Hand Names
There are many obscure terms used by experienced players, this is just a basic list of terms.The Basic Terms section contains a basic list of terms, that will hopefully be enough to help you understand the comments made on the television coverage of the events. There are also many names for the starting (hole, or pocket) cards. For a brief list of these nicknames go to Hand Names.
ACES UP/OVER - A pair of Aces, with another pair (aces over 8's) pair of aces an pair of eights.
ALL BLUE, GREEN, PURPLE, etc. - A FLUSH.
ALL-IN - To bet all the money you have on the table.
ANTE - A small bet all players are required to make before a hand is dealt.
BACK DOOR - Player makes a late hand that he wasn't originally drawing to.
BACK RAISE - A re-raise.
BAD BEAT - Where a very good, or rare, hand is beaten by an even better hand. i.e. "Full House" beaten by "4-Of-A-Kind" on the river.
BET - To put money into the pot.
BICYCLE - The best possible low hand: A-2-3-4-5. In a low hand flushed and straights are disregarded so with this hand it is possible to win both the high and the low. Also called a Wheel.
BIG BLIND - An early forced bet, usually a raise of an earlier blind which would be called the "Small Blind". Seen in Hold'em
BLANK - A card that does not add value to a hand (Bad Draw).
BLIND - A forced bet posted before the cards are dealt, in order to create a pot for each hand.
BLUFF - Betting or raising with a poor hand, with the intent of scaring opponents into folding.
BOARD - The exposed cards in Hold'em and Stud poker. (The "community" cards. In Hold'em the Flop, Turn, and River Cards
BRING-IN - A forced bet in Stud where the player with the lowest exposed hand must put in a bet. (usually half the minimum bet for the table, but can be the minimum based on your hand).
BULLETS - A pair of Aces.
BUMP - Slang for Raise.
BURN - To discard the top card of the deck prior to dealing the Flop,Turn, and River. (usually done by a professional dealer, to prevent cheating).
BUTTON - A token placed in front of the player sitting in the "dealer's position". Used to show who has to post blinds or start the betting, as well as who is the last to act on a hand, when a dealer is used. Betting starts to the left of the "dealer", and goes clockwise.
BUY-IN - The amount of money required to join a game.
CALL - To put in to the pot the minimum amount of money necessary to continue playing.
CHECK - To bet nothing, can only be done when there are no other bets to match. Usually done when unsure of the quality of your hand.
CHECK RAISE - To check initially, then raise a bet made later on in the same betting round.
CHIP - A token used instead of real money at a table. Can made of different composites of plastic, and/or clay.
COMMUNITY CARDS - Cards that are available for every player to use in making a hand. i.e. the flop, turn,and river card in Hold'em.
CUT THE DECK -To divide the deck into 2 stacks.
DOOR CARD - A player's first upcard in stud games.
DRAW - To discard some of the cards from your and have an equal amount dealt back to you.
DRAWING DEAD - Drawing to a hand that can not possibly win.
EXPOSED PAIR - A pair together in a hand face up where others can see.
FACE CARD - A Jack, Queen or King. Also called Paint
FILL - To draw a card that makes a five-card hand (straight, flush, full house, straight flush).
FLOORMAN - The casino representative in charge of the card room or a section of a card room.
FLOP - In Hold'em, the first three community cards, dealt simultaneously.
FOLD - To drop out of a hand.
FORCED BET - In some stud games a player may be required to make a bet to start the action on the first card. See blinds
FOURTH STREET- The fourth card dealt to a player in a Stud Game, also the next card after the flop in Hold'em (in this case it is more often called the turn card).
FREE CARD - A card dealt after all players checked in a betting round.
Gutshot -Four non sequential cards that could lead to a straight. i.e. 7-8-10-J where only a 9 would fill the straight. (inside straight)
HEAD(S) UP - Only two players left playing against each other. (head to head)
HELP CARD - A card that improves the player?s hand.
