Poker Glossary

One of the hole cards is an ace

To make a play (check, bet, call, raise, or fold) at the required time.

Acting out of turn is a player in poker that either announces their actions or physically plays before their turn (checks, folds, etc.). Sometimes players act out of turn intentionally...

Action is a player's turn to act; a willingness to gamble; or a bet, along with all the calls of that bet.

The action button is a marker similar to a kill button, on which a player places an extra forced bet. In a seven-card stud high-low game, the action button is awarded to the...

The action card is the card appearing on the board that causes significant betting action because it helps two or more players.

In many cardrooms, with respect to an all-in bet, only a full (or half) bet can be reraised. Anything less than a full (or half) bet is considered to be action only, that is,...

Active players are any players still involved in the pot. In side pots, an all-in player may be active in some pots, but not in others.

A prefix for (one of) the lowest-ranking possible of any particular made hand on a particular board. For example, the lowest-ranking full house possible for a paired board in...

A draw requiring two or more rounds to fill; a hand made other than the hand the player intended to make

To match a bet or raise.

An action taken before receiving information to which the player would normally be entitled. Compare with blind.

In poker, early position refers to the seats that are closest to the button. The button is the dealer button, and it rotates clockwise around the table after each hand. The...

A deal in which every (or almost every) seated player calls the first opening bet.

In poker, a gap hand is a starting hand with at least one rank separating the two cards. Usually referred to in context of one-gap and two-gap hands.

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In some casinos, the rule that placing chips equal to or greater than half the normal bet amount beyond the amount required to call constitutes a commitment to raise the...

Face-down cards. Also pocket cardsA seat, often preceded by a number relative to the button.

ICM stands for independent chip model, and is defined as the act of assigning a monetary value to a chip stack in tournaments or sit n gos. This value dictates the decision...

A game of jackpot poker or jackpots, which is a variant of five-card draw with an ante from each player, no blinds, and...

In poker, a kicker is a card that is not part of the five-card hand but is used to break ties between two or more hands of equal rank. For example, if two players have a pair...

A loose aggressive style of play in which a player plays a lot of starting hands and makes many small raises in hopes of out-playing their opponents

In poker, M-ratio is a measure of the health of a player's chip stack as a function of the cost to play each round. In simple terms, a player's M-ratio is the number of rounds...

A negative freeroll in poker is a situation where a player is forced to call an all-in bet with a hand that can only either tie or lose. This means that the player is guaranteed...

Cards that are not of the same suit.

Any royal card. Used mostly in lowball games, where royal cards are rarely helpful.

Four of a kind

After a hand is complete, to reveal cards that would have been dealt later in the hand had it continued. This is usually prohibited in casinos because it slows the game and...

Royal cards are also known as face cards and picture cards. These cards consist of the jacks, queens, and kings of every suit.

In poker, "sandbagging" is a term used to describe the act of playing a strong hand weakly. This is done in order to deceive other players into thinking that you have a weak hand, and to get them...

In poker, table stakes is a rule that states that a player can only bet or raise with the amount of chips they have in front of them. This rule is in place to prevent players...

An underdog or dog is a player with a smaller chance to win than another specified player. Frequently used when the exact odds are expressed.

A bet made by a player who wants it to be called (as opposed to a bluff or protection bet).

To "wake up with a hand" means to discover a strong starting hand, often when there has already been action in front of the player.

X-factor refers to an unknown or unpredictable element that can affect the outcome of a poker hand. For example, a player's skill level, the cards they have been dealt, or the...

X-rated hand refers to a hand that is very strong, such as a pocket pair of aces or a royal flush. These hands are often called "X-rated" because they are so powerful that they...

Having X-Ray Vision is used to describe a player's ability to see their opponents' hole cards. This is obviously impossible, but it is a term used to describe a player who is...

In poker a yard refers to a thousand chips. For example, if a player has 1000 chips, they would have "a yard."

A yellow card in poker is used to describe a penalty given to a player for a minor infraction. For example, a player might be given a yellow card for talking while the cards...

The term "yellow jack" in poker refers to the jack of hearts. This card is sometimes referred to as the "lucky jack" because it is relatively rare. In some poker games, the...

Zero in poker refers to a hand that has no value. A zero hand is also often referred to as a brick.

Zigzag in poker refers to a betting pattern in which a player alternates between raising and calling. This can be a difficult pattern to play against, as it can be difficult...