A glossary of Texas Hold ’em poker terminology specifically related to online poker play.
Act
To act is to make a play (bet, call, raise, or fold) at your turn.
Action
1. An opportunity to act on your turn.
2. A willingness to gamble.
Active player
A player that is still actively involved in a pot.
Add-on
In a live game, the options to buy more chips before you have lost all your chips (usually at the end of the first session in tournament play).
Aggressive play
To aggressively play hands such as to raise or check-raise bets or bluff your opponent out of a pot.
All in
To bet all your chips in the current hand.
Ante
A small bet that is placed into the pot by all players at the start of a poker hand. These usually occur later on in tournament play and will be in conjunction with blinds.
Backdoor
To complete an unexpected hand or to complete a straight on fourth street and the river card.
Backraise
A reraise from a player that previously limped into the pot.
Bad beat
A hand which has been lost against a player with a large statistical disadvantage.
Bankroll
1. The total amount of chips held overall by a poker player.
2. Funding a player’s participation in a cash game/tournament.
Bet
To make the first movement of betting in a given round.
Big blind
The larger of the two mandatory bets placed before a round in Texas Hold ’em.
Big stack
A large amount of chips compared with the other poker players.
Blank
A card (usually a community card) that is of no apparent value.
Blind
A type of mandatory bet enforced on a player based on their table position before a poker hand can begin.
Bluff
An attempt to steal the pot by representing a hand better than the hand actually held.
Board
The set of community cards shown in Texas Hold ’em.
Bottom pair
Pairing with the lowest value community card on the board.
Bounty
A prize (usually cash) for eliminating a particular player or players from a poker tournament.
Bricks and mortar
A real life casino or poker room rather than an online poker room.
Broadway
A straight from 10 through to ace.
Bubble
The last position in a tournament or Sit N Go before the prize winning structure begins. For example, you are eliminated in 4th place and 1st through to 3rd place are paid out.
Bully
Usually a player with a large stack that will constantly raise to make weaker players constantly fold their hand.
Button
The dealer button which denoted where the dealer begins.
Buy-in
The amount it costs to enter a tournament. This will often be written in the format $30+4. The $30 is the amount that goes into the prize fund and the $4 goes to the poker room as their fee.
Call
To put an amount into the pot that is equal to the highest bet made to date in that round of betting.
Calling station
A type of player that calls very frequently, but doesn’t raise or fold much.
Cap
This is the limit on the number of raises allowed in a round of betting. The cap is usually 3 or 4.
Cash game
Poker games played with chips that equate to real money.
Cash in
To leave the poker room and exchange your chips for real money.
Chat
A form of instant messaging between the players in an online poker game.
Check
To bet nothing but stay in the hand when no other player has made a bet.
Check-raise
To initially check and when an opponent bets, you raise the bet.
Chips
The tokens used as currency on a poker table.
Chip leader
The player that currently has the highest number of chips.
Chop
1. To split a pot due to a tie.
2. An agreement by all players to distribute the remaining money between the players based on number of chips held by each player. This will usually occur on the final table of big money
tournaments.
Coin flip
Where two players have an almost even chance of winning a hand before the flop comes.
Collusion
A form of cheating where two or more players work together to attempt to gain advantage during a poker game.
Community cards
These are the flop, turn and river cards that are dealt and displayed in the centre of a poker table which all players use to improve their hands in Texas Hold ’em.
Connectors
A starting hand where the cards are one rank apart. E.g. KQ or 34.
Crying Call
A call where you believe you will likely lose but based on favourable pot odds you go ahead with a call.
Deal
1. Distribution of cards to all players in accordance with the game rules.
2. An agreement between players to share the remainder of the tournament money.
Dealer
The person (or software) that distributes the cards to the player.
Double up
When one player goes all in against one other and wins, thus doubling their stack. Usually a fairly desperate play for players who are short stacked.
Drawing hand
A chance when a hand has the possibility of getting a community card that will substantially improve the overall hand.
Drawing dead
No chance of beating an opponent’s hand (even if you were to make your hand).
Drop
Folding your cards.
Early position
The players that are furthest left of the dealer. These players have to decide what to do first.
