Baby

A small card.

Back Door Flush (or Straight)

When the last two cards make a player's hand, even though he or she played on the flop for some other reason.

Back Into A Hand

To draw into a hand different from the one you were originally trying to make.

Bad Beat

When a stronger hand is beaten.

Bankroll

The amount of money you have available to wager.

Behind

You're behind if you don't have the best hand before the last cards have been dealt.

Belly Buster

A draw to fill an inside straight; a gut shot.

Bet

To voluntarily put money or chips into the pot.

Bet For Value

Betting in order to raise the amount in the pot, not to make your opponents fold.

Bet Into

To bet before a stronger hand, or a player who bet strongly on the previous round.

Bet The Pot

To bet the total value of the pot.

Betting Black

Betting $100 amounts (black is a common color for $100 chips).

Betting Green

Betting $25 amounts (green is a common color for $25 chips).

Betting Red

Betting $5 amounts (red is a common color for $5 chips).

Betting White

Betting $1 amounts (white is a common color for $1 chips).

Betting Interval

The period during which each active player has the right to check, bet or raise; the round of betting.  

Bicycle

The lowest possible hand in lowball; Ace-2-3-4-5; Also called a wheel.

Big Bet Poker

Another term for pot-limit and no-limit poker.

Big Blind

The forced bet in second position before any cards are dealt. The player in this position can raise if no one else has before the cards are dealt.

Big Slick

The Ace-King card combination.

Blank

A card that is of no value to a player's hand.

Blind

A forced bet that one or more players to the dealer's left must make before cards are dealt to start the action on the first round of betting.

Blind Raise

When a player raises without first looking at his or her cards.

Blow Back

To lose back one's profits.

Bluff

To bet or raise with a hand that is unlikely to be the best hand.

Board

In flop games, the five cards that are turned face up in the center of the table; in Seven-Card Stud, the four cards that are dealt face up to each player.

Boat

Another name for full house.

Bottom Pair

When you use the lowest card on the flop to make a pair.

Bounty

A small amount of cash awarded to a player when he knocks out another player in some tournaments.

Brick

A blank or card that provides no help to a hand.

Bring-In

The forced bet made on the first betting round by the player dealt the lowest card showing in Seven-Card Stud and the highest card showing in razz.

Bring It In

To start the betting on the first round.

Broadway

An ace high straight.

Brush

A card room employee responsible for managing the seating list.

Buck

In all flop games, a small disk used to indicate the dealer, or used to signify the player in the last position if a house dealer is used; a button.

Bug

A Joker that can be used to make straights and flushes and can be paired with Aces, but not with any other cards.

Bullet

An Ace.

Bullets

A pair of Aces.

Bump

To raise.

Buried Pair

In stud games, a pair in the hole.

Burn

To deal off the top card, face down, before dealing out the cards (to prevent cheating); or to set aside a card that has been inadvertently revealed.

Bust

A worthless hand that has failed to improve as the player hoped; a busted hand.

Bust a Player

To deprive a player of all his chips; in tournament play, to eliminate a player.

Bust Out

To be eliminated from a tournament by losing all your chips.

Busted

Broke, tapped.

Busted Flush

A hand with only four of five cards in a flush.

Button

In all flop games, a small disk used to signify the player in the last position if a house dealer is used; a buck.

Buy-In

The minimum amount of money required to sit down in a particular game.

Cage

The cashier, where you exchange cash for chips and vice versa.

Call

To match the previous rate; rather than raise.

Calling Station

A player who invariably calls, and is therefore hard to bluff out.

Cap

In limit games, the limit on the number of raises in a round of betting.

Card Room

The room or area in a casino where poker is played.

Case Card

The last card of a denomination or suit, when the rest have already been seen.

Case Chips

A player's last chips.

Cash In

To leave the game and convert one's chips to cash, either with the dealer or at the cage.

Cash Out

To leave a game and cash in one's chips at the cage.

Caught Speeding

Slang for caught bluffing.

Chase

To stay in against an apparently stronger hand, usually in the hope of filling a straight or flush.

Check

To abstain from betting, reserving the right to call or raise if another player bets. Also another name for a chip.

Check-Raise

To check and raise in the same betting round.

Check In The Dark

To check before looking at the card or cards just dealt.

Chip Race

As the limits increase in tournaments, lower denomination chips are taken out of circulation. Rather than rounding odd chips up or down for each player, the players are dealt a card for each odd chip. The player with the highest card is given all the odd chips, which are then colored up.

Chop

To return the blinds to the players who posted them and move on to the next hand, if nobody calls the blind.

