Action
Your turn to make a move, mate. If you're daydreaming, the dealer'll let you know. Also means all the betting and raising. "If a third heart hits and there's loads of action, someone's definitely flopped the flush."
All-in
You've backed yourself into a corner and pushed all your chips in. Once they're gone, they're gone, no sneaking into your pocket for more. If you run out mid-hand, a side pot gets created that you can't touch. But hey, you can still win the main pot. Poor bugger.
Ante
A wee bit of chips from everyone to get the pot started. Think of it as the entry fee before the real craic begins. Most Hold'em games skip this and use blinds instead.
Backdoor
You need two specific cards to show up (turn and river) to actually make your hand. Like hitting the lottery twice. "He backdoored a flush and I nearly threw my cards across the table."
Bad Beat
When Lady Luck gives the middle finger to probability. A massive underdog catches the one card in the deck that wins the pot. You'll hear plenty of bad beat stories. Unfortunately, you'll probably have a few of your own.
Bet
First chips going into the pot on any street. That's the opening move of the round.
Big Blind
The larger forced bet at the start. Usually a full bet size. It's the big boy of the two blinds.
Blank
A community card that's about as useful as a chocolate teapot. Doesn't help anyone's hand. If the flop's A-J-T and the turn is a 2, that 2 is a proper blank.
Blind
Forced money in before you've even seen your cards. Usually from the players left of the button. It's the house's way of making sure there's something worth fighting for.
Bluff
Betting like you've got the goods when you're actually holding rubbish. The goal? Get everyone else to fold and nick the pot.
Board
All the community cards put together: flop, turn, river, the whole lot. "There wasn't a single heart on the board" = no flush possible.
Bottom Pair
A pair made with the lowest card on the flop. If you've got A-6 and the flop's K-T-6, you've flopped bottom pair. It's not the strongest hand you can make.
Burn
The dealer tosses the top card face-down before dealing out the next community card. Security measure so nobody can peek or predict what's coming.
Button
The marker showing who's the dealer (or would be). Also just means "the guy on the button." It moves around the table clockwise after each hand.
Buy
(1) "Buy the pot" – bluff your way to nicking the pot without a call. (2) "Buy the button" - bet or raise to make everyone between you and the button fold so you act last.
Call
Match the current bet and stay in the hand. Simple as. You put in what the last person bet.
Calling Station
A player who calls everything but rarely raises or folds. The type you want sitting across from you. Basically, a goldmine.
Cap
The last raise allowed on a betting round (usually the third or fourth raise). After that, no more raising, just calls. Dealers love saying "Cap" dramatically.
Case
The last card of a particular rank left in the deck. "He had pocket eights, I had pocket jacks, and the case eight came on the river to beat my full house." Gutting.
Center Pot
The original pot created at the start of the hand, before any side pots get created. Also called the "main pot."
Check
(1) Not betting but keeping your hand alive – you might call or raise later. (2) Also means a chip (as in "poker chip").
Check-Raise
You check, and then when someone else bets, you raise. Some old-timers say it's dodgy, but it's totally legit and a brilliant tactic, especially in low-limit games.
Cold Call
Calling more than one bet in one go. If someone raises and then someone else re-raises, you're calling two bets "cold" if you jump in. Different from calling one bet and then calling a raise after.
Come Hand
A drawing hand. You're not there yet, but you're hoping to "come" into a strong hand. Borrowed the term from craps, probably.
Community Cards
Cards laid face-up in the middle for everyone to share. Also called "board cards" or just "the board." In Hold'em and Omaha, these are your best mate.
Complete Hand
Five cards that make a complete, finished hand: straight, flush, full house, straight flush. No drawing required.
Connector
Two cards right next to each other in rank. K-Q or 7-6, for example. They work together nicely.
Counterfeit
When the board cards make your hand way less valuable. You've got 8-7 and flop 9-T-J for a straight, then an 8 comes on the turn. That's counterfeited your straight into almost nothing.
Crack
To beat someone's big hand, especially pocket aces. "That's the third time tonight I've had my aces cracked!" throws hands up in frustration
Cripple
To have most or all the cards someone would need. You've got pocket kings and the other two kings flop: you've crippled the deck. Everyone else is drawing thin.
