Absolute Nuts 

The best hand possible, considering the board cards

Action 

The amount of money wagered by a player during a game.  Placing money in the pot

Active 

A player who is still “in the pot”

All Blue or All Pink

A  flush 

All In 

Put all your remaining chips in the pot 

American  Airlines 
(Pocket Rockets or Rockets)

Pair of Aces 

Anchor 

Player who is seated in the last  position  at the table (right before the 
Dealer)

Angling 

Take an action or talk when it is not your  turn.  Meant to distract and mislead opponents

Animal 
(Maniac or Loose/Aggressive)

Players that are loose/aggressive, will tend to be involved in too many hands, and will bet or raise even with garbage hands  

Ante 

The first money wagered on 
a hand,  or the minimum amount each  player must put into the pot before a new hand commences

B

Baby   

A card that has a low ranking (typically 2-5)

Backdoor 

Unfinished hand that requires assistance during the turn and the river if the hand is going to win

Backdoor Flush  

This occurs when the player needs two specific cards of the same suit to complete a hand

Back Into 

Making a hand that is different than what you originally set out to create

Bad Beat 

A hand that is the clear loser to a strong underdog and should not have been in the pot in the first place

Bankroll (BR)

Total amount of money a player has available for a game or tournament 

Belly Buster 
(Gutshot or Inside Straight)

A draw to fill an inside straight, where only one card will make the player’s hand

Bet 

To wager or gamble

Betting  Limit 

The established minimum or maximum that may be wagered on one bet

Bicycle (Wheel)

Five high straight

Big Blind (BB) (Blind Bets)

The table position that is two players to the left of the “button”.  The player in this position must place a full bet prior to the Dealer’s distribution of the two hole cards 

Big Chick 

Suited or unsuited Ace and Queen hole (or pocket) cards

Big Slick 

Suited AK hole (pocket) cards

Blank (Rag)

A card that appears to be useless within the grand scheme of the game 

Blind Bets 
(Small Blind and Big Blind)

The blind bets (small blind and big blind) are bets that players must make if they are seated in the first and second chair to the left of the dealer.  These bets are made before the dealer deals the hole (pocket) cards

Bluff 

Players will use bluffing when they have a weak hand but they want to try to win by driving other players from the game

Board 
(Community or Communal Cards)

Otherwise known as the Community Cards placed face up in the center of the table for the flop, the turn and the river.  These cards are used by all the players to create a winning hand when combined with their two hole (pocket) cards at the end of the game

Boat

Full house

Bonus Whoring   

Players who belong to many online casinos so they can take advantage of casino bonuses are said to be ‘bonus whoring’.  If you want to be a bonus whore, you can visit http://www.bonuswhores.com for more information.

Bounty 

Rewards given in an online tournament, based on certain criteria or goals like winning a particular hand, killing off another tournament player or finishing in a certain position in the tournament

Brick and Mortar (B&M)

A casino building as opposed to an online casino

Broadway

Ace high straight

Bubble 

A player who finishes a tournament in the position that is nearest the money pot is said to be “on the bubble”.  If the top ten winners get money and you finish in the 11th position, you are said to be finishing on the bubble

Bullets

Pair of aces

Bump (Bump It) 

To raise the bet

Burn  Card 

A card that is discarded instead of dealt.  The purpose of the burn card is to prevent cheating  

Bust  Out 

A player who lost their “buy in” amount is said to “bust out”

Button  (Puck)

A disk that represents the dealer position at the table

Buy  In 

The  amount  of  money  that  is  necessary  to  play  a  particular  game, 
or  the  amount  of  money  that  you  to  play  a  game

Buy the Button  

Betting or raising the bet to make players after your position fold before the play gets back to the dealer.  If this play works, you will be the last to bet before the next round

Buy the Pot

To bet, raise or bluff in an effort to get others to fold so you can win the pot

C

Chips 

Tokens that are purchased by the player to represent money or cash during play.  These chips are bet in increments ($5, $10, etc) and together represent the player’s total bet

Chop

If no one calls after the blinds are placed, the bets made by the players who placed the blind are returned to those players and the dealer goes on to the next hand 

