Professional poker players who play for the world’s highest prize pots will be well-versed in poker terms and what they mean, but understanding the correct poker terminology can be trickier for those who are just starting out playing.
Our list below takes you through a wide range of poker terms and definitions which are important to know when playing poker, from poker phrases to poker slang and everything else in between.
Act
The term used when making your play.
Advertising
Making an obvious play or exposing your cards in a way to deliberately make an impression to your opponents of your style of play.
All In
The term used when a player bets all their chips in the current hand.
Ante
Applied in some forms of poker where a forced bet is required of all players before the hand begins.
Bad Beat
When a player who appears to have a far weaker hand defeats a stronger hand with implied luck on their side.
Bank
The person responsible for distributing the chips, keeping track of the value of each buy-in and paying out correctly.
Bankroll
The total amount of money that a player has set aside expressly for playing poker. It’s essentially their budget.
Blind
A type of forced bet.
Big blind
The larger of two forced bets.
Blocker
Holding one of your opponent’s out cards, stopping them from winning.
Bluff
A bet made with a hand that is unlikely to be the best hand at the table, to make money or disguise playing patterns.
Buy-in
The required amount of money a player needs to pay in order to participate in a poker game or tournament. The buy-in is essentially the entry fee, and it determines how many chips a player will receive to play with.
Call
The term used when matching a bet of an opponent.
Check
The term used when not making a bet.
Chips
Small disk used in place of money in poker, often in different colours to associate to different amounts of money.
Chop
The term used when splitting the pot or prize money.
Community Cards
The cards that are dealt face-up on the table which can be used by players to make the best hand possible.
Dealer
The person who deals the cards.
Defence
A play which defends against a bluff, usually making them fold or bet more.
Five Card Draw
One of the most popular forms of poker, also one of the simplest. Format starts with all players receiving five cards, players can then choose to trade up to three cards in exchange for new cards, and the player with the best hand wins.
Flop
The dealing of the first three face-up cards to the table.
Flush
The fifth-best hand in poker. Made up of five cards in the same suit but not in numerical order.
Fold
The term used for discarding your hand in a round, therefore forfeiting interest.
Four of a Kind
The third-best hand in poker. Made up of the same card in all four suits.
Full House
The fourth-best hand in poker. Made up of a pair and three of a kind.
Gutshot
The nickname for an inside straight draw.
High Card
A hand with no matching pairs.
Hole Card
Private cards that are only used and viewed by the holder of said cards.
Joker
Mostly used in draw games. Usually used as an ace or a card to complete a straight or a flush.
Kicker
Name given to cards that do not formulate a hand but still help the strength of a hand.
Kitty
The pool of money, usually built by a small contribution by each player.
Muck
The pile of discarded cards, or the process of returning a losing hand to the dealer without showing it to opponents.
No limit
Rules that designate a player(s) to wager any or all of their chips at once.
Nuts
Name given to the strongest hand in the situation.
Offsuit
Cards that aren’t of the same suit.
Omaha Hold ‘Em
Another variant of poker that is very similar to Texas Hold ‘Em. Players are dealt four hole cards and are required to form a five-card hand using two hole cards and three of the five community cards available.
One Pair
The ninth-best hand in poker. Contains a pairing of the same card.
Online Poker
The game of poker played over the internet. A big part of poker which is becoming increasingly popular and makes a large proportion of the online gaming space.
Overcard
A community card with a higher rank than a player’s pocket pair.
Pocket aces
The term used when a starting poker hand contains two aces.
Poker face
An expression from a player that doesn’t reveal anything about the cards that are being held.
Purse
The total prize pool in a poker game or tournament.
Rag
A low-valued card, usually worthless.
Rail
The sideline at a poker table that separates the players from the spectators; also used to refer to the spectators watching the game without being actively involved.
Raise
The term used when increasing the size of an existing bet in the same round.
River
The final card dealt in a poker hand.
Royal Cards
The name for the Jack, Queen and King cards of any suit; these are also known as picture or face cards.
Runner Runner
A situation where a player makes a hand by hitting the required cards on both the turn and the river.
Shark
A proficient or professional player.
Short Stack
A stack of chips that is disproportionately small for the stakes being played.
Royal Flush
The best hand in poker. Made up of a 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace in the same suit.
Seven Card Stud
Another variant of poker. Each player is dealt seven cards, three face down with four face up that are visible to the table. Players use those cards to build the best possible five-card poker hand possible.
Small Blind
The first player seated to the left of the dealer; they are required to place a bet before the players have seen their cards.
Spread
The range between a table’s minimum and maximum bets.
Stack
The total chips and currency that a player has in-play.
Stakes
The amount a player buys in for and can bet in a game.
Straight
The sixth-best hand in poker. Made up of five cards in numerical order, but not in the same suit.
Straight Flush
The second-best hand in poker. Made up of five cards in a row in the same suit.
Table stakes
A rule stating that a player may bet no more than the amount they have on the table at the beginning of the hand.
Tell
A change in a player’s behaviour or body language that allows others to assess what’s in their hand.
Texas Hold ‘Em
The most popular form of poker. It plays out in four stages: pre-flop, flop, the turn and the river. Players get two hole cards and five cards are placed in the middle called the community cards. Players then aim to make the best five-card poker hands.
Three of a Kind
The seventh-best hand in poker. Made up of the same card in three suits and two non-paired cards.
Tilt
A term used to describe a player who feels angry, frustrated or confused at the table, which could then affect his playing.
Turn
The fourth of five cards dealt in a community card game, where one card is facing up. This allows players in the game to use this card to make up their final hand.
Two Pair
The eighth-best hand in poker. Contains two different pairings of the same card in one hand.
Underdog
A player with a smaller chance of winning than another, often used when exact odds are shown.
Up the Ante
The increasing of the stakes in a match.
Variance
Reflects the difference between the short-term results and the expected long-term outcomes based on a player’s skill level.
Wash
A card randomising technique to ensure fairness or to demonstrate honesty in which the deck of cards are placed face-down before being mixed together.
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