Texas Holdem Vocabulary Terms

Exercise: How to play Texas Hold'em poker continued

In the following conversation between two friends (Peter and Juan), Peter continue to explain to Juan how to play Texas Hold'em in English.

• Everyone who plays or is learning to play Texas Hold'em poker or no limit Texas Hold'em or pot limit Texas Hold'em needs to be aware and know the terms and definitions used in playing these. It does not matter if your playing online poker games with strangers or around the table with friend as recognizing and understanding words associated with this will be a great advantage.
• Poker Terms - Common Phrases and Acronyms. In poker, there is practically a library of poker terms that are commonly used. For the uninitiated, these terms can sound like a completely different language, when a poker player says, 'I flopped a belly buster on a rainbow board', when they are really saying that they have an inside straight draw, after the dealer dealt the first three cards, all.
• Texas Hold'em Poker Terms and Glossary. Our poker glossary listed below includes not only common poker terms, but also poker terms specifically related to online poker.The game of poker is evolving, and like any language, new words are being added to the poker lexicon all the time.
• STRAIGHT Fifth Strongest Hand in Texas Hold’em Poker. Defined as 5 sequential mix suited cards. All five cards suited and sequential is a Straight Flush.

Texas Holdem Vocabulary Terms Glossary

From the context, try to guess what the meaning of the words/phrases in bold are. Then do the quiz at the end to check if you are right.

Juan:'So in the first round of game of Texas Hold'em. After the two players have had to put blind bets (bets that two of the players have to make before any of the players receive their first two cards). What do the rest of the players do when they are all dealt their two private/hole cards?'

Texas Hold’em Poker Rules This is a short guide for beginners on playing the popular poker variant No Limit Texas Hold’em. We will look at the following: 1. The betting options 2. The positions 3. The flow of action 4. The hand rankings 5. Eginner’s terminology We’ll also discuss our top 10 poker terms that every player.

Peter:'All the players have to decide if they want to continue in the game by putting money into the pot or if they want to leave the game, which is called to fold. Because two of the players have have put money into the pot with the blind bets, the rest of the players have to match the amount put in by the person who has the big blind button in front of them if they want to continue playing (including the player with the small blind button, who has to double the amount they put in at the start of the game).'

Juan:'Does a round happen each time new cards are given to the players or shown in the middle of the table face up?'

Peter:'Yes. A round is when the players can bet their money or chips in a game. In Texas Hold'em the first round is normally called the pre-flop. It begins when the players are given their two hole or private cards.
The second round begins when the dealer deals the three shared or community cards in the middle of the table. When the first three community cards are dealt. This second round is called the flop in Texas Holdem.
The third round (which is called the turn) begins when the dealer adds a fourth community card in the middle of the table. The last round (which is called the river) begins when the dealer deals the fifth and last community card on the table.
After all the players left in the game have put the same amount of chips/money into the pot in 'the river' round, the round ends and they then have to show their cards to see who has won the game.'

Juan:'So, I know how the first round starts, after the two players to the left of the player with the dealer button put the blind bets into the pot and all the players receive their first two cards. But which player starts the second round?'

Peter:'In all the rounds except the first it is the first player who is still playing and is sat to the left of the player with the dealer button who starts the round. In the first round, it is player sat to the left of the player with the big blind button who starts the round.'

Juan:'So, does the player beginning a round always have to put chips/money into the pot if they want to continue playing?'

Peter:'No, they don't. If they don't want to put chips/money into the pot, they say check and then it goes to the next player. If that player also doesn't want to put chips/money into the pot, they can also say check and then it would go to the next player. But if that player thinks he has a good hand/cards they can decide to put chips/money into the pot. The first time in a round (except in the first round) that a player puts money into the pot is called a bet.'

Juan:'So if a player makes a bet of $20. What does the next player have to do? Can they say check and not put any chips/money into the pot?'

Peter:'No. When somebody has already put chips/money into the pot, they can't check, they also have to gamble chips/money or fold/leave the game.
The next player has three options. The first option is that they can fold/leave the game. The second option is to put the same value of money/chips into the pot that the last player has put into the pot. This is called to call. So if the last player put $20 in, when you call you also put $20 in.
The last option is to put more chips/money into the pot than the last player. This is called to raise. So if the last player put $20 in, and you raise by $10, you put $30 in.'

Juan:'So when does a round end?'

Peter:'A round ends when all the players who haven't folded and are still playing have put in the same amount/value of chips/money into the pot. So in a game of 4 players, if player 1 checks, player 2 folds, but player 3 makes a bet of $30 and player 4 then raises by $10 the round continues and it goes back to player 1 again. If player 1 wants to continue playing, he/she has to match the $40 that player 4 put in and call (put $40 into the pot).
It then continues to player 3 again. If player 3 wants to continue playing, he/she has to match the $40 of player 4 by calling and adding another €10 to the pot. The round will then finish because all the remaining players have each put $40 into the pot.'

Juan:'A little bit confusing, but it makes sense. I've seen people in the movies playing poker and they don't say call or raise or bet, but say all-in. What does that mean?'

