The Small and Big Blinds

These may be the trickiest positions to play well in Texas Hold'em. It might seem like a great seat before the flop: Not only do you get to act last, but you get to enter the pot at a discount (since you've already posted a bet or a fraction of a bet), giving you the right odds to play many weaker-than-usual hands. After the flop, however, the blinds are obligated to act first on every round, making it extremely dangerous to play those weaker hands.

Late Position

This is the area some players like to call "the office," as it's the best place from which to do your work at the table. The crown jewel of late position is the button, or the dealer's seat. As the button, you not only get to act last on every round of betting after the flop, but if no one has entered the pot before you, you can try to steal the blinds, raising with a hand that wouldn't ordinarily be worth two bets in the hopes of scaring the blinds into folding.

General Texas Hold'em Strategy.

Hold'em is basically highest hand, card game. The players holding two or three good high cards have the best chance at the best hand or a draw to the best hand after the flop. Only play the strongest hands, that will stand a raise or multiple raises, from early betting positions. Medium strength and other playable hands from the later positions if you have a good chance of seeing the flop at a reasonable price. Play strong high hands "most" of the time, and play them very aggressively. Take all the raises you can get. If you don't thin out the competition, you reduce your chances of winning dramatically. Plus, your aggressive play before the flop can add credibility to any strong play you might want to use on the next round if a garbage flop falls and you want to try a steal. Be ready to fold your high pair if you get a lot of action with a threatening flop.

Texas Hold'em, Poker The Real Deal.

I believe in luck. How else can you explain the success of those you dislike?

-Jean Cocteau

Middle Position

The three or four players in the middle have an easier time of it than those in early position (EP). They get to see what the EPs do before the flop, and won't have to make any decisions after the flop until the blinds and EPs have acted. It's luxury that allows you to play a relatively wider selection of hands. If no one has enter the pot before you, you can think about raising with some of the hands you might have thrown away from early position. And if an EP has already raised, you can safely fold some of your marginal holding.

Early Position

The two or three players seated directly to the left of the blinds have to decide before anyone else does whether or not to enter-or-raise-the pot. There could be a lot of scary hands out there. (The player in first position is said to be under the gun for this very reason.) It's usually wise, therefore, to limit yourself to the stronger hands of the hold'em spectrum.

Position / 2

The player seated in the dealer position gets to act last during every round of betting from the flop on. Why is this so important? For the simple reason that you get to see what everyone else is up to before having to commit any money yourself. If there's a lot of raising or reraising in front of you, it might be wise to fold your hand. If everyone checks to you, a bluff at the pot might be in order.

Position

Relative position is a critical factor in determining just how strong a hand you are holding. Some hands that might initially seem valuable are actually very difficult to play if you have to decide whether to check, bet, or fold before a large field of other players who are set to act.

Some Percentages

If you have a pocket pair, you'll flop a set about 12 percent of the time. If you have A-K, you'll flop at least a pair about 37 percent of the time. If you have two suited cards, you will flop four cards to a flush about 11 percent of the time.

What Makes Some Hands Better Than Others?

Cards that are of the same suit-a condition we'll call suited-have a better chance of making flushes, while consecutive (or near-consecutive) cards-connectors-are more likely to make straights. Suited connectors are even better, increasing your odds of making a straight, flush, or, on rare occasions, a straight flush. Hands that incorporate both hole cards are generally stronger than hands that use only one, as you're less likely to end up in a tie with an opponent, forcing you to split the pot

What Makes Some Hands Better Than Others

It's clear that pocket pairs, especially big ones, can be very powerful, as they can win without any extra help from the board. When they do match up with the community cards, they'll make brawny hands like sets and full houses. Higher cards are better than lower ones, as they make bigger hands (with bigger kickers).

Hold'ems Expected Value

Poker, especially limit poker, is a game of expected value. You win money by betting in situations in which you have a positive expected value, and holding on to it when your expected value is negative. The first secret to winning hold'em, therefore, is to learn which hands have positive value. This is a skill called hand selection.

Poker's Lower Limits

Any two cards win. You'll hear this cry often, especially at poker's lower limits. And here's a little secret . . . it's true. Well, it's technically true, anyway. A much deeper truth is this: While any two cards win, some combinations win a lot more often than others.

