ANTE ALL-IN BAD BEAT BET TO CALL DEALER
BLIND BET BURN CARD BUTTON BUY
CAP CASE CENTER/MAIN POT CHECK
CHECK RAISE COME HAND CRACK CRIPPLE
DEALER'S BET EQUITY FAMILY POT FLOP
FOLD FOUL HEADS UP HIT
HOUSE IMPLIED ODDS KICKER LIVE BLIND
MUCK NUTS PAY OFF POCKET
POST PROGRESSIVE JACKPOT BET QUADS RAGGED
RAINBOW RAKE RANK REPRESENT
RING GAME RIVER ROCK SCARE CARD
SECOND PAIR SEMI-BLUFF SET SHOWDOWN
SIDE POT  SLOW PLAY SPLIT POT SPLIT TWO PAIR
SPREAD LIMIT STRING BET TABLE STAKES TELL
TILT TIME TOKE TOP PAIR
TRIPS TURN UNDER THE GUN UNDERDOG
VALUE VARIANCE PLAY NOW!!!

ANTE

This is the opening bet that each player must make in order to play.

ALL-IN

To run out of chips while betting or calling, as in: John was "all-in" on the second bet.

BAD BEAT

When an underdog hand beats a favored hand.

BET TO CALL DEALER

This bet is exactly twice the amount of the player's ante bet. The Player can make this bet if he thinks his hand will beat the Dealer's.

BLIND BET

A bet made by one or more players before and cards are dealt that is forced bet (or partial).

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BURN CARD

The top card of the deck that is discarded face down between each betting round, before dealing out the next community card(s). The Burn Card is security against accidental or, of course, intentional peeks at the first card.

BUTTON

A white acrylic disk that indicates who is the dealer.

BUY

Buy the Pot
Bluffing, hoping to "buy" the pot without being called.

Buy the Button
Betting or raising in hopes of making players between you and the button fold, consequently allowing you to place the last wager for subsequent rounds.


CAP

Placing the last raise allowed on a betting round (typically the third or fourth raise).

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CASE

The final card of any given rank. The last Jack, the last King�

CENTER/MAIN POT

The first pot established in a hand; as opposed to one or more "side" pots created by a player(s) who goes all-in.

CHECK

* Not betting, while reserving the right to call or raise later in the round.
* Another word for "poker chip".


CHECK RAISE

Checking, but waiting until a player behind you bets, and then raising.

COME HAND

Drawing hand.

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COMPLETE HAND

A hand defined by all five cards, i.e. straight, flush, full house, etc�

CRACK

Beating a (typically) big hand.

CRIPPLE

Refers to having the majority or all of the cards someone else wants with the current board. "He crippled the deck"

DEALER'S BET

The Dealer can continue to play only with an Ace/King or higher. If the Dealer is unable to open, the hand is over, and the remaining Players are paid their antes.

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EQUITY

The amount you can win from a given pot. Let's say there is a $100 pot. A 50% chance of winning gives you $50 equity in the pot.

FAMILY POT

A pot in which the majority of all of the players call before the flop.

FLOP

The first three community cards. They are dealt face up. Flop refers to all three of the cards.

FOLD

The Player can decide to forfeit his ante bet after the cards have been dealt if he thinks his hand will lose to the Dealer's.

FOUL

A hand that has been deemed unplayable due to a factor that breaks the rules. The player who commits the foul or who has a foul hand is prohibited from winning from the pot.

HEADS UP

Refers to a pot that is being contested by only two players

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HIT

In the expression "the flop hit me." Might be said (or thought) in the event that the flop produced a card that helped your hand.

HOUSE

The casino where you are playing, or the establishment that is running your game.

IMPLIED ODDS

Odds you may include in your calculations but that will only become true if you hit your hand. Used when your hand is significantly more potent than usual.

KICKER

An unpaired card used to determine your strategy when choosing between two near-equivalent hands.

LIVE BLIND

A forced bet made before any cards are dealt. The word "live" refers to the player's or players' reserved right to raise when their turn comes up again.

MUCK

The pile of folded and burned cards that have been placed in front of the dealer.

NUTS

The best possible hand that has been given on the board.