Cinch Hand

An unbeatable hand; the nuts.

Closed Hand

A hand in which all cards are concealed from the opponents.

Closed Poker

Games in which all of the cards are dealt face down.

Coffee Housing

An attempt to mislead opponents about one's hand by means of devious speech or behavior.

Cold

If a player says his cards have "gone cold," he's having a bad streak.

Cold Call

To call a raise without having already put the initial bet into the pot.

Cold Deck

A fixed deck.

Color Up

To exchange one's chips for chips of higher value, usually to reduce the number of chips one has on the table.

Come

Playing a worthless hand in the hope of improving it is called "playing on the come."

Come Hand

A hand that has not yet been made, requiring one or more cards from the draw to complete it.

Come Over The Top

To raise or re-raise an opponent's bet.

Commit Fully

To put in as many chips as necessary to play your hand to the river, even if they're your case chips.

Community Cards

In flop games and similar games, the cards dealt face up in the center of the table that are shared by all active players.

Connectors

Consecutive cards which might make a straight.

Counterfeit

In Omaha Hi/Lo, when the board pairs your key low card, demoting the value of your hand.

Cowboy

Slang for a King.

Crack

To beat a powerful hand.

Crying Call

A call with a hand you think has a small chance of winning.

Cut It Up

To split the pot after a tie.

Cut The Pot

To take a percentage of each pot for the casino running the game.

Dead Card

A card no longer legally playable.

Dead Hand

A hand no longer legally playable, due to some irregularity.

Dead Money

Money put into the pot by players who have already folded.

Dealer's Choice

A game in which each dealer, in turn, chooses the type of poker to be played.

Declaration

In high-low poker, declaring by the use of coins or chips whether one is aiming to win the high or the low end of the pot, or both.

Declare Games

Games in which a player must declare the value of his hand in order to claim the pot.

Deuce

A two, the lowest ranking card in high poker.

Deuce to Seven

Another term for Kansas City Lowball, a two to seven without a flush, being the best hand.

Dominate

Said of a starting hand that will almost always beat another starting hand.

Door Card

In Seven-Card Stud, the first exposed card in a player's hand.

Double Belly Buster

A hand with two inside straight draws.

Double Gut Shot

A draw to a broken sequence of cards, in which either of two cards will make the straight.

Double Through

Going all-in against an opponent in order to double your stack if you win the hand.

Down Cards

Hole cards.

Down To The Felt

A player who has lost most of his chips.

Draw Lowball

A form of poker in which the lowest hand wins.

Draw Out

To improve your hand so that it beats an opponent who had a better hand than yours prior to your draw.

Draw Poker

A form of poker in which each player receives five cards and then has the option of discarding one or more of them and receiving new cards in their place.

Drawing Dead

Drawing to a hand that cannot possibly win.

Drawing Hand

A potentially strong hand requiring a particular card from the draw to make it.

Driver's Seat

The player who is making all the betting and thus appears to hold the strongest hand is said to be in the driver's seat.

Drop

To fold.

Early Position

A position on a round of betting in which you must act before most of the other players.

Effective Odds

The ratio of the total amount of money you expect to win if you make your hand to the total amount of bets you will have to call to continue from the present round of betting to the end of the hand.

Equity

The value of a particular hand or combination of cards.

Even Money

A wager in which you hope to win the same amount as you bet.

Expectation

The profit or loss you would expect to make on average over a number of hands.

Family Pot

A pot in which most of the players at the table are still involved at the end of the hand.

Favorite

A hand that has the best chance of winning.

Fifth Street

In flop games, the final round of betting and the fifth community card on the board; in stud games, the fifth card dealt to each player and the third betting round (on the third up-card).

Fill

To pull the card one is seeking; to hit.

Fill Up

To make a full house.

Fish

A poor player; an amateur who is losing a lot of money.

Fishhooks

Slang for Jacks.

Five-Card Draw

A draw poker game in which the players start with five cards and then may draw to replace them.

Five-Card Stud

A stud poker game in which each player gets one concealed card and four exposed cards.

Flat Call

To call a bet, without raising.

Flat Limit

A betting limit in a poker game that does not escalate from one round to the next.

Flop

In flop games, the first three community cards, which are turned face up simultaneously and start the second round of betting.

Flop Games

A family of poker games played with five community cards. The first three cards, turned face up simultaneously, are called the flop. Popular flop games include Texas Hold Em and Omaha.

Flush

Five cards of the same suit.

Flush Draw

Having four cards of the same suit, and hoping to draw a fifth to make a flush.