"Winning Money" - TEXAS Hold'em Poker

When played "correctly"-with the intention of winning money-poker is a lot like value investing. You bet heavily on hands that you have a better than average chance of winning, and you minimize your outlay for those that you don't. So while poker dose ultimately come down to luck, there's absolutely nothing to prevent an educated player from taking advantage of fortune's ups and downs.

Poker: The Real Deal

A poker player has to be lucky-in the same way that Warren Buffet gets lucky playing the stock market year after year.


Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday (observed) (USA)

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NEW, 100% FREE: Milwaukee's Texas Hold'em Challenge.

"Amarillo Slim" Preston, 1972

Nobody is always a winner, and anybody who says he or she is, is either a liar or doesn't play poker.


"Amarillo Slim" Preston, 1972
World Series of Poker champion

Ranks

Like in many online games, your rank will gradually increase the more you play and the better you play. You will start off at rank 0, but as you play, you'll start to see yourself earning higher and higher ranks.

The exact formula used to calculate your rank is a little complicated, but here are the basics...

* Your rank value increases for winning chips.
* Your rank value decreases for losing chips.
* However, your rank value will decrease at a slower rate for losing chips than it increases for winning chips.

In other words, if you win 100 chips and then lose 100 chips over a few games, your rank will still be higher than it was before. (But not as much as if you had just won 100 chips.)

* The amount that your rank goes up or down depends on how many chips you win and what room you're playing in.
* The amount your rank is affected is normalized based on the minimum bet for that room. However, you do get a slight boost for playing in a higher stakes room than in a lower stakes room.

In other words, winning 10,000 chips in a High Rollers room will boost your ranking a little more than winning 100 chips in a Low Rollers room, but the boost will be small. (We're talking 10% or so.)

* Playing in a Just for Fun room affects your ranking less than playing in a "real" money room.
* In some instances, playing against computer opponents doesn't affect your ranking as much as playing against human opponents.
* Although your rank value does decrease for losing chips, you'll never drop down a rank. Once you've reached a particular rank, it's yours to keep.

Q: All of that made my head hurt. Just tell me the best way to go up in rank!
A: Play a lot, and win chips. Your rank will go up faster if you play in one of the "real" money rooms than the Just for Fun rooms, but even in the Just for Fun rooms, you can go up in rank.

Q: Wait. My rank will go down when I lose chips? Why? Do you hate me?
A: Yes.

No, we're just kidding. We love you! The thing is, if you gained rank for winning tokens and none for losing tokens, some people would be out there raising every hand all the time no matter what. This tends to make the games long and drawn out and ruins the experience for players who are trying to play a real poker game.

Just remember that your rank will eventually go up the more you play, and you should just let it happen naturally. Also remember that getting a high rank won't earn you badges to pin on your chest, it won't make you lose weight, it won't help you win a jackpot, it won't get you a record contract, it won't make you a better person, it won't make your kids visit more often, it won't remodel your living room, and it won't give you super-powers or chips. It's just a measure of how experienced of a poker player you are. And that's it.

Your Stake

When you sit down at a table, you will contribute some of your chips balance into your "Stake". This represents the amount of chips you set aside for betting. All players who sit down at a table use the same stake. The nice thing about using a stake instead of your total chip balance is that a player with a thousand chips can play a player with a million chips and it's still easy to tell who's ahead in the betting.

If you don't have enough chips left in your stake to cover a bet, you will be asked to leave.

To sit down at a table, you must have enough chips to contribute at least one stake. If you can't afford one stake, then try a lower stakes table.

Different Tables You'll notice when you first choose a room, you'll have several categories to choose from.

The rooms under the Just for Fun tab "play money" are just that, you play for fun, and don't have to worry about losing money. Of course, you don't get to win any money, either.

The rooms under the Low Rollers, Middle Rollers, High Rollers, and Super Rollers all play for real money, AND "play money". The only difference between the rooms is the amount that you're betting. The blind/ante, the betting increments, the maximum bet per hand, and the amount of money required for a stake all increase as you move from Low Rollers up to Super Rollers.

We strongly recommend you stay away from the High Rollers and Super Rollers games until you're more comfortable with the game!

The Showdown

Once all players have finished betting and there are at least two players left in the game, it is time for each player to reveal their hand. This is referred to as a "Showdown".

