk
A hand with little to no expected value
K
Kicker
Also called sidecard. The kicker is a card that is not part of the hand ranking, but can be used to break a tie. If 2 players have the same hand on showdown, the one with the highest kicker wins.
L
Lag
Loose aggressive. A loose aggressive style of play in which a player plays many starting hands and makes many small raises in hopes of beating his or her opponents.
Last to act
A player is last to act if all players between the player and the button have folded, or if a player is the button.
Laydown
The act of folding a strong hand because you expect strong counterplay. often used as a name for a difficult fold.
Lead
The player who makes the last bet or raise in a betting round has the lead or initiative at the start of the next round. / Can also be used as a verb meaning to bet into the pot, or to lead into the pot.
Level
Used in tournaments to refer to the size of blinds raised periodically.
Light
Light. A hand that is probably not the best. Usually used as a description for an action (i.e., light call or light three-bet).
Limit
The minimum or maximum amount of a bet.
Limp, limp in
Participating in a pot by simply calling a bet instead of raising it.
Live bet
A bet placed by a player under conditions that allow him or her to raise, usually because it is placed as a blind or straddle.
Live cards
A player's hand is said to contain live cards if matching either on the board would give that player the edge over his or her opponent; usually refers to a hand that is weak but not dominated.
Live hand
A hand that is still eligible to win the pot; one with remaining live cards that have not been mucked or otherwise invalidated to complete the hand and potentially win.
Live game
An action-packed table.
Loose
Playing more hands than one's normal playing style or the average player in the game.
Low
The lowest card by rank.
M
M-ratio
A measure of the health of a chip stack as a function of the cost to play each round.
Made by hand
A hand that needs no improvement to win.
Maniac
A very loose and aggressive player, who often bets and raises, and often in situations where it is not good strategy to do so.
Micro-limit
Poker games with such small stakes that real cardrooms cannot take advantage of them.
Middle pair
In a common deck, make a pair with neither the highest nor the lowest card of the common cards.
Missed blind
A mandatory bet that is not placed when it is a player's turn to do so, such as when a player is not present at the table. Several rules require that the missed bet be made up on the player's return.
Muck
Fold. / The discard pile.
Multi-way pot
A pot in which multiple players compete. Also known as a family pot, although a family pot sometimes refers to a pot in which all players participate.
N
Nit
A player who is not willing to take risks and only plays premium hands in the top range.
No Limit
Rule indicating that players may bet all their chips in a single bet.
Utility hand
The utility hand is the best possible hand in a given situation. Players sometimes rate hands by ranking them as the second utility or the pure utility.
O
Off suit
Cards that are not of the same suit.
Omaha
A variation of Texas Hold'em in which players are dealt four cards and must use two of them with three of the five board cards to make a hand.
Open
To bet first in a pot.
Open-ended straight draw
An outside straight draw. Also known as a two-way straight draw or double-ended straight draw.
Open-handed
Games characterized by exposing part of each player's hand. For example, Stud games
Open limp
Pre-flop be the first person in the pot, but don't raise.
Option
An optional bet or draw. The right to raise. This is based on the big blind if there have been no raises.
Orbit
A full rotation of blinds at a table equal to the number of people at the table.
Outs
Cards needed for a particular player to win the hand.
Out of position
A player is said to be out of position if he or she acts first, or is not last in a betting round.
Overbet
To place a bet larger than the size of the pot in a No limit game.
Overcall
To call a bet after others have already called.
About card
A common card with a higher rank than a player's pocket pair. / A higher card.
Overpair
A pocket pair with a higher rank than the highest common card.
P
Paint
Plate. Every royal card.
Pair
Two cards of the same value.
Passive
A style of play characterized by checking and calling.
Pay off
Calling a bet when the player most likely draws "dead" because the potodds justify the call.
Play the Board
If someone's best hand is on the board during the showdown without the use of hole cards, the player is said to be playing the board.
Pocket cards
Same as hole cards. The cards in your hand that are not part of the community cards. Also called hole cards.
Pocket pair
When two of the hole cards form a pair.
Poker face
A player's blank facial expression that reveals no information about his or her cards.
Position bet
A bet made more because of the strength of the better's position than because of the strength of the better's cards.
Post
The required small or big blind bets in Texas Hold'em or other games played with blinds instead of antes.
Pot
The amount of all the players' wagers in a given hand. The winner of the hand gets the entire pot.
Pot-committed
More often in the context of a no limit game, a situation where one can no longer fold because the size of the pot is so large compared to the size of your stack.
Pot odds
The ratio of the amount of money in the pot to the amount of money needed to call the current bet. If the pot contains $100 and it costs you $20 to call, the pot gives you 5-to-1 odds.
