Poker Lingo

Curious as to what your fellow poker players are talking about? Here’s a crash-course in Poker Lingo 101.

Ante - The money put into the pot before any cards are dealt.

Bad Beat - When a good hand is beat by a not-so-good hand. In other words, someone got lucky. :)

Bankroll - The total amount of money someone has to play with.

Big Blind - A forced bet before any cards are dealt to ensure money is in the pot. This is the larger of the two forced bets.

Bluff - Making everyone think you have a better hand than you do.

Button - A marker signifying who the dealer is during a round. When a dealer is provided, this button marks who “would be” the dealer if there wasn’t one. It shows where play begins.

Call - Matching the last bet.

Check - Choosing not to bet, but to see what happens.

Check-Raise - Choosing not to bet, then raising someone who bets.

Community Cards - In Texas Hold’em, these are the cards placed in the center of the table for all to see.

Drawing Dead - Drawing a card with no way to improve your hand over your opponents hand.

Fish - A easy player to win against.

Flop - In Texas Hold’em, these are the first three cards placed in the center of the table, face-up, all at once.

Fold - To throw away your hand, because you don’t think it’s the strongest.

Free Card - A card you get to see without placing a bet.

High Card - Any card with a value of Nine or higher.

Hole Cards - In Texas Hold’em, these are the first two cards dealt to each player, that only that player sees.

Limit - A Texas Hold’em game that restricts how much you may bet or put in the pot at any given time.

Limp - Betting in before the flop with the smallest bet possible.

No Limit - A Texas Hold’em game that lets you put in as many chips as you want, whenever you want.

Nuts - The best possible hand during the round.

Position - Where you sit at the table.

Pot - The total amount of money bet during a round, available for someone to win.

Raise - Increasing the last bet.

Rainbow - A flop with three different suits shown.

River - In Texas Hold’em, this is the fifth (and last) card placed in the center of the table, face-up.

Rock - A tight player who doesn’t usually bluff.

Round of Betting - Going around the table and letting everyone bet or fold.

Shark - A very difficult player to play against.

Small Blind - A forced bet before any cards are dealt to ensure money is in the pot. This is the smaller of the two forced bets.

Steal - Raising the bets to try and get the pot without any competition.

Tell - An unconscious thing someone does that gives away the strength of their hand.

Tight - A player who plays only the strongest hands.

Tilt - A player who starts playing reckless.

Turn - In Texas Hold’em, this is the fourth card placed in the center of the table, face-up.