Poker Dictionary


2-bet
(v). To raise to 2 bets.

3-bet
(v). To reraise after a player has already raised to 2 bets. ("Mike raised and I 3-betted it").

4th street
(phrase). In Hold Em or Stud, the fourth card dealt to a player (in Hold Em this would be the turn card).

5th street
(phrase). In Hold Em or Stud, the fifth card dealt to a player (in Hold Em this would be the river card).

A-game
(n). One's best game. ("I played my A-Game and still lost").

AC
(abbrev). Atlantic City.

ace-high
(n). A hand with an Ace but no flush, straight or pairs.

action
(n). 1. Any fold, bet, call, or raise. 2. A lot of loose playing.

add-on
(n). A final opportunity to add more chips in a re-buy tournament. This is different from a re-buy because it can only be done at a specific time and it also signifies the end of the rebuy period.

advertise
(v). To make a deliberate play which is seen by other players for the purpose of creating a certain image as a player. This technique is usually used by making a bluff with the intention of being viewed as a loose player.

aggressive
(adj). To play by betting and raising often.

ahead
(adj). To be winning a hand at a specific point in time. ("I was ahead on the turn before he hit the flush on the river").

all-in
(adj). Wagering all your chips/money on at once.

all-in protection
(n). Online. When you cannot act in time you are put all-in for the hand. The software is "protecting" your hand form being folded instead.

American Airlines
(n). A pocket pair of Aces.

angle-shooting
(v). An unethical, but legal, way of getting an edge in a game.

ante
(n). A forced bet put in by all the players before the start of the hand.

AO
(abbrev). Add-on.

auto-muck
(v). Online. To have the software automatically fold your hand at the showdown if it isn't a winner.

auto-post
(v). Online. To have the software automatically post your blind so it doesn't have to ask you each time.

B&M
(adj). "Brick and Mortar". This refers to a poker game in a casino, as opposed to online.

baby flush
(adj). A flush made with a low card.

back into
(v). To hit a hand you didn't intend to ("I was on a flush draw but I backed into a straight").

back-raise
(v). To limp and reraise another players raise with the hope you drive other players out who only have 1 bet in.

backdoor
(adj). To hit both the turn and the river to make your hand.

bad beat
(n). When a good hand is beaten by a hand that gets lucky.

bad beat jackpot
(n). A bonus amount that poker rooms give you if you have a very strong hand beaten by an even stronger hand. This usually means you need four-of-a-kind beaten by a higher hand and you need to use both your hole cards.

bankroll
(n). The amount of money a player has to bet.

BB
(abbrev). Big Blind.

BB/H
(abbrev). "Big bets per hour". This is used to measure a player's winnings in terms of big bets over a specified amount of time.

belly-buster
(n). An inside straight draw.

best of it
(phrase). An edge. ("I had a 59% chance of winning so I had the best of it".)

bet
(v). To place money in the pot.

bet for value
(phrase). To bet to get more money in the pot and not to get other people to fold.

bet into
(v). To bet before a stronger hand has a chance to bet. ("He raised me on the flop but I bet into him on the turn").

bet out
(v). To open the pot with a bet even though you have the opportunity to check.

bet out of turn
(phrase). To bet when it is not your turn to bet.

bet the pot
(phrase). To bet an amount equal to the amount currently in the pot.

big blind
(n). A forced bet equal to the small bet. This is a live bet, which means you have the opportunity to check or raise when the action gets around to you.

big blind special
(n). A sarcastic reference to a pot won by the big blind who had a really bad starting hand.

big slick
(n). Ace-King

Binions
(n). A casino in Las Vegas where the World Series of Poker in held.

blind
(n). A forced bet required by the 2 players to the left of the button before the hand can start.

blind game
(n). A game which utilizes a blind, as opposed to an ante.

blind-off
(v). When a player is playing in a tournament but is absent from the table he is "blinded off". This means his blinds are posted when it is his turn to post even though he is not there.

bluff
(v). To bet with a hand you know isn't the best hand with the intention of getting all the other players to fold.

boat
(n). A full-house.

boat-over-boat
(phrase). To have a full house beat another full house.

bot
(n). Online. A computer program used by a poker site or a poker player to play in online poker games.

bounty
(n). A special cash prize for knocking a particular player out of a tournament - usually a famous player.

bracelet
(n). A bracelet is given to any player who wins an event at the World Series of Poker. Bracelets are sometimes used to measure how much success a player has in tournaments ("Johnny Chan has 7 bracelets").