The game reveals each player's hand, one at a time. This is done by turning over the two face-down cards, and then showing the best 5-card hand that can be made out of the seven cards available to the player (the two face-down cards, and the five community cards). You don't need to do anything to select the best hand, the game will do it automatically for you.

The game will then show a description of the hand, so everybody knows exactly what hand that player has. See the Hand Rankings section for more information about possible hands.

Once all player's hands are revealed, the player with the best hand receives all the chips in the pot. Then we get ready to start another game...

River, Round 4

A fifth and final community card is dealt into the center of the table. This fifth card is known as The River. Once this card has been dealt, there is one last round of betting. Then it's time to see what you got!

Turn, Round 3

After players have finished the previous betting round, a fourth community card is dealt face-up onto the center of the table. This card is known as The Turn.

This is followed by a third round of betting, similar to the previous one, except that the betting amounts (and the maximum bet) is twice as much, or "more" as before.

Flop, Round 2

Once the first round of betting is over, three cards are dealt face up into the center of the table. These three cards are commonly referred to as "The Flop." Collectively, all of the cards dealt into the center of the table are known as community cards because they can be used by everybody at the table to make their poker hand.

Once the flop has been dealt, there is a second round of betting similar to the first, except that the first two players don't have to post blinds anymore.

Betting, Round 1

After players have posted blinds or anted, two cards are dealt to every player. At this point, the first round of betting begins.

At the start of a betting round, before anybody has placed a bet on the table you have several options:

Your first option is to Check. Checking is essentially another way of saying "I'm not going to bet anything yet," but it sounds classier.

The second option is to place a bet by clicking on one of the Bet buttons. You will have the option of placing a small, medium, or large bet, although the exact amount changes from room to room. In a Low Rollers room, for example, you can bet $1, $2, or $4. In a High Rollers room, you can bet $100, $200, or $400, and "all-in bets".

Your third option is to Fold. Folding basically means you're giving up and are sitting out the rest of the hand. The bright side to folding is that you don't have to contribute any more to the pot. The drawback is that you don't get back any money you've already contributed to the pot (such as the ante and any previous bets). At the beginning of the hand, if you still have the opportunity to check, it makes much more sense to check instead of folding.

Once a bet has been placed on the table, all other players must contribute that same amount (or more) to the pot. At this point, your options are slightly different...

Your first option is to Call. This is saying, "I am contributing the amount of money needed so that my bet is the same as what other people have bet." The button will be labeled, for example, "Call 20" to let you know that by calling, you are placing 20 tokens into the pot.

Your second option is to Raise. Raising is saying, "I am calling, then I am also increasing the bet amount by placing more money into the pot." You will have the option of raising a small, medium, or large amount. Once you have raised, all other players at the table will need to call again to match the amount that you've placed into the pot.

Your third option is to Fold. Like before, this means you don't want to bet any more and are sitting out the rest of the hand. Just remember: you don't get back any money you've already placed into the pot.

If, like most Texas Hold'em Players, you play with Blinds instead of Antes, the game will treat the first two players as if they had already bet small amounts. Which means that at the beginning of Betting Round 1, you'll probably have to Call, Raise, or Fold.

For a round of betting to be over, all players must have either folded, or contributed the same amount of money to the pot. This is accomplished by everybody calling after the last bet or raise.

In every table, there is a maximum amount that the bet can reach. If you find that some of the Raise buttons are gone, it is because those raises would put the bet amount over the maximum.

Post Blinds, or Ante

There are two ways players can pre-bet in a game of poker. The exact approach you use depends on the options for the table you're at.

Posting Blinds essentially forces the two players to the left of the dealer to make a bet before the game has even started. The player directly to the left of the player places a small bet (known as a Small Blind). The next player to the left places a larger bet (known as a Large Blind). If you've ever watched Texas Hold'em Poker on television, this is how they play.

Once the cards have been dealt, the game acts as though the people who have posted the Small and Large Blind have made real bets, and play starts to the left of the person who posted the Large Blind.

In order to make things fair for everybody, the person who acts as the dealer moves clockwise after every hand, so everybody will post a large blind and a small blind after several games.

Don't worry if this seems confusing, most online Texas Hold'em Poker takes care of placing blinds automatically, so you don't need to worry too much about it. You'll get the hang of it soon enough.

