Confused by poker's unique language? Use our poker jargon glossary to free your thinking

Our poker jargon glossary will make your Texas Holdem life a lot easier

• 4th Street -- Another term for the Turn [q.v.].
• 5th Street -- Another term for the River [q.v.].
• Ace or A -- The one of a suit, counts high or low for straights
  (A-2-3-4-5 or T-J-Q-K-A). The highest single pair in Holdem.
• Aces or AA -- General term when somebody has a pair of Aces. Example: "I was dealt Aces under the gun"[q.v.].
• Ace-x or A-x or Ax -- A simple way of saying "Ace-small" or "Ace-random" when talking about poker. Example: A2, A4, A6 could all be considered Ax. Adding the lower-case "s" means it is suited. Example, Axs could be Ad3d or Ac5c.
• All-in -- Whenever a player bets his last cash or tournament points, he is all-in. Any further betting is On the side [q.v.] or in a Sidepot [q.v.]. Unlike in the movies, players in most games (and all online games) do not have the option to pull money out of their wallet, or go to a friend for a loan, during a hand. Once all-in, they must wait for all other betting to end. They can only win the pot or pots their money was involved in. An all-in player has what's known as All-in protection [q.v.].
• All-in protection -- When a player is All-in [q.v.], their hand must always be dealt to the river. They cannot bet or raise any more, but they also cannot fold to future bets or raises. Their hand is always declared and 'live' for the main pot.
• Ante -- Additional blind [q.v.] that everybody pays before a hand is dealt. Usually only seen in the latter stages of Texas Holdem tournaments. Some forms of poker have antes before every hand is dealt.
• Big Blind or BB -- the player in the Big blind (two hands left of the Button [q.v.]), must put into the pot a blind which is almost always double the Small Blind [q.v.]. This blind is 'live', which means the Big blind player has the option to raise [q.v.] or reraise when the action comes round to him.
• Board -- Another name for the Flop [q.v.], the board is the community cards dealt in the centre of the table and shared by all players.
• Button -- The dealer button, which moves clockwise around the table by one seat before a hand is dealt. This dictates who is 'dealing' for that hand (whether there is a dealer, or the game is self-dealt). Usually the two players to the dealer button's left are the blinds [q.v.]. When the dealer button is in front of you, this is known as being "on the button" [q.v.].
• Check -- A check is essentially a "no bet" or a "zero bet". You are exercising your option not to commit any money to the pot right now. This option is not available if somebody has already bet. Example: Player A checks. You may also check. If player A bets $10, you may not check. His bet has left you with only Call [q.v.], Raise [q.v.] or Fold [q.v.].
• Chop it up -- A pot that's split between two or more players. Most often occurs when two players are all-in with a hand like AK. Unless a flush comes for one of them, the players will be chopping up the pot.
• Fold -- A player may fold at any time, even if another option is available to them. A player's cards are folded when they are thrown into the centre of the table. NOTE: a player is responsible for his own hand in a live game. If, for any reason, the hand reaches the centre of the table (by accident or design of the player), it is considered folded. Many players place a chip on top of their hole cards to show they are live.
• Float -- The term to describe calling with a bad hand with the intention of bluffing later.
• Flop -- The community cards, especially the first three dealt, are referred to as the Flop. Some players refer to all five community cards as the flop once all are dealt. More often, the Board [q.v.] is split into the flop (first three), Turn [q.v.] (also known as 4th Street [q.v.]) and River [q.v.] (aka 5th Street [q.v.]). There is a round of betting after each is dealt.
• Kings or KK -- General term when somebody has a pair of Kings. Example: "I was dealt Kings on the button"[q.v.].
• Last to speak -- The person who is last to act in a betting round is 'last to speak'. Usually this is the player on the button. However, if that player has folded, whoever is closest to the button will act last in each round.
• Mucked -- A term for a hand which has been Folded [q.v.]. The muck is the centre of the table. Once a hand touches this, it is dead whether the player meant to fold, or it happened by accident.
