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.
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. Join an NJ online poker lobby and use the Party Poker bonus or the WSOP Promo Code to start out a little ahead.
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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”.
Read a World Series of Poker Review
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
Remember, poker phrases alone won't make you an expert. Read more to find out how to avoid rookie mistakes and practice your game with online poker.
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