If you're at a table where people Ante instead, it just means that everybody at the table puts a small bet into the pot before the cards are dealt. If you've played High Stakes Poker then you know how anteing works.

Online Texas Hold'em Poker places the Ante for you automatically, to speed the game along.

Step-by-Step: Overview

The game of Texas Hold'em Poker is divided into several stages...

The Basics.

Texas Hold'em Poker is a card game for up to six players. The object of Texas Hold'em is to have the highest ranking hand at the end of several betting rounds by making the best five-card hand using any combination of the two cards that are dealt to you and the five cards in the center of the table. The player with the highest hand wins all of the tokens that have been placed in the pot.

At the start of the game, players are dealt two cards. There is then one round of betting, in which players can place new bets, match the current bet (known as "calling"), raise the amount of the current bet, or stop betting and drop out of the hand (known as "folding").

Once all players have either bet the same amount of tokens or folded, three cards are dealt into the center of the table. These cards are known as "community cards" because they can be used by any player to make a poker hand. There is another round of betting, and then a fourth community card is dealt into the center of the table. There is another round of betting, and a fifth and final card is dealt into the center of the table, followed by one last round of betting.

Once this last round of betting is over, all players who are left in the game reveal the two cards they are holding face-down. The players' hands are the best five card hand that can be made using any combination of the two face-down cards in their hands, and the five face up community cards.

For example, the player at the bottom can make a hand with Three Queens, by using the two queens in the center, and the third queen in his hand.

The player with the highest ranked hand wins all the money that is left in the pot.

Quick Tip:
You're going to be winning and losing "real", and or "fake" money when you play any of the "Roller" rooms! We recommend you practice first by playing in one of the Just For Fun "play money" rooms until you're comfortable with the game and the betting process.

Online poker, Card game hands.

Hands are ranked identically to the method used in any standard poker card game. The rule of poker hands below are ranked from highest (royal flush) to lowest (high card). This general rule of poker hands applies to every online poker card game; play money or poker for real money.

Royal Flush      

Straight Flush  

4-of-a-Kind      

Full House        

Flush                

Straight            

3-of-a-Kind       

Two Pair           

One Pair           

High Card         

Rule of poker hands & rankings

If two or more hands are the same ranking, the winner is the one having the higher cards. For example, a Flush with an Ace high beats a Flush with a King high. If the poker hands remain tied, then the highest card not being held in common (the kicker) determines the winner. Paradise follows standard rule of poker. A poker tip of the trade is to make sure you have these hand rankings memorized.

Should poker hands be absolutely identical in ranking, the rule of poker pot distribution will be split evenly between the two or more winning players. If there is an odd chip, the winning player to the left of the button/dealer will receive it. This applies to both play money and poker for real money.

Management will resolve questions/disputes during any online poker card game with respect to the rule of poker, hands and rankings. Management decisions are final. If you have any questions, please use the contact us link on the home page. .

Poker for real money: Paradise's online poker card game

Paradise Poker: Play Texas Holdem NOW...

 

The Cards

Spain's forty-card deck-kings, knights, valets, and the numbers one through seven-are divided into swords, cups, coins, and real clubs, that is, heavy sticks you might hit somebody over the head with after receiving a bad beat. The Swiss and Italians also have their own variations.

The Cards

The "American" fifty-two-card deck, which was actually designed by the French, might be regarded by most as the world's standard, but it's certainly not the world's only deck. To this day, traditional German decks consist of only thirty-two cards, bearing leaves, acorns, and bells instead of spades, diamonds, harts, and clubs. Their court cards have a more military bent-no queens and jacks, but the all-male Obers ("overofficers") and Unters ("underofficers").

Limits for Beginners 3

Pot-limit is a sophisticated hybrid of limit and no limit, in which you can make a maximum bet at any time of up to the amount of money that is currently in the pot. It's a lot trickier than it sounds. Suffice to say here that there's a galaxy of difference between a $5/10 limit hold'em game (where pots can get into the low hundreds) and a $5/10 pot-limit game (where those same pots can climb into the thousands).

Limits for Beginners - 2

A no-limit game is exactly what the name suggests, a game in which there's no limit to the amount that you can bet at any time. (Note that there is often a minimum size for each bet or raise.) Many online and casino no-limit games have a maximum buy-in, such as $50 or $500. This helps to prevent one player from steamrolling over everyone else simply by virtue of starting with a much larger stack of chips. Any chips that you earn above and beyond the buy-in, however, can be used to bully new players at will.

