Poker Terminology

Poker terminology can be very confusing for the beginning player—and there’s a lot of it. With just a little practice, however, you’ll soon find yourself following the game with great ease. Don’t let poker terminology like "the river" and "muck" scare you off!

Since learning the language of poker is essential to becoming a better player, we recommend that novices spend some time with our poker glossary. Each term listed is common and should become part of your own poker terminology—these words will come in handy whether you’re playing online or in a circle of friends.

Please click on any of the poker terms below for an explanation.

A player who bets all the chips he or she has left at table. Other players still active in the hand can bet and raise beyond that player's All-in amount, and the All-in player is not obligated to meet or call those bets. However, the All-in player is only eligible to win the pot up to the point it was when he went All-in and called by all remaining players. Any bets or raises made beyond that point constitute a side pot which is contested by those remaining players.

Place chips into the pot to wager that your hand will beat or tie any other hands.

Make a bet equal to the current amount of the pot.

A sequence of bets made by each player in turn going clockwise around the table. In any given round of bets, the sequence may travel around the table several times if there are bets, raises, re-raises before there are calls or checks.

A designated bet (posted before any cards are dealt) made by the player sitting to the immediate left of the player posting the Small Blind. The Big Blind is normally (although not always) double the Small Blind and is usually equal to the minimum bet for the first rounds.

Bets that must be made by the two players sitting directly to the left of the dealer. They are called "Blinds" because they must be made before you have been dealt your pocket cards. The purpose of Blinds is to create the pot and entice other players into betting.

To make other players believe that you have a better hand than you actually have by betting or raising as if you did have a great hand. By bluffing, you may induce players with better hands to fold before the showdown and thus win the pot with a poor hand. Conversely, you might have a great hand and desire your opponents to stay in the game so they keep adding to the pot. You can bluff by checking or calling as you would if you only had a mediocre hand, whereas a big raise might scare them off prematurely. Either way, bluffing adds a whole new element of excitement to the game.

Before dealing cards in a round (Pocket Cards, the Flop, etc.) the Dealer "burns a card", meaning he discards the top card of the deck and uses the next card for the deal.

The Dealer Button, a round green disc with a "D" in the centre which is placed in front of the seat position designated as the Dealer for that hand.

The amount of chips you bring to table when you take a seat. Each table has a minimum buy-in and a maximum buy-in. Usually, the minimum is 10 times the Big Blind, and the maximum is 100 times the Big Blind.

To match the previous bet or raise and not raise any higher.

To stay in the hand but not bet or raise. Check allows you to stay in the game at no additional risk or cost to you. You may only Check if you are the first player to act in a round of betting or if all preceding players have Checked.

Poker chips, used for placing bets at table. When you bring chips to a table, the amount is deducted from your Account Balance. When you leave a table, the chips you take away with you are converted back into your Account Balance.

The five cards shown face up in the centre of the table. Also known as the Flop, Turn and River.

A penalty imposed if the blinds pass your position while you are sitting out from the table.

The player in the seat position from which cards are dealt. The position of the Dealer is marked by the Button, a green disc with a "D" in the centre. The player to the immediate left of the Dealer posts the Small Blind, and the next player posts the Big Blind (which is usually double the Small Blind).

The first three of the five common cards (which are "flopped" on the table right after the first betting round is over) are called the Flop, and this starts the second round of betting.

Throw your hand away when it is your turn to act. You choose not to meet the required bet to stay in the hand and forfeit your chance to win any of the pot.

Convert more of your Account Balance into poker chips for continued play at table.

The best five cards a player can make using any combination of his Pocket Cards and the Community Cards.

(Also called Hand) A single game of poker from Posting Blinds to the Showdown.

A game of poker with a fixed limit to the amount players can bet, and a prescribed number of raises. When it is your turn, you may only bet or raise by an amount equal to the minimum for that round.

These are limits on the maximum bet or raise. In poker, there are three basic Limit types: Limit, Pot Limit and No Limit. In general terms, Limit Poker has a fixed limit to the amount you can bet or raise on your turn – usually it is the minimum bet for that round. With Pot Limit, you raise up to the amount in the Pot, and with No Limit you can raise any amount up to what's left in your chip stack at table.

Decline to show your cards at the conclusion of a hand. You can choose to muck when there is a better hand visible at showdown (meaning it is clear you lost), or when you win because all other players have folded. When you have the winning hand and there are one or more players still active at the showdown, you must show your cards.

A game of poker where players can bet any amount in any round from the minimum bet up to the entire chip stack they have at table. Players cannot bring additional chips to the table from their account balance during a hand of play, but they can get chips between hands.