Dealer
The person dealing the cards (or the marker showing who would be dealing). In casinos and online, there's usually a professional or automated dealer, so the "button" marker is used instead.
Dog
Short for "underdog." A hand that's not favored to win. Like calling someone "Dog" but in poker terms.
Dominated Hand
A starting hand that's basically going to lose to a better hand most of the time. K-3 is dominated by K-Q – unless something weird happens, you're cooked.
Draw
Playing a hand that's not good yet but could get there. "I'm drawing to a flush." Or as a noun: "I've got a good draw so I'm staying in."
Draw Dead
Trying to make a hand that literally can't win even if it does get there. Your opponent's already got a full house and you're drawing to a flush? You're drawing dead, mate. Rough.
Equity
Your fair share of the pot based on your winning chances. If there's 40 equity. Doesn't mean you'll win exactly that, but it's what you can expect on average.
Expectation
(1) The average amount you expect to win (or lose) from a specific play. (2) Your hourly or session win rate. If you win 5.27/hr.
Extra Blind
A blind put in by someone who's just sat down, coming back, or moved seats. Gets them in the game fairly.
Family Pot
A pot where pretty much everyone at the table called before the flop. Loose and wild.
Fast
Playing a hand aggressively: betting and raising loads. "You've got to play that fast when you flop a set with a flush draw possible."
Favourite
A hand that's statistically favored to win. The math's on your side. Also spelled "Favorite" if you're American about it.
Flop
The first three community cards, dealt face-up all at once. This is where Hold'em really starts.
Fold
Chuck your hand in the bin and get out of the pot. You lose what you've already bet, but you're safe from losing more.
Foul
A hand that's somehow invalid and can't win anything. Maybe you've got three cards when you should have two, or something went pear-shaped. If you've got a foul hand, tough luck – you're not getting a penny.
Free Card
A card where you don't have to pay to see it because of earlier plays or your reputation. You bet the flop, they check the turn (because you're scary), so you see the turn card for free. Lovely.
Free Roll
You're tied with someone right now, but you've got an extra way to win that they don't. You've both got A-Q and there's two clubs on the flop – but you've got a club, so you can win the whole pot with a flush. They can't. That's a free roll.
Gutshot Straight
Making a straight by hitting one specific card in the middle. You've got 9-8, board's 7-5-2, and the 6 comes – that's your gutshot straight. One specific card, slim odds.
Heads Up
Just two players left battling for the pot. "It went heads up on the turn and one of them sucked out."
Hit
When the flop (or turn/river) helps your hand. "The flop hit me" means it's got cards you wanted. You've got A-K, the flop's K-7-2, it hit you.
Hole Cards
Your private cards that only you can see. In Hold'em it's two cards, in Omaha it's four. These are your secrets.
House
The poker room or casino running the game. They take a cut. "That $2 on the button goes to the house."
Implied Odds
The pot odds you expect to win later, not the ones that exist right now. You call with a flush draw because you know if you hit, the other guy will pay you off big time.
Inside Straight Draw
You need one specific card rank to make a straight (also called a "gutshot"). You've got 9-5 with a 2-7-6 board – only an 8 completes it. Rough odds.
Jackpot
A special bonus when someone gets a brilliant hand beaten badly. In Hold'em, it's usually aces full or better. Some California card rooms have jackpots over $50,000. Everyone puts a tiny bit in every hand to build it.
Kicker
An unpaired card that decides between two similar hands. You've got A-K, they've got A-Q, you both flop an ace - your king kicker beats their queen kicker. Kickers matter big time in Hold'em.
Live Blind
A forced bet where the player still gets to act and raise when it comes back to them. It's "live" because they're still in the action.
Maniac
A player who goes absolutely mental with aggressive raising and bluffing. A true maniac isn't actually good – just reckless. But a smart player who occasionally acts like a maniac? That's dangerous.
Muck
The pile of folded and burned cards in front of the dealer. If your hand hits the muck, it's gone. Even if you didn't mean to fold. Also used as a verb: "He mucked his hand" = he folded.
No Limit
The wild west of poker. You can bet as many chips as you've got whenever it's your turn. Completely different game from limit poker: way more aggressive.
Nuts
The absolute best possible hand given what's on the board. If the board's K-J-T-4-2 with three hearts, A of hearts is the nuts. Sometimes people say "nut straight" or "nut flush" even when it's not the overall best hand possible.