HIGH-LOW SPLIT - A game where the pot is split between the best hand and lowest hand.
HOLE CARDS - The cards dealt face-down to each player.
INSIDE STRAIGHT - Four non sequential cards that could lead to a straight. i.e. 7-8-10-J where only a 9 would fill the straight. Also called "Gutshot"
KICKER - A high card held with another pair.
LAY-DOWN- To fold a decent hand that you think your opponent can beat.
LIMIT POKER - The amount you are allowed to bet is fixed, there is set minimum and maximum bet.
LIVE CARD - In stud, a card that has not been exposed.
LOCK - A hand that cannot be beaten.
LOOSE- (As in "A loose player"). An aggressive player.
LOWBALL - A game where the hand of the lowest value wins.
MUCK - The cards that have been discarded or form folded hands or burnt by dealer.
NO-LIMIT POKER - The a players betting is not limited to set limits and may bet what ever amount he/she has at that time.
NUT - The best possible hand, for a particular board.
OFFSUIT - Not of the same suit.
OPEN - Take the first bet in a hand, especially in draw poker.
OPEN-ENDED STRAIGHT - Four sequential cards that may lead to a straight with one card added at either end. I.e. 7,8,9,10 where a 6 or a Jack could finish the straight.
OPENER - The player who starts the betting.
OPEN PAIR - An exposed pair. A pair face up where others can see.
OUT - A card that improves your hand.
OVERCALL - Calling a bet after one or more players already called.
OVERPAIR - A pair of hole cards that is larger than any of the community cards.
PAINT - A face card. Jack, Queen, or King.
PAIR - Two cards of the same rank.
PASS - To check if others have checked. If a bet is made you would fold.
PAT HAND - Having or being dealt a complete hand. I.e. Being dealt a straight or flush.
POCKET - Starting hole cards in stud and Hold'em.
POSITION - One's location in the betting sequence, relative to the players still in the hand.
POT - The total amount of money bet so far in a hand.
POT LIMIT - A game where the maximum bet is determined by the size of the pot at the time.
QUARTERED - To divide half a pot between two tying hands in split pot games.
RAISE - To bet more than the previous player?s bet, forcing other players to put in more money as well.
READ - To estimate the value of you opponents hand by watching their behaviour, gestures etc.
RERAISE - To raise after an opponent has raised.
RIVER - The last card dealt in a hand of Stud or Hold'em. Also Called "Fifth Street".
SEE - To call, sometimes with a raise added. "I'll see you and raise you ……"
SHORT-STACK- To have only a small amount (stack) of chips to play with relative to other players.
SHOWDOWN - The end of the hand. Here players show their cards and the pot is awarded to the winner(s).
SIDE POT - When one player runs out of money (is all-in) during a hand, the remaining players may continue betting on their hands, in a second or "Side Pot". There may be more than one side pot in a hand, but you are only eligible to win the pots that you have participated in. The First player to run out of money may have the best hand of the lot but will only take the first pot that he bet in.
SMALL BLIND - In games with two blinds the first blind is the Small Blind because it is usually one-half (or less) the amount of the big blind.
SPLIT PAIR - A pair with one card up and the other down. Stud poker
SPLIT POT - A pot that is split between two or more hands.
STACK - Refers to the stack of chips or the amount of money available to the player.
STEAL - To win the pot by bluffing.
STUD - Any of several poker games in which some of each players' cards are exposed.
SUITED - Two or more cards all the same suit.
TABLE STAKES - You may only bet the amount that you currently have on the table.
TAP - To bet all of your money, or chips in one bet.
TAPPED OUT - Out of money.
TELL - Any action or expression that can give away the quality of your hand, or your intentions.
TIGHT PLAYER - A person who makes a move only with good cards. (conservative)
TOP PAIR - A hole card that matches the highest card from the community cards.
TOP TWO PAIR - In flop games, having hole cards that make the highest possible two pair hand.
TURN - The fourth community card in Hold'em. Also called Fourth-Street.
