Poker Glossary

Frequently used terms and phrases

Poker has a weird and wonderful language all of its own. Hopefully this dictionary will clear up any mysterious words and phrases you encounter!

$5 - $0.50
Used in buy-in tournaments, in this case the $5 is the amount that you contribute to the prize pot and $0.50 is the fee charged by the site, so if there were 20 players the total prize pot would be $100, divided up between the top three or four.

75% FAVOURITE
The cards this player is holding statistically have a 75% chance of winning compared to the other hand or hands.

ACTION
Another  term for ‘betting’, that is, to start the action is to start the betting.

ALL-IN
The player announces ‘all-in’ and puts all his chips in the pot. If he is called or raised he needs to win the hand to survive, unless he is called by a player with fewer chips. In this case the opponent will win the amount of chips he called with and the player going all-in will get the difference in the amount of chips back.

ANTE
A small bet required by each player before the start of each hand. The ante has the effect of boosting the pot and encouraging play.

BAD BEAT
When a player has the best hand but is beaten by an unlucky draw. It's worth remembering that poker has an element of luck, and no matter how good a player you are, any pre-flop hand can be beaten by any other hand after the flop.

BELLY BUSTER
Another term for an Inside Straight Draw.

BIG BLIND
The  larger of the two blinds.

BIG CHICK
A starting hand of Ace Queen.

BIG SLICK
A starting hand of Ace King.

BLINDS
The player to the left of the dealer must post the ‘small blind’ which is a set amount of money put into the pot at the start of each hand. The player to the left of the small blind then posts the ‘big blind’ - normally double the small blind - into the pot. The blinds ensure that there is a pot for every hand.

BLUFF
To bet when you hold a weak hand, hoping that the intimidation factor of your bet can win the hand.

BRING-IN
In Stud, a bet that must be made on the very first betting round. Usually the player showing the lowest card is forced to make a bet; in some games, the player showing the highest card is forced. The bring-in applies only on the very first betting round, though. On all further rounds, the player showing the highest hand on board has the OPTION to bet first, but need not.

BOAT
Slang term for a Full House. Comes from a contraction of ‘Full Boat’.

BULLETS
Two aces in your starting hand.

BUTTON
A disc, usually white, that sits in front of the dealer. In the online game of course there is no actual dealing, the computer does it all but there is always a ‘button’ shown that moves one player to the left at the start of every hand to show the nominal dealer.

CALL
To place an equivalent amount of chips to the previous player in the pot. This keeps you in the hand.

CHECK
To possess the option to bet, but decline. A player cannot check once someone else has bet; at that point, the player must call, raise, or fold. But if no one has yet bet, a player can check, allowing the betting option to pass to the next player.

CHECK RAISE
To check, indicating weakness, with the intention of raising after someone else bets. Check-raises are allowed in all casino poker games; in some home games, they are frowned upon.

COMMUNITY CARDS
The five cards that are dealt face-up on the table. These are used by all players along with their own two cards to make the best possible 5 card hand.

DRAWING DEAD
You're beaten! It doesn't matter what card is turned over at the turn or river, if you're Drawing Dead it won't help you. The other guy has already won the hand.

DUCKS
A pair of twos in your starting hand.

FISH
An inexperienced player who will lose his chips to the waiting ‘sharks’.

FLOP
The three community cards that are turned over after betting on the hole cards is complete.

FLOP PERCENTAGE
A statistic of how many players in the game overall have paid to see the flop. For example if on average half the players have been in for the flop, the flop percentage would be 50%.

FLUSH DRAW
Where a player has four of the five cards needed to make a flush with the river card or river and turn cards still to come.

FOLD
To throw your cards away and concede the hand. Any chips bet, up until the point, are lost.

FREEROLL
A tournament where the entrants don't need to pay to get in, but there is normally a cash prize posted by the tournament organiser.

GUT SHOT STRAIGHT DRAW
Another term for an Inside Straight Draw.

HOLE CARDS (OR POCKET CARDS)
The two cards each player is dealt face down at the start of the game. Alternative name for pocket cards.

HOOKS
Two Jacks in your starting hand.

INSIDE STRAIGHT DRAW
Also called Belly Buster or Gut Shot straight draw. Where a player has four of the five cards needed to make a straight with the four cards not in sequence, for example 5,6,8,9. The player needs to draw a 7 to complete the straight.

KOJAKS
A King and a Jack in your starting hand.

KICKER
Two meanings:
•    A single card kept along with a pair, in Draw, in an attempt to make two pair. For example, someone might keep 3-3-K, drawing two cards, in the hope that he might get either a three (for trips) or a King (making two pair, Kings-up).
•    The highest single card held by two players in Holdem who each hold the same pair. For example, if the board in Holdem is A-10-8-5-2, and Player One holds A-J as his hand, and Player Two holds A-Q, each player has a pair of Aces, but Player Two has a better kicker and would win the hand.

LADIES
Two Queens in your starting hand.

LIMPING IN
Placing the minimum bet required to stay in the hand and see the next card.

