Poker Terms and Phrases: Speak like a Pro Poker Player

It's easy to identify poker-newbies when they can't keep up the pace with the conversation. Don't be that person!

Whether you already play poker or you are about to start there are many important poker terms and poker hands to know before you sit at the table.

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Poker Terms: Beginning Definitions
Poker Terms: Advanced Definitions
Poker Terms: Expert Definitions

A poker game is also more enjoyable if you know the poker terms, or can talk poker jargon and understand the most popular poker slang. At least if you can't walk the walk you can talk the talk!

Our poker lexicon or poker glossary if you prefer, will help you to become a pro at poker phrases.

Terrify and convince others that you are a veteran poker player by using these poker expressions and buy yourself some time to practice your poker face.

Poker Terms: Beginning Definitions

All-in: when a player bets all of his/her chips. Usually a sign of confidence or a big bluff.
Buy in: the minimum amount of money needed by a player to join the table
Call: matching a bet
Community cards: cards that are face up on the table
Check: if a player has already bet the same amount as the others and does not wish to further increase his bet on his turn he can ‘check’.
Chip: a round token that is used instead of cash while playing poker
Chip Leader: the person with the most chips at the table
Dealer: the person who deals the cards and monitors the game
Drop: another way to say fold
Face Down: cards facing downwards on the table
Flop: the first three community cards that are dealt face-up in the center of the table
Flush: any five cards of the same suit
Fold/Pass: to discard one's cards and not continue for that round
Four of a Kind: four cards of the same value
Full House: combination of any three cards of the same value and a pair
Hold'em: also known as Texas hold'em is a game where players get two cards down and five community card
Inside Straight: four cards which require another between the top and the bottom card to complete a straight
Pot: the chips/money in the center of a table that players try to win
Main Pot: the center pot of chips
Raise: to increase the previous bet
River: the last card dealt in all games
Suit: the kind of playing card for example, Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts or Spades.
Up Card: a card dealt face up

Poker Terms: Advanced Definitions

Blind Bet: to bet before looking at your cards
Bluff: to make other players believe you have a better hand than you actually have
Four of a Kind: four cards of the same value
Muck: a pile of cards that are no longer in play
Odds: the chance of winning a game
Royal Flush: an Ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10) of the same suit
Straight Flush: five consecutive cards of the same suit.
Straight: five consecutive cards of any suit
Sit and go: a type of poker tournament
Trips: nickname for three of a kind
Turn: nickname for the fourth community card in Hold'em and Omaha
Two Pair: a hand with two different pairs
Wheel: A-2-3-4-5. The best possible low hand. Also called a “Bicycle”.

Poker Terms: Expert Definitions

Action Card: An action card is a card that comes on the turn or river that will cause significant betting for two or more players in a hand.
AJax: poker slang for a starting hand with one ace and one jack
American Airlines: poker slang for pocket aces
Ammo: slang term often used at a poker table when referring to chips.
Angle: a move in a poker game that is usually legal but ethically questionable.
Bad Beat: when a player loses even though, at one point, he was a statistical favorite to win
Blank: a card that hits no player in a hand
Buried Pair: two downcards of the same value
Chip and a chair: the poker equivalent to “it's not over until it's over”
Clamp: having your opponent in a clamp indicates that your hand is so much stronger than his
Coffee Housing: the act of talking during a poker, hand, usually in an effort to gain information
Crowbar: betting your opponent in one hand
Deuce: the preferred term for ‘two' in poker
Dime: Classical gambler lingo which mean one thousand dollars
Door card/widow card: first card visible in a stud hand
Ducks: the hand 2-2 in poker
Fish: an inexperienced poker player
Four of a kind: when a player holds all four cards of the same rank
Hanger: a card at the bottom of the deck that sticks out further that the rest and is a sign of cheatin
Lock: an unbeatable poker hand
Longhanded: poker game played with 7 or more people at the table
One-eyed jack: a nickname for the jack of spades and the jack of hearts
Pass: another way to say ‘fold'
Trigger: when you ‘pull the trigger' in poker, you are usually bluffing
Suck out: slang for when someone draws out their opponent
Value bet: this is making a bet in poker with the intention of getting paid-off by a worse hand