Broadway
(n). An Ace-high straight.

Brunson
(n). 10-2. This hand helped Doyle Brunson win the World Series of Poker on two separate occasions.

bullets
(n). 1. Pocket Aces. 2. The number of chips you have left in your stack.

bump
(v). To raise.

burn card
(n). To deal the first card face-down in the muck to prevent cheating.

bust out
(v). To lose all your chips.

button
(n). A small disk used in flop games to tell who is the dealer when the house is dealing.

buy-in
(n). The minimum amount of money required to enter a game.

call down
(v). To call another players bet on the river. This usually refers to a losing hand. ("I had Ace-King and missed the flop but i called him down because I thought Ace-high was good").

calling station
(n). A player who almost always calls but never raises.

cap
(v). To raise the maximum amount in a limit game.

cards speak
(phrase). At the showdown, the value of your hand is what the cards show, not what you say your hand is.

case
(adj). The last of a particular card. "There were 3 Jacks on the board and he had the case Jack".

cash game
(n). A game played where the chips have a cash value, as opposed to a tournament where the chips do not have a cash value.

cashout
(v). To change your chips into money. 2. Online. To transfer money from a poker site to a personal account.

cashout curse
(n). Online. A belief that online poker sites give you bad hands after you cashout.

catch
(v). To hit a lot of your hands. "John is catching a lot of cards tonight".

change gears
(v). To switch your style of play.

chase
(v). To lose a lot of your chips by going on a draw.

check-raise
(v). To check with the intention of raising when another player bets.

checks
(n). Chips.

chip race
(n). When the blinds go up in tournaments, the lower denomination chips are no longer needed so each player is dealt a card for each low chip he has. The player with the highest card wins the chips, which are then colored up.

chip tricks
(n). Tricks a player does when holding chips in his hand.

chop
(v). 1. To split a pot when both people have the same winning hand. "We both had 2 pair so we chopped").

chop the blinds
(phrase). When all the players fold around to the blinds, the blinds decide to take their money back instead of playing the hand.

CO
(abbrev). The "cut-off" position. This is the position before the button. ("John open-raised from the cut-off and I reraised on the button").

coin flip
(n). When two hands go against each other and each has a 50% chance of winning. ("I went all-in with pocket 2's and he had AK so it was a coin flip").

cold-call
(v). To call a raise when you do not already have a bet in the pot.

collusion
(n). When 2 or more players at a table help each other win.

color change
(n). A request to change the chips to another denomination.

color up
(n). To exchange small denomination chips for bigger ones in a tournament because the smaller ones are no longer being used due to the fact that the blinds are higher than they were in the beginning.

community cards
(n). The cards on the board that all players are able to use.

covered
(phrase). In a tournament, when 1 player is thinking about calling an all-in from another player and has more chips than the other player. This phrase refers to the fact that if the larger stack calls the all-in and loses then he still has chips to play. "I had him covered."

crack
(v). To beat a strong hand. "I had pocket Aces cracked by a pair of 2's".

cut card
(n). A card put on the bottom of the deck when dealing so nobody sees the bottom card.

dead blind
(n). A hand where there is no blind because the player who would have posted the blind no longer in the game. This usually happens in tournaments where a player who would have posted the blind busted out.

dead card
(n). A card that is not legally playable.

dead hand
(n). A hand that is not legally playable.

dead man's hand
(n). An Ace-8. The hand "Wild Bill" Hickok held when he was shot and killed.

dead money
(n). 1. Amateur players in a tournament that aren't expected to win. 2. Money that is in the pot from players that are no longer in the hand.

deal
(v). 1. To distribute cards to the players. (n). 2. An agreement between players in a tournament to split the winnings instead of playing.

dealer's choice
(n). A game where the dealer gets to pick the game to play. This is usually done at home games.

