Glossary of Online Poker Lingo

Ace High : A five card hand that does not make a pair, straight or flush but contains an ace as the high card.

Aces Full : A full house consisting of three aces and a lower pair.

Aces Up : A hand that contains two pair with one of them being aces.

Action : 1. This is a term for the play a player makes e.g. Bet, Check, Raise or Fold. 2. Could be used to describe a game in which a lot of betting takes place. i.e. There is a lot of "action" in that game.

Action Player : A term for a player who makes a lot of bets and raises.

Active Player : Any player in a hand who was dealt cards and is still in play.

Advertise : A player is said to "advertise" when he/she makes an intentionally incorrect play in order to deceive his opponents into thinking he is a poor player

Ajax : Nickname for a hand that contains and ace and a jack.

All-In : When a player chooses to put all of their chips into the pot. A player can either raise/bet all-in, or call all-in if the bet before them is more then they currently have.

American Airlines : Nickname for a pair of aces in the hole.

Angle : An action that is considered unfair play but is not against the rules.

Angle Shooting : Using tactics, that while not against the rules, are considered underhanded and unfair.

Ante : A forced bet placed in the pot before the cards are dealt.

Apple, The : The highest stakes games in a given card room or casino.

Baby Ace : A term for a pokerhand which contains an ace along with small card. A-2 for example.

Baby Flush : A slang term for a small flush.

Back Raise : This is a term for a raise coming from a player who had previously called.

Backdoor : A term for a flush or straight that was made with one card from the flop and both the turn and river card.

Bad Beat : Refers to when a player loses a pot when he was a clear favorite to win usually before the river.

Bankroll : The amount of money you have in which to play poker.

Belly Buster : A draw to an inside straight.

Bet : To place chips in the pot.

Bet Odds : The odds you receive as a result of making players call a raise.

Bicycle : A nickname for a straight ace to five. i.e. A,2,3,4,5

Big Bet Poker : A term for no limit or pot limit poker.

Big Blind : A forced bet put into the pot before the cards are dealt, by the player two seats clockwise from the dealer.

Big Slick : Nickname for ace king in the hole.

Blank : A term for a board-card that doesn't help any player in the hand. Also called a Brick.

Blind : A forced bet placed in the pot by the two players directly left of the dealer.

Blind Raise : A raise made by a player who has not looked at his cards. Also called a "bet in the dark".

Bluff : A bet (usually with a weaker hand), intending to induce an opponent to fold.

Board Cards : The cards that are dealt face up which everyone can see. This is opposed to your "Hole Card" which only you can see.

Boat : A full house. Sometimes referred to as a "Full-Boat".

Bottom Pair : A hand in which a players has matched one of his hole cards with the lowest card on the board.

Brick : A term for a board-card that doesn't help anyone in the hand. Also called a Blank.

Bring In : A forced bet in stud games.

Bring it in : To open the betting on the first round.

Broadway : A term for an ace high straight.

Bullets : A nickname for a pair of aces in the hole.

Bully : An aggressive player who frequently raises.

Bump : A term for a raise.

Bust : To lose all one's money is to go "bust".

Button : A disc that indicates which player has the dealer position in the hand. Also called the dealer-button.

Buy-in : The minimum amount of money needed for a player to sit in a ring game or tournament.

Call : To match the amount of a bet in the pot.

Calling Station : A term for a player who is generally loose and makes more calls than he should.

Cap : To make a raise to the maximum amount of bets allowed in a given round.

Card Room : The room or space in an establishment that is reserved for poker.

Case Chip(s) : The last few chips belonging to a player.

Cash Out : To leave a game and convert your chips into cash.

Change Gears : A player "changes gears" when they adjust their play during a game. i.e. Playing tight after playing extremely loose.

Check : 1. Refers to when a player chooses to not bet when it is his turn, letting the player after him to either bet or also check. 2. checks is also another term for casino chips

Check Raise : When a player checks, then raises any bet made after them. This generally happens when a player is holding a strong hand, they check to induce their opponent to bet, then they re-raise them to maximize the size of the pot.

