Poker Dictionary ~ Glossary of Terms

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Ace-High: A five card poker hand that doesn’t contain a pair or a higher ranked combination but does contain an Ace.

Aces Full: A full house where the three of kind are Aces.

All-In: A term used when a player bets all the chips/money that they have left.

Ante: A bet that is mandatory for some or all players to place before the hand begins.

Back Door Flush (or Straight): A term used when the last two community cards are laid and the player makes his/her flush (or straight).

Bankroll: Your original amount of money that you have to play poker with.

Bet: The action of putting more chips in the pot, voluntarily.

Bet The Pot: A bet that equals the total amount of the pot.

Bicycle: Also known as wheel. A term describing the lowest (or best) possible hand in a lowball poker game (A, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Big Slick: A term used when a player is holding an Ace-King combination.

Blind Raise: The action of raising the pot without looking at your cards first.

Bluff: To bet, raise and/or continue to play a hand that is most likely not the best in play. People bluff in order to win the pot even though they have a poor hand.

Boat: Also known as a full house (3 of a kind and a pair together in a five card hand).

Broadway: A straight where the Ace is the high card (10, J, Q, K, A)

Bullet: Another term for an Ace.

Bump: Another term for a raise.

Bust: A hand that has not improved as hoped and is pretty much worthless (a bust).

Call: The action of matching the previous bet, not raising it.

Cash Out: The action of leaving a game and changing your chips into cash.

Check: The action taken when you wish to remain in the round but do not want to raise the pot by betting.

Come: The strategy of playing a bad hand in hopes that it will improve as more community cards are dealt.

Come Hand: A hand that requires specific cards to be drawn in order for it to be complete.

Cowboy: Another term for the King.

Dealer's Choice: A version of poker where the dealer (for that round) chooses the type of poker to be played for that round, the dealer position rotates players round to round.

Deuce: Another term for the lowest ranking poker card; the two.

Draw Out: A hand that has become better than an opponents previously better hand due to the cards drawn.

Draw Poker: A popular version of poker where each player has the option of discarding a number of cards and receiving new ones in their place. This version comes in many variations.

Drop: Another term for fold.

Even Money: A type of wage where if won, you will win an equal amount to your bet.

Fishhooks: Another term for Jacks.

Five-Card Draw: A version of draw poker where each player begins with five cards in their hands

Five-Card Stud: A version of Stud poker where each player is dealt one “hole”(face down) card and four “door” (face up) cards.

Flop: The flop is a term used to describe the first three community cards that are dealt face up to the table in holdem games and Omaha games.

Flop Games: Poker versions where the dealer deals five community cards to the table that are used by all players to create they’re best five card hand. These games include Texas Holdem and Omaha/Omaha Hi/Lo.

Flush: A hand that consists of five cards from the same suit.

Flush Draw: A situation where the player has four cards of the same suit and is hoping that the next card dealt will be of the same suit in order to complete the hand.

Four Of A Kind: A hand that contains four cards of the same rank.

Full House: A poker hand that consists of a three of a kind and a pair.

Hand: The five cards that the player uses to bet with in a poker game.

High-Low: A version of poker where the pot is split between the player with the best five card poker hand and the player with the lowest five card poker hand.

Hit: A term used when the card that the player was hoping for is drawn.

Hit and Run: The action of a player who has only been playing at a poker table for a short time and once they win a big pot they leave the game to cash in.

Holdem: A version of poker where each player is dealt two “hole” or “pocket” cards and can choose from up to five community cards in order to form their best five card poker hand.

Hole Cards: Also known as pocket cards, these are the cards dealt exclusively to each player (they are dealt face down and only the player can see them).

Home Run Hitter: A slang term for layers who play risky poker and take big chances.

House: The term given to the casino or poker room.

Inside Straight: A hand that already consists of four cards to a straight where the card required to make the hand is in the middle of the straight.

