L

Ladies

Two Queens.

Late Position

Position on a round of betting where the player must act after most of the other players have acted (usually considered to be the two positions next to the button).

Lay Down Your Hand

When a player folds.

Lead

The first player to bet into a pot.

Limit Poker

A game that has fixed minimum and maximum betting intervals along with a prescribed number of raises.

Limper

The first player who calls a bet.

Limp In

To enter the pot by calling rather than raising. (The usual concept of "Limp In" is when the first person to speak just calls the Big Blind.)

Live Blind

An instance where the player puts in a dark bet and is allowed to raise, even if no other player raises. It's also known as an "option".

Live Card(s)

In Stud Games, cards that have not yet been seen and are presumed to still be in play.

Live Hand

A hand that could still win the pot.

Live One

A not so knowledgeable player who plays a lot of hands.

Long Shot

Making a hand despite having few outs and/or poor odds.

Look

When a player calls the final bet before the showdown.

Loose

Is a player who plays a lot hands.

Lowball

Is a form of draw poker in which the lowest hand wins the pot.

Low Limit

A game where the amounts wagered are small.

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M

Main Pot

The center pot. Any other bets are placed in a side pot(s) and are contested among the remaining players. This occurs when a player(s) goes all-in.

Make

To make the deck is to shuffle the deck.

Maniac

A very aggressive player who plays a lot of hands.

Maverick

The name of a Queen and Jack in the pocket. Suited or otherwise.

Meet

To meet is to call.

Middle Pair

In flop games, when a player makes a pair with one of his/her down cards and the middle card on the flop.

Middle Position

Somewhere between the early and late positions on a round of betting (the fifth, sixth and seventh seats to the left of the button).

Mneumonics

Mental devices used to remember things. In Hold 'Em, often players have names for what pocket cards they have, like Big Slick or Maverick.

Muck

To discard or throw away your hand. It's also a pile of cards that are no longer in play.

Minimum Buy-In

The least amount you can start a game with.

Monster

A very big hand. In a tournament, a player who begins to accumulate chips after having a small stack is considered to be a monster.

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N

No Limit

A game where players can bet as much as they like (as long as they have it in front of them) on any round of betting.

Nuts

The best possible hand at any point of the game. A hand that cannot be beat.

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O

Odds

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

Offsuit

Cards of a different suit.

Omaha

A game in which each player is dealt four down cards with five community cards. To make your hand, you must play two cards from your hand and three from the board.

On the Button

Being the last player to act in a betting round. Dealer's Position.

Open

To make the first bet.

Open-ended Straight

Four consecutive cards whereby one additional (consecutive) card is needed at either end to make a straight.

Open Card

A card that is dealt face-up.

Open Pair

A pair that has been dealt face-up.

Option

An option is a Live Blind made in the dark before the cards are dealt. If no one raises, the "option" player may raise the pot.

Out Button

A disc placed in front of a player who wishes to sit out a hand(s) but remain in the game.

Outs

The number of cards left in the deck that will improve your hand.

Overpair

A pocket pair higher than any of the cards on the board.

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P

Paints

Face or picture cards (Jack, Queen and King).

Pair

Two cards of the same face or number value.

Pass

To fold.

Pay Off

To call on the final round of betting when you may or may not think you have the best hand.

Picture Cards

Face cards (Jack, Queen and King).

Play Back

To raise or re-raise another player's bet.

Playing the Board

In flop games when your best five card hand is all five of the community cards.

Pocket

The down cards or hole cards.

PocketCards

The two cards dealt to you at the beginning of a Hold 'Em hand that no one else is entitled to see.

Pocket Rockets

A pair of Aces in the pocket or hole.

Position

Where a player is seated in relation to the dealer, therefore establishing that player's place in the betting order.

Post

When you post a bet, you place your chips in the pot. (You must post the Blinds.)

Pot

The money or chips in the center of a table that players try to win.

Pot Limit

This is a game where the maximum bet can equal the pot.

Prop

A person hired by the cardroom to work as a shill.

Push

When the dealer pushes the chips to the winning player at the end of a hand. It's also when dealers rotate to other tables.

Put Down

To fold a hand.

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Q

Quads

Four of a kind.

Qualifier

In High-Low games, it is a requirement the Low hand must meet to win the pot.

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R

Rack

A tray that holds 100 poker chips in five stacks of twenty chips each.

Rail

The rim of a poker table or a barrier outside a poker area.

Railbird

Someone who hangs around a poker room who watches the games and/or is looking to get into action.

Raise

To increase the previous bet.

Rake

Chips taken from the pot by the cardroom for compensation for hosting the game.

Rank

The value of each card and hand.

Rap

When a player knocks on the table indicating that he/she has checked.

Ratholing

The illegal action of taking money off the table and putting it somewhere else.

Razz

Seven Card Stud where the lowest five cards win the pot.

Reading

Analysis of a player based on how they play, mannerisms, and tells.

Re-buy

The amount of money a player pays to add a fixed number of chips to his/her stack in a tournament.

Re-raise

To raise a raise.

Ring Game

A "live" game that is not a tournament.