Equity
The mathematical expected value of your share of the pot given your hand and the pot size. For example, if the pot is $1,000 and you believe you have a 1 in 4 chance of winning, your equity would be £250 (not taking into account split pots).
Fifth street
The final community card. The fifth card in Texas Hold ’em also known as the “river”.
Fill
To draw cards to complete a hand such as a straight, full house or flush.
Final table
Last table of a multi-table tournament.
First position
The player who is to the immediate left of the dealer and the player that must act first in a hand.
Fish
A bad poker player who will stay in hands hoping to draw hands against mathematical odds. Also referred to as a newbie, donk, donkey, patsy, etc.
Flop
The dealing of the first three community cards in one go.
Flush
A hand in Texas Hold ’em that consists of 5 cards all of the same suit.
Flush draw
Having 4 cards of the same suit and hoping for a card to complete the flush on the turn or river card.
Fold
To discard your cards and remove yourself from the pot.
Fold equity
The value you get from forcing your opponent to fold (without seeing the flop for instance).
Four of a kind
A hand which contains 4 cards of the same rank. E.g. AAAA. A formidable hand.
Fourth street
The 4th community card dealt also known as the turn.
Freeroll
A tournament that is free to enter. Sometimes there will be a small cash prize or entry to tournaments with large prizes for players that win or take top positions in freerolls.
Full house
A hand which contains 3 cards of one rank and 2 cards of another rank, such as KKKQQ.
Grinder
A player that makes small profits over a long player. This can be interchangeable with the term “rock”.
Hand history
A record of all your poker hands over a set history. There are poker tools which can record your hand history and analyse your poker play.
Heads up
Playing against one other player.
High card
If there is no pair amongst all hands, the hand that contains the highest ranked card will be awarded the pot. In instanced of tied hands, the high card or “kicker” will be taken into account.
Hole cards
The two card dealt initially face down to each player in Texas Hold ’em poker.
House
The poker room or company that is running the poker game you are playing in.
Implied odds
Pot odds that do not currently exist, but can be included in calculations because of bets you expect to win if you hit your hand.
Inside straight
Completing a straight such as 5789 and a 6 on the river.
In the money
To be placed sufficiently high enough in a poker tournament to earn a cash award.
Kicker
See “high card”.
Laydown
Folding a good hand with the presumption of an opponent having a better hand.
Lead
The player who makes the last bet or raise is said to lead into the next round of betting.
Level
Used in tournament play to determine blind levels. The blinds will be set at a certain level and after a set time (e.g. every 10 minutes) the level will rise. For example level 1 might be $25/$50 blinds, level 2 $50/$100 blinds, etc. In later levels antes are often added to blinds.
Limit
The minimum or maximum size of a bet.
Limp in
To enter a pot with a check or a call with a relatively poor hand.
Loose
Loose players will play a high number of hands with marginal or mediocre hands with little folding.
Maniac
A super aggressive loose player that will raise frequently often against better judgement.
Mark
A particular player at the table which is the focus of others. Often this can be a weak player or someone susceptible to intimidation.
Move in
See “all in”.
Muck
To fold your cards without revealing your cards. When you have lost a hand, poker room software will often ask you whether you want to show your cards when mucked. It is not usually a good idea to do so as it can give your opponents a read on your game.
No-limit
A form of poker which allows players to wager however many chips they want to during a bet.
Nuts
The nuts are the best possible hand in the given scenario – an unbeatable hand.
Offsuit
Cards that are not of the same suit.
Open ended straight draw
A straight draw where, for example, you hold 4567 and you have the possibility of a 3 or an 8 to complete the straight.
Outs
Cards that if gained will improve or complete your hand.
Out of position
A player that is first to play is usually called out of position as he is at a disadvantage going first as the other players can see his intention and act accordingly.
Overbet
To make a bet that is larger than the pot in a no limit Texas Hold ’em game.
Overcard
A card which is higher than those showing amongst the community cards.
Overpair
Pairs which are higher than those showing amongst the community cards.
Pair
Two cards that are of the same rank. Such as AA.
Passive
A style of play which sees the player frequently checking and calling only.
Pocket cards
See “hole cards”.
Pocket pair
Paired hole cards.