Pre-flop
The point at which players have received their hole cards but no flop has been dealt.
Probe bet
After the flop is dealt, a bet by a player, who did not take the lead pre-flop, to gain knowledge of the strength of the opponent's cards.
Protected pot
A pot that seems impossible to win by bluffing because too many players are committed or the likelihood that another player calls or raises big on the river, most likely
Push
Going all-in.
Q
Quads
Four of a kind.
R
Rabbit hunt
After a hand is completed, to reveal cards that would have been dealt later had it continued.
Race
Same as a coinflip.
Rag
A low-quality and presumably worthless card.
Railbird
A non-participating spectator at a poker table
Rainbow
Three or four cards of different suits, especially on a flop. A rainbow bet is placing one chip of each suit currently in play.
Rakeback
Discount or refund to a player of a portion of the rake paid by that player.
Range of hands
A set of possible cards that a player thinks an opponent may have.
Rebuy
An amount of chips purchased after the initial buy-in. In some tournaments, players may re-buy chips more than once during a limited period of time after the start of play, provided their stack is equal to, or less than, the initial level.
Redraw
make one hand and have a draw for another better hand. / The second or subsequent draw(s) in a draw with multiple draws.
Represent
To represent (reppen) a hand is to play as if the player has the hand, whether this is the case or not.
Reraise
raise after it has already been raised. Also known as coming over the top.
River
The river or river card is the last card dealt in a poker hand, followed by a final round of betting and, if necessary, a showdown. The river is the fifth and final common card dealt, after the flop and turn. A player who loses the pot because of the river card is said to be rivered.
Rock
A very tighteous player.
Rounder
An experienced player traveling around looking for high-stakes games.
Royal cards
Facecards. Royal cards are also called face cards or picture cards. These cards consist of the jack, queen and king of each suit.
Royal flush
A straight flush of the top five cards of each suit. This is generally the highest possible hand.
Run it three times
A gentleman's deal, not allowed in some poker rooms, in which the players (usually two) agree to draw each remaining card(s) in three different occasions/runs rather than just once after all parties have gone all-in. The winner of each run gets 1/3 of the pot. Running three times is done to minimize bad beats and reduce bankroll fluctuations.
Runner-runner
A hand made by hitting two consecutive cards on the turn and river.
Rush
A lengthy win streak. A player who has won several big pots recently is said to be in a hurry.
S
Satellite
A tournament where the prize is a free entry into another (larger) tournament.
Scare card
A card dealt face-up (to a player in a game such as stud or to the board in a game with community cards) that can create a strong hand for someone.
Scoop
All three rows win in Open Faced Chinese Poker.
Second Pair
In poker games with community cards, one pair of cards of the second highest rank on the board. The second pair is a middle pair, but not necessarily vice versa.
Semi-bluff
When a player bluffs during a betting round with a worse or drawing hand that could improve in a later round.
Set
Designation for a Three of a kind that results from a hand in which the player has a Pocket pair as hole cards, and in which a third card of the same value appears on the board. For example, 6♣ 6♦ on a board of A♥ 6♠7♦ 2♥ K♣.
Shark
A professional player.
Shootout
A poker tournament format in which the last remaining player from a table will play the remaining players from other tables. Each table plays independently of the others; that is, there is no balance as players are eliminated.
Short buy
In no-limit poker, to buy into a game for significantly less money than the stated maximum buy-in, or less than other players at the table have in the game.
Short Stack
A stack of chips that is relatively small for the stakes being played.
Shorthanded
A poker game played with six or fewer players, as opposed to a full-ring game, which is usually played with nine or 10 players. A tournament in which all tables are shorthanded at all times is called a short-table tournament.
Showdown
When, if more than one player remains after the final betting round, the remaining players uncover and compare their hands to determine the winner or winners.
Side pot
A separate pot created to separate the pot that an all-in player can win, and the pot still going on between the remaining players.
Sit & Go
A poker tournament with no scheduled start time that begins when the necessary players have bought in.
Slow play
Playing a strong hand as if it were weak to deceive your opponents.
Smooth call
Same as flat call.
Soft-play
Intentionally going easy on a player. Soft play is expressly prohibited in most cardrooms and can result in penalties ranging from forced sit-outs to forfeiture of bets or winnings.
Squeeze play
A bluff-reraise in no-limit hold'em with less than premium cards, after another player or players have already called the original raise. The goal is to bluff everyone out of the hand and steal the bets.
Stack
The total number of chips a player has at any given time in the game. A collection of 20 poker chips of the same value, usually arranged in an orderly column.
Stakes
The amount for which one buys and can bet.
