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POKER GLOSSARY
Poker, like so many other pastimes and professions, has developed its own terminology. This guide includes not just common poker terms, but also those specifically related to online Poker.
All-in
If you run out of chips during a hand, but
don't wish to fold, you are All-in. This means
you have the potential to win a share of the pot
up to and including your last contribution to
that pot. You cannot share in any bets added
beyond that point. These bets form a side-pot.
The all-in is also used for situations where a
player in a hand loses connection to the server.
Avatar
A term from computer gaming for an image or
figure used to represent a person.
Away-from-table
In tournaments, you may not "sit out". Rather,
you may be "away-from-table" which means you are
dealt into every hand, posting blinds when it's
your turn, and then folded when there is a raise
before the flop, or a bet after the flop. When
you are in a tournament and need to leave,
time-out, or lose your connection, you are
automatically marked as "away-from-table".
Bad Beat
This term refers to a heavy favorite in a hand
who loses to an opponent who was a severe
underdog statistically speaking.
Bet the Pot
This term is used in pot limit games. It means
your bet matches the current amount in the pot.
If, when your turn to bet, the pot was at $217,
and you bet the pot, your bet is $217.
Big Blind (limit poker)
In games using a blind to put money in play, the
big blind is generally equal to the lower amount
of the stakes for that game. In a $5/$10 game,
the big blind is $5. The big blind follows the
small blind, which is put up by the first player
to the left of the dealer.
Blind
This term refers to the required bets, called
the small blind and the big blind used to put
money into play. The blinds are mandatory bets
and rotate around the table
Board
The community cards in Hold'em are collectively
known as the board.
Burn
In physical poker rooms, the top card of the
deck is discarded prior to each round of
dealing. The intent is to minimize the risk of
cheating by knowing the next card. There is no
possibility of this happening in our poker room,
therefore we do not burn cards.
Button
A marker, usually disk-shaped, to indicate which
player is the virtual dealer. The button is used
in games where position relative to the dealer
is important.
Buy-in
The amount of money you sit down in a game
with.
Call
When a player matches the prior bet on the
table, that action is termed the call.
Cap
The last permitted raise in a betting round is
called the cap. We allow three raises beyond the
initial bet in limit games. The third raise is
the cap.
Check
If there is no bet on the table and you do not
wish to place a bet, that action is termed a
check. You may only check when there are no
prior bets.
Client
The term for the software that you download to
your computer, allowing you to interact with the
poker room's servers.
Collusion
A form of cheating where two or more players
attempt to gain an unfair advantage by sharing
information. We do not tolerate cheating.
Community Cards
Face up cards on the table that are shared by
all players are termed community cards. Texas
Hold'em and Omaha always have community cards.
Dead Blind
In a situation where you have missed your blinds
and wish to re-enter the game before your turn
to post the big blind. You must post both blinds
and the small blind is termed a dead blind,
meaning it does not count towards calling a bet.
Dead Hand
A hand no longer in the game.
Down Cards
The face-down cards dealt to a player, also
termed hole cards.
Drawing Dead
This describes the situation when a player is
trying to draw a card to complete a hand when
there is already a hand that will beat it, even
if made.
Drop
To drop your hand when you decide not to go
further with your hand; to return your cards to
the muck. Same as fold.
Face Down
Dealt cards that are not visible to other
players.
Face Up
Dealt cards that are visible to all players.
Flop
In Texas Hold'em, the set of 3 face-up community
cards or the first three cards on the board, all
dealt at the same time.
Flush
Any 5 cards in one hand that are all the same
suit.
Fold
Withdraw from further participation in the
current hand. Also see drop.
Forced Bet
A mandatory bet. In certain games, a player is
required to bet, having sat-in the game.
Four of a Kind
A great hand ... all 4 of one rank. For example,
4 Tens.
Freeroll
This term applies to poker tournaments where the
entry fee, the stakes, or both the entry fee and
stakes are waived. In some non-freeroll
tournaments, the house may guarantee a minimum
prize pool.
Full House
A hand in which you have a combination of 3 of a
kind, and a pair.
Graphics
The term for the artwork used to present you
with the images of a poker room, including the
table, chairs, avatars, cards, and chips.
Hand
A set of cards used by a player during a single
round. Another word for a single round of
shuffling, dealing, and betting.
Heads Up
A game where only two players remain in
contention for the pot.
Head to Head
A game where only two players may participate.
High Card
The card with the highest rank.
High/Low
A variation of a game where the pot is split
between the best hand and the worst hand. The
worst hand is comprised of the 5 lowest cards.
Most poker rooms, including this one, consider
5, 4, 3, 2, A (the wheel) as the lowest possible
hand, despite it also being a straight.
Hold'em
Also called Texas Hold'em. One of the most
popular poker games. Each player gets 2 down
cards and can use 3,4, or 5 of the community
cards.
Hole Cards
The down cards in a player's hand.
In
A term for being an active player; one who has
not folded.
Inside Straight
The term applied when a player has 4 of 5 cards
needed for a straight with the missing card
being inside the sequence rather than at either
end, and gets the missing card. For example, a
player holding 3, 4, 5, 7 needs a 6 to complete
the straight. Getting that 6 is termed "making
the inside straight."
Jackpot
A bonus opportunity to win under specific
circumstances set by the poker room.
Kicker
The term for the card used to break ties between
two of a kind or between Two Pair.
Live Blind
A blind that counts towards any bet you call or
raise.
Main Pot
The initial pot of money. When one or more
players go all-in, a side pot is created for
each all-in player.
