How to Play poker
Poker Glossary:
Learn the lingo and chat like a pro!
| Action: | A player’s turn to play |
| Ante: | A small portion of the bet contributed by each player to seed the pot at the beginning of a new hand |
| All In: | When you run out of chips during a hand but do not want to fold, you can go all-in. This means that you have the potential of sharing in the pot up to and including your last bet to that pot but that you are not entitled to anything after that |
| Avatar: | This is a computer gaming phrase that has been adapted for online gambling – it refers to an image or figure that is used to represent a person |
| Away from Table: | When playing a Poker tournament, you are not allowed to ‘sit out’ a hand but you can be ‘away from table’. This is for when you leave the table, have a time-out or lose your internet connection |
| Backdoor: | Catching both the turn and the river card to make a drawing hand |
| Bad Beat: | Wild luck – when a large underdog hand beats a heavily favoured hand |
| Bet the Pot: | This term is used in Pot Limit games and is when your bet matches the current amount in the pot. |
| Bear: | A conservative player |
| Big Blind: | The larger of two blinds used in a Texas Hold’Em or limit game |
| Big Slick: | A nickname for the Ace and King whether suited or not |
| Blind: | A forced bet put in by one or more players before any cards are dealt |
| Blank: | A board card which does not affect the standings in the hand |
| Board: | All community cards in a Texas Hold’Em game |
| Bottom: | A pair with the lowest card on the flop |
| Bubble: | The point at which a player must bust out before all of the other players can win money |
| Burn: | To discard the top card from the deck face down. This is done between the betting rounds and is security against any player seeing the next card. |
| Button: | The marker, usually a white acrylic chip, that is used to indicate who is the dealer |
| Buy In: | Amount of money needed to enter a tournament |
| Call: | To put in an amount of money equal to the most recent bet or raise |
| Calling Station: | The player who calls a lot but who does not raise or fold much |
| Cap: | The last raise permitted on a betting round |
| Chop: | An agreement between two players with blinds to take their blinds back |
| Check: | This is when there is no bet on the table and you do not wish to place a bet – you may only check if there have been no prior bets |
| Clean Cut: | A card which will make your hand the best |
| Collusion: | This is a form of cheating where two or more players join together to get an unfair advantage by sharing information. This is not acceptable at African Palace Poker |
| Come hand: | A drawing hand |
| Complete Hand: | A set of five cards – a straight flush, full house, four of a kind or a straight flush |
| Community Cards: | These are the face up cards that are shared by all players in Texas Hold’Em and Omaha games |
| Crack: | To beat a big hand |
| Cripple the Deck: | A player who has most or all of the cards wanted |
| Cut Off: | A position or player who acts before the button |
| Dead Blind: | This occurs in a situation where a player has missed their blinds and wishes to re-enter the game before another player posts the Big Blind. The player wishing to re-enter the game must post both of the blinds. The small blind is then referred to as a dead blind and it does not go towards calling a bet |
| Dead Money: | The money contributed by a player who is no longer in the pot |
| Dog: | A bad hand or a bad card |
| Down Cards: | These are the face down cards that are dealt to the players round the table – they are also called hole cards |
| Draw: | To play a hand that is not good yet but which may be in of the right cards come along |
| Draw Dead: | To try and make a hand that will not win the pot – this is not a good position to be in |
| Drop: | To drop your hand means that you decide not to go any further with it – similar to mucking the cards |
| Duck: | Deuce or two |
| Extra Blind: | A blind put in by a player entering the game or change position at the table |
| Face Down: | These are dealt cards that are face down on the table and not visible to other players |
| Face Up: | These are the cards that are dealt face up on the table and which can be seen by the other players |
| Fast Play: | To play aggressively, betting and raising as much as possible |
| Fish: | A poor, unskilled or new player. This has led to the expression ‘Don’t tap the aquarium’ |
| Flop: | The first three community cards that are put out face up all together |
| Flush: | Any five cards in a hand that are all from the same suit |
| Fold: | To withdraw from a hand |
| Fold Equity: | The extra value you get from a hand when you force an opponent to fold |
| Forced Bet: | This is a mandatory bet |
| Four of a Kind: | Four cards of the same rank – a good hand |
| Foul: | A hand that may not be played for one reason or another |
| Free Card: | A turn or ricer card that does not have to call a bet because of play earlier in the hand |
| Free Roll: | A Poker tournament term, where the entry fee, the stakes or both are waived. In some non-free roll tournaments, the house may guarantee a minimum size pool |
| Full House: | A hand with a combination of three of a kind and a pair |
| Gap Hand: | A starting hand with cards that are more than one rank apart |
| Gunshot Straight: | A straight filled inside |
| Hand: | A set of cards used by a player during a single round. This term also refers to a single round of shuffling, dealing and betting |
| Heads Up: | A pot that is being contested by two players |
| Head to Head: | A game where only two players may participate |
| High Card: | The card with the highest rank |
| High / Low: | A variation of a game where the pot is split between the best hand and the worst hand (hand of the five lowest cards). This is often five, four, three, two and one (also called the wheel) as the lowest possible hand |
| Hold’Em: | Also called Texas Hold’Em. This is one of the most popular Poker games |
| Hole Cards: | The down cards in a player’s hand |