Cheese : A term for a weak or unplayable hand.

Chop : To give back the blinds to those who posted them and play the next hand. It could also refer to the splitting of a pot or tournament prize pool.

Cold Call : To call a bet or raise without having money invested in the pot on that given round.

Cold Deck : This is the slang term for a prearranged deck of cards used by cheaters. It's called this because the deck feels colder than the one previously in play.

Counterfeit : A counterfeit occurs when one of your key hole cards hits the board therefore making your hand weaker. This term is mostly used in Omaha Hi-lo e.g. "The 2 on the river counterfeited my low"

Cowboys : A term for a pair of kings in the hole.

Dark : Actions made without seeing vital game information. Making bets/checks/calls in the dark are often used to throw off an opponents concentration or to surprise and confuse their opponent. Although not the most conventional play, it can sometimes add strength to weak hands and show apparent weakness in strong hands. These actions cannot be done out of turn.

Dead Man's Hand : A nickname for ace eight in the hole. Aces and Eights was reportedly the hand that "Wild Bill" Hickock was holding when he was shot dead during a card game.

Dealer : The person who deals the cards, pushes the pots and monitors the game.

Dealer's Position : Being on the dealer button, this is an advantage because it allows you to act last during the betting rounds in games such as Hold-em and the Omaha variations.

Dominated Hand : A hand thats is squared off with another hand that has a large winning percentage against said hand. i.e. AK vs. a3

Donkey : A term for a weak or foolish player.

Door Card : A "door card" is the first exposed card dealt to players in a Stud game

Down Card(s) : Another term for hole cards. The cards dealt face down to a player.

Down to the Felt : When a player has lost all their chips they are said to be "down to the felt".

Draw : An incomplete hand that is missing one or two cards to become a made hand. For instance if a player holds two hearts, and the flop also shows two hearts, this player has a heart flush draw.

Drawing-Dead : A hand that has no chance to win, even if the draw is hit. E.g. Phil was drawing dead when Doyle made trips on the turn.

Drop : A term for a fold. Also a term for the rake.

Ducks : Nickname for a pair of two's in the hole.

Duece's : A nickname for a pair of twos in the hole.

Edge : A term for an advantage. A player is said to have an "edge" in the game.

Ettiquette : The guidelines of courtesy that all players are expected to follow.

Face Card(s) : A term for a card with a face like a jack, queen or king.

Family Pot : A "family pot" occurs when every player calls the opening bet and countinues to the next betting round. Also called a "community pot".

Fast : "Fast" is a term for aggressive play with a lot of betting.

Fifth Street : A term for the "river" or the fifth community card dealt in a flop game. It also refer to the fifth card dealt to players in a stud game.

Fish : A term for a weak player

Flat Call : Calling a bet without raising.

Flop : The term for the first three community cards dealt in a game.

Flop Game : A game which consist of five community cards being dealt face up on the table. e.g. Texas Hold-em, Omaha

Flush : The term for a hand that contains five cards of the same suit.

Fold : To give up your hand when it is your turn to act, usually to a bet.

Forced Bet : A bet that a player has to make before any cards are dealt. eg. the small and big blind in holdem.

Four of a Kind : Four cards of the same face or number value.

Fourth Street : A term for the "turn" or the fourth card dealt out in flop-games. It also refers to the fourth cards dealt to players in a stud game.

Free-roll : 1. A tournament that has no buy-in. 2. A situation in which two players have the same hand but one of them has a chance to win by catching cards whereas the other player can't win, only tie.

Full House : Any hand that contains three cards of the same number or face value coupled with another two cards of the same number or face value. i.e. AAAKK

Goading : A form of unethical table talk that has a player convincing an opponent to make a bad decision by talking about the hand.

Gravy : A term for a player's winnings.

Grinding : Playing in a tight manner which implies minimal risk and long term monetary gain. A player who plays this style is known as a grinder.

Gut Shot : A term for an inside straight draw.