Strike
Staking is the act of one person putting in money for a poker player to play or invest in that player's action in the hope that the player will win. Any winnings are split a predetermined percentage between the backer and the player. A backed player is often known as a horse.
Starting hand
Hole cards that players can start with.
Steal
Pre-flop betting and winning the hand and taking the blinds is called stealing the blinds.
Steam
Steaming. A state of anger, mental confusion or frustration in which a player adopts a less than optimal strategy, usually resulting in poor play. Same as tilting.
Stop and go
When a player bets against another player who has previously reraised or otherwise shown aggression.
Straddle
To place a bet two or more times the size of the big blind when you are sitting to the left of the big blind before looking at your hole cards. Straddling allows that player to act last preflop.
Street
A street is another term for a dealt card or betting round.
Structured
A structured betting system is one in which the spread of bets can change from round to round.
Suck out
A situation in which a hand that is strongly the favorite to win loses to an inferior hand after all the cards have been dealt. The winning hand is said to have sucked out.
Suited
of the same suit.
Suited connectors
Consecutive cards with the same suit.
Super Satellite
A multi-table poker tournament in which the prize is a free entry to a satellite tournament or a tournament in which all the top players get entry to a larger tournament.
T
Tag
A tight- aggressive style of play in which a player plays a small number of strong starting hands, but plays aggressively in pots.
Tainted outs
Cards that improve a hand so that it is better than other current hands, but at the same time improve other hands even more.
Tell
A tell in poker is an observable change in a player's behavior or attitude that gives clues to the strength of the hand by that player.
Texture
How well the community cards are matched. This is used to estimate relative hand strength.
Three bet
Be the first player to make a third bet, always higher than the previous bet.
Three of a kind
A poker hand made with three cards of the same rank.
Tie in
Two hands of equal value at the showdown. If the hands are equal, it means they split the pot equally.
Tight
To play fewer hands than average for the game or for the player normally.
Tilt
Emotionally upset, mental confusion or frustration in which a player adopts a less than optimal strategy, usually resulting in poor play.
To go
The amount a player must call to stay in the hand.
Top kicker
In games with community cards, top kicker is the best possible kicker for a given hand.
Top pair
In poker games with community cards, top pair is a pair consisting of a pocket card and the highest card on the board.
Top Two
A two pair, corresponding to the highest two flop cards.
Tournament
A poker event with one or more tables of players competing until they have lost their tournament chips or are the last player remaining. You are in a tournament until it ends.
Trips
When one of a player's hole cards forms a Three of a Kind with 2 of the cards on the board. For example, a player with A♣ 5♣ on a board of 5♦ 6♣ 5♥ K♦ T♣, Trips Fives. This differs from a "Set" where the Three of a Kind is formed by the player's 2 hole cards combined with 1 card of the same value on the board.
Turbo
A type of tournament where blind levels rise much faster than in a standard game.
Turn
The turn, turn card or fourth street is the fourth of five cards dealt to a common, and forms one open common card that each of the players in the game can use to make their final hand.
U
Under the gun
The position directly to the left of the blinds in Texas Hold'em or Omaha. The player who is "under the gun" must act first during the first round of betting.
Underdog
An underdog or dog is a player with a smaller chance of winning than another specified player. Often used when expressing exact odds.
Underfull
A full house made where the three of a kind has a lower ranking than the pair.
Up
When used with a hand ranking to describe a poker hand, it refers to two pair, with said card being the highest pair. (Kings up. is 2 pair, with Kings being the highest pair.)
Upcard
A card played face up.
Upswing
A period when a player wins more (or loses less) than expected.
Up the ante
Raise the stakes.
V
Value bet
A bet by a player who wants it to be called (as opposed to a bluff or protection bet).
Variance
The statistical measure of how far actual results differ from expectations.
VPIP
Voluntary putting money into the pot. Represents the percentage of hands with which a player puts money into the pot pre-flop, without counting blinds. VPIP is an excellent measure of how tight or loose a player is.
W
Wake up
"Waking up with a hand" means finding a strong starting hand, often when there has already been action for the player.
Walk
When everyone folds toward the big blind this is called a "Walk Around," short for Walk.
Wash
To mix the deck of cards by placing the cards face down on the table and mixing them up.
Weak ace
Weak ace. An ace with a low kicker. Also called small ace, soft ace or ace-rag.
Weak player
Weak player. A player who is easily bullied out of a hand after the flop by any action.
Webcam poker
A form of online poker where players can watch each other through a webcam while playing.
Wet board
Wet board. A wet board is when the cards on the table allow players to hit strong hands.
Window card
The window card is the first card shown when the dealer deals the three cards before the flop.
Wrap
In Omaha, an open-ended straight draw consisting of two board cards and three or four cards from a player's hand.
