Texas Hold’em Poker Glossary of Terms

List created by Gentari.

Action

When a player stays in a hand, giving action to the round.

Ante

A small bet put in by each player.

All In

To put all the rest of your money into the pot.

Backdoor

Catching the turn and river cards to make a hand.

Bad Beat

To have a hand that is way behind and has little chance of winning, “catch” an unlikely card or cards to beat the much stronger hand.

Bankroll

The money a player has to play with is their bankroll.

Bet

To wager.

Bet the Pot

To make a bet equal to the pot size.

Big Blind

The larger of the two blinds, the blind that is put in by the player 2 seats left of the dealer, except when 2 players are left, then the dealer is the small blind.

Big Slick

Nickname for the hand of ace-king. One of the best starting hands in texas hold’em.

Blank

A card in the community cards that does not affect the players hands.

Blind

A forced bet for the first two positions at the table. The small blind is put in by the first position and the big blind is put in by the second position. The only time this changes is when there are 2 players left, at this point the dealer is the small blind.

Bluff

To act like a hand is better than it really is.

Board

The community cards, the cards shared by the players.

Boat

A nickname for a full house, a set and a pair.

Bottom Pair

A pair that includes the smallest ranked card on the flop.

Broadway

Ace high straight.

Bullets

Two aces.

Burn Card

To discard the top card from the deck. This is done before the flop, turn and river.

Buy The Pot

Make a bet that causes the other players to fold without having to show your cards.

Buy In

The amount of money you pay to enter a game.

Call

To put in the amount of money equal to the bets before you. Once everyone at the table has called or all the money is in the pot, play continues to the next round.

Cash Game

Game using either currency, or poker chips exchanged for currency. You can leave the game at any time with your money as opposed to a tournament where you play until you win or are knocked out.

Check

When no one has bet in front of you and you do not bet.

Check Raise

To check and have the betting come back to you (not everyone checked or called) and you raise. This can be a sign of very strong cards, that a player was slow playing but since someone raised they are now raising even more!

Chop

When players decide to end a game early and split up the winnings between whomever is left in the game.

Color Up

Exchanging smaller chips for higher valued chips, this can happen when there are a lot of chips and blinds have grown to where smaller chips slow a game down because of all the counting.

Community Cards

The cards dealt face up and used by everyone to form hands.

Connector

Cards in which two cards are one apart in rank.

Dead Man’s Hand

Aces and Eights. Hand known from Wild Bill Hickock’s last hand.

Dead Money

Someone who plays in a tournament but doesn’t have a chance of winning so they are just contributing to the better players.

Dealer Button

A marker that indicates who is currently the dealer.

Draw to a Hand

Starting with cards that are 1 or 2 cards away from a hand and with the cards coming up making that hand.

Drawing Dead

No matter what cards come up at this point, you are drawing dead and can not possibly win.

Early Position

First player to act in a betting round.

Family Pot

A hand in which all the players call before the flop.

Fast Play

To play aggressively.

Fifth Street

Also known as the River, the fifth community card.

Flop

The first three community cards, put out face up.

Flush

Poker hand where all the cards are of the same suit.

Flush Draw

Poker hand where 4 cards are of the same suit and one more of that suit is needed to obtain a Flush.

Four Of a Kind

Four of the same ranked cards, for example 4 Kings.

Fourth Street

Also known as the Turn, the fourth community card.

Free Card

The turn or river card in which you don’t have to call a bet.

Free Roll Tournament

Tournament with free entry for prizes.

Full Boat

Another name for Full House, a set and a pair.

Full House

A set and a pair.

Gutshot Straight

A straight that is obtained by drawing a card that is inside the straight run.

Heads Up

When only 2 players are left in the game.

High Card

Poker hand is the highest card in the hand.

Hole Cards

Two cards in players hand.

In Position

Playing after another person.

Kicker

After matched hands, the top high card. For example if both players have a set of Jacks, the player with the next highest card has the top kicker.

Late Position

Final players to receive cards.

Limp In

To call pre-flop.