Fold

To withdraw from the hand rather than bet or raise; to give up.

Forced Bet

A required bet to start the action on the first round of a poker hand.

Four-Flush

Four cards of the same suit, requiring a fifth to make a flush.

Four Of A Kind

Four cards of the same denomination.

Fourth Street

In flop games, the fourth card on board and the third round of betting, the turn; in Seven-Card Stud, the fourth card dealt to each player and the second round of betting (on the second up-card).

Free Card

A card that a player gets without having to call a bet.

Free Ride

To stay in a hand without being forced to bet.

Freeroll

A situation in which two players have the same hand, but one of the players has a chance to better his hand.

Freeze Out

A game or tournament in which all players start with the same amount and play until one player has won all the chips.

Full House

Any three cards of the same denomination, plus any pair of a different denomination.

G-Note

A one thousand dollar bill.

Get The Right Price

The pot odds are favorable enough for you to justify calling a bet or a raise with a drawing hand.

Get Full Value

Betting, raising and re-raising in order to manipulate the size of the pot so that you will be getting maximum pot odds if you win the hand.

Get There

To make your hand.

Give Action

Betting, calling, raising or re-raising.

Gut-Shot

A card drawn to fill an inside straight.

Gypsy In

In lowball, to limp in.

Hand

A players best five cards.

Heads-Up

A game between just two players, often the climax of a tournament.

High-Low

A poker game in which the highest and lowest hands share the pot. Also called High-Low Split.

Hit

To pull the card one is seeking; to fill.

Hit And Run

A player who has only been at the table a short amount of time and leaves after winning a big pot.

Hold Em

A form of poker in which players use five community cards in combination with their two hole cards to form the best five-card hand. Also called Texas Hold em.

Hole Cards

The cards concealed.

Home Run Hitter

A player who makes big plays that require maximum risk.

Horsing

Passing a small amount of money to another player after winning a pot; scooting.

House

The establishment; the casino or card room.

Hot

Said of a player on a winning streak.

Ignorant End

The low end straight.

Implied Odds

The amount of money you expect to win if you make your hand versus the amount of money it will cost you to continue playing.

In

A player is "in" if he or she has called all bets.

In the Air

When the tournament director instructs the dealers to get the cards in the air, it means to start dealing.

In The Dark

To check or bet blind, without looking at your cards.

Inside Straight

Four cards requiring one in the middle to fill a straight.

Insurance

Selling the actual outcome of the hand for its mathematical equity.

Isolate

To raise with the intention of reaching a heads up between yourself and a single other player.

Jackpot Poker

A form of poker in which the card room offers a jackpot for particularly bad beats. Typically you must have aces full or better.

Jacks Or Better

A form of draw poker in which a player needs at least a pair of Jacks to start the betting.

Jam

To bet or raise the maximum.

Jammed Pot

The pot has been raised the maximum number of times, and may also be multi-way.

Joker

The fifty-third card in the deck, used as a wild card or a bug.

Kansas City Lowball

A form of lowball poker played for a deuce to seven low.

Keep Honest

To call an opponent on the river, even though you believe he has a better hand than you do.

Key Card

The one card that will make your hand.

Key Hand

In a tournament, the hand that proves to be a turning point, for better or worse.

Kick It

To raise.

Kicker

The highest unpaired side card.

Kill

A kill game is one in which a player may place an extra bet, causing the betting limits to go up for just that hand. The player posting the bet is the "killer," and the hand is considered a "kill pot." The player is said to have "killed the pot" for the amount of the kill.

Knave

A Jack.

Late Position

A position on a round of betting in which you act after most of the other players have acted.

Lay Down

To reveal one's hand in a showdown.

Lay Down Your Hand

To fold.

Lead

To be the first to enter the pot after the blind.

Leak

To lose back part or all of one's winnings through other gambling habits.

Legitimate Hand

A strong hand that is not a bluff.

Limit Poker

A game with fixed minimum and maximum betting intervals.

Limp In

To enter the round by calling a bet rather than raising.

Limper

A player who enters the pot for the minimum bet.

Live Blind

When the player is allowed to raise even if no one else raises first; straddle.

Live Card

In stud games, a card that has not yet been seen in an opponent's hand and is presumed likely to be still in play.

Live Hand

A hand that is still eligible to win the pot.

Live One

An inexperienced, bad or loose player who apparently has plenty of money to lose; a rich sucker.

Lock

A hand that cannot lose; a cinch hand.

Long Odds

The odds for an event that has a relatively small chance of occurring.

Look

To call the final bet (before the showdown).