• Nut draw -- When a player has the nut draw, if he hits his hand he will end up with the nuts [q.v.]. Example: a player has KQ and the flop is TJx. He has the nut straight draw. Any 9 or A will give him the nut straight.
• Nut flush -- The best possible flush. Example: a player holds Ah3h and there are three hearts on the flop.
• Nut flush draw -- The best possible flush draw. Unless the A of the suit is on the board, you must be holding it to have the best flush draw.
• Nut straight -- The best possible straight. A good example is holding JT on the flop of 789. A player with 6T or 56 would also have a straight, but only JT is the nut straight.
• Nuts -- Quite simply, the best possible hand anybody could be holding at the present time. This can change from the flop to the turn to the river, depending on what is dealt. Example: on a flop of AKQJA, the nuts is AAAA, unless a Royal Flush [q.v.] is possible.
• On the button -- When you have the dealer button in front of you. You are in the best possible position [q.v.], as you get to act last on every round except pre-flop [q.v.].
• On the side -- When a player is all-in [q.v.], any further betting happens on the side. This means a new pot is built, which the all-in player cannot compete for.
• Pass -- Another term for Fold [q.v.].
• Position -- Catch-all term to describe where you are to act in a hand. Examples of position are Under the gun [q.v.], On the button [q.v.], In the cutoff [q.v.] and Big blind [q.v.]. Whenever you are last to act, this is known as "Last to speak" [q.v.].
• Preflop -- Any action which occurs before the flop is dealt is known as pre-flop action. Example: "I raised preflop, three people called."
• Raise -- One of your four options when it's your turn to act. This means you make the bet bigger by at least double the current amount. Example: Player A bets $10. You may raise to at least $20. See also Check [q.v.], Call [q.v.] and Fold [q.v.].
• Reraise -- When somebody has announced a Raise [q.v.] before it's your turn to act, you may reraise. This is not really different from raising, except that your reraise must now be at least double the raise, rather than the original bet. A reraise usually indicates a very strong hand. Example: Player A raises $20; you may reraise at least $40.
• River -- The final community card dealt in a hand of Holdem. First the dealer deals the Flop [q.v.], then the Turn [q.v.] and finally the River, with a round of betting after each. You will often hear players complaining about somebody hitting a lucky river, or being flushed out on the river etc.
• Royal Flush -- The very best hand in any form of poker. Namely, AKQJT of the same suit. More common in games like Holdem, which feature shared cards, than games like Stud.
• Side pot -- When a player is all-in [q.v.], any new pot or pots are known as side pots. These only involve the players who still have money in front of them. Example: Player A has $100, Players B and C both have much more. Player A goes all-in for $100. Player B raises to $300, and Player C calls. Player A is all-in to the main pot of $300 (his $100 and $100 from each of the others), while a side pot of $400 is built between Players B and C ($200 left from each $300 bet).
• Small Blind or SB -- the player in the Small blind (one hand left of the Button [q.v.]), must put into the pot a blind which is almost always half the Big Blind [q.v.]. This blind is 'live', which means the Small blind player has the option to raise [q.v.] or reraise when the action comes round to him.
• Stab at the pot -- another term for bluffing. You make a strong, 'stabbing' bet, with the intention of winning it right there. Should your attempt fail, you will give up on the assassination attempt...
• Straight Flush -- Any five suited cards which also form a straight. Example: 56789 of the same suit is a straight flush. More common in games like Holdem, which feature shared cards, than games like Stud.
• Turn -- Fourth community card dealt in a hand of Holdem. First the dealer deals the Flop [q.v.], then the Turn and finally the River [q.v.], with a round of betting after each.
• Under the gun -- This describes the player who is first to act, usually preflop [q.v.]. So, the player first to speak after the big blind [q.v.] is under the gun. He is in the worst possible position, as everybody behind him acts later.

Our poker jargon glossary is just part of the Church of Texas Holdem's Sunday School