| In: | The term for an active player, one who has not folded |
| Inside Straight: | This term refers to when a player has four of the five kinds needed for a straight, with the missing card being inside the sequence rather than at either end. The player then gets the missing card, making the ‘inside straight’ |
| Jam: | To move ‘all in’ in a no-limit game |
| Kicker: | An unpaired card used to determine the better of two near equivalent hands |
| Leak: | A weakness in a player’s game that causes them to win less money |
| Limp: | To call |
| Live Blind: | A forced bet put in by one or more players before any cards are dealt. They can then raise when the action gets round to them. |
| Maniac: | A player who does hyper aggressive raising, betting and bluffing |
| Made Hand: | A hand to which you are drawing |
| Main Pot: | The initial pot of money |
| Minnow: | A player who jumps into the game without any money |
| Monkey: | A player who gets taken easily |
| Muck: | The pile of folded and burned cards in front of the dealer. It also refers to the act of returning a losing hand to the dealer face down |
| No Limit: | The player that can bet any amount, depending on how many chips he or she has |
| Nuts: | The best possible hand given to the board |
| Offsuit: | A Texas Hold’Em starting hand with two cards of different suits |
| On the Button: | This term means that you are in the dealer position in Texas Hold’Em and Omaha games |
| Out: | A card that will make your hand win |
| Outrun: | To beat |
| Overcard: | A card higher than any other card on the board |
| Overpair: | A pocket pair higher than any card on the flop |
| Pass: | This can be used in place of saying check or fold, depending on the context |
| Pat: | A hand that a player makes on the flop |
| Playing the Board: | This means that you have used all of the community cards in a game of Hold’Em as your best hand |
| Pocket: | The unique cards that only the player can see |
| Pocket Pair: | A Texas Hold’Em starting hand with two cards of the same rank making a pair. Also called Pocket Cards |
| On Tilt: | Playing while emotional |
| Quads: | Four of a kind |
| Rabbit: | A player who is like a fish but is more timid and who asks a lot of questions |
| Rainbow: | A flop that contains three different suits, therefore no flush can be made on the turn |
| Rake: | The amount of money taken out of every pot by the dealer |
| Raked Hand: | A rank hand is one in which the player has been dealt two cards and the game then produces a Rake. Irrespective of whether the player has decided to wager or not, he or she is recognized as having taken part in the hand and therefore qualifies |
| Rank: | The value of a card |
| Re-Buy: | This refers to the act of getting more chips during a game. This cannot be done during the hand and only applies to Real Money and tournament play |
| Reducing: | This is the act of removing chips from a table and then returning with fewer chips. This is considered to be poor Poker etiquette |
| Registration: | This is the process of joining African Palace Poker, where you are asked to select a screen name and a password and provide your location and email address. |
| Ring Game: | A regular Poker game played with money instead of chips |
| River: | The fifth and final community card put face up by itself |
| Rock: | A player who plays tightly but creatively |
| Royal Flush: | The best possible high hand – this is a straight flush from ten through to Ace of the same suit |
| Satellite: | A tournament that does not award cash but rather a seat to another tournament |
| Second Pair: | A pair with the second highest card on the flop |
| Showdown: | This happens after the final bet where all of the players show their hands or muck |
| Side Pot: | This a pot that is created separately from the main pot when a player goes all-in. The side pot is the pot that is available to those players who have not gone all-in and there can be more than one side pot in a game |
| Single Table Tournament: | This is a Poker table at which you may have to buy-in a set. All of the seat buy-in money foes into the prize pool and this is then returned to the top finishers per the payout table on the tournaments page. A fee is also normally required to play at this table. Players are staked an equal number of chips and play until one player has won all of the chips. These types of tournaments begin as soon as all of the seats at the table have been filled. |
| Sit Out: | African Palace Poker allows you to hold your seat while not participating in some hands. We may limit the amount of time that you may sit out and in blind games, you will be asked to post the equivalent of a blind if you return to that game prior to the blind reaching you. |
| Slow Play: | To play a strong hand weakly so that more players stay in the game |
| Small Blind: | The mandatory bet that has to be posted by the player to the immediate left of the dealer in Texas Hold’Em and Omaha games |
| Straight: | This is a hand in which the player has five hands in rank order. The suit does not matter |
| Straight Flush: | A straight of cards all in the same suit |
| Stud: | This is a generic terms for when the players receive their first card or cards followed by the dealing of some up cards which are solely for the use of the player. |
| Suited: | A Texas Hold’Em starting hand |
| Tell: | A clue or hint that a player unknowingly gives about his cards or his game |
| Three of a Kind: | A hand consisting of three cards of the same rank |
| Toke: | A small amount of money that is given to the dealer by the winner of the pot |
| Tournament Buy-In: | The coast to enter a tournament, which is usually returned to players via the prize pool |
| Tournament Fee: | The small fee that the house charges to enter a tournament |
| Trips: | Three of a kind |
| Turn: | The fourth community card |
| Two Pair: | A hand in which the players has two pairs of cards |
| Under-raise: | This occurs when a player raises a prior bet but then has to go all-in to do so with an amount that is less than a full raise |
| Wheel: | A straight from Ace through to five |