Glossary of poker terms

B

A "baby" hand is the weakest possible version of a specific made hand on a given board, like the lowest full house you can have on a paired board in hold'em. A "backdoor" draw needs two or more betting rounds to complete, or it can mean making a hand you weren't originally trying for. To "back in" is to check and then call someone else's opening bet on the first round, often in jackpot games where you enter without openers. "Back into" means winning a pot with a hand that would have folded if anyone had bet.

A "backraise" is a reraise made by a player who had already called in that same round. A "bad beat" is losing a hand when you were far ahead of the eventual winner. "Balance" means playing very different hands identically to hide information from opponents. The "bank" (or house) handles chips, buy-ins, and pays winners.

"Bankroll" is the money a player uses for poker over time, or to fund someone else's play; "bankroll management" is picking the right stakes and games to avoid going broke during losing streaks. "Barreling" happens when the preflop raiser bets the flop and then bets again on the turn (double barrel), and betting all three streets is a triple barrel. "Behind" means not holding the best hand, or money on the table that isn't in the pot yet. A "belly buster" is a straight draw that needs one specific middle card.

A "bet" is any money wagered during a hand, the first bet of a round, or the standard amount in fixed-limit games. "Betting structure" covers all rules on forced bets, limits, and raise caps. The "big bet" is the larger of two bet sizes in fixed limit; a "big bet game" uses no-limit or pot-limit rules. The "big blind" is the larger forced bet; a "big blind special" is a hand won by the big blind with weak cards because no one raised preflop.

C

To call is to match a bet or raise. Calling the clock is a method to discourage excessive delay; the player has a set time to act or their hand is declared dead, and in tournaments any player can call a clock. A calling station frequently calls bets but rarely raises, typically a loose passive player. Cap refers to a limit on the number of raises allowed in a betting round, usually three or four beyond the opening bet; in most casinos the cap is removed if only two players remain.

Cap also denotes the chip or object placed atop one's cards to show continued involvement. A cap game is a no-limit or pot-limit game with a cap on the amount a player can bet during a hand; once the cap is reached, all remaining players are considered all-in. A card protector is an item placed on facedown cards to prevent accidental discard. Cards are standard playing cards; home games often use two decks with distinct backs, while casinos use plastic decks.

Cards speak refers to the rule that the cards themselves determine the winner. The case card is the last available card of a certain description.

A cash game is played for real money, not tournament play. Cash plays is an announcement that a player may bet cash on the table in lieu of chips until receiving chips; in many card rooms, $100 bills may remain on the table in play. Cashing means winning a share of tournament prize money.

D

Dark refers to an action taken before receiving information the player would normally be entitled to. A dead blind is a blind that is not live, meaning the player posting it cannot raise if others just call; it usually involves a small blind posted by a player entering or returning to a game in a position other than the big blind, posted in addition to a live blind equal to the big blind. A dead hand is not entitled to participate in the deal due to being fouled, having the wrong number of cards, or missing forced bets.

Dead money is the amount in the pot other than the equal amounts bet by active remaining players; examples include money from folded players, a dead blind, or an odd chip left from a previous deal. The term also derogatorily refers to money put in by unskilled players still eligible to win, and in tournaments to casual players with virtually no chance of winning. Deal means to distribute cards according to game rules, or a single instance of poker from shuffling to pot award, also called a hand. Deal twice is also a term.

F

The phrase '_ full of _' describes a full house, where the three of a kind is 'full of' the pair; for example, three Aces and two Jacks is Aces full of Jacks. A family pot occurs when every or almost every seated player calls the first opening bet. Fast describes aggressive play. A favorite is a hand that has an odds advantage over another in a showdown; it can be a small or big favorite depending on the degree of domination.

A feeder is a second or third table playing the same game as the main table, from which players move to the main game as players are eliminated, also called a must-move table. Felt is the cloth covering of a poker table, used metonymically for the table itself; showing down a hand while all-in means there is only felt left in front of the player. Field refers to all players collectively in a large tournament. Fifth street is the last card dealt to the board in community card games, also called river, or the fifth card dealt in stud poker.

To fill or fill up means to successfully draw to a hand needing one card to complete it. The final table is the last table in a multi-table tournament, set when enough players are eliminated to occupy one table, typically no more than ten. First position is the playing position to the direct left of the blinds in Texas hold 'em and Omaha hold 'em, also known as under the gun. Fish denotes a weak player, or to chase draws holding a weak hand, especially against aggressive play.

Five of a kind is possible only with wild cards or more than one deck, comprising five cards of equal rank. Fixed limit or flat limit is a betting structure. A flash is any card briefly exposed by accident; it must be shown to all players before being discarded.

Did You Know?

• Ace in the hole means one of the hole cards is an ace.
• The action button is a marker similar to a kill button, on which a player places an extra forced bet; in seven-card stud high-low, it is awarded to the winner of a scoop pot above a certain size.
• Effective nuts is a hand that is not the actual nut hand but strong enough to be played like it.