Hand : The best combination of five cards made by a player.

Heads-up : Or head to head. It refers to pots or hands that only two players are involved in.

Hi-Lo : A game in which half the pot is awarded to the high hand and the other half to the low hand.

Hilton Sisters : A term for a pair of queens in the hole.

Hit n Run : A "Hit n Run" occurs when a player who has been at the table for a short period of time wins a large pot and then leaves.

Hole Cards : The cards dealt face down to a player.

Hooks : Nickname for a pair of jacks.

House Rules : A guideline of rules set up by the casino or agreed upon by the players.

Implied Odds : Refers to the pot odds a player would get from his opponents assuming they would call bets once a player makes his hand.

Inside Straight Draw : The term for a straight draw in which a card in between the cards you have need to hit in order to complete the straight. i.e. 9, 10, Q, K you would need a Jack in order to complete the straight.

Iron Duke : Another term for the nuts. An unbeatable hand in a given board.

Jackpot : A prize awarded to a player who meets the predetermined parameters set out by the house for that prize. i.e. bad beat jackpot or high hand jackpot

Jackson Five : A nickname for J5 in the hole.

Johnny(s) : A term for a jack or a pair of jacks.

Keep Them Honest : To call a bet on the river from an opponent so that he doesn't wind up taking the pot uncontested. Also known as "being the sheriff." A player will usually say "I'll call, just to keep you honest."

Key Card : A card that fills out drawing hands or helps your hand.

Kick It : A term for a Raise.

Kicker : The unpaired card in a player's hand.

Knock : Another term for a check.

Kojak : A nickname for king jack in the hole.

Ladies : A nickname for a pair of queens in the hole.

Lay Down : A "lay down" is a term for a fold.

Lead : The first player who bets in a pot "takes the lead".

Live Game : A game with a lot of betting and raising usually by weak players.

Live Hand : A hand that is still in play and eligible to win the pot.

Live One : A term for a weak player. Usually refers to a loose player.

Long Shot : To win a hand despite poor odds of that occurring.

Low Limit : A game where the bets are small.

Main Pot : This is the pot in the center of the table that all the players contributed to. This is opposed to a "side pot" which is created when a player goes all-in and the remaining players have more chips with which to bet.

Maniac : A player who plays a lot of weak hands and raises them in an irrational fashion.

Mechanic : A cheat who uses sleight of hand in order to manipulate a deck of cards.

Meet : A term for a call.

Mitt Joint : A place that either sponsors cheating or turns a blind eye to it.

Monster : A reference to a big hand or pot. i.e. "I got dealt a monster!" or "That was a monster pot!"

Muck : 1. A nickname for the pile of discarded cards. For instance, in a casino when players fold they toss their cards into the muck. 2. A player is said to "muck" his cards when he is beaten and does not show his hand for all to see, usually on the river.

No-Limit : A game in which a player may bet all the chips he has at any time when it is his turn to act.

Nut Flush : The best possible flush on the board.

Nut Straight : The best possible straight on the board.

Nuts, the : The best possible hand at the current situation in the game.

Odds : The probability of making your hand.

Off-suit : A term for hole cards that are not of the same suit.

Open : The player who makes the first bet on a given round is said to "open" the betting.

Open Seat : A seat in a game that is available for a player to sit in and play.

Out(s) : An out is a card that is left in the deck that you need to hit in order to improve your hand.

Outdraw : To make a more favorable draw than your opponent.

Over Card(s) : A hole card that a player has in his hand that is higher than the cards on the board.

Over Pair : A pair that a player has in the hole that is of bigger value than the cards on the board.

Paint(s) : A card with a face like a jack, queen or king.

Pair : Two cards of the same value whether it be number or face.

Pass : Another term for fold.

Pay Off : Calling a bet on the river when you may feel that you may hold the losing hand.

Picture Cards : Another term for face cards.

Position : A player's seating arrangement in accordance to the dealer.

Post : A term for putting chips in the pot, usually the blinds.

