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Poker Glossary
Below is a list of common poker terms. Please click
on any one for an explanation of the term.
All-in
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.
Bet
Place chips into the pot to wager
that your hand will beat or tie any other hands.
Bet the Pot
Make a bet equal to the
current amount of the pot.
Betting 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.
Big Blind
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.
Blinds
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.
Bluff
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.
Burn a Card
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.
Button
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.
Buy-in
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.
Call
To match the previous bet or
raise and not raise any higher.
Check
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.
Chips
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.
Community Cards
The five cards shown
face up in the centre of the table. Also known
as the Flop, Turn and River.
Dead Blind
A penalty imposed if the
blinds pass your position while you are sitting
out from the table.
Dealer
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).
Flop
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.
Fold
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.
Get Chips
Convert more of your
Account Balance into poker chips for continued
play at table.
Hand
The best five cards a player can
make using any combination of his Pocket Cards
and the Community Cards.
Hand of Poker
(Also called Hand) A
single game of poker from Posting Blinds to the
Showdown.
Limit Poker
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.
Limits
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.
Muck
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.
No Limit Poker
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.
Pocket Cards
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".
Post Blinds
To put up a Blind Bet,
either the Small Blind or the Big Blind, before
being dealt your Pocket Cards.
Pot
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.
Pot Limit Poker
A game where players
can bet any amount in any round from the minimum
bet up to the amount currently in the pot.
Raise
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.
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". There are no
currency symbols for Free Play table stakes.
Rake
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.
Rank
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).
River
The River is the fifth
community card on the table and starts the final
round of betting. Also known as "Fifth Street".
Round of Betting
(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.
Showdown
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.
Side Pot
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.
Sit In
Indicate your desire to
participate in the next hand of play.
Small Blind
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.
Split Pot
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.
Stack
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.
Stakes
The minimum bets for the
table, usually show as two figures separated by
a slash (such as 2/4). The Stakes give an
indication as to how rich in free chips 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).
Turn
The Turn is the fourth community
card on the table and starts the fourth round of
betting. Also known as "Fourth Street."
Board
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."
Rebuy
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.
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