$8 FREE

for all new players, no deposit required

read more >


Poker Jargon, Poker Terms

Poker is full of strange words and expressions that the professionals use all the time, it can sometimes be a little embarrassing to admit that you don't know what they mean. It also won't help you to further your game if you don't have a pretty good understanding of the poker jargon that you will be always surrounded by.

To help you get to grips with the sometimes confusing words and phrases used whilst spectating or playing poker we have made an A to Z of everthing you'll need to know.



Our Poker Guide

  • Action When the player doesn't see it's his turn to play . The dealer might use the word your action sir.
  • Ante is the small amount of money that each of the players puts in the pot at the beginning of the poker game.
  • All-in, To run out of chips while betting. It isn't possible to go into your pocket for more money during a hand.If you run out, a side pot is created but your game will be all in.
  • Back Door 3 cards to a straight or a flush and get both the cards you need, it is said you've made a "backdoor" straight or flush.
  • Bad Beat To have a hand that is a large underdog beat a heavily favored hand.
  • Big Blind The big blind is normally a full first round bet.
  • Blank is board card that doesn't affect the standings in the hand
  • Blind is a bet put in by one or more players before any cards are dealt.
  • Board These are all the community cards in a hold'em game.
  • Bottom Pair A pair with the lowest card on the flop.
  • Burn To leave the top card from the deck, face down
  • Button used to refer to the player on the button.
  • Buy to bluff, hoping to make players between you and the button fold.
  • Call to put into the pot an amount of money equal to the most recent bet.
  • Calling Station A weak-passive player who calls a lot, but doesn't raise.
  • Cap To put in the last raise permitted on a betting round. You might also hear "Capitola" or "Cappuccino."
  • Case The last card of a certain rank in the deck.
  • Center Pot The first pot created during a poker hand
  • Check To not bet, or another name for a poker chip.
  • Check Raise To check and then raise when a player behind you bets.
  • Cold Call To call more than one bet in a single action.
  • Come Hand A drawing hand
  • Community Cards Cards that are presented face-up in the middle of the poker table.
  • Complete Hand A hand that is defined by all five cards - a straight, flush, full house or straight flush.
  • Connector When two cards are one apart in rank.
  • Counterfeit To make your hand less valuable
  • Crack To beat a hand
  • Cripple As in "to cripple the deck.
  • Dealer The person who deals the cards
  • Dog The under dog
  • Dominated Hand A hand that will almost always lose to a better hand
  • Draw playing a hand that is not yet good
  • Draw Dead Trying to make a hand that, even if made, will not win the pot
  • Equity Your "rightful" share of a pot
  • Expectation The amount you expect to gain on average
  • Extra Blind A blind put in by a player just entering the game, returning to the game
  • Family Pot A pot where all of the players call before the flop.
  • Fast Play fast.
  • Flop The first three community cards, put out face up, altogether.
  • Fold No chance of winning the current pot in poker
  • Foul A hand that may not be played for one reason or another
  • Free Card A turn or river card on which you don't have to call a bet because of play earlier.
  • Full HouseAny three cards of the same number or face value or any other two cards of the same number or face value.
  • Heads Up A pot that is being contested by only two players.
  • Hole Cards Cards dealt face-down to a player
  • Kicker An unpaired card used to determine the better of two near-equivalent hands
  • Nuts The best possible hand given the board
  • One-Gap A hold'em starting hand with two cards two apart
  • Outrun To beat
  • Overcard A card higher than any card on the board.
  • Pocket Your cards that only you can see
  • Post To put in a blind bet
  • Quads Four of a kind.
  • Rainbow A flop that contains three different suits
  • Rank The numerical value of a card e.g.8 of hearts
  • Rock A player who plays very tight, as solid as a rock
  • ide Pot A pot created in which a player has no interest because he has run out of chips
  • Split Pot A pot that is shared by two or more players
  • Suited A hold'em starting hand where two cards are the same suit
  • Table Stakes Where by a player can not go into his pocket during the game
  • Turn The fourth community card. Put out face up, by itself. Also known as "fourth street."


Online Poker Tournaments

Irish Open 2015


Info
Play Now

Knights Of Prague


Info
Play Now

Paddy's Tournament Championship


Info
Play Now

Sky Poker Tour


Info
Play Now

Poker nuts


Info
Play Now

888 Mobile Poker


Info
Play Now

Upcoming Tournaments


Info
Play Now

WSOP 2013


Info
Play Now