Loose

Playing more hands than the norm.

Loose Game

A game with a lot of players in most pots.

Lowball

A form of poker in which the lowest hand wins.

When a player goes all-in, that player is only eligible to win the main pot - the pot consisting of the bets they were able to match. Additional bets are placed in a side pot and are contested among the remaining players.

Make

To make the deck is to shuffle.

Make A Move

To try a bluff.

Maniac

A very aggressive player who plays hands more conservative players would not play.

Mark

A sucker.

Marker

An IOU.

Mechanic

A cheat who manipulates the deck.

Meet

To call.

Middle Pair

A middle pair is made by pairing a hole card with the middle community card on the flop.

Middle Position

A position on a round of betting somewhere in the middle.

Miss

To be unable to make your drawing hand when the final cards are dealt.

Monster

A hand that is almost certain to win.

Move In

To go all-in.

Muck

To discard a hand; also the discard pile in which all cards are dead.

Narrow the Field

To bet or raise in order to scare off other players whose hands are currently worse than yours, but have the potential to improve.

Nit

To bide your time, patiently waiting for a playable hand.

No-Limit Poker

A game in which players can bet as much as they have in front of them on any given round.

Nut Flush

The best available flush.

Nuts

The best possible hand at any point in the game, a cinch hand.

Odds

The probability of making a hand versus the probability of not making the hand.

Offsuit

Two different suits, used to describe the first two cards.

Omaha

A flop game similar to Hold 'Em, but each player is dealt four cards instead of two, and a hand must be made using exactly two pocket cards, plus three from the table.

On Board

On the table; in the game.

On The Come

A hand that is drawing to a straight or flush.

On Tilt

Playing poorly, usually because of becoming emotionally upset.

One-Gap

An inside straight.

Open

To make the first bet.

Open-Ended Straight

Four consecutive cards requiring one at either end to make a straight.

Open Card

Exposed card; a card dealt face-up.

Open Pair

An exposed pair; a pair of face-up cards.

Open Poker

Games where some of the cards are dealt face up.

Option

When a player posts a live blind, that player is given the option to raise when their turn comes around, even if no one else has raised; straddle.

Out

A card remaining in the deck that could hopefully improve your hand.

Outdraw

To beat an opponent by drawing to a better hand.

Outrun

Outdraw.

Overcall

To call a bet after another player has already called.

Overcard

In stud games, a card higher than your opponent's probable pair; in flop games, a card higher than any card on the board.

Overpair

In flop games, a wired pair higher than any card on the board.

Paint Cards

King, Queen and Jack; face cards; court cards; picture cards.

Pair

Two cards of the same denomination.

Pass

To fold.

Pat Hand

A hand that is played as dealt, without changing a card; usually a straight, flush or full house.

Pay Off

To call or raise a bet when you don't think you have the best hand.

Pay Station

A player who calls, bets and raises much more than is typical.

Picture Cards

King, Queen and Jack; face cards; court cards; paint cards.

Pip

The suit symbols on a non-court card, indicating its rank.

Play Back

To raise or re-raise an opponent's bet.

Play Fast

Aggressively betting a drawing hand to get full value for it if you make it.

Play With

Staying in the hand by betting, calling, raising or re-raising.

Playing the Board

In flop games, if your best five card hand uses the five community cards.

Pocket

Another term for hole.

Pocket Rockets

A pair of aces in the hole.

Position

Your seat in relation to the dealer, and thus your place in the betting order.

Post

To post a bet is to place your chips in the pot.

 Pot

The money or chips in the center of the table.

Pot Limit

A game in which the maximum bet is the total of the pot.

Pot Odds

The amount of money in the pot versus the amount of money it will cost you to continue in the hand.

Prop

Short for proposition player; similar to a shill, but plays with his own money.

Proposition Player

A card room employee who joins a game with his own money when the game is shorthanded, or to get a game started; similar to a shill.

Protect A Hand

To protect a hand is to bet so as to reduce the chances of anyone outdrawing you by getting them to fold.

Protect Your Cards

To protect your cards is to place a chip or some other small object on top of them so that they don't accidentally get mucked by the dealer, mixed with another player's discards, or otherwise become dead when you'd like to play them.

Provider

A player who makes the game profitable for the other players at the table; a nicer term for a fish.

Push

When the hand is finished and a winner is determined, the dealer pushes the chips towards the winner.

Put Down

To fold a hand.

Put Him On

To guess an opponent's hand and play accordingly.

Putting On The Heat

Pressuring your opponents with aggressive betting strategies to get the most value from your hand.