Pocket rockets
A pair of aces in the hole.
Poker face
A facial expression that does not give away any tells. Not much use in online poker!
Position bet
A bet that is made more on the basis of the player’s table position rather than cards strength.
Post
To make the mandatory blind or ant bet.
Pot
The number of chips that will be awarded to the eventual winner of the hand.
Pot committed
A situation where the pot size is so large compared to the size of your stack that you have no feasible option other than to continue playing your hand.
Pot limit poker
A form of poker where the player may only make a maximum size bet that is equal to the size of the pot.
Pot odds
The calculated odds that will involve how much money it will cost to play a hand, based on how much money is currently in the pot, compared to the player’s chance of winning the hand.
Pre-flop
When players have their pocket or hole cards but the community cards have not yet been dealt.
Purse
The total prize fund in a poker tournament.
Push
To bet all in.
Quads
Four of a kind.
Rags
Low valued cards.
Rainbow
Three or four cards all of different suits.
Raise
To increase the size of the biggest bet currently on the table.
Rake
An amount of money taken out of every pot in a cash game by the dealer which goes to the poker room as income.
Rakeback
A rebate of the rake which goes back to the player. These are normally a consequence of affiliate deals and player must be playing a relatively high volume of hands to benefit from such deals.
Rebuy
If you lose all your chips early in a tournament you may be offered a rebuy which will allow you to purchase the same number of chips you began with and start again.
Represent
To represent that you hold a particular hand to the other players around the table (whether you do hold it or not).
Re-raise
Raise again after a player has already raised.
Ring game
A regular Texas Hold ’em game as opposed to a tournament game.
River
Final community card.
Rock
A tight poker player that only plays very strong hands and as a consequence folds frequently.
Royal cards
Also known as picture or face cards, these are King, Queen, Jack of any suit.
Royal flush
A straight flush of the top five cards – 10JQKA.
Satellite
A tournament where the entry fee is usually low and the prize is qualification for a bigger, better tournament.
Scare card
A community card that could lead to a strong hand for somebody. For example if there were already 2 cards of one suit on the flop, to get a 3rd card of the same suit on the turn could have turned the player’s hole cards into a flush.
Set
Three of a kind (three of the same rank).
Short Stacked
A stack of chips that is low compared to others you are playing against.
Side pot
Another pot that is created in the event that one player goes all in early in a hand.
Sit N Go
A poker game which starts when a set number of players join. It can be single table or multi-table and will continue until all players have been eliminated thus leaving the winner. Can also be called “Sit and Go”.
Slow play
To give an impression of holding a weak hand (when in fact you have a strong hand) by checking or calling to only check-raise or raise later. A risky play.
Small blind
The smaller of the two mandatory bets made at the beginning of a Texas Hold ’em hand.
Stack
The number of chips a player holds at a given time.
Steal
A strong bet made with a weak hand to make other players around the table fold their hands so you take the blinds or weak calls. This is a form of representing a hand.
Straight
Five cards of a mixed suit in a sequence, such as 45678.
Straight flush
Five cards of the same suit in a sequence, such as 45678.
Tag
This is a tight but aggressive style of play. Tag players will only play strong hands and when played they will play them aggressively.
Tell
An indication, subconscious or otherwise that may give other players an indication as to the hand currently held by a player.
Three of a kind
Three of the same rank cards. Also known as trips or sets.
Tight
Tight players play a small number of hands and consequently fold a lot of hands.
Tilt
An emotional state (often caused by a bad beat) which can cause a player to lose their natural style of play and play super aggressively or recklessly and play hands that they wouldn’t normally play.
Trap
See “slow play”.
Trips
3 of a kind.
Turbo
A turbo is a type of poker tournament where the blind levels increase faster than normal. There tend to be a lot of turbo Sit N Go events.
Turn
The fourth community card. Also known as fourth street.
Under the gun
The player that is immediately to the left of the dealer – the first to play.
Value bet
A bet (usually fairly modest) made by a player which is meant to tempt other players into betting to increase the pot size in the knowledge that the better has a strong hand which will likely win in a showdown.
Variance
Variance is the measure by which your bankroll increases and decreases.
WSOP
World Series of Poker.