defend your blinds
(phrase). To call a raise when another player has raised your blind. This is done so that players don't perceive you as weak and try to steal your blinds in the future.

discards
(n). The cards thrown away in the muck.

dominated hand
(n). This occurs when you hold a hand where one of the cards is held by another player who has a higher kicker. In this case there are only 3 cards in the deck that can make you a better hand. If another player has AK and you hold AJ, then your AJ is a "dominated."

donkey
(n). A clueless poker player.

double-up
(v). To go all-in in a tournament and win the hand and double the amount of chips you have.

down to the felt
(phrase). To be out of chips.

downcards
(n). Cards that are dealt facedown.

draw out
(v). To beat someone with a drawing hand.

drawing dead
(adj). To be drawing to a hand that, if it is made, still can't win.

drawing hand
(n). A hand that is not yet completed. This usually refers to a straight draw or a flush draw in which you have 4 out of the 5 cards needed to complete the hand.

Ducks
(n). A pair of 2's.

early position
(n). 1. To be one of the first players to act in a round. 2. The first couple of seats to the left of the dealer.

effective odds
(n). The ratio of the total amount of money you could win on a pot compared to the bet required to stay in the hand.

EP
(abbrev). Early position.

EPT
(abbrev). Abbreviation for European Poker Tour

equity
(n). The theoretical monetary value of your hand.

EV
(abbrev). "Expected Value". This is a measure of the theoretical money value of your hand in the long-run.

expected value
(n). The theoritecal monetary value of your hand.

face cards
(n). A Jack, Queen, or King.

family Pot
(n). A pot that all the players are in.

fill
(v). To catch a card that makes you a particular hand. "I caught the King to fill my inside straight draw".

fish
(n). A bad player.

fixed
(adj). A limit-game where the betting limits are fixed on each round.

flop
(n). In Hold 'Em, the first 3 community cards dealt.

flop %
(n). The % of hands where you see the flop. Primarily used in online play.

flop game
(n). A game where community cards are used, like Texas Hold Em (as opposed to Seven-Card Stud where no community cards are used).

four-flush
(n). To have 4 cards of the same suit.

free card
(n). A card that a player gets to see without having to put a bet in the pot. This usually refers to a situation when a player raises on the flop in order to make the other players check to him on the turn so he can see the river card for free.

freeroll
(n). A tournament that takes no money to buy into but you can win real money. (v). In Omaha Hi-Low, to make a low hand and that is sure of winning some money in the pot while still drawing to a high hand and possibly winning more money.

freezeout
(n). A tournament with no rebuys.

FT
(abbrev). Abbreviation for Full Tilt Poker

full
(adj). To have a full house. (i.e. "I have Jacks full", or "Are you full?").

full of
(adj). A full house which tells you the composition of your cards. "I have Jacks full of nines" means you have 3 Jacks and 2 nines.

gapper
(n). A hand where your pocket cards are separated by a certain amount. This is usually used to specify the strength of a drawing hand. Example

get away from a hand
(phrase). To fold a very strong hand that you think is beaten. "I thought he might have had a higher flush but I already put so much money in the pot I couldn't get away from the hand."

GG
(abbrev). Online. "Good game".

GL
(abbrev). Online. "Good luck".

grinder
(n). A player who wins a little at a time.

group 1 hands
(phrase). Referring to Hold Em for Advanced Players by Sklansky. A group of hands that are only the best starting hands.

gutshot
(n). An inside straight draw.

hand-for-hand
(adj). When playing in a tournament where all the players are barely out-of-the-money, many of the players play their hands deliberately slowly so that the hands at the other tables will finish quicker in the hopes that another player will bust out first.

handed
(adj). This phrase denotes how many players are in the game. "The game was 3-handed" means that there were 3 players in the game.

have a piece of someone
(phrase). To partially pay for another player's tournament buy-in so that you can share in their winnings.

HE
(abbrev). Hold Em.

heads-up
(adj). To play against only 1 other player.

high-limit
(adj). A game that is played for higher stakes - usually $50/$100 or higher.

hit
(v). To get a card that makes your hand.

Hooks
(n). A pair of Jacks.