WHEEL - Ace-2-3-4-5. The best possible low hand. Also called a "Bicycle".
WILD CARD - A joker or standard card that can be used to represent any other card, as in "One-Eyed-Jacks are wild".
ALL BLUE, GREEN, PURPLE, etc. - A FLUSH.
ALL-IN - To bet all the money you have on the table.
ANTE - A small bet all players are required to make before a hand is dealt.
BACK DOOR - Player makes a late hand that he wasn't originally drawing to.
BACK RAISE - A re-raise.
BAD BEAT - Where a very good, or rare, hand is beaten by an even better hand. i.e. "Full House" beaten by "4-Of-A-Kind" on the river.
BET - To put money into the pot.
BICYCLE - The best possible low hand: A-2-3-4-5. In a low hand flushed and straights are disregarded so with this hand it is possible to win both the high and the low. Also called a Wheel.
BIG BLIND - An early forced bet, usually a raise of an earlier blind which would be called the "Small Blind". Seen in Hold'em
BLANK - A card that does not add value to a hand (Bad Draw).
BLIND - A forced bet posted before the cards are dealt, in order to create a pot for each hand.
BLUFF - Betting or raising with a poor hand, with the intent of scaring opponents into folding.
BOARD - The exposed cards in Hold'em and Stud poker. (The "community" cards. In Hold'em the Flop, Turn, and River Cards
BRING-IN - A forced bet in Stud where the player with the lowest exposed hand must put in a bet. (usually half the minimum bet for the table, but can be the minimum based on your hand).
BULLETS - A pair of Aces.
BUMP - Slang for Raise.
BURN - To discard the top card of the deck prior to dealing the Flop,Turn, and River. (usually done by a professional dealer, to prevent cheating).
BUTTON - A token placed in front of the player sitting in the "dealer's position". Used to show who has to post blinds or start the betting, as well as who is the last to act on a hand, when a dealer is used. Betting starts to the left of the "dealer", and goes clockwise.
BUY-IN - The amount of money required to join a game.
CALL - To put in to the pot the minimum amount of money necessary to continue playing.
CHECK - To bet nothing, can only be done when there are no other bets to match. Usually done when unsure of the quality of your hand.
CHECK RAISE - To check initially, then raise a bet made later on in the same betting round.
CHIP - A token used instead of real money at a table. Can made of different composites of plastic, and/or clay.
COMMUNITY CARDS - Cards that are available for every player to use in making a hand. i.e. the flop, turn,and river card in Hold'em.
CUT THE DECK -To divide the deck into 2 stacks.
DOOR CARD - A player's first upcard in stud games.
DRAW - To discard some of the cards from your and have an equal amount dealt back to you.
DRAWING DEAD - Drawing to a hand that can not possibly win.
EXPOSED PAIR - A pair together in a hand face up where others can see.
FACE CARD - A Jack, Queen or King. Also called Paint
FILL - To draw a card that makes a five-card hand (straight, flush, full house, straight flush).
FLOORMAN - The casino representative in charge of the card room or a section of a card room.
FLOP - In Hold'em, the first three community cards, dealt simultaneously.
FOLD - To drop out of a hand.
FORCED BET - In some stud games a player may be required to make a bet to start the action on the first card. See blinds
FOURTH STREET- The fourth card dealt to a player in a Stud Game, also the next card after the flop in Hold'em (in this case it is more often called the turn card).
FREE CARD - A card dealt after all players checked in a betting round.
Gutshot -Four non sequential cards that could lead to a straight. i.e. 7-8-10-J where only a 9 would fill the straight. (inside straight)
HEAD(S) UP - Only two players left playing against each other. (head to head)
HELP CARD - A card that improves the player?s hand.
HIGH-LOW SPLIT - A game where the pot is split between the best hand and lowest hand.
HOLE CARDS - The cards dealt face-down to each player.
INSIDE STRAIGHT - Four non sequential cards that could lead to a straight. i.e. 7-8-10-J where only a 9 would fill the straight. Also called "Gutshot"
KICKER - A high card held with another pair.