Peter:'It's very common in films with poker games. The phrase all-in means that a player in a round puts all of his or her chips they have on the table in front of them (called his or her 'table stakes') into the pot.'

Juan:'Ok, but what happens if one of the players has put $120 into the pot in a round and one of the other players only has $100 of chips on the table. They would have to fold/leave the game in that round because they don't have the chips/money to match what has been put into the pot in that round?'

Peter:'No they don't have to fold. If the player has a good hand and thinks that they could win the game, they could go all-in in the round.'

Juan:'But you said that all players have to put the same amount of money into the pot to continue playing in the game? If one of the players has put $120 into the pot and one of the other players has gone all-in and only put $100 in, it doesn't seem fair to the player who has put the extra $20 in!'

Peter:'In that situation, if these are the only two players left in the game, the player who has put $20 extra into the pot, removes it and then the dealer deals the remaining community cards and then each player shows their hands to the dealer and to the other players to see who has won.'

Juan:'But what happens if there are more than two players left when somebody goes all-in? Do all the players have to remove the extra chips/money they have put into the pot?'

Peter:'It gets a little complicated now. If there are more than two players left in a game when one of the players goes all-in, the chips/money is separated into two different pots (the main pot and the side pot) so the poker game can continue if the other players want to put more chips/money into the game.
For example, imagine there are three players left in a poker game. At the start of the third round, player 1 bets $50, player 2 only has $40 left, so he goes all-in with his/her $40. Player 3 raises by €10, so puts $60 into the pot. The round returns to player 1, who calls, so matches the $60 of player 3 by adding $10 to his/her original $50.
To make it fair for all the players, $40 from each player is put into what is called the main pot. All three players could win this main pot. The extra money ($20 each) which has been put into the game by players 1 and 3 is put into another pot which can only be won by them two (not player 2). This is called a side pot and this is where all the chips/money will be placed in the next round until the game finishes.'

Juan:'So when all three players show their cards at the end of the game, which is called the showdown, if player 1 has three number 7s, player 2 has four Queens and player 3 has two number 10s. Player 2 will win the chips/money in the main pot, but who wins the chips/money in the side pot?'

Peter:'Player 1 will win the chips/money in the side pot because his hand is better than Player 3's hand.'

Juan:'That makes sense.'

What is very interesting to me as a lifelong poker player is the number of poker related words and sayings that have worked their way into mainstream conversation in the business world and elsewhere. A few obvious examples which shouldn’t require explanation would include: hold your cards close to your chest, I’ll call that bluff, I’d rather be lucky than good, and he’s got a real poker face.

While you may already be aware of many poker related words and sayings, there are sure to be many that, as a beginner to poker, you probably won’t know. Over the years poker has accumulated a number of unique words and phrases that regular players use as their own language and can be incomprehensible to the uninitiated. Here is an example of a seasoned poker player describing a hand to a friend:

“I had pocket rockets and the flop comes Ace, two rags, rainbow giving me top set. Can you believe that donkey, Harry, goes runner, runner and cracks my set with his 23-to-1 shot flush draw? It’s just like him; he’s such a calling station”.

If you completely understand this description then you might not need this lesson. However, if it seems like a different language then, fear not, by the end of this lesson you will understand what it all means. In this lesson we’ll explain just what some of those colourful expressions mean along with a list of terms which any poker player, who aspires to become conversant in the game needs to know.

Glossary of Poker Terms

Let’s start off with a list of poker terms that you’ll need to be familiar with. After this all important glossary, we’ll return to the above “poker speak” example as it is the kind of conversation you will hear from other more experienced players.

All-in- When a player puts all of his chips into the pot he is said to be all-in. That player does not participate in anymore bets above his all-in amount. A side pot is created for the other players. The all-in player is eligible for the main pot only.

Ante – A small forced bet that all players are required to post before the deal. An ante is used in stud poker versus posting blinds as in hold‘em. Antes are also common in tournaments in addition to the blinds at the later levels.

Back Door – A hand which is made back door requires both the turn card and river card to make the hand. An example would be holding a three flush after the flop and needing two more of the same suit to complete your flush. This is also called runner/runner.

Bad Beat – A good hand that is “cracked” or beaten by a better hand that usually was way behind but hit a lucky draw. Every poker player has more than one bad beat story to tell!

Big Slick – This is the nickname for the two card holding of Ace-King.

Blinds – The mandatory bets made by the first two players to the left of the dealer button. They are called the small and big blinds.

Bluff – Making a bet without the best hand in the hope that your opponent(s) will fold and you will win the pot.

Calling Station – A player who calls too often is a calling station. The term is used in a derogatory manner mainly since these players call without the correct pot odds they many times hit long shot winning hands which frustrates other players.

Cards Speak – The best hand is determined by each of the players turning their cards face up with no declaration. The values of the cards speak for themselves.

Check Raise – To check when it is your turn to bet and then, after someone else bets, to raise that player’s bet.