Limit Game

A version of texas hold’em in which a player must bet/raise by the current blind amount.

Live Blind

When a player has a forced bet and the player still has the option of raising when it is their turn.

Live Cards

Cards that are not matched up with an opponent, so matching either card improves your hand.

Low Limit Game

A small stakes game.

Middle Position

Player that acts half way through the round.

Muck

To fold the hand.

No Limit Game

A version of poker in which a player may bet any amount of chips (up to the number in front of him) whenever it is his turn to act.

Nuts

The best possible hand. When a player has the nuts, no one can beat their hand.

Offsuit

Cards with different suits.

Open Ended Straight Draw

Hand with 4 cards in a row and a possible card on either side of the straight.

Outs

The possible cards that will allow you to win the hand.

Over Card

A card that is higher than any card on the board.

Over Pair

A pair that is higher than any community card rank.

Over the Top

To bet over another bet, also known as a reraise.

Pair

Two cards of the same rank, for example two Jacks.

Pocket Cards

The card in the players hand.

Pocket Pair

Two cards of the same rank.

Position

Position of the player at the table, how far into the round the player has to act on his/her hand.

Post a Blind

When a player puts in money for the forced blind. The small blind is put in by the first position and the big blind is put in by the second position. The only time this changes is when there are 2 players left, at this point the dealer is the small blind.

Pot

Money that is in the current hand that the players are playing for.

Pot Committed

A point when the player has so much money into the pot, they will continue to stay in no matter what.

Pot Limit

Texas hold’em where a player may bet up to the amount of money in the pot.

Pot Odds

The amount of money that is in the pot compared to how much money the player has to put in to stay in the game.

Protect Your Money

To bet so that weaker hands fold, this will keep the number of players against you down and stop weaker hands from getting lucky.

Push

A tie in the game.

Rags

Bad cards.

Raise

To bet.

Rake

An amount of money taken out by the house.

Rebuy

An option to buy back into a tournament after you’ve lost your money.

Represent

To play a hand in a way that represents a certain hand.

Reraise

To raise a raise.

River

The fifth and final community card.

Rounder

A skilled poker player.

Runner

Sometimes referred to as runner-runner, meaning that both cards on the turn and river make the players hand.

Satellite Tournament

A tournament which awards a seat at a bigger tournament.

Semi-bluff

Bluffing without a strong hand, but a hand that can still be drawn to.

Set

Three of a kind.

Short Stacked

When a player has very little money compared to other players.

Showdown

When all the players show their hands at the end of a round.

Side Pot

A pot that is created since a player has all their money into the pot and at least two players are left betting above the all in players bet.

Slow Playing

Playing a strong hand weakly.

Small Blind

The smaller of two blinds, which is put in by the player left of the dealer.

Splash the Pot

To toss chips into the pot instead of keeping the chips in front of you. This makes it hard to keep track of bets.

Split Pot

A pot that is split by 2 or more players since they all have the same hand.

Stack

The stack of chips a player has.

Straddle

An optional extra blind bet which is made by the player one to the left of the big blind which is twice the big blind. It is basically like having 3 blinds.

Straight

A hand with 5 cards in sequence.

Straight Draw

A hand with 4 cards in sequence, with at least 1 card left to be flipped.

Straight Flush

A hand with 5 cards in sequence all of the same suit.

String Bet

Betting where the player puts in a certain amount of chips, then adds more after increasing the bet. This is not allowed since string betting could be a way of getting a reaction from your opponents.

Suited Cards

Cards that are the same suit.

Suited Connector

Cards that are the same suit and are off by one in rank.

Tell

Something that a player does that gives away information about their hand.

Three of a Kind

Three cards of the same rank.

Tilt

A player that is playing recklessly.

Top Kicker

After matched hands, the top high card. For example if both players have a set of Jacks, the player with the next highest card has the top kicker.

Trips

Three of a kind.

Turn

The fourth community card. Put out face up, by itself. Also known as “fourth street.”

Two Pair

A hand that contains 2 pairs.

Value Bet

A bet for value, when a player wants more players to call the bet to get more money into the pot.