Chopping the Blinds 

Two players will agree to take back  the blind bets if there is no wager ahead of them.  If you agree to chop the blinds, you have set a precedent and will be expected to chop the blinds throughout the entire time you are playing at this table

Chum

Like the bait used to attract sharks, the poker chum is the fish that will become a tasty meal for the more experienced player 

Cold 

A losing streak

Cold Call 

Calling more than one bet at a time.  In a cold call, the player does not call a bet and then a subsequent bet, but rather calls two single bets

Color Down 

Exchanging chips for chips of a lesser denomination

Color Up 

Exchanging chips for chips of a greater denomination

Come Hand  

A  drawing  hand, like an open-ended straight

Complete Bet 

When the small blind calls by throwing in the necessary chips

Complete Hand 

A complete poker hand with all five cards e.g., straight, flush, straight flush, full house

Connectors 

Consecutive cards (suited or unsuited) cards that help to complete a straight

Counterfeit

A hand that loses value because a board (community) card duplicates it, or because a board card  gives other players a hand that is similar to yours

Cowboys

A pair of Kings

Cripple

To cripple an opponent is to win an important hand in a tournament and leave your opponent short-stacked 

Cripple the Deck

One player’s hand contains most or all of  the critical cards that can be used to create a hand with the board (community cards)

Crying Call 

A player calls with no cards to come with the expectation that she/he will lose

Cutoff 

Player to the right of the button (dealer) in the last position at the table

D

Dark 

As in “playing in the dark”.  This happens when a player bets or checks without seeing the hole (pocket) cards.  Also refers to the first player to act before the next board card is turned over

Dead Money

Money put in the pot players who are no longer able to win the pot

Dealer

A casino employee (or online software program) that deals the poker game 

Drop Box

The box on the poker table into which cash, chips and markers is deposited

Dominated Hand 

A hand containing three or less outs against another hand, e.g., AK would dominate AQ because AQ needs one of the three remaining queens to beat the AK

Double Up

Winning a heads-up pot in no-limit poker when you are all in

Ducks

Pair of twos 

Dump 

To fold

E

Edge (House Edge)

Casino advantage over all players in the game

F

Face Cards (Paint)

King, Queen or Jack of each suit in the deck

Family Pot 

A game in which the potential to win the pot is shared by many players at the table 

Fancy Play Syndrome (FPS)

Players who like to play convoluted or complex games thinking that they will confuse everyone else.  In fact these players are usually better served to play a straight forward, simple game

Fast

A player who is playing a hand  aggressively 

Fish

A  novice or poor poker player

Flash

Showing one or more cards even if it is not required

Flat Call  (Smooth Call)

Call one or more bets without raising.  This is usually done when you are fairly certain you have the best hand

Floor 

The “floor” is an employee who works for the casino and assists players, making rulings and decisions when disputes arise

Flush 

Five cards of one suit

Fold (Lay Down or Pass)

Player declines to bet and drops out of  the game

Forced Bet

Mandatory bet

Four Of A Kind (Quads)

Four cards of the same ranking

Free Card Play

When a player bets or raises in the late position on the flop, hoping others will check to the turn so that the player can see the river card for free

Free Ride 

Round in which no player places a bet

Free Roll

A player has a lock on at least half the pot and a good chance to win the whole pot, e.g.  John holds  Ks/Qc, while Susan   holds  Kd/Qd.  The flop turns to Kc/7d/4d.  Susan is free rolling because she can win the whole pot if she gets a diamond

Freeze Out 

A tournament that ends when one player has won all of the chips in the tournament

Full House 

A hand with three of a kind, and a pair 

G

GrannyMae

Qs/5s hole (pocket) cards

Gutshot (Belly Buster or Inside Straight)

See “Belly Buster”

Hand History

Data that provides records of a players’ games played online

Hit

Flop cards that are helpful to the player’s hand

Hold Up 

A leading hand that wins the pot at the showdown 

Hole Cards (Pocket)

The two cards that are dealt to you and remain hidden from the other players throughout the game