Pot : The amount of chips in the middle of the table that is awarded to the winner of the hand.

Pot Bet : Betting the amount of chips that are in the pot.

Put Down : Another term for fold.

Quads : A term for four of a kind.

Quartered : This occurs when a player only receives a quarter of the main pot. This is quite common in hi-low games.

Rack : A plastic tray that holds a player's chips. It holds 100 chips in 5 rows of 20.

Rag(s) : A term for a bad card or hand.

Rainbow Flop : The term for a flop that contains three cards of different suits.

Rake : The amount taken from the pot by the house in exchange for running the game.

Rat-Holing : This is a term for illegally taking money off the table. This occurs online when players win a pot, leave the table, then return with less chips.

Read : An assumption of the hand one player is holding made by another player.

River : A term for the last board-card that is dealt. Or the last card dealt to a player in 7 card stud.

Rock : A term for a extremely tight player.

Rockets : A nickname for a pair of aces "in the hole".

Rolled Up : In 7 card stud, when a player's first three cards are the same, they are said to be "rolled up".

Rounder : A term for a professional poker player or one who derives his living from poker.

Rush : A player is said to be on a "rush" when they win a string of hands in a short period of time.

Sailboats : Nickname for a pair of 4's in the hole.

Sandbag : To make a hand look weak and then later reveal it's strength usually by betting or raising. It is derived from the horse-racing term "sandbagging".

Scare Card : This is the term for a card that hits the board which is likely to complete another player's hand. i.e. straight or flush card, over card

Second Nuts : The second best possible hand next to the nuts.

Semi-Bluff : To make a bluff with a hand that may not be winning at the moment, but has drawing potential.

Set : When a player has a pair in the hole and which matches one card from the board. Also known as trips.

Shark : A strong player who consistantly wins. The opposite of a "fish".

Shill(s) : A "shill" is a player who is paid by the house in order to start and maintain games.

Shiner : A reflective device used by a cheater in order to see unexposed cards as they are being dealt.

Short Stack : An amount of chips that a player has in play which is small in relation to the amount other players have.

Showdown : A showdown occurs when after all betting rounds are over players expose their cards to see who wins the hand.

Side Bet : A bet that is made privately between players which has no bearing on the main pot.

Sit Out : A player "sits out" when they leave the game for a short period of time with the intention of returning. Opposed to a "cash out".

Slowroll : To purposely delay the showing of a winning hand. This is considered bad etiquette in all card playing circles.

Solid : A term for a decent player who knows what he is doing.

Speed Limit : A term for a pair of fives in the hole.

Stack : The amount of chips a player has on the table.

Steal : To make a play at a pot with a weak holding.

Straight : A hands which consists of five consecutive cards. eg. 10, jack, queen, king, ace.

Stuck : Losing in a game. i.e. "I got stuck for $500 at that game"

Suit : The special characteristic of a card that differentiates from other cards of that same value. i.e. clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades

Table Image : The type of player others at the table perceive you as.

Tell : Any action that a player unconsciously makes that gives way information about their hand.

tese :

Tilt : To be on tilt is to play irrationally contrary to your regular style. This usually occurs after a bead beat.

Treys : A term for a pair of three's in the hole.

Turn : The term for the fourth card dealt in flop games.

Under the Gun : Being the first to act on a given betting round.

Underpair : A pair that a player holds in his hand that is of less value than the cards on the board.

Value Bet : A bet that is made by the player that may not be the correct move at the time but continually making that bet will be profitable in the long run. This term usually refers to a river bet.

Walking Sticks : A nickname for a pair of seven's in the hole.

Walking Sticks : A term for a pair of sevens in the hole.

WCP : Abbreviation for "World Class Player"

Wheel : Another term for the 'bicycle" hand. A straight ace to five. i.e. A,2,3,4,5

White Meat : A term for the profit a player made from a game.

WPT : abbreviation for World Poker Tour

WSOP : Abbreviation for the "World Series of Poker" held in Las Vegas.

Poker Lingo Glossary