A

Aces Full

A full house with three aces and any pair.

Ace-High

A five card hand that contains one Ace, with no straight or flush or a hand with no pair in it.

Aces Up

A hand that contains two pairs, one of which is Aces.

Act

An intentional tell intended to give false information about a hand.

Action

Checking/Betting/Raising. A game in which players are playing a lot of pots is considered an "action" game.

Active Player

Any player who is still in the hand.

Aggressive

Adjective to describe a player who raises and re-raises and rarely calls.

Ajax

The name of an Ace and Jack in the pocket, suited or otherwise.

All-In

When a player bets all his/her chips.

American Airlines

Two Aces.

Angle

An action that isn't against the rules, but still incorporates unfair tactics.

Angle-Shooting

Using unfair tactics.

Ante

Money placed in the pot before the hand is begun.

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B

Bad Beat

When a hand is beaten by a lucky draw.

Backdoor

Making a hand other than the one intended. Example: Having J/10 of Clubs with a flop of A of Clubs, 5 of Clubs. 6 of Spades. The turn and river are K & Q of Hearts. You made a straight instead of the intended (and more likely) flush.

Backraise

A re-raise from a player who originally called.

Bankroll

The amount of money you have.

Bet

To place chips into the pot.

Belly Buster

A draw and/or catch to an Inside Straight.

Bet Odds

The odds you get as a result of evaluating the number of callers to a raise.

Belly Buster

A draw and/or catch to an Inside Straight.

Bet the Pot

When a player bets the amount of the pot.

Bicycle or Bike

A straight that is A-2-3-4-5.

Big Blind

A designated amount that is placed by the player sitting in the second position, clockwise from the dealer, before any cards are dealt. (Players joining a game in progress must post a Big Blind, but may do so from any position.)

Big Slick

A hand that contains an A-K.

Blank

A useless card.

Blind

The bet(s) that must be made by the two players sitting directly to the dealer's left which will start the action on the first round of betting. The blinds are posted before any cards are dealt. (A "Blind" bet is one that is made in the dark without looking at your cards.)

Blind Raise

When a player raises without looking at his hand.

Bluff

To make other players believe that one has a better hand than he/she might otherwise have by betting or raisingwhen they do not have the best hand.

Boardcards

The cards that are dealt face-up in a poker game for all players to see. In flop games, five cards are dealt face-up in the center of the table. In Seven Card Stud, four cards are dealt face-up in front of each player.

Boat

A full house.

Bottom Pair

When a player uses the lowest card on the flop to make a pair with one of his own cards.

Broadway

An Ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10).

Bring-In

The forced bet made on the first round of betting by the player who is dealt the lowest card showing in Seven Card Stud and Stud 8 or Better. In Razz (Lowball) it is the highest card showing

Bring It In

To start the betting on the first round.

Broomcorn's Uncle

A player who antes himself broke.

Bullets

A pair of Aces.

Bump

To raise.

Button

Also known as the dealer button, it is a small round disk that is moved from player to player in a clockwise direction following each hand, to theoretically indicate the dealer of each hand.

Buy-In

The minimum amount of money required by a player to sit down in a particular poker game.

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C

Call

Matching a bet amount.

Call Cold

To call both a bet and raise(s).

Calling Station

A passive and loose player who does not raise much, but calls more than he or she should.

Cap

To take the last of the maximum amount of raises allowed per round of betting.

Cardroom

The room or space in a casino where poker is played.

Cards Speak

Your hand is the most favorable possible combination of cards, no matter how you call it.

Case Chips

A player's last chips.

Cash Out

To leave a game and convert your chips to cash.

Check

When it's a player's turn to act and there has been no action in front of them and he opts not to bet, he "checks."

Check-Raise

When a player first checks and then raises in a betting round.

Chop

To return the blinds to the players who posted them and move on to the next hand if no other players call. It also means to "split the pot".

D

Dead Man's Hand

Two pair - Aces and Eights (The hand Wild Bill Hickock was holding when Jack McCall shot him in the back).

Dealer

The man or woman who handles the cards, gives out the pots, and monitors the game.

Dealer's Position

Being the last to act in a betting round. On the button.

Diamonds

One of the four playing card suits. Formerly representing merchants.

Disconnect Protection

A tool to protect players in the event that their internet connection is lost while involved in a pot.

Dominated Hands

Hands those are okay to play, but tend to lose against similar non-straight/flush hands. Example: A2 is dominated because against other hands with an Ace, it loses or draws without improvement.

Dominating Hands

Primo hands that are not only good, solid hands but have lots of room for improvement.

Door Card

This is the first exposed card, or "up" card, in a player's hand in Stud games.

Down Card

Hole cards. Cards that are dealt face down.

Doyle Brunson

It's a Holdem hand consisting of a 10-2 (Brunson won the world championship two years in a row on the final hand with these cards).

Draw Lowball

Form of poker where each player is dealt five cards with the option of discarding one or more and replacing them with new ones and the low hand wins.

Draw Poker

Form of poker where each player is dealt five cards down with the option of discarding one or more and replacing them with new ones to attempt to make a better hand.

