Poker Glossary
When people take their first seat at a poker table, it seems to them the others speak some secret language. All kinds of English terms, abbreviations and nicknames are being used frequently. Over time, everybody will learn these terms, but you’re in advantage by knowing these most common poker terms. If you’re missing a poker term, please let us know.
All-in
If you use all your chips in a single bet, you are “All-In.” Read more about all-in.
Ante
What is an ante? Read more about the Ante.
Bad Beat
The bad beat refers to someone who loses a hand against someone who had statistically a much worse hand. Read more about the bad beat.
Bet Pot
This term is used in pot limit games. Your bet is exactly the same as the amount in the pot. If the pot is $ 217, then your bet would be $ 217.
Big Blind
What is a Big blind?
Blinds
The Blinds are mandatory bets and go around the table. Read how you can use blinds in your game.
Blind Schedule
Want to organize a live poker tournament? Here you can find a blind schedule.
Bluff
What is a bluff?
Board or Board Cards
The open cards in hold’em are also known as the board. Read more about Board Cards.
Burn Card
In physical poker rooms, the first card of the deck is put aside before each dealing round. This is done to minimize the risk of cheating. In online poker rooms there can not be cheated. So none of the cards are being burned.
Button
The button is not only used for position indication. Read more about the button.
Buy-in
The total amount required to participate in a poker game. Read more about the buy-in.
Call
If a player places the same bet as the previous player, then that’s said to be a call
Cap
The last raise permitted in a bet-round is called the cap. We have three raises after the bet in a limit game. The third raise is the cap.
Card Protector
A card protector is (usually) a round and metal coin that poker players put on their cards after the cards are dealt. read more.
Check
If no bet is made and you do not want to bet, then you can check. You can only check if no one has made a bet before you.
Collusion
This is a of way of cheating; two or more players try to gain an advantage by sharing information.
Shared cards
Cards which are open on the table for each player to see are referred to as shared cards. In the games Texas Hold’em and Omaha there are always shared cards.
Dead Blind
In a situation where you have missed the blinds and you want to get involved again, and it isn’t your turn for the next blind, then you must put in both blinds and the small blind, which together are called the “dead blind”, which means that they do not count as a bet.
Dead Hand
A hand which is no longer involved in the game.
Drawing Dead
This means that regardless of what cards will come, your hand never can be better than the hand of your opponent.
Flop
Texas Hold’em and Omaha Hold’em use a Flop. Read more about the Flop.
Flush
5 different cards of the same suit (spades, clubs, diamonds, and hearts). learn more
Fold
If you stop taking part in a hand. See also drop.
Forced Bet
A mandatory bet. In some games, a player is obliged to make a bet, simply because he is in the game.
Four of a Kind
A good hand … all four cards of the same rank. For example, 4 times a ten.
Freeroll
This term is used in poker tournaments in which there is no buy-in and / or prize money. In some freeroll tournaments “the house” gives a guaranteed prize pool.
Full House
Read more about the poker word Full House.
Hand
A set of cards used by a player during a single round. Also used for a round of shuffling, dealing and betting.
Heads Up
A game in which only two players have remained and play for the pot.
Head to Head
A game in which only two players take part.
High Card
The card with the highest grade.
High / Low
A variation game in which the pot is divided between the best and the worst hand. The worst hand consists of the 5 lowest cards. Most poker rooms, including this one, take A, 2, 3, 4, 5 (the wheel) as the lowest possible hand even though it is also a straight.
Hold’em
Also known as Texas Hold’em. This is one of the most popular poker games. Each player receives 2 cards with the pictures down and 3, 4 or 5 shared cards.
Hole Cards
These are the cards that are being dealt to the player.
Inside Straight
This term refers to a player who has 4 of the 5 cards needed for a street, and needs a card in the middle to make a straight and not at the ends. The player gets this card too. For example, a player receiving 3, 4, 5, 7 and needs the 6 to make its streets, he gets the 6, then the player made an inside straight.
Jackpot
One possibility to win a bonus under specific circumstances, which are established by the poker room.
Kicker
The word used for the card that determines the winning hand in a pair or 2 pair.
Live Blind
A mandatory bet that is placed by one or more players before the cards are distributed. The “Live” means that the players still have the option to raise as it is their turn.
Main Pot
If one or more players go all-in, then side pots are created for each all-in player. Those side pots are used next to the main pot.
Muck
As a noun, it means the pile of folded and burned cards. As a verb, at a showdown, it means that you give your cards back to the dealer without them showing.