Muck
As a noun, this refers to the pile of folded
cards and discarded cards. As a verb, at
showdown time, the act of returning a losing
hand to the dealer facedown.
Multi-Table Tournament
A tournament where players at more than one
table compete, starting with equal numbers of
chips, until one player has won all the chips.
Prize payouts are a function of the number of
entrants, and are posted on the tournaments
page. Multi-table tournaments have a posted
start time, and require registration in advance.
nh
Nice hand.
No Limit
A variation of the betting rules in which each
bet is unlimited up to the number of chips a
player has on the table (NL).
Omaha
A game in which each player receives 4 facedown
cards and shares 5 community cards. The winning
hand must use exactly 2 down cards and 3
community cards. This game also has a High/Low
variant.
Omaha High/Low
This game allows players to compete for a pot
split between the highest and the lowest hands
using 2 down cards and 3 community cards. A
player may use different sets of cards to make
up the best high and the best low hands.
On the button
This term means you are in the dealer position
in Texas Hold'em and Omaha games.A "button"
marks the dealer position with a "D" in the
center.
One on One
See head to head.
Pair
This is a hand where the player's best hand is
made up of 2 cards of the same rank.
Pass
Can be used in place of either check or fold
depending on the context.
Play Chips
The chips used for play money games. Play chips
have no monetary value.
Playing the Board
Using all the community cards in Hold'em as your
best hand.
Pocket Cards
The term for the two down cards at the start of
the hand.
Pot
The chips available to be won in any given hand.
Pot Limit
A variation on betting where each player may bet
up to the current amount in the pot (PL).
Profile
A term describing the information a player may
enter about himself/herself that may be
available, at the player's option, to other
players in the poker room. Your profile may
include your favourite hobby, favourite web
site, favourite quote, and more.
Raise
The act of increasing the amount bet by a prior
bettor.
Rake
The amount of money, in chips, taken by the
house as the service fee.
Raked Hand
A Raked Hand is where any player is dealt cards
in ring game play, in a hand which generates
rake. This constitutes one Raked Hand even where
the player folds before the flop. Please note
that some Noble Poker network tournaments with
raked hand requirements refer to Raked Hands
where a player has contributed to the pot in a
hand which generates rake.
Rank
The value of a card. The rank of the 2 of Spades
is 2. The rank of the Queen of Hearts is Queen.
Rank value increases from 2 through 10, followed
in order by Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. In
High/Low games, the Ace may be used both for its
high rank and as the lowest rank card.
Re-buy
To get more chips during a game but not
during a hand that you are in. This applies to
real money and tournament play.
Reducing
The act of removing chips from a table and
returning immediately with fewer chips. Reducing
is considered poor etiquette.
Registration
We ask you to select a screen name to serve as
your poker room identity, a password, and to
provide a location and email address to create
an account. This is your registration.
River
The fifth and final community card. This card is
also known as Fifth Street.
Round
This refers to the dealing of a set of cards and
associated betting. For example, the dealing of
the river and the bets that follow are a round.
Royal Flush
The best possible high hand. This is a straight
flush from 10 through to Ace of the same suit.
Screen Name
The identity you select by which you are known
in the poker room. We only allow one player per
screen name so please understand if the one you
have selected is already taken.
Self-install
The term used to describe how the file you
download from our web site is automatically
installed and configured on your computer when
you double-click on the file.
Server
The computer, or set of computers, providing a
service to client computers. In this case the
service is the poker room.
Showdown
After the final bet, when all players show their
hands or muck, is known as the showdown.
Side Pot
This is a pot created when a player goes all-in.
The side pot is the pot available to those
players not all-in at that point. There can, on
occasion, be more than one side pot.
Single Table Tournament
A poker table at which you may buy-in to a seat.
All buy-in money goes to the prize pool. The
prize pool is returned to the top finishers per
the payout table on the tournaments page. A fee
is normally required to play at this table.
Players are staked to equal numbers of chips and
play until one player has won all the chips.
Single table tournaments begin as soon as the
table has filled.
Sit Out
We permit you to hold your seat at a table while
not participating in some hands. Under most
conditions, we limit the time you may sit out.
In blind games, you may be asked to post the
equivalent of the blind if you return to your
seat prior to the blind reaching you. To sit out
you click a check box on the table screen. To
return, you unclick the "sit out" check box.
Small Blind
In Hold'em and Omaha, this is the mandatory bet
required of the player to the left of the
dealer.
Stakes
See buy-in.
Straight
A hand in which the player has five cards in
rank order. Suit does not matter. For example,
8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen.
Straight Flush
A straight all of the same suit.
Stud
The generic term for poker games where players
receive the first card(s) down followed by some
up cards where those up cards are exclusively
for the use of that player. There may be a
further down card as in 7 Card Stud.
Suit
Any of the four sets (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts,
and Spades) in a deck of cards.
Texas Hold'em
The poker game where each player gets two down
cards followed by five community cards face-up.
Three of a kind
A hand consisting three cards of the same rank.
Tournament Buy-In
The cost to enter a tournament. All buy-in money
is returned to the players via the prize pool.
Tournament Entry-Fee
A small fee the house charges to enter a
tournament.
Trips
A nickname for three of a kind.
Turn
The nickname for the fourth community card in
Hold'em and Omaha.
Two Pair
A hand in which the player has two pairs of
cards.
Under-raise
This occurs when a player raises a prior bet but
has to go all-in to do so with an amount less
than the full raise.
Up Card
A card dealt face up, so that all players may
see it.
Wheel
A nickname for the best low hand 5, 4, 3, 2, A.
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