Limits for Beginners

Let's talk for a minute about how much you can bet. "Ring" games, a fancy term for a normal poker game (as opposed to a tournament), come in three basic flavors: structured limit, no-limit, and pot-limit. If you're new to the game, you're going to want to stick to a structured limit game, that is, one where the size of the bet is fixed on each street. For example, in a "$5/10" hold'em game, the bets (or raises) are made in increments of $5 before and just after the flop-the small bet-but increase to units of $10 on the turn and the river-the big bet.

Mike Caro

Aces are larger than life and greater than mountains.

Mike Caro

The Deal

Blinds, like their cousin the ante, are designed to encourage action. Think about it this way: Without blinds, the first person to throw it in a bet would be risking money to win nothing. These aren't appealing odds to a thinking poker player, who wouldn't open the betting without the strongest of hands. The blinds, however, create instant pot odds, giving a player the chance to win something more than what he or she has wagered.

The Deal

Almost every hold'em game played today incorporates what's called a blind. Some use a single blind-a mandatory bet posted by the player just to the left of the dealer-but most incorporate a big blind (whatever the table rules determine to be a full bet) and a small blind (a fraction of that full bet).

The Cards

We have to thank the French for our modern-day cards. They not only rejiggered the deck to align with their own notions of royalty- kings, queens, and jacks replaced Muslim court cards-but they also replaced the four suits with their current-day counterparts. An early French deck featured Charlemagne as the king of diamonds, Emperor Julius Caesar as the king of hearts, Alexander the Great as the king of clubs, and biblical King David as the king of spades.

The Deal

For those new to Texas Hold'em, it is probably the easiest form of widow poker to learn, "widow" being somewhat more colorful term for cards dealt in the center of the table that are shared by each of the players. In hold'em, these community cards - five in all-are called the board.

The Language of Betting

Every time the action gets to you, you're going to have to do one of five things:
1. Fold Lay your hand down and exit the pot.
2. Call. Match the bet that is in front of you. If there is no bet in front of you, you can . . .
3. Check (pass or "no bet," if you're British) the action to the next player,
4. Bet (if you're the first person to act), or
5. Raise someone else's bet.
Knowing those five words will allow you to communicate with poker players all over the world. Feel the power coursing through your veins.

Poker - Dictionary

Poker Lingo...


A. Texas Hold'em Poker
Aces Full A full house with three aces and any pair. Ace-High A five card hand that contains one Ace, with no straight or flush or a hand with no pair in it. Aces Up A hand that contains two pairs, one of which is Aces. Action Checking/Betting/Raising. A game in which players are playing a lot of pots is considered an "action" game. Active Player Any player who is still in the hand. Add-on A purchase of more chips (optional) at the end of the re-buy period in a tournament. All-In When a player bets all his/her chips.: In online poker, you may be deemed "All-in" when you are disconnected (even if you have chips remaining). American Airlines Two Aces. Ante Money placed in the pot before the hand is begun.

B. Texas Hold'em Poker
Bad Beat When a hand is beaten by a lucky draw. Belly Buster A draw and/or catch to an Inside Straight. Bet To place chips into the pot. Bet the Pot When a player bets the amount of the pot. Bicycle A straight that is A-2-3-4-5.

B-2. Texas Hold'em Poker
Big Blind A designated amount that is placed by the player sitting in the second position, clockwise from the dealer, before any cards are dealt. (Players joining a game in progress must post a Big Blind, but may do so from any position.) Big Slick A hand that contains an A-K. Blind The bet(s) that must be made by the two players sitting directly to the dealer's left which will start the action on the first round of betting. The blinds are posted before any cards are dealt. (A "Blind" bet is one that is made in the dark without looking at your cards.)

B-3. Texas Hold'em Poker
Blind Raise When a player raises without looking at his hand. Bluff To make other players believe that one has a better hand than he/she might otherwise have by betting or raising when they do not have the best hand. Boardcards The cards that are dealt face-up in a poker game for all players to see. In flop games, five cards are dealt face-up in the center of the table. In Seven Card Stud, four cards are dealt face-up in front of each player. Bottom Pair When a player uses the lowest card on the flop to make a pair with one of his own cards.