LAY-DOWN- To fold a decent hand that you think your opponent can beat.
LIMIT POKER - The amount you are allowed to bet is fixed, there is set minimum and maximum bet.
LIVE CARD - In stud, a card that has not been exposed.
LOCK - A hand that cannot be beaten.
LOOSE- (As in "A loose player"). An aggressive player.
LOWBALL - A game where the hand of the lowest value wins.
MUCK - The cards that have been discarded or form folded hands or burnt by dealer.
NO-LIMIT POKER - The a players betting is not limited to set limits and may bet what ever amount he/she has at that time.
NUT - The best possible hand, for a particular board.
OFFSUIT - Not of the same suit.
OPEN - Take the first bet in a hand, especially in draw poker.
OPEN-ENDED STRAIGHT - Four sequential cards that may lead to a straight with one card added at either end. I.e. 7,8,9,10 where a 6 or a Jack could finish the straight.
OPENER - The player who starts the betting.
OPEN PAIR - An exposed pair. A pair face up where others can see.
OUT - A card that improves your hand.
OVERCALL - Calling a bet after one or more players already called.
OVERPAIR - A pair of hole cards that is larger than any of the community cards.
PAINT - A face card. Jack, Queen, or King.
PAIR - Two cards of the same rank.
PASS - To check if others have checked. If a bet is made you would fold.
PAT HAND - Having or being dealt a complete hand. I.e. Being dealt a straight or flush.
POCKET - Starting hole cards in stud and Hold'em.
POSITION - One's location in the betting sequence, relative to the players still in the hand.
POT - The total amount of money bet so far in a hand.
POT LIMIT - A game where the maximum bet is determined by the size of the pot at the time.
QUARTERED - To divide half a pot between two tying hands in split pot games.
RAISE - To bet more than the previous player?s bet, forcing other players to put in more money as well.
READ - To estimate the value of you opponents hand by watching their behaviour, gestures etc.
RERAISE - To raise after an opponent has raised.
RIVER - The last card dealt in a hand of Stud or Hold'em. Also Called "Fifth Street".
SEE - To call, sometimes with a raise added. "I'll see you and raise you ……"
SHORT-STACK- To have only a small amount (stack) of chips to play with relative to other players.
SHOWDOWN - The end of the hand. Here players show their cards and the pot is awarded to the winner(s).
SIDE POT - When one player runs out of money (is all-in) during a hand, the remaining players may continue betting on their hands, in a second or "Side Pot". There may be more than one side pot in a hand, but you are only eligible to win the pots that you have participated in. The First player to run out of money may have the best hand of the lot but will only take the first pot that he bet in.
SMALL BLIND - In games with two blinds the first blind is the Small Blind because it is usually one-half (or less) the amount of the big blind.
SPLIT PAIR - A pair with one card up and the other down. Stud poker
SPLIT POT - A pot that is split between two or more hands.
STACK - Refers to the stack of chips or the amount of money available to the player.
STEAL - To win the pot by bluffing.
STUD - Any of several poker games in which some of each players' cards are exposed.
SUITED - Two or more cards all the same suit.
TABLE STAKES - You may only bet the amount that you currently have on the table.
TAP - To bet all of your money, or chips in one bet.
TAPPED OUT - Out of money.
TELL - Any action or expression that can give away the quality of your hand, or your intentions.
TIGHT PLAYER - A person who makes a move only with good cards. (conservative)
TOP PAIR - A hole card that matches the highest card from the community cards.
TOP TWO PAIR - In flop games, having hole cards that make the highest possible two pair hand.
TURN - The fourth community card in Hold'em. Also called Fourth-Street.
WHEEL - Ace-2-3-4-5. The best possible low hand. Also called a "Bicycle".
WILD CARD - A joker or standard card that can be used to represent any other card, as in "One-Eyed-Jacks are wild".
Terminology
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