HOSE (H.O.S.E.)
(abbrev). A mixed game where you play Hold Em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud (high), and Seven-Card Stud (high-low).

HU
(abbrev). Heads-up.

implied odds
(n). The ratio of the total amount of money you could win on a pot compared to the bet required to stay in the hand.

improve
(v). To strengthen your hand ("the bad thing about pocket Aces is that they probably won't improve").

in-the-money
(adj). In a tournament, to place high enough so that you will win a cash prize.

inside straight draw
(n). A straight draw where there is only 1 card that can make your hand.

instacall
(v). To immediate call a bet. This happens when someone is very confident in their move.

isolate
(v). To raise so that you can go heads up with another player. This is usually when a player raises and you have a strong hand but don't want any other players in the hand. In this situation you would usually reraise so that no one else will call so that you c

jackpot drop
(n). Extra money raked to finance a bad-beat jackpot.

kicker
(n). The highest unpaired card out of all your pocket cards that hasn't paired another card.

kill
(n). A game where the bets are temporarily doubled if someone wins 2 hands in a row.

kill button
(n). A button that denotes who won the last hand to see if there will be a kill.

laydown
(n). To fold a good hand to a better hand.

leak
(n). A flaw in a player's game.

limp
(v). To enter a pot without raising.

limp-reraise
(v). To limp into a pot with the intention of reraising when another player raises.

live blind
(n). A blind posted by a player who has the option of raising when the action gets to him.

loose
(adj). A player who plays too many hands.

loose-aggressive
(adj). A player who a lot of hands and raises with many of them.

loose-passive
(adj). A player who plays a lot of hands but rarely raises.

Low-limit
(adj). Games that are played for lower stakes - usually $5/$10 or less.

Lowball
(n). A draw game where the lowest hand wins.

LP
(abbrev). Late position.

LV
(abbrev). Las Vegas.

made hand
(n). A hand that is already completed. Example

main Pot
(n). A pot that all the active players have a chance of winning. This happens when one player doesn't have enough chips to finish the hand and a side pot is created.

maniac
(n). A player that will always be in the pot raising with any hand, no matter what it is.

mechanic
(n). A dealer who cheats.

micro-limit
(adj). Games that are played for very low stakes - usually $.50/$1.00 or less.

mid-limit
(adj). Games that are played for medium stakes - usually higher than $5/$10 but lower than $50/$100.

misdeal
(n). When the dealer makes a mistake and the hand doesn't count.

miss
(v). To be on a draw and not hit your card.

monster
(n). A strong hand.

MP
(abbrev). middle position.

muck
(v). 1. To fold your hand. (n). 2. All the mucked cards in the middle of the table.

NH
(abbrev). Online. "Nice hand".

NL
(abbrev). No-limit.

NLHE
(abbrev). No-limit Hold Em.

nuts
(n). The best hand. (adj). The best hand. ("Nut flush").

off
(adj). Two cards of different suits. ("I had Jack-King off and limped").

open
(v). To be the first player to put a bet into the pot on a particular round.

open-ender
(n). A straight draw where there are 2 cards that can make your hand.

open-raise
(v). To open the pot with a raise.

opener
(n). The first player to put a bet into the pot on a particular round.

option
(n). When it is the Big Blind's turn to act and he has the option of checking or raising.

outdraw
(v). To beat someone with a drawing hand.

outkick
(v). To beat someone with a better kicker when you both have the same pair.

outs
(n). A card that will improve your hand.

over-the-top
(phrase). To reraise an aggressive person. "I bet and he raised me so I came over the top and went all-in".

overcall
(v). To call a bet after another player has already called.

overcard
(n). When you have a card that is higher than all the cards on the board. Example

overpair
(n). A pocket pair that is higher than any card on the board (Example

paid off
(v). To make money by having a weaker hand calling a strong hand. ("I flopped a full house and got paid off")

paint
(n). Face cards

passive
(adj). A player who doesn't raise much but instead checks and calls alot.

PF
(abbrev). Pre-flop.