Multi-Table Tournament (MTT)
A tournament in which players play at multiple tables. The players start with the same number of chips, until one player has won all the chips. The prize money depends on the number of registered players and is displayed on the tournament page. MTT’s have a predetermined start and there must be registered in advance.
No Limit
A variation in bets without limit to the height of each bet. (NL).
Omaha
A game variant in which each player receives 4 hole cards and 5 shared cards. For the winning hand must be used exactly 2 hole cards and 3 shared cards. This game also has a High / Low variant.
Omaha High / Low
This game gives players the possibility of a shared pot between the best and worst hand, while they use 2 hole cards and 3 shared cards. A player may use different cards for the best low hand and the best high hand.
On the button
This term means in Texas Hold’em and Omaha that you are in the dealer position. A disk with a “D” on it marks the dealer position.
Pair
This is a hand consisting of 2 cards of the same rank.
Partners
Meet our partners here.
Pass
This means either check or fold in different contexts.
Play Chips
The chips used in play money games (fake money games) Play chips do not have real value.
Playing the Board
When you use all of the shared cards to make the best hand, that’s called playing the board.
Pocket Cards
The term for the two cards with the pictures down at the beginning of a hand.
Pot
The total amount of chips which can be won in one hand.
Pot Limit
This is a game variation in which a player can’t bet higher than the amount in the pot. (PL).
Raise
You increase the bet made by another player in the same round.
Rake
The money in chips, which is retained by “the house” for service costs in a ring game when the pot reaches a certain value.
Raked Hand
When a player gets cards in a hand in which a rake is disposed. Even if a hand is already folded then it counts as a raked hand. Note: in some online Titan Poker tournaments with raked hand requirements, a hand is only counted as a raked hand, when a player has brought money in the pot.
Rank
The value of a card. The value of a two of spades is a 2. The value of a queen of hearts a queen. The rank value goes up from 2 to 10, and after that with Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. In High / Low the Ace can be used as the lowest and highest card.
Re-buy
The possibility to buy more chips during a game. This isn’t possible during a hand which is already played. This applies to ring games and tournaments.
River
The fifth and final shared card. This card is also called Fifth Street.
Round
This is about sharing a series of cards and is also associated with betting. For example, sharing the card of the river and the bets that follow are called a round.
Royal Flush
The best highest hand. This is a straight flush from 10 through Ace of the same suit.
Satellite
A preliminary round of a poker tournament in which seats can be obtained for a larger, more important tournament.
Screen Name
The identity you select when you log on to the poker room. We only allow one screen name per person, but it may be that your selected screen name is already in use.
Showdown
The Showdown takes place after the last bet, when all players show their hand or muck.
Side Pot
This pot is created when a player goes all-in. The side pot is available to all players who are not all-in. Sometimes there are several side pots.
Single-Table Tournament (STT)
A poker game where you pay a buy-in for a seat. The entire buy-in goes to the prize pot. The prize is divided among the top finishers. Often there also must be paid a fee to participate. STT’s start as soon as all the seats are taken.
Sit ‘N’ G
A tournament which begins once the requisite number of players is sitting at the table.
Sit Out
Small Blind
In Hold’em and Omaha, this is a mandatory bet for the player left of the dealer.
Stakes
In limit games, Stakes are a fixed amount for bets and raises.
Straight
A player has a hand of five cards in a row from different suit. For example: 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen.
Straight Flush
A straight with all cards of the same suit.
Stud
The standard term for poker games where players don’t show their first card(s), the next cards they receive they will turn to show, but these cards may only be used by that player. There is still one card to come, closed with pictures down, like 7 Card Stud.
Suit
There are four different types of cards in a deck (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades). These are called suits.
Texas Hold’em
The poker game in which each player gets 2 cards with the pictures down and gets 5 shared cards with the pictures up.
Three of a Kind
A hand consisting of three of the same cards with the same rank.
Tournament Buy-In
The costs to participate in a tournament. The entire buy-in goes to the prize pot.
Tournament Entry Fee
A small part in extra costs that is taken by “the house” for the service to take part in a tournament.
Trips
A nickname for three of a kind.
Turbo
A variant of playing poker in which a player has a very short time for making decisions.
Turn
The nickname for the fourth shared card in Hold’em and Omaha.
Two Pair
The player has two different couples in one hand.
Under-raise
This occurs when a player makes a raise after a bet, but has not enough chips to raise the whole and should go all-in.
Up Card
A card faced up in the middle of the table so that each player can see it.
Wheel
A nickname for the best low hand (also a street) 5, 4, 3, 2, A