Offsuit
Two cards of different suits. A-K offsuit means an ace and king that aren't the same suit.
One-Gap
Two cards that are two ranks apart. Like J-9 or 6-4. They've got a little gap between them.
Open-Ended Straight Draw
You need one of two different cards to make a straight (also called "up-and-down"). You've got 9-8 with a 2-7-6 board – a 10 or a 5 completes it. Better odds than a gutshot.
Out
A card that'll make your hand win. Usually heard in plural: "I've got nine outs to make my flush" (any spade).
Outrun
To beat someone. "She outran his set when her flush came on the river."
Overcall
Calling a bet after one or more other players have already called. You're the third person in, not the first.
Overcard
A card higher than anything on the board. You've got A-Q and the flop's J-7-3 – you've got two overcards. Could hit an ace or king.
Overpair
Your pocket pair is higher than any card on the flop. You've got Q-Q and the flop's J-8-3 – that's an overpair. Good spot to be in.
Pay Off
Calling a bet even though you think you're beat, but the pot's big enough to justify it. "He played it like he had the flush, but I had top set so I paid him off."
Play the Board
Your hand doesn't beat anything on the board, so you're playing the board itself. You've got 2-2 and the board's 4-4-9-9-A – your best hand is just the board. You can only split the pot at best.
Your personal cards that nobody else sees. "He had pocket sixes" = two sixes. See "hole cards."
Pocket Pair
Two cards of the same rank in your starting hand. A pair right from the start. "I had big pocket pairs seven times in the first hour. Brilliant!"
Post
Put in a blind bet, usually when you first sit down or if you move seats away from the blinds. Gets you in the game fairly.
Pot Limit
A betting structure where you can bet up to the size of the pot. Like No Limit but with a ceiling. Still way more aggressive than fixed-limit poker.
Pot Odds
The money in the pot compared to what you need to call. If there's 6 (pot's now 6 to call – you're getting 11:1 odds. You should call if you've got at least a 1-in-12 chance of winning.
Price
The pot odds you're getting for a draw or call. "The pot was laying me the right price so I stayed in with my gutshot."
Protect
(1) Keep your hand safe so it doesn't get accidentally folded or fouled by another hand. (2) Invest more money in a pot to "protect" the blind money you've already put in. "He'll always protect his blinds no matter what cards he's got."
Quads
Four of a kind. All four cards of one rank. Absolutely massive hand.
Ragged
A flop that looks like it hasn't helped anyone. J-6-2 nothing connects, nothing flows. Ragged.
Rainbow
A flop (or complete board) with three different suits, so a flush is impossible. No two cards of the same suit means no flush draw can survive.
Raise
Increase the current bet. Putting more money in than the last person bet.
Rake
The bit of money the house takes from every pot. This is how the cardroom makes its living. It's the price you pay for the privilege of playing.
Rank
The number or face value of a card: jack, seven, ace, etc. Not the suit, just the rank.
Represent
Play like you've got a specific hand. You raised pre-flop, then raised again when the flop came ace-high – you're representing at least an ace with a good kicker.
Ring Game
A regular cash game, not a tournament. Also called a "live" game because actual money's in play instead of tournament chips.
River
The fifth and final community card, dealt by itself. Also called "fifth street." And yes, poker players love their river metaphors. "He drowned in the river." Classic.
Rock
A tight, predictable player who only raises with premium hands. Boring but dangerous: if a rock raises you on the river, you can pretty much fold anything but the nuts.
Runner
"Runner-runner": making your hand by catching the right cards on both turn and river. "He made a runner-runner flush to beat my trips." Lucky bastard.
Scare Card
A card that probably just turned your best hand into garbage. You've got T-8 and the flop's Q-J-9 – you're crushing it. Then a T comes on the turn. That T is a scare card because suddenly everyone thinks you've got trips and you're probably beat.
Second Pair
A pair with the second-highest card on the flop. You've got A-T and the flop's K-T-6 – that's second pair. Not as strong as top pair but still solid.
Sell
In spread-limit games, betting less than the max with a huge hand, hoping players will actually call instead of folding to a max bet. Sometimes less is more.
Semi-Bluff
A bet or raise that you'd like to not get called, but you've got outs if someone does. You've got K-Q with a T-5-J flop: it's a semi-bluff because you probably don't have the best hand, but you could make a straight or pair up.
