Glossary
GET TO KNOW THE TERMS
ACES UP: a hand with two pairs in which the high pair is Aces. You can use this expression for other cards. for example, if you had a pair of Kings and a pair of 4s, you could say, “Two pair, King high” or “Two pair, Kings over 4.”
ADVERTISE: to deliberately bluff and expose yourself as a loose player.
ALL-IN: to bet all your remaining chips. A more common occurrence in high-stakes poker, particularly in poker tournaments.
ANTE: an amount, decided before playing begins, that each player puts in the pot before the game begins.
BAD BEAT: when you play the correct odds but lose to a lucky hand. It happens.
BET INTO: to bet before someone whose hand appears better or who made a high bet the previous round.
BIG BLIND: a compulsory ante made by the person sitting two away from the dealer’s left. Commonly used in Holdem poker. See Blind.
BLIND: compulsory ante made by the player on the dealer’s left. Again, common in Holdem. Also, a bet made before looking at the cards. See Bigs blind.
BLUFF: to bet big with a poor hand to fool opponents into folding.
BOARD, ON THE: the cards that are exposed to all players. The center cards in community games such as Omaha and Holdem or the up cards in stud game.
BOAT, OR FULL BOAT: a full house.
BULLET: an ace.
BUMP: to raise. “I’ll see your $10 and bump you another $10.”
BUST: a poker hand that failed to materialize into anything good.
BUY-IN: the minimum money needed to sit in on a game.
CALL: to match a previous bet.
CHASE: to look for one specific card, or cards, in the hopes of improving your hand.
CHECK-RAISE: to check with a strong hand in the hopes of raising when the strategy betting comes back around. A controversial strategy. Also known as “sandbagging.”
CINCH: a hand that cannot lose. Also known as a “lock” or “nuts.”
COMMUNITY GAMES: games such as Holdem, Omaha, or Cincinnati, where players share a number of cards from the board.
CONNECTED CARDS: cards that are in consecutive order, for instance 4-5 or Q-K.
DEALER’S CHOICE: playing with a rotating dealer who chooses the game.
FIFTH STREET: in Holdem or Omaha, the fifth and final card to be turned over. In seven card stud, the fifth card dealt. See River.
FLOP: in Holdem or Omaha, the first three cards on the board to be exposed.
FOLD: to quit a hand.
FOUR-FLUSH OR FOUR-STRAIGHT: a hand with either four cards of the same suit or four cards in sequences. Until these hands are “filled” with a fifth card, they are worthless.
FOURTH STREET: in community poker, the fourth card to be exposed. In stud poker games, the fourth card dealt. See Turn.
FOUR TITS: a pair of Queens. Also known as a “Siegfried and Roy.”