Hooks

Pair of Jacks

Horsing (Scooting)

Giving another player some chips when you win a pot  

I

Image

The playing style and behavior your reveal to other players

Inside Straight  (Belly Buster or Gutshot)

A straight that requires an inside card to  complete (as opposed to an open-ended  straight)

J

Jam

Lots of action in a game, especially in raising

K

Kicker 

The card used as a tie-breaker when two players’ hands are almost identical

Kill (Kill Game) 

A hand  played for double stakes based  on previous hands that meet certain criteria

Kill Button 

Button placed in front of the player who  can kill the game

Knuckle

To “knock on the table” or “check” 

Kojak 

King/Jack as hold (pocket) cards.  Having  a  King  and  a  Jack  as  your  hole  cards. 

L

Lay Down (Fold or Pass)

See “Fold”

Limp In

Entering a round by calling a bet, rather  than raising 

Live Game

See “Ring Game”

Live Straddle (Straddle)

Optional raise made by the person to the  left of the big blind, and declared before  the hole (pocket) cards are dealt.  That player then has the option to re-raise

Long Odds 

Low probability

Loose Aggressive (LAG)

Players that are loose/aggressive will tend to be involved in too many hands, and will bet or raise even with garbage hands. These players are often known as “Animals” or “Maniacs”  

M

Maverick 

Q/J hole (pocket) cards

Maniac

See “Animal”

Marry

Becoming attached to a hand too early so that you stay in for the showdown when you should have folded earlier 

Monster 

Superior winning hand 

N

Nut 

The best possible hand, e.g. “nut  flush”, “nut  straight”, though not necessarily the Absolute Nut(s) (see “Absolute Nuts”)

O

Off-suit 

Unsuited cards

Open Raise

The first player in the pot, raising, rather than calling, after the pre-flop 

Option

Big blind player choice to call or raise

Orbit 

Complete table rotation

Out-kicked

Losing a hand to one with a better kicker than yours

Outrun 

Beating a hand to which you were previously losing

Outs

Cards that remain in the deck that may help you win the pot

Over-call 

Calling a bet that has already been called by at least one other player

Over-card

A hole (pocket) card that is higher than  the highest card on the board (community cards)

Over-pair

A  hole (pocket) pair that is higher than  the highest card on the board (community cards)

P

Paint 

See “Face Card”

Pass (Fold or Lay Down)

When a player does not bet he “passes” or “folds”.  See “Fold”

Pay Off 

Calling a river bet when the action tells you that you are probably going to lose, but the pot is attractive enough to warrant the call

Peel One Off 

Staying in for the turn or the river when the odds do not justify the call

Pocket (Hole Cards)

See “Hole Cards”

Pocket  Rockets
(American Airlines or Rockets)

See “American Airlines”

Pop (Bump)

See “Bump”

Post 

Paying the blind(s) when you are not in the big blind position, i.e., when you first sit down at the table or after you sat out a turn

Pot

Money in the middle of the table collected from ante, bets and raises, and paid to the winner of the hand

Presto 

Pair of 5s as hole (pocket) cards

Puck

See “Button”

Push

Playing aggressively

Put 

When you suspect that someone has a particular hand

Q

Quads (Four of a Kind)

See “Four of a Kind”

R

Rag (Blank)

See “Blank”

Ragged 

A board (community cards) that do not seem to be helpful to a player or players

Railbird 

Game observers

Rainbow 

A board (community cards) that contains  different suits, thereby making it  impossible to get a flush on the next card 

Raise

Matching the previous bet and then betting more to increase the stakes

Rake

The money taken by the casino as a service fee for playing each hand of poker or a flat fee that is taken from the pot after each betting round

Rank 

The value of a set of cards

Return on Investment (ROI)

The percentage or money you can make back on the investment you have made in the game

Ring Game  (Live Game)

A game that is played for stakes,  as  opposed to a tournament game played for position

Rivered

Losing your hand on the river, when it appeared that you were ahead and likely to win.  This term is sometimes used to define a hand that is made using a river card

Rock

Term used to describe a tight player who will normally only play in hands where he/she is a favorite to win