The cards dealt face down to a player, which only that player can see their face value. Also known as "down cards" or "hole cards".

To put up a Blind Bet, either the Small Blind or the Big Blind, before being dealt your Pocket Cards.

The chips wagered by all players in a hand of poker that are put in the centre of the table and which will be distributed to the winners of that hand.

A game where players can bet any amount in any round from the minimum bet up to the amount currently in the pot.

Meet all previous bets in this round and increase your bet beyond that amount so other players will either have to fold, meet your raise (call) or re-raise.

To raise above a raise. If the player to your right raises a $2 bet to $4, and then you raise another $4 on top of that, you are said to "re-raise".

The House cut of the pot. This is the small fee charged by the House for serving as an impartial broker to bring many players together for safe, fair, regulated games of poker.

The value of a card relative to other cards (for example, an Ace is of a higher rank than a King). Also, the value of a player's 5-card hand relative to the hands of other players (for example, a 3-of-a-kind is of higher rank than a pair).

The River is the fifth community card on the table and starts the final round of betting. Also known as "Fifth Street".

(Also: Round) A sequence of bets made by each player in turn going clockwise around the table. In any given round of bets, the sequence may travel around the table several times if there are bets, raises, re-raises before there are calls or checks. In Hold'em Poker, there are four rounds of betting. They occur after: The Pocket Deal (Pre-Flop), the Flop, the Turn and the River. The Blinds are considered to be part of the Pre-Flop round.

After the last round of betting has completed, any players left in the hand will show their cards to determine the winner by laying them down on the table, face up.

A portion of the pot that is being contested by the remaining players when one or more players has gone All-in. In a hand of play with several players going All-in on different rounds, there may be several Side Pots.

Indicate your desire to participate in the next hand of play.

Indicate your intention not to participate in the next hand of play.

A designated bet (posted before any cards are dealt) made by the player sitting to the immediate left of the Dealer. The Small Blind is normally (although not always) half the minimum bet of the first rounds.

A pot that is split between two or more players who have hands of equal rank at Showdown. This frequently happens when the 5 community cards constitute the best possible hand. Any remaining players would split the pot between them.

The stack of chips you have at table. This is the amount of chips you have available for betting in the current hand of play.

The minimum bets for the table, usually show as two figures separated by a slash (such as 2/4 or $5/$10). The Stakes give an indication as to how rich a table is - how fast and high the pots may grow. The higher the stakes, the richer the table. The first figure is the minimum bet for the first two rounds (Pre-Flop and Flop), and the second is for the final two rounds (Turn and River). There are no currency symbols for Free Play table stakes. The minimum bet in No Limit and Pot Limit games is the same for all rounds, but the stakes are still represented as two figures ($5/$5).

The Turn is the fourth community card on the table and starts the fourth round of betting. Also known as "Fourth Street."

The centre of the table is called the Board. This is where the Community Cards (also called Board Cards) are shown and where the pot sits. If your best 5-card hand consists of just the Community Cards and none of your Pocket Cards, this is called "playing the Board."

A Rebuy is when a player brings more chips to the table. This most often occurs when the player loses all of the chips he originally brought to the table, but a player can Rebuy at any time during regular table play up to the maximum amount allowed at the table. Rebuys are sometimes also allowed in tournament play, adding a new level of strategic complexity and excitement.

Typically available at the end of the rebuy period in a tournament, an Add-on allows players to pay an addition fee to receive another stack of chips. Add-ons are permitted regardless of how many chips the player has, unlike rebuys which are restricted to when the player has fewer chips than when he started.

More frequently used in tournaments than in ring games, an Ante is a force bet made by all players at the beginning of the hand before the hole cards are dealt.

The Prize Pool is the cumulative amount of contributions paid by all participants in a tournament. For example, if a tournament buy-in is $5 + $.50, $5 is contributed to the prize pool by each player and $.50 is the entry fee paid to the house. If there are 100 participants, the total Prize Pool is $500 and that amount is distributed to the top finishers in the tournament. Rebuys and Add-ons, if permitted, also contribute to the Prize Pool.

(Also: Feeder) Satellite refers to a tournament in which the winner or winners receive a seat at another tournament instead of a cash prize. Satellites are popular because they provide players with the chance to compete in major, high stakes tournaments by winning a tournament with a much lower buy-in.

(Also: Satellite) A Feeder is a tournament which funnels winners from one tournament to another. Often, several Feeders are strung together to create a "tournament ladder" where players can enter for a low cost at the bottom and win their way into high stakes tournaments.