Donkey – An opponent who plays poorly and seems to be throwing his money away. This is the current term for a pigeon, a sucker or a fish.

Double Belly Buster – This is a hand with two inside straight draws. As an example, 79TJK can become a straight with either an 8 or a queen. This draw has the same number of outs (8 winning cards) as an open ended straight draw except the double belly buster is much more deceptive.

Drawing Dead – A draw such that no matter what card you get you will lose. As an example: You have four spades with the King while your opponent holds a pair of Aces along with four spades including the Ace of spades. You’re hoping to draw a spade on the river to make a King high flush. If the spade comes you will lose to an Ace high flush and since your opponent already has a pair of Aces you cannot win. You are said to be drawing dead.

Fish – See donkey – a player who plays the game poorly.

Flop – After the first round of betting, three community board cards are dealt called the flop.

Gutshot – An inside straight draw with only four outs. Drawing to a QJ98 would require one of the four tens to make a straight.

Heads-up – Playing against a single opponent.

Implied Odds – This is an extension of pot odds and represents the ratio of the total amount you expect to win if you complete your hand to the amount you would need to call to continue. While pot odds are an exact calculation, implied odds takes some guess work and knowledge of your opponents’ tendencies.

Inside Straight Draw – See gut shot.

Isolate – To make a raise with the intention of forcing others to fold in hopes of being able to play heads up against a single opponent is to isolate him.

Limp – To just flat call the amount of the big blind is to limp into a hand.

Monster – A very strong hand that is almost certainly the winner.

Muck – Folding your hand is to muck it. The pile of dead cards is called the muck.

Nuts – Based upon the board it’s the best available hand. An unbeatable hand is often called “the Brazils” and “a lock”.

Out – An out is a card that improves your hand, usually to winning status. If you hold the and there are two hearts on the flop, you have nine outs to the nut flush – the remaining nine hearts in the deck.

Pocket Rockets – A pair of Aces in your hand in hold’em.

Pot Odds – The ratio of the amount of money in the pot to the amount of money it will cost to call the current bet. If the pot holds $100 and it will cost you $20 to call, the pot is laying you 5-to-1 odds.

Quads – The nickname for four of a kind – e.g. “he had quad Kings”.

Rags – Refers to a worthless card. Rags are normally small board cards in hold’em.

Rainbow – Three or four board cards of different suits. If a flop contains three different suits it is said to be rainbow. If the turn is a card of the fourth suit, a flush will not be possible.

River – The fifth and final community board card dealt in hold’em.

Runner-Runner – A hand that is made with both the turn and the river cards. Two running cards are runner-runner. If, on the flop, you have a three flush and both the turn and river are of the same suit making you a flush, you’ve gone runner-runner.

Sandbag – Hiding the strength of your hand by slow playing it early on in order to make more money later in the hand. It’s a deceptive ploy to increase profit.

Set – When holding a pocket pair, having one of that same rank hit the board creates a set.

String Bet – This is an illegal move which occurs when a player does not orally declare his intention to raise but puts out chips to call and then reaches back to his stack to get more chips for a raise.

Tilt – A player who has lost his discipline and is playing too loosely and very aggressively in a desperate attempt to win a pot is said to be on tilt. This is normally caused by a series of bad beats that has frustrated the victim.

Trips – Differentiated from a set, trips occur when two of the same rank is on the board and you hold another of them in your hand. The reason it differs from a set is that only one person can hold the three cards to a set while two people can have the same trips when two of them are on the board.

Turn – The fourth community board card dealt between the flop and the river.

Under the Gun – The first player to the left of the button who must act first is said to be under the gun.

Wheel – The smallest possible straight consisting of Ace-2-3-4-5. It is also called a bicycle wheel or just a bike.

Poker Speak – Revisited

Now that you’ve read through the glossary covering a myriad of poker definitions, do you understand what that poker player at the beginning of this lesson was telling his friend? Just in case you missed something, we’ll translate his statement. We’ll repeat the statement as written, with the unique poker words/phrases in bold, and then we’ll make the translation.

I had pocket rockets and the flop comes Ace, two rags, rainbow giving me top set. Can you believe that donkey, Harry, goes runner, runner and cracks my set with his 23-to-1 shot flush draw? It’s just like him; he’s such a calling station.

Translation:

I had two Aces in the hole and the three cards the dealer dealt come Ace, two small cards with three different suits giving me the best/highest three of a kind. Can you believe that unskilled, bad player, Harry, he hit two of his needed suit in a row, one on the turn and the other on the river and beats my three of a kind with his long shot flush draw? It’s just like him, he’s a weak player who calls way too much and sometimes gets lucky.

See how much more concise poker speak is? If you’re just getting into the game and have not been using poker speak – trust me, you will be. In fact, by the end these lessons I’ll bet you’ll be speaking Poker fluently.

By Tom 'TIME' Leonard

Tom has been writing about poker since 1994 and has played across the USA for over 40 years, playing every game in almost every card room in Atlantic City, California and Las Vegas.

Texas Holdem Terms Slang

Texas Holdem Terms