PL
(abbrev). Pot-limit.

play a hand fast
(v). To raise and bet aggressively with a good hand.

play by the book
(phrase). To play according to the conventional wisdom regarding basic poker strategy. This kind of player usually plays in a tight, but mechanical, way in which he won't lose much but he plays so predictably that a better player could beat him.

play the board
(phrase). When your best 5-card hand equals the 5 cards on the board. For example, if the board was A-A-K-K-A, then that would be the hand you were playing (assuming you didn't have 4-of-a-kind).

PLH
(abbrev). Pot-limit hold em.

PLHE
(abbrev). Pot-limit hold em.

PLO
(abbrev). Pot-limit Omaha.

pop him
(v). To raise someone.

pop him back
(v). To re-raise someone.

position
(n). The location of the player relative to the dealer.

position bet
(n). A bet made primarily because you are playing from a good position. Strong bets made from late position against weak opponents are sometimes position bets.

post
(v). To post a blind so you can enter the hand.

pot odds
(n). The ratio of the amount of money currently in the pot compared to the amount of money it would take to call a bet.

pot-limit
(n). A game where you are allowed to bet up to the amount in the pot.

premium hands
(n). Only the best of starting hands.

prop
(n). Someone who gets paid by a poker room to play in their games, usually to start games or play in shorthanded games.

protecting your cards
(phrase). To place a chip over your pocket cards so the dealer doesn't accidently muck them.

PS
(abbrev). Poker Stars.

put someone on a hand
(phrase). To assume what cards a player has. ("I put him on a flush draw").

quads
(n). Four of a kind.

rabbit-hunting
(v). When a hand is folded before it is finished playing out, this is the act of seeing the remaining cards that would have come out to see who would have won the hand. This is done at home games.

rag flop
(n). A flop with bad cards - usually low cards.

rags
(n). Bad cards - usually low cards.

railbird
(n). Someone who is watching a game.

rake
(n). Money taken out of the pot by the casino to make a profit. (v). To take money out of the pot for profit.

ram-and-jam
(v). To raise aggressively often.

RB
(abbrev). Rebuy.

read
(v). To deduce what cards a player has. (n). An assumption of what cards a player has. ("I had a good read on him and still lost").

reverse tell
(n). A tell, usually done on purpose, which means the opposite if what you think it means.

RGP
(n). Rec.Gambling.Poker. An Internet Newsgroup where poker players can post messages to each other.

ring game
(n). Any non-tournament game.

rivered
(v). To get beat by a hand that is made on the river - usually a bad beat.

riverstars
(n). A derogatory term referring to Pokerstars. The name originates from the (allegedly) abnormally high number of bad beats on the river while playing there.

RNG
(abbrev). Random Number Generator. The algorithm used by online poker sites that determines what card is dealt next.

rock
(n). A tight player.

round
(n). When the button has moved completely around the table and everyone has had a chance to deal.

rounder
(n). Someone who plays poker for a living.

Rounders
(n). A popular poker movie starring Matt Damon.

runner-runner
(n). To hit both the turn and the river to make you hand. ("I went all-in with a straight but he hit runner-runner spades and got a flush").

sandbag
(v). To slowplay (n) Sandbagger. One who slowplays.

satellite
(n). A tournament that lets you enter another tournament if you win.

SB
(abbrev). Small-blind.

scoop
(v). To win both the high and the low in a high/low game.

SD
(abbrev). Standard Deviation.

semi-bluff
(n). To bet with a hand that probably isn't the best hand but, if it improves, probably will be the best hand.

semi-steal
(n). A raise to try to win a pot with a hand that may or may not be the best hand.

session bankroll
(n). The amount of money a players sits down at a game with, as opposed to total bankroll which is all the money a player possesses outside the game to play poker with.

set
(n). To have 3 of a kind where 1 of the cards is on the board and 2 are in your hand. (Example

set-over-set
(phrase). To have a set lose to a higher set.

shark
(n). A good player.

shill
(n). A player who gets paid by a poker room to play for the house. The difference between a shill and a prop is that a shill cannot keep his winnings but a prop can.

shootout
(n). A tournament where there are several tables and the winners of each table plays against each other.

short buy
(n). A buy-in that is less than the minimum buy-in.

short stack
(n). A player that doesn't have many chips left. Usually used in a tournament or a no-limit cash game.