LOBBY
The area outside the table in an online poker tournament where you can view the tournament statistics.

MUCK CARDS
To throw away your cards face down so the other players can't see them.

NUTS
The best possible hand that can be made with the cards showing on the table. For example if the table is showing King of hearts, King of clubs, 4 of diamonds, 5 of diamonds and 7 of diamonds, the nuts is a straight flush 4,5,6,7,8 of diamonds. Note four kings would be a great hand here but it can be beaten.

OFF-SUIT
The two pocket cards are different suits, for example a club and a heart.

ON THE BUTTON
Means the person is the dealer.

OUTSIDE STRAIGHT DRAW
Better known as an open-ended straight draw. Where a player has four of the five cards needed to make a straight with the four cards in sequence, for example 6,7,8,9. The player can draw either a 5 or a 10 to complete the straight.

POCKET CARDS (OR HOLE CARDS)
The two cards each player is dealt face down at the start of the game. Alternative name for hole cards.

POCKET ROCKETS
This means that you've been dealt two aces, the best possible pre-flop hand.

POT
The total amount of money that has been bet on a hand, this is the prize for the winner of the hand.

QUALIFIER
Mainly used online, a poker tournament where the prize is entry to a higher value tournament.

RAINBOW
This is a term used for the flop when it comes in three different suits.

RAISE
Increase the betting. Fixed in limit poker but can be any amount you want in no-limit poker.

RAKED HAND
Any hand that is played for real money, the ‘rake’ is the cut taken by the house.

RE-RAISE
Raise again after a previous player has raised.

REPRESENT
To play as if you have a certain card in your hand, for example "Player X is representing the ace" means that he's playing as if he is holding an ace in his hand. There might have been a pair of aces on the flop and Player X gone all-in, giving the impression that he has an ace. Whether he actually does or not does not matter.

RIVER (OR FIFTH STREET)
The last of the 5 community cards to be dealt face-up on the table.

ROCK
A player known to be very conservative, who usually bets or raises only when he has a very powerful hand.

SHARK
An experienced player who knows how to prey on the inexperienced ‘fish’ and pick them off, relieving them of their chips.

SIDE POT
Occurs when one player is all-in and is called by more than one opponent. If these opponents want to raise again, the difference in stakes is called the side pot

SMALL BLIND
The smaller of the two blinds.

SNOWMEN
A pair of 8s in your starting hand.

STEAL THE BLINDS
When a player is betting in such a way to try and win the hand before the flop, usually by a big raise or going all-in.

STRAIGHT DRAW
Where a player has four of the five cards needed to make a straight with the river card or river and turn cards still to come.

SUITED
The two pocket cards are both the same suit, for example both clubs or both hearts.

TOP PAIR
Matching the highest value card in the flop with one of your own to make the highest value pair on display. This can of course be beaten by a higher pair being held by another player.

TRIPS
Short for Triples, for example three of a kind such as 3 Aces.

TURN (OR FOURTH STREET)
The fourth of the 5 community cards to be dealt face-up on the table.

UNDER THE GUN
Being in the position where you are first to act in the hand. For example, after the first round of betting and the flop has been shown, the person under the gun is the player after the dealer as the dealer is last to act.

Hand Nicknames:

If you spend enough time sitting at the poker table, you're bound to hear some hands referred to by interesting nicknames, some of which may leave you confused! Why not familiarise yourself with our guide to poker hand nicknames, and at your next home game you can sound like a seasoned pro!

AA - Pocket Rockets / American Airlines / Bullets
KK - Cowboys / King Kong / Ace Magnets
QQ - Ladies / Siegfried & Roy
JJ - Hooks / Jay Birds
TT - Dimes
99 - German Virgin
88 - Snowmen
77 - Sunset Strip
66 - Route 66
55 - Presto / Speed Limit
44 - Sailboats
33 - Crabs
22 - Ducks
AK - Big Slick / Anna Kournikova
AQ - Big Chick
AJ - Blackjack / Adam & Joe
AT - Johnny Moss
A8 - Dead Man’s Hand/Reet Canny
A5 - High Five
A4 - Lady-boy
A3 - Ash Tray
A2 - Hunting Season
KQ - Marriage
KJ - Kojak / Bill Fillmaff
KT - Katie
K9 - Canine
K8 - Royal Banquet
K4 - Fork
K3 - King Crab
QJ - Maverick
Q8 - Kuwait
Q7 - Computer Hand
Q5 - Granny Mae
Q3 - Gay Waiter
J9 - TJ Cloutier
J5 - Motown
J4 - Full Employment
T9 - Countdown
T7 - Bowling Hand
T5 - Woolworths
T4 - Over And Out
T3 - Rise Of The Machines
T2 - Doyle Brunson
96 - Love Boat / Dinner For Two
95 - Dolly Parton
94 - San Fransisco
92 - Montana Banana
87 - RPM
84 - Orwell
76 - Union Oil
75 - Heinz
72 - Beer Hand
64 - Arlo
32 - Mississippi Slick