Set
Three of a kind when you've got a pocket pair and hit one on the board. You've got pocket fives and a five flops: that's a set. Absolute powerhouse.
Short Stack
You've got way fewer chips than everyone else at the table. If you've got 100+, you're playing a short stack. Stressful.
Showdown
After all the betting's done, everyone still in flips their cards and the best hand wins. Only happens if the last bet gets called.
Side Pot
Extra pot created when someone runs out of chips. Everyone else keeps playing for this pot that the all-in player can't win. The all-in player can still win the original "center" pot though.
Slow Play
Play a strong hand weakly to keep people interested and in the pot. You've flopped the nuts but you just call instead of raising: keeping them guessing.
Small Blind
The smaller of the two blinds. Usually one-third to two-thirds of a full bet. The little brother to the big blind.
Smooth Call
Just call, nothing fancy. Often implies you've got a strong hand but you're playing it cool to keep people around. "I flopped the nut flush but just smooth called to keep the action going."
Split Pot
When two or more players have identical hands, they split the pot. Everyone goes home slightly happier.
Split Two Pair
Two pair where one pair is on the board and one is in your hand. You've got T-9, the flop's T-9-5 – that's split two pair. Different from when the board has a pair and you make two pair with your cards.
Spread-limit
You can bet any amount within a specific range. Like $2-$6means you can bet anywhere from $2 to $6 any betting round. Flexible but not as wild as No Limit.
Straddle
An optional extra blind, usually from the player left of the big blind, equal to double the big blind. It's basically a raise before you've seen cards, forcing everyone else to pay two bets to play. The straddler also gets to act last before the flop.
String Bet
When you make a raise but don't get all the chips in in one smooth motion. Unless you said the amount out loud first, the dealer can make you just call instead. Prevents sneaky "I'll put this in and see what happens" moves.
Structured
A fixed betting structure for the game. Like in $2-$4 Hold'em: 4 on the turn and river. Everything's set in advance.
Suited
Two cards of the same suit. K-Q suited means a king and queen of the same suit. Slightly better than offsuit.
Table Stakes
You can only play with the chips in front of you – no going into your pocket for more during a hand. And you can't take chips off the table either. Standard rule everywhere.
Tell
A hint or clue someone gives away about their hand strength or next move. Maybe they twitch when they're bluffing, or always bet fast with strong hands. You're picking up their "tell."
Tilt
Playing badly because you're upset, frustrated, or emotional. You're "on tilt" when you're playing too many hands, making wild bluffs, raising with rubbish – basically not playing your A-game.
Time
(1) A player asks to pause the action while they think. Just say "Time, please!" If you don't call time and there's loads of action behind you, the dealer might rule you've folded. (2) Also means a time charge – money collected by the house every half hour or every hand on the button.
Toke
A small tip (usually 50¢ or $1) you give to the dealer when you win a pot. Dealers rely on tokes for most of their income.
Top Pair
A pair with the highest card on the flop. You've got A-Q and the flop's Q-T-6: that's top pair. Solid hand.
Top Set
The highest possible three of a kind. You've got T-T and the flop's T-8-9: that's top set. Absolute monster.
Top Two
Two pair made from your two hole cards pairing the two highest cards on the board. You've got K-Q and the flop's K-Q-7: that's top two pair. Massive.
Top and Bottom
Two pair from your hole cards pairing the highest and lowest cards on the board. You've got K-3 and the flop's K-9-3: top and bottom. Sneaky good hand.
Trips
Three of a kind. Could be a set (pocket pair that hits the board) or three cards of the same rank from different holdings.
Turn
The fourth community card, dealt by itself. Also called "fourth street." One card away from the river.
Under the Gun
The first player to act on a betting round. If you're one left of the big blind, you're under the gun pre-flop – you've got to act first and it's tough.
Underdog
A hand or player that's not favored to win mathematically. You're drawing to a flush and you're about 2:1 underdog to make it. See "dog."
Value
Betting because you actually want to get called (not a bluff). Usually because you've got the best hand or a draw with good pot odds. "I'm betting for value here."
Variance
How much your bankroll swings up and down. High variance means wild swings: one day you're up, next day you're down. It's not always about how well you play; sometimes it's just the luck of the draw.