B-4. Texas Hold'em Poker
Broadway An Ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10). Bring-In The forced bet made on the first round of betting by the player who is dealt the lowest card showing in Seven Card Stud and Stud 8 or Better. In Razz (Lowball) it is the highest card showing Bring It In To start the betting on the first round. Broomcorn's Uncle A player who antes himself broke. Bullets A pair of Aces. Bump To raise. Button Also known as the dealer button, it is a small round disk that is moved from player to player in a clockwise direction following each hand, to theoretically indicate the dealer of each hand. Buy-In The minimum amount of money required by a player to sit down in a particular poker game.

C. Texas Hold'em Poker
Call When a player chooses to match the previous bet. Call Cold To call both a bet and raise(s). Cap To take the last of the maximum amount of raises allowed per round of betting. Cardroom The room or space in a casino where poker is played. Case Chips A player's last chips. Cash Out To leave a game and convert your chips to cash. Check When it's a player's turn to act and there has been no action in front of them and he opts not to bet, he "checks." Check-Raise When a player first checks and then raises in a betting round. Chop To return the blinds to the players who posted them and move on to the next hand if no other players call. It also means to "split the pot". Collusion When two or more players conspire to cheat in a poker game. Community Cards Cards that are face-up and used by all players. Cowboys Two Kings.

D. Texas Hold'em Poker
Dead Man's Hand Two pair - Aces and Eights (Wild Bill Hickock was shot in the back while playing this hand). Door Card This is the first exposed card, or "up" card, in a player's hand in Stud games. Down Card Hole cards. Cards that are dealt face down. Doyle Brunson It's a Holdem hand consisting of a 10-2 (Brunson won the world championship two years in a row on the final hand with these cards). Draw Lowball Form of poker where each player is dealt five cards with the option of discarding one or more and replacing them with new ones and the low hand wins. Draw Poker Form of poker where each player is dealt five cards down with the option of discarding one or more and replacing them with new ones to attempt to make a better hand. Drop Fold. Ducks A pair of Twos. Deuces A pair of Twos.

E. Texas Hold'em Poker
Early Position Position on a round of betting where the player must act before most of the other players at the table. (It's considered the two positions located to the left of the Blinds.)

F. Texas Hold'em Poker
Fifth Street Also known as the "river" card. In flop games, this represents the fifth community card on the table and the final round of betting. In Stud games, this is the fifth card dealt to each player and represents the third round of betting. Five-card Draw A poker game in which the player is dealt five cards down. They have one draw to replace them and the best high hand wins the pot. Five-card Stud A poker game in which each player is dealt five cards, one down and four up, with betting after 2, 3, 4, & 5 cards. Flat Call Calling a bet without raising. Flop In Hold'em and Omaha, the first three community cards that are dealt face-up in the center of the table all at one time. The "flop" also indicates the second round of betting.

F-2. Texas Hold'em Poker
Flop Games Poker games (Hold 'em and Omaha) that are played using community cards that are dealt face up in the center of the table. Floorman An employee of the cardroom who makes rulings and decisions. Flush Any five cards of the same suit. Flush Draw When a player has four cards in his hand of the same suit and is hoping to draw a fifth to make a flush. Fold To throw your hand away when it's your turn to act. Forced Bet A required bet that starts the action on the first round of a poker hand. Four of a Kind Four cards of the same number or face value ("quads"). Fourth Street In flop games, it is the fourth community card dealt (also known as "the turn") and represents the third round of betting. In Stud games, it is the fourth card dealt to each player and represents the second round of betting. Full House Any three cards of the same number or face value, plus any other two cards of the same number or face value.

G. Texas Hold'em Poker
Gut Shot To draw to and/or hit an inside straight.

H. Texas Hold'em Poker
Hand A player's best five cards. High-Card To decide the first dealer in the flop tournaments each user is dealt a single card and the player with the highest card (based on the card and the suit order - of spades, hearts, diamonds & clubs) becomes the theoretical dealer. High-Low Split pot games. Hold 'em Also known as Texas Hold 'em, where the players get two down cards and five community cards. See our complete Hold 'em rules in our Game Rules section. Hole Cards These are the Down Cards in front of the players. House The casino or cardroom that is hosting the poker game.

I. Texas Hold'em Poker
Inside Straight Four cards which require another between the top and the bottom card to complete a straight.\ Players who catch this card make an Inside Straight.

