Poker / Texas Hold’em Terminology

  1. ABC PLAYER: An ABC player is a player who is very predictable. This player generally reads a poker book or two and follows them to the word.
  2. They always play hands the same way and are generally pretty tight. These types of players are often winners at lower stakes and loose games but are easily crushed by advanced players.
  3. ACE HIGH: A poker hand with no ranked cards (pair, flush, etc) but with an Ace as the high card. This hand beats all other unranked hands.
  4. ACE IN THE HOLE: Term used in a stud game, when one has an ace as one of their downcards.
  5. ACTION: A fold, check, call, bet, or raise. For certain situations, doing something formally connected with the game that conveys information about your hand may also be considered as having taken action. Examples would be showing your cards at the end of the hand, or indicating the number of cards you are taking at draw.
  6. AGGRESSIVE ACTION: A wager that could enable a player to win a pot without a showdown; a bet or raise.
  7. ALL-IN: When you have put all of your playable money and chips into the pot during the course of a hand, you are said to be all-in.
  8. ANTE: A prescribed amount posted before the start of a hand by all players.
  9. BAD BEAT: When a very strong hand that is a statistical favorite to win loses to a much weaker hand that hits a lucky draw, it’s called a "bad beat."
  10. BET: The act of placing a wager in turn into the pot on any betting round, or the chips put into the pot.
  11. BELLY BUSTER: An inside straight draw, Also known as a Gutshot.
  12. BIG BLIND: The largest regular blind in a game.
  13. BLIND: A required bet made before any cards are dealt.
  14. BLIND GAME: A game which utilizes a blind.
  15. BOARD: (1) The board on which a waiting list is kept for players wanting seats in specific games.(2) Cards faceup on the table common to each of the hands.
  16. BOARDCARD: A community card in the center of the table, as in hold’em or Omaha.
  17. BOXED CARD: A card that appears faceup in the deck where all other cards are facedown.
  18. BROKEN GAME: A game no longer in action.
  19. BROADWAY: Ace high straight 10-J-Q-K-A
  20. BUBBLE or ON THE BUBBLE: In a poker tournament, the "bubble" is the point in the tournament at which the next player out will not win any prizes/money, but the rest of the players will win money/prizes.
  21. BURNCARD: After the initial round of cards is dealt, the first card off the deck in each round that is placed under a chip in the pot, for security purposes. To do so is to burn the card; the card itself is called the burncard.
  22. BUTTON: A player who is in the designated dealer position. See dealer button.
  23. CARDS SPEAK:The face value of a hand in a showdown is the true value of the hand, regardless of a verbal announcement.
  24. CHECK: To waive the right to initiate the betting in a round, but to retain the right to act if another player initiates the betting.
  25. CHECK-RAISE: To waive the right to bet until a bet has been made by an opponent, and then to increase the bet by at least an equal amount when it is your turn to act.
  26. COLOR CHANGE: A request to change the chips from one denomination to another.
  27. COMMON CARD:A card dealt faceup to be used by all players at the showdown in the games of stud poker whenever there are insufficient cards left in the deck to deal each player a card individually.
  28. COMMUNITY CARDS: The cards dealt faceup in the center of the table that can be used by all players to form their best hand in the games of hold’em and Omaha.
  29. CUT: To divide the deck into two sections in such a manner as to change the order of the cards.
  30. CUT-CARD: Another term for the card used to shield the bottom of the deck.
  31. DEAD CARD: A card that is not legally playable.
  32. DEAD HAND: A hand that is not legally playable.
  33. DEAL: To give each player cards, or put cards on the board. As used in these rules, each deal refers to the entire process from the shuffling and dealing of cards until the pot is awarded to the winner.
  34. DEALER BUTTON: A flat disk that indicates the player who would be in the dealing position for that hand (if there were not a house dealer).
  35. Normally just called “the button.”
  36. DECK: A set of playing-cards. In these games, the deck consists of either:
  37. (1) 52 cards in seven-card stud, hold’em, and Omaha.
  38. DISCARD(S): In a draw game, to throw cards out of your hand to make room for replacements, or the card(s) thrown away; the muck.
  39. DONKEY: If a poker player is called a 'donkey,' he's a bad player who makes blatantly bad poker plays. A weak player.
  40. FACECARD: A king, queen, or jack.
  41. FAMILY POT: When everyone playing at the poker table stays in a hand through a round of betting, it’s called a family pot.
  42. FLASHED CARD: A card that is partially exposed.
  43. FLOP: In hold’em or Omaha, the three community cards that are turned simultaneously after the first round of betting is complete.
  44. FLUSH: A poker hand consisting of five cards of the same suit.
  45. FOLD: To throw a hand away and relinquish all interest in a pot.
  46. FOURTH STREET: The second upcard in seven-card stud or the first boardcard after the flop in hold’em (also called the turn card).
  47. FOULED HAND: A dead hand.
  48. FULL HOUSE: A hand consisting of three of a kind and a pair.
  49. HAND: (1) All a player’s personal cards.(2) The five cards determining the poker ranking. (3) A single poker deal.
  50. HEADS-UP PLAY: Only two players involved in play.
  51. HOLECARDS: The cards dealt facedown to a player.
  52. KICKER: The highest unpaired card that helps determine the value of a five-card poker hand.
  53. .
  54. MISCALL: An incorrect verbal declaration of the ranking of a hand.
  55. MISDEAL: A mistake on the dealing of a hand which causes the cards to be reshuffled and a new hand to be dealt.
  56. MISSED BLIND: A required bet that is not posted when it is your turn to do so.
  57. MUCK: (1) The pile of discards gathered facedown in the center of the table by the dealer. (2) To discard a hand.
  58. NO-LIMIT: A betting structure allowing players to wager any or all of their chips in one bet.
  59. NUTS, THE: The absolute best possible hand in any given hand of poker. The unbeatable, unbreakable hand.
  60. OPTION: The choice to raise a bet given to a player with a blind.
  61. PLAY THE BOARD: Using all five community cards for your hand in hold’em.
  62. POSITION: (1) The relation of a player’s seat to the blinds or the button.
  63. (2) The order of acting on a betting round or deal.
  64. PROTECTED HAND: A hand of cards that the player is physically holding, or has topped with a chip or some other object to prevent a fouled hand.
  65. RACK: (1) A container in which chips are stored while being transported. (2) A tray in front of the dealer, used to hold chips and cards.
  66. RAISE: To increase the amount of a previous wager. This increase must meet certain specifications, depending on the game, to reopen the betting and count toward a limit on the number of raises allowed.
  67. RERAISE: To raise someone’s raise.
  68. SIDE POT: A separate pot formed when one or more players are all in.
  69. SHOWDOWN: The showing of cards to determine the pot-winner after all the betting is over.
  70. SHUFFLE: The act of mixing the cards before a hand.
  71. SMALL BLIND: In a game with multiple blind bets, the smallest blind.
  72. SPLIT POT: A pot that is divided among players, either because of a tie for the best hand or by agreement prior to the showdown.
  73. STACK: Chips in front of a player.
  74. STRAIGHT: Five cards in consecutive rank.
  75. STRAIGHT FLUSH: Five cards in consecutive rank of the same suit.
  76. STRING RAISE: A wager made in more than one motion, without announcing a raise before going back to your stack for more chips (not allowed).
  77. STUB: The portion of the deck which has not been dealt.
  78. TURNCARD: The fourth street card in hold'em or Omaha.