Jackpot Poker: A version of poker where the house offers an additional jackpot for achieving certain hands, such as a Royal Flush.

Jacks or Better: A common version of draw poker, where a pair only counts as a winning hand if it is a pair of jacks or better.

Joker: An extra card in a deck that acts as a wild card.

Kicker: The card in a player’s hand that is the highest unpaired card. The highest unpaired side card.

Limit Poker: A variation of every poker game where minimum and maximum bets are set.

Live One: A slang term referring to a player who is not very experienced and has a lot of money to lose to the more experienced ones.

Lock: A hand that will win no matter what.

Long Odds: A long shot. When the odds of an event to occur are very small.

Maniac: A not so conservative player. This player is very aggressive and will play on hands that many players wouldn’t even think about doing.

Miss: Once all the cards are dealt and you did not make your desired hand.

Monster: A very good hand that will without doubt win the pot.

No-Limit Poker: A version of any poker game where players may bet as much as they wish, as long as they have enough chips to cover the bet.

Nuts: At any time in the game, the “nuts” hand is the best hand in play.

Odds: The likelihood of making the desired hand.

Off suit: Usually used when describing the “hole” cards, this term means having two hole cards that are of different suit.

On Tilt: A term used to describe a player who is letting his emotions get the best of him and is playing poorly as a result.

One-Gap: Another term for an inside straight.

Open: The action of posting the first bet.

Open-Ended Straight: When a player is holding four consecutive cards and the card needed to complete the straight can be made at either end of it. Example, the player has 6, 7, 8, 9. In order to make a straight the player must draw either a 5 or a 10.

Open Card: Another word for an up card.

Open Poker: A term sometimes used to describe a poker game where some of the cards are dealt face up. For example, Holdem, Omaha and Stud games are Open Poker games.

Out: The number of cards in that are still in the deck that can improve your hand are referred to as outs.

Paint Cards: Another term for the three face cards, Jack, Queen and King.

Pair: When the player is holding exactly two cards of the same value.

Pocket Rockets: In holdem games, a commonly heard term that refers to an instance where the player is holding two Aces in their hole.

Pot: The pool of money/chips that has accumulated in the centre of the table, the winner if the round wins this money.

Rack: A tray where poker chips are stored.

Rags: A term given to cards that are considered worthless.

Rainbow: A collection of three to four cards of different suits.

Raise: The action of calling and increasing the bet which has previously been made.

Rank: Another term for the value or number printed on the card.

Read: In poker to “read” another player means to try to figure out what cards they are holding and any strategy they are using.

Royal Flush: A five card hand containing a 10, J, Q, K, A straight where all the cards are the same suit. This is the best possible poker hand one can acquire.

Run: Another term for a straight.

Running Bad: Also known as a “losing streak”.

Running Good: Also known as a “winning streak”.

Running Pair: in holdem and Omaha poker, this is the occurrence where last two community cards are a pair.

Scare Card: A very high up card that could be of great value to one or more opponents.

Set: Another word for a three of kind. Also sometimes known as “trips”.

Straight: A poker hand containing of five cards that are consecutive in order. Example, 9, 10, J, Q, K.

Straight Flush: A straight where all the cards are the same suit.

Stud: A poker variation where some cards are dealt face down and some are dealt face up.

Suited: A hand where the cards are of the same suit.

Tapped Out: A slang term used when a player has lost all their money, they have busted.

Three of a Kind: Also known as trips, this is a hand containing three cards of the same rank.

Top Pair: Referring to the hand containing the highest pair.

Triplets: Yet another term for three of a kind.

Trips: Three of a kind.

Two Pair: A hand consisting of two separate pairs.

Underdog: The hand that looks as though it has the least chance of winning the pot.

Wheel: A hand consisting of exactly an Ace, 2, 3, 4 and 5. This is the best possible hand in Lowball Poker.

Wild Card: A card that can take on any value in order to create the best possible poker hand.

Wired Pair: Refers to a pair in a player’s hole.