Drawing

Playing a hand to improve.

Drawing Dead

A drawing hand that will lose even if it improves.

Drawing Hand

A hand that needs improvement to win. Usually to a straight or flush.

Drop

Fold.

Ducks

A pair of Twos.

Deuces

A pair of Twos.

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E

Early Position

Position on a round of betting where the player must act before most of the other players at the table. (It's considered the two positions located to the left of the Blinds. )

F

Fifth Street

Also known as the "river" card. In flop games, this represents the fifth community card on the table and the final round of betting. In Stud games, this is the fifth card dealt to each player and represents the third round of betting.

Five-card Draw

A poker game in which the player is dealt five cards down. They have one draw to replace them and the best high hand wins the pot.

Five-card Stud

A poker game in which each player is dealt five cards, one down and four up, with betting after 2, 3, 4, & 5 cards.

Flat Call

Calling a bet without raising.

Flop

In Hold'em and Omaha, the first three community cards that are dealt face-up in the center of the table all at one time. The "flop" also indicates the second round of betting.

Flop Games

Poker games (Hold 'em and Omaha) that are played using community cards that are dealt face up in the center of the table.

Floorman

An employee of the cardroom who makes rulings and decisions.

Flush

Any five cards of the same suit.

Flush Draw

When a player has four cards in his hand of the same suit and is hoping to draw a fifth to make a flush.

Fold

To throw your hand away when it's your turn to act.

Forced Bet

A required bet that starts the action on the first round of a poker hand.

Four of a Kind

Four cards of the same number or face value ("quads").

Fourth Street

In flop games, it is the fourth community card dealt (also known as "the turn") and represents the third round of betting. In Stud games, it is the fourth card dealt to each player and represents the second round of betting.

Free Card

The card you get as result of semi-bluffing from late or last position so that all the players check to you.

Full House

Any three cards of the same number or face value, plus any other two cards of the same number or face value.

G

Grinding

Playing in a style with minimal risk and modest gains over a long period of time.

Gut Shot

To draw to and/or hit an inside straight.

H

Hand

A player's best five cards.

Heads-Up

When only two players are involved with a hand.

Hearts

One of the four playing card suits.

High-Card

To decide the first dealer in the flop tournaments each user is dealt a single card and the player with the highest card (based on the card and the suit order - of spades, hearts, diamonds & clubs) becomes the theoretical dealer.

High Limit

A game where the amounts wagered are high.

High-Low

Split pot games.

Hold 'em

Also known as Texas Hold 'em, where the players get two down cards and five community cards. See our complete Hold 'em rules in our Game Rules section.

Hole Cards

These are the Down Cards in front of the players.

House

The casino or cardroom that is hosting the poker game.

I

Image

What kind of player others currently perceive you as.

Implied Odds

The odds you are getting after the assumed result of betting for the remainder of the hand.

Inside Straight

Four cards which require another between the top and the bottom card to complete a straight.\ Players who catch this card make an Inside Straight.

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J

Jackpot

A prize fund awarded to a player who meets a set of predetermined requirements. For example, some casinos will give a jackpot to someone who gets four-of-a-kind or higher and loses.

Jackpot Poker

A form of poker in which the cardroom or casino offers a jackpot to a player who has lost with a really big hand (usually Aces full or better).

Jacks-or- Better

A form of poker in which a player needs to have at least a pair of jacks to open the betting.

K

Kansas City Lowball

Form of lowball poker in which the worst poker hand (2, 3, 4, 5, 7 of different suits) is the best hand. It's also known as Deuce to Seven.

Keep Them Honest

To call at the end of a hand to prevent someone from bluffing.

Key Card

A card that gives you a big draw or makes your hand.

Key Hand

In a session or tournament, the one hand that ends up being a turning point for the player, either for better or worse.

Kicker

The highest unpaired side card in a players' hand.

Kick It

Raise.

Kill Pot

A method to stimulate action. It is a forced bet by someone who has just won a pot(s).

Knock

Check.

Kojak

A hand that contains a K-J.

L

Ladies

Two Queens.

Late Position

Position on a round of betting where the player must act after most of the other players have acted (usually considered to be the two positions next to the button).

Lay Down Your Hand

When a player folds.

Lead

The first player to bet into a pot.

Limit Poker

A game that has fixed minimum and maximum betting intervals along with a prescribed number of raises.

Limper

The first player who calls a bet.

Limp In

To enter the pot by calling rather than raising. (The usual concept of "Limp In" is when the first person to speak just calls the Big Blind.)

Live Blind

An instance where the player puts in a dark bet and is allowed to raise, even if no other player raises. It's also known as an "option".

Live Card(s)

In Stud Games, cards that have not yet been seen and are presumed to still be in play.

Live Hand

A hand that could still win the pot.

Live One

A not so knowledgeable player who plays a lot of hands.

Long Shot

Making a hand despite having few outs and/or poor odds.

Look

When a player calls the final bet before the showdown.

Loose

Is a player who plays a lot hands.

Lowball

Is a form of draw poker in which the lowest hand wins the pot.

Low Limit

A game where the amounts wager