J. Texas Hold'em Poker
Jackpot Poker A form of poker in which the cardroom or casino offers a jackpot to a player who has lost with a really big hand (usually Aces full or better). Jacks-or- Better A form of poker in which a player needs to have at least a pair of jacks to open the betting.

K. Texas Hold'em Poker
Kansas City Lowball Form of lowball poker in which the worst poker hand (2, 3, 4, 5, 7 of different suits) is the best hand. It's also known as Deuce to Seven. Keep Them Honest To call at the end of a hand to prevent someone from bluffing. Key Card A card that gives you a big draw or makes your hand. Key Hand In a session or tournament, the one hand that ends up being a turning point for the player, either for better or worse. Kicker The highest unpaired side card in a players' hand. Kick It Raise. Kill Pot A method to stimulate action. It is a forced bet by someone who has just won a pot(s). Knock Check. Kojak A hand that contains a K-J.

L. Texas Hold'em Poker
Ladies Two Queens. Late Position Position on a round of betting where the player must act after most of the other players have acted (usually considered to be the two positions next to the button). Lay Down Your Hand When a player folds. Lead The first player to bet into a pot. Limit Poker A game that has fixed minimum and maximum betting intervals along with a prescribed number of raises. Limper The first player who calls a bet. Limp In To enter the pot by calling rather than raising. (The usual concept of "Limp In" is when the first person to speak just calls the Big Blind.)

L-2. Texas Hold'em Poker
Live Blind An instance where the player puts in a dark bet and is allowed to raise, even if no other player raises. It's also known as an "option". Live Card(s) In Stud Games, cards that have not yet been seen and are presumed to still be in play. Live Hand A hand that could still win the pot. Live One A not so knowledgeable player who plays a lot of hands. Look When a player calls the final bet before the showdown. Loose Is a player who plays a lot hands. Lowball Is a form of draw poker in which the lowest hand wins the pot.

M. Texas Hold'em Poker
Main Pot The center pot. Any other bets are placed in a side pot(s) and are contested among the remaining players. This occurs when a player(s) goes all-in. Make To make the deck is to shuffle the deck. Maniac A very aggressive player who plays a lot of hands. Middle Pair In flop games, when a player makes a pair with one of his/her down cards and the middle card on the flop. Middle Position Somewhere between the early and late positions on a round of betting (the fifth, sixth and seventh seats to the left of the button). Muck To discard or throw away your hand. It's also a pile of cards that are no longer in play. Minimum Buy-In The least amount you can start a game with. Monster A very big hand. In a tournament, a player who begins to accumulate chips after having a small stack is considered to be a monster.

N. Texas Hold'em Poker
No Limit A game where players can bet as much as they like (as long as they have it in front of them) on any round of betting. Nuts The best possible hand at any point of the game. A hand that cannot be beat.

O. Texas Hold'em Poker
Odds The probability of making a hand vs. the probability of not making a hand. Offsuit Cards of a different suit. Omaha A game in which each player is dealt four down cards with five community cards. To make your hand, you must play two cards from your hand and three from the board. Open To make the first bet. Open-ended Straight Four consecutive cards whereby one additional (consecutive) card is needed at either end to make a straight.

O-2. Texas Hold'em Poker
Open Card A card that is dealt face-up. Open Pair A pair that has been dealt face-up. Option An option is a Live Blind made in the dark before the cards are dealt. If no one raises, the "option" player may raise the pot. Out Button A disc placed in front of a player who wishes to sit out a hand(s) but remain in the game.

P. Texas Hold'em Poker
Paints Face or picture cards (Jack, Queen and King). Pair Two cards of the same face or number value. Pass To fold. Pay Off To call on the final round of betting when you may or may not think you have the best hand. Picture Cards Face cards (Jack, Queen and King). Play Back To raise or re-raise another player's bet. Playing the Board In flop games when your best five card hand is all five of the community cards. Pocket The down cards or hole cards.

P-2. Texas Hold'em Poker
Pocket Rockets A pair of Aces in the pocket or hole. Position Where a player is seated in relation to the dealer, therefore establishing that player's place in the betting order. Post When you post a bet, you place your chips in the pot. (You must post the Blinds.) Pot The money or chips in the center of a table that players try to win. Pot Limit This is a game where the maximum bet can equal the pot. Prop A person hired by the cardroom to work as a shill. Push When the dealer pushes the chips to the winning player at the end of a hand. It's also when dealers rotate to other tables. Put Down To fold a hand.