Rockets 

See “American Airlines”

Rock Garden 

A game with a lot of “rock” players

Rounder

Professional poker player

Royal  Flush 

Ace high straight flush (the best possible hand you can have)

Running Bad 

A losing streak

S

Sandbagging (Sell a Hand or Slow Play)

Playing a very strong hand as if you have a weak hand so that other players do not fold 

Scare Card

A board (community) card that can turn a  winning hand into a 
losing hand

Scoop 

Winning the whole pot (often when you have a hand that is both the high and low  hand in a split game)

Scooting  (Horsing)

See “Horsing”

Sell a Hand
(Sandbagging or Slow Play)

See “Sandbagging”

Semi-Bluff  (Partial Bluff)

To bet or raise with more 
cards to come even though you feel you are already beaten.  This technique can give you the opportunity to improve your chances and ensure that other players will stay in the game long enough for you to salvage a hand

Set 

Three of a kind made from two cards in your hand (hole or pocket cards) and a third that is revealed on the board (community cards)

Short Stack or Short-Stacked

A relatively small number of chips compared to other players, or too few chips to stay in the game

Side Pot 

An extra pot established when a player goes “all in”.  The player who is all in is not eligible to win the extra pot

Singleton 

A card that is the only one of its rank and value

Sit and Go (SNG) 

A tournament that is spontaneous as opposed to a scheduled tournament

Slow Down   

To play less aggressively than the game was played earlier

Slow Play
(Sandbagging or Sell a Hand)

See “Sandbagging”

Small Bet

In a game with limits, the small bet is the smaller of the two in the betting limits   

Small  Blind (SB)

The first position at the table to the left of the dealer (button).  This player must bet first, prior to seeing the hole (pocket) cards.  This bet is followed by the “big blind”, placed by the player directly to the left of the “small blind”

Smooth Call  (Flat Call)

See “Flat Call”

Spike

The next board (community) card dealt is a specific ranked card that you need for your hand

Splash 

To “splash the pot” is to throw your chips into the center of the table instead of placing the chips.  Most dealers and players do not like those who splash the pot

Spread 

A certain poker game(s) offering by a casino

Stack 

The amount of money you have available to you (in chips) so you can play the current game

Steal 

Winning a pot on a bluff

Steal the Blinds 

Pre-flop  open betting from the cut-off or  button (dealer).  This is done to get everyone who follows your position to fold, in hopes you will win the pot

Steaming  (Tilt or Tilting)

To play recklessly, usually because of a  “bad beat” 

Straight 

A hand consisting of five cards in consecutive order

Straddle (Live Straddle)

See “Live Straddle”

Straight  Flush 

A hand consisting of five cards of the same suit in consecutive order

Stuck 

Losing and low on chips

Suck Out

Winning a hand with cards that would make you the underdog and in a circumstance where you should probably have folded

Sweat

Observing a player poker session with the player’s consent

T

Table Coach

A player who loves to tell everyone else how to play the game and their cards

Tap Out or Tapped Out

Losing all your money

Tell(s)

When you are able to read the behavior or the odds to determine the strength or weakness of another player’s hand

Three Bet 

The  first  re-raise, i.e., a total of three bets in

Three Of A Kind   (Thrips)

Three cards of the same rank

Thrips

See “Three of a Kind”

Throwing a Party

Novices or fish who are playing fast and loose and donating a lot of money to the pot

Tilt or Tilting (Steaming)

See “Steaming”

Trap

One player gets caught between two or more players who are betting and raising and that player is unlikely to win the pot

Two Pair 

Two sets of pairs

U

Underdog 

A hand that is not likely to win the pot

Under the Gun 

The first player who must act in any round of betting

Under-pair

A hole (pocket) pair lower than the lowest board (community) card

V

Value Bet 

A bet you wish your opponent to call, either because you have the best hand or  because you have enough 
outs to make the bet profitable in the long-term

W

Walking  Sticks 

Pair of sevens

Whale

High roller

Wheel  (Bicycle)

See “Bicycle”

Wired  Pair 

A pair in hole (pocket) cards