PAY OFF

Calling a bet even though the bettor has a hand you can't beat. The reason for doing this is that the pot is large enough to justify a call.

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POCKET

The unique cards you hold that no one else can see.

POST

A blind bet that is typically required when you first join a card game. Some houses require you to post when you change seats.

PROGRESSIVE JACKPOT BET

Some casinos offer a Progressive Jackpot, in which the jackpot value increases with each game. Each Player can place an additional specified bet to be included in the progressive jackpot.

QUADS

Four-of-a-kind.

RAGGED

A flop/board that doesn't really help anyone

RAINBOW

A flop with three different suits, or a complete five-card board that has no more than two of any suit (thus impossible to get a flush). Can also mean a complete five-card board that has no more than two of any suit, therefore no flush is possible.

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RAKE

An amount of money taken out of every pot by the dealer - this is the game operator's income.

RANK

A card's numerical value (as opposed to its suit).

REPRESENT

Playing as if you clearly hold a specific hand. This can be used as a bluff or simply because you are confident with what you have.

RING GAME

A non-tournament, regular poker game. A.K.A. "live" (refers to cash, instead of chips).

RIVER

The fifth and final community card. It is dealt face up, alone. A.K.A. "fifth street".

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ROCK

A very tight, uncreative, fairly predictable player.

SCARE CARD

A card that can turn the best hand sour.

SECOND PAIR

A pair including the second highest card on the flop.

SEMI-BLUFF

David Sklansky's concept that describes a bet or raise that you hope will not be called - but, even if it is, you still have some outs. A player might use this tactic when betting for value is not appropriate.

SET

A three-of-a-kind with two of the rank in your hand and one on the board.

SHOWDOWN

The point after the fourth round of betting is completed that everyone reveals their hands. If no final bet or raise is called, there is no showdown.

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SIDE POT

A pot which has been created but that a player has no interest in because the same player has run out of chips.
Example:
  • Anne bets $8, Burt calls the $8, and Colin calls, but Colin has only $4 left.
  • So, a $12 side pot is created that either Anne or Burt can win, but not Colin.
  • All other bets that Anne and Bert make go into the side pot and are prohibited to Colin.
  • Colin is only playing now for the original/center pot.

  • SLOW PLAY

    Playing a strong hand as if you have a weak hand in order to keep more players in the pot.

    SPLIT POT

    A pot that is shared by any number of players because they have equivalent hands.

    SPLIT TWO PAIR

    A two pair that has one of each of your cards' ranks on the board as well.

    SPREAD LIMIT

    A betting structure designed to allow players to bet any amount, within a specific spread limit structure, on every betting round. Typical spread limit structure: $2-$6.

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    STRING BET

    This bet is more typically a raise. The player doesn't move all the chips required for the raise into the pot at once. The player must verbally declare the raise or he can be forced to withdraw and call. This system prevents players from putting out enough chips to call, reviewing the effect, and then considering a further raise; this would be unethical.

    TABLE STAKES

    The rule that states that during a hand, a player may not dig into his pocket for money.

    TELL

    A player's unintentional giveaway about the next move or strategy he plans to use.

    TILT

    Playing out of control or real consideration for the things he should be doing in certain circumstance, like bluffing at the wrong times or raising when he just can't possibly outwit or beat his opponents.

    TIME

    (1) A player's request for time to decide upon the next action or strategy he will take.
    (2) Either ever hour or every half, the card room collects an amount of money. This is another way for the house to make its money (see Rake).


    TOKE

    This is a small amount of money paid by the winner of the pot that pretty much makes up the dealer's income.

    TOP PAIR

    The pair that has the highest card on the flop. As in "you flopped top pair."

    TRIPS

    Three-of-a-kind.

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    TURN

    A.K.A. "4th street." It is the fourth community card, dealt face up and by itself.

    UNDER THE GUN

    Describes the player who initiates a betting round.

    UNDERDOG

    Any team, person or thing mathematically disfavored to win the pot.

    VALUE

    More or less, the opposite of bluff. With value, or when "Betting on Value," you want other players to call your bet. Reason being, typically, because you believe your hand will beat the others.

    VARIANCE

    A measure of the fluctuations in your bankroll.

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