Q. Texas Hold'em Poker
Quads Four of a kind. Qualifier In High-Low games, it is a requirement the Low hand must meet to win the pot.

R. Texas Hold'em Poker
Rack A tray that holds 100 poker chips in five stacks of twenty chips each. Rail The rim of a poker table or a barrier outside a poker area. Railbird Someone who hangs around a poker room who watches the games and/or is looking to get into action. Raise To increase the previous bet. Rake Chips taken from the pot by the cardroom for compensation for hosting the game. Rank The value of each card and hand. Rap When a player knocks on the table indicating that he/she has checked. Razz Seven Card Stud where the lowest five cards win the pot.

R-2. Texas Hold'em Poker
Re-buy The amount of money a player pays to add a fixed number of chips to his/her stack in a tournament. Re-raise To raise a raise. Ring Game A "live" game that is not a tournament. River This is the last card given in all games. In Hold'em and Omaha, it is also known as 5th street. In Stud games, it is also known as 7th street. Round of Betting This is when players have the opportunity to bet, check or raise. Each round of betting ends when the last bet or raise has been called. Rounders Guys who hustle for a living. This is also the name of a popular poker movie starring Matt Damon and Ed Norton. Royal Flush This is an Ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10) of the same suit. It is the best possible hand in poker.

S. Texas Hold'em Poker
Satellite It is a mini-tournament to gain an entry into a larger tournament. Scoop To win the entire pot. Seating List A waiting list. A player would put his or her name on this list if there were no seats at the table at which they wish to play. Second Pair In flop games, when you pair the second highest card on the board. See To call. Seven-card Stud A well-known poker game in which players get three down cards and four up cards. You play the best five of those seven cards. Click here for information on Seven-card Stud. Seventh Street This is the final round of betting in Seven Card Stud and Stud 8 or Better. Shills Shills are paid props who help start and maintain poker games. Showdown At the end of the final betting round, it's when all active players turn their cards faceup to see who has won the pot.

S-2. Texas Hold'em Poker
Side Pot A separate pot(s) which is contested by remaining active players when one or more players are all-in. Sixth Street In Seven-card Stud, this is the fourth "up" card dealt to the player (their 6th card). It is also the 4th round of betting. Solid A fairly tight player (and reasonably good). Small Blind The amount put in the pot by the person immediately to the left of the dealer "button" prior to the cards being dealt. Speed Limit A pair of fives. Split Tie. Stack A pile of chips. Stay When a player remains in the game by calling rather than raising. Steel Wheel A five high straight (A-2-3-4-5) of the same suit. Straddle A straddle is a Blind bet which is usually double the size of the Big Blind\ (and that player may raise when the action gets to him). Straight Five consecutive cards of any suit.

S-3. Texas Hold'em Poker
Straight Flush Five consecutive cards of the same suit. Structure The limits put on the blinds/ante, bets, and raises in any particular game. Stud Games Games in which players get down cards and up cards. Stuck A player who is losing in a game.

T. Texas Hold'em Poker
Texas Hold'em This is also the name for Hold'em, the most popular form of poker. Third Street In Seven Card Stud and Seven Card Stud 8 or Better, this is the first betting round on the first three cards. Thirty Miles Three tens. Three of a Kind Three cards of the same number or face value ("trips"). Tight A player who doesn't play many pots. A tight game is one that doesn't have much action. TOC Tournament of Champions. Top Pair In flop games, when the player pairs one of his down cards with the highest card on board. Treys A pair of threes. Trips Three of a kind.Turn In flop games, this is the fourth card dealt. It is the third round of betting. Two Pair A hand consisting of two different pairs.

U. Texas Hold'em Poker
Up Card A card that is dealt face-up.

V-W. Texas Hold'em Poker
Walking Sticks A pair of sevens. Wild Card A card that can be played as any value. Worst Hand A losing hand. WSOP World Series of Poker.


Poker has a language somewhat to itself. Texas Hold'em Poker provides with a glossary to familiarize yourself with poker terms. Many of the poker terms in this glossary are linked to one another. If you click a link within a definition. Copyright ©2003 All Rights Reserved.