River

This is the last card given in all games. In Hold'em and Omaha, it is also known as 5th street. In Stud games, it is also known as 7th street.

Rock

A passive, tight player.

Round of Betting

This is when players have the opportunity to bet, check or raise. Each round of betting ends when the last bet or raise has been called.

Rounders

Guys who hustle for a living. This is also the name of a popular poker movie starring Matt Damon and Ed Norton.

Royal Flush

This is an Ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10) of the same suit. It is the best possible hand in poker.

Run

The act of playing with more money than is typical or reasonable for you to play.

Rush

A winning streak.

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S

Sandbagging

Holding back and calling despite the fact that you have a very good hand, usually to disguise strength, provoke bluffs, and to check-raise.

Satellite

It is a mini-tournament to gain an entry into a larger tournament.

Scoop

To win the entire pot.

Seating List

A waiting list. A player would put his or her name on this list if there were no seats at the table at which they wish to play.

Second Pair

In flop games, when you pair the second highest card on the board.

See

To call.

Semi-Bluff

Betting with a mediocre or drawing hand.

Set

Having a pocket pair that matches one of the cards on the board.

Seven-card Stud

A well-known poker game in which players get three down cards and four up cards. You play the best five of those seven cards. Click here for information on Seven-card Stud.

Seventh Street

This is the final round of betting in Seven Card Stud and Stud 8 or Better.

Shills

Shills are paid props who help start and maintain poker games.

Short Buying

Purchasing chips after your initial purchase. Usually the minimum for a short buy-in is less than the initial buy-in.

Short-Handed

An adjective used to describe a game with few players.

Showdown

At the end of the final betting round, it's when all active players turn their cards face-up to see who has won the pot.

Side Pot

A separate pot(s) which is contested by remaining active players when one or more players are all-in.

Sixth Street

In Seven-card Stud, this is the fourth "up" card dealt to the player (their 6th card). It is also the 4th round of betting.

Soft Seat

A seat or game, which is favorable because of the lack of skill at the table.

Solid

A fairly tight player (and reasonably good).

Small Blind

The amount put in the pot by the person immediately to the left of the dealer "button" prior to the cards being dealt.

Speed Limit

A pair of fives.

Split

Tie.

Stack

A pile of chips.

Stay

When a player remains in the game by calling rather than raising.

Steal Raise

A raise by someone in late position in an attempt to reduce the number of players and/or steal the pot.

Steamrolling

Re-raising to make a player(s) call two bets instead of one.

Steel Wheel

A five high straight (A-2-3-4-5) of the same suit.

Straddle

A straddle is a Blind bet which is usually double the size of the Big Blind\ (and that player may raise when the action gets to him).

Straight

Five consecutive cards of any suit.

Straight Flush

Five consecutive cards of the same suit.

Structure

The limits put on the blinds/ante, bets, and raises in any particular game.

Stud Games

Games in which players get down cards and up cards.

Stuck

A player who is losing in a game.

Suit

A characteristic of a playing card. The card being either of Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, or Spades.

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T

Table

The surface on which poker is played.

Tell

An action that gives clues about the cards someone is holding.

Texas Hold'em

This is also the name for Hold'em, the most popular form of poker.

Third Street

In Seven Card Stud and Seven Card Stud 8 or Better, this is the first betting round on the first three cards.

Thirty Miles

Three tens.

Three of a Kind

Three cards of the same number or face value ("trips").

Tight

A player who doesn't play many pots. A tight game is one that doesn't have much action.

Tilt, On

Behavior as a result of losing, usually negative.

TOC

Tournament of Champions.

Top Pair

In flop games, when the player pairs one of his down cards with the highest card on board.

Top Two Pair

Having both your pocket cards match the highest two cards on the board.

Treys

A pair of threes.

Trips

Three of a kind.

Turn

In flop games, this is the fourth card dealt. It is the third round of betting.

Two Pair

A hand consisting of two different pairs.

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U

Underpair

A pocket pair of lower value than the lowest card on the board.

Under the Gun

Being the first person to act, being in the earliest position.

Up Card

A card that is dealt face-up.

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V-W

Walking Sticks

A pair of sevens.

Wild Card

A card that can be played as any value.

Worst Hand

A losing hand.

WSOP

World Series of Poker.

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CHAT GLOSSARY

This chat glossary will help with the social side of Poker when you chat with the other players during the game. Remember that if you type in capital letters it appears you are SHOUTING!!!

GG: Good Game - Usually said at the conclussion of a tournament

GH: Good Hand

GP: Good Play

GTG: Got To Go - A Player is leaving

HeHe: Giggling, usually expressed to a player that got lucky.

LOL: Laugh Out Loud - Usually from a player that responds to good humor from another player or mocks his own bad luck.

Str8: Straight

OMG: Oh My God - Used when a good hand is beaten by an even better hand, also known as a bad beat.

NH:Nice hand

Tilt: Used by a player on a bad run.

TY: Thank You - Comment from a player who has just won a big pot (various versions of this are used).

UW: You Wish.

VNH: Very Nice Hand

WTG: Way To Go - Congratulatory remark from one player to another.

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Dictionary 1