shorthanded
(adj). A game where there are only a few players - usually 6 or less.

showdown
(n). The end of a hand where you show your cards.

side pot
(n). This happens when one player doesn't have enough chips to finish the hand. When additional bets are made, a side pot is created between all the remaining players in which only they have a chance of winning.

slow play
(v). To play a strong hand weakly with the intention of trapping another player.

slow-roll
(v). To have the best hand at the showdown but purposely show it after the losers' hands are shown, so you can let another player think he has won.

smooth-call
(v). To only call a raise - instead of reraising - when you know you have a better hand than the original raiser. This is done to disguise the strength of your hand.

SNG
(abbrev). Sit N Go.

snowmen
(n). A nickname for pocket 8's.

soft game
(n). A game with a lot of bad players.

splash the pot
(phrase). To throw your chips messily into the pot.

split pot
(n). A pot where more than 1 person are tied for the best hand and they have to split the winnings.

spread limit
(n). A game in which there are betting limits with a fixed minimum and maximum bet for each betting round.

starting hands
(n). The first 2 cards a player receives in Hold 'Em or first 3 cards in Seven Card Stud.

steal
(v). To bluff and win a pot.

steal the blinds
(v). To open the pot with a raise with the intention of nobody else calling and the blinds folding.

steal-raise
(n). To win a pot by raising with a bluff.

steaming
(v). Tilting.

string bet
(n). An illegal bet in which a player makes a bet with more than 1 motion.

suckout
(n). A bad beat (v). To beat someone with a bad beat.

suited connectors
(n). Two cards that are the same suit and sequential. These are good drawing hands. (example

T
(abbrev). Tournament. This denotes the number of tournament chips you have. For example, "T1,000" mean you have $1,000 in chips even though the chips have no value.

table captain
(n). A player who acts as though he runs the table.

table image
(n). What other players think of you. Some players prefer a tight-aggressive image because it lets people know you are a good player as well as letting a tight player get away with more bluffs. Other players prefer to have a loose image so that other players w

table stakes
(phrase). A rule that says you cannot dip into your pocket in the middle of a hand for more money to play with.

tell
(n). A mannerism that gives information to an opponent about your hand.

tight-aggressive
(adj). A player who doesn't play many hands but plays his hands aggressively.

tight-weak
(adj). A player who doesn't play a lot of hands and rarely raises when he is in a pot.

tilt
(adj). To play badly as a result of losing.

time
(phrase). En expression used to call a timeout.

timed out
(v). Online. When an online game folds you hand because you didn't act in time.

toke
(n). A tip given to the dealer. (v). To tip the dealer.

trap
(v). To slowplay a strong hand in the hopes that a weaker hand will bet out and lose.

trips
(n). To have 3 of a kind where 2 of the cards are on the board and 1 is in your hand. (Example

Turbo Texas Hold-Em
(n). Software that analyzes the hands you have played.

TwoPlusTwo
(n). A poker book publisher that also has a poker website where players can post messages.

TY
(abbrev). Online. "Thank you".

TYVM
(abbrev). Online. "Thank you very much".

UB
(abbrev). Ultimate Bet.

underpair
(n). A pair lower than any card on the board. Example: in hold'em when you're holding a pair of 2s and the flop is 5-7-J.

up
(adj). A suffix denoting 2 pair (example: jacks-up = indicating you have a pair of jacks and a second pair that's lower than jacks).

upcards
(n). Cards that are dealt faceup.

UTG
(abbrev). Under-the-gun. To be the first one to act. The position to the left of the Big Blind.

variance
(n). The amount of variation in your bankroll.

VNH
(abbrev). Online. "Very nice hand".

WCP
(abbrev). World Class Player.

weak
(adj). A player who doesn't raise a lot, but checks and calls often.

wheel
(n). A straight made up of the cards A-2-3-4-5 and usually used in Omaha.

win rate
(n). The amount you win per unit of time. This is usually measured in Big Bet's per hour.

WPT
(abbrev). "World Poker Tour".

WSOP
(abbrev). "World Series of Poker".

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Poker Dictionary

HPG ADMIN on March 5, 2013