General Poker Terminology
Platinum Play Online Casino provides you with the most interesting guide to understanding all the general terms associated with the enthralling world of online poker. Most of the terms are not dedicated solely to video poker, but online poker in general.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W
Ace-High: Ace-High: A single–hand, 5-card hand game that does not have any hand combinations; includes a flush, a straight, a pair and many others.
Ante: This is the minimum bet placed into the pot by each individual player prior to the start of the poker game, and before the dealing of any cards.
Bad Beat: A hand considered to be good is beaten by the lucky draw, even though it has been slated to win to pot.
Big Blind: Considered a forced bet. This is the first initial bet placed by a player seated directly to the left of a player; initiates the small blind post. The big blind amount placed is equivalent to the lower bet. An example of this would be within a €10 or €20 game, the blind of €10 would be relevant in these games:
- Texas Hold'em
- Omaha
- Omaha Hi-lo
Big Pair: A pair containing a value of 10 or higher.
Big Slick: A combination consisting of A-K, considered pocket (hole) cards.
Blind Bet: Placed prior to any cards being dealt. The Blind Bet is perceived as a live bet during the first initial round of betting. During the first round of betting, there is both a big blind and a small blind included in these games:
- Texas Hold'em
- Omaha
- Omaha Hi-lo
Bluff: The action taken by a player to convince other players that the card(s) they possess is in fact better than the one they actually have. The player will bet assertively, with the hope that their “bluff” is successful and the remaining players will all fold their hand.
Boat: The slang term used to describe a Full House.
Bullets: The term used to describe the possession of a pair of Ace cards. Additionally known as “Pocket Rockets”, if the Aces are also the pocket cards.
Burning a Card: The action the occurs when the top card of the deck is discarded.
Buy-in Amount: The amount that players are required to have before the commencing of a game.
Buy-in Limit: The lowest amount required to be brought in a 1-on-1 game, and works in association with Seven-Card Stud Poker
Call: When a bet placed is equal in value to the preceding bet.
Cap: The limit description for the third raise within a round. Once betting is capped, players will only have the option to either call or fold at that time.
Cash Out: The action taken when the decision is made to complete play and exchange all chips for the equivalent amount of coins.
Casino Doubling Limit: A Doubling Limit as set by the Casino, where more information can be found by contacting the Platinum Play Online Casino support team.
Catch: When the desired hand a player is drawn to is made.
Check: This means that a player remains in the game but does not place a bet anymore. Players can only check if no further bets have been made during the course of the betting round.
Check-Raise: The process of checking at the start of a bet round, and then raising your bet as soon as the player seated to the left bets.
Coffeehousing: The banter and chat conducted by players about a hand they are currently involved in, with the intention of misleading or influence fellow players.
Call Cold: When a bet and a raise are called at similar times.
Collusion: The act of two or more players working simultaneously to gain winning hands.
Community Cards: Table cards that are dealt, which all players are able to use in order to complete a five-card hand.
Dead Man's Hand: A two-pair hand of both Aces and Eights. The reason for the name, according to legend, is that this was the hand value that Wild Bill Hickock held at the time of his death.
Dealer-button: usually branded with the letter ‘D’, it is the flat disk used to indicate the position of the dealer on the online poker table.
Deck: To describe the cards used in the online poker game in its entirety. It is also known as a Pack.
Denomination: The card value for each individual card ranging from two till ten, Jacks, Queens, Kings and Aces.
Deuces:A pair of cards with a ‘2’ value.
Draw: The request from the Dealer for new cards.
Drawing to a hand: The continuation with the round, with further cards dealt and the anticipation of a possible hand completion.
Drawing Dead: The drawing to a specific hand by a player which does not offer the best options with the flop. Thus, regardless of the hand being made, the player will be beaten.
Equalized: The exact amount of credits contributed by all the players in the game into the pot.
Face Cards: Jack, Queen and King cards of any suit.
Fifth Street: Refers to the third round of betting as players will each have 5 cards at this stage. With Fifth Street, bet amounts are of a high limit.
Note:
These betting limits are set according to the card room.
The highest-ranked card player will start the next betting round.
This all applies to only Seven-Card Stud Poker.
Flop: The initial 3 community cards which are dealt to the table, applicable to these games:
- Texas Hold'em
- Omaha
- Omaha Hi-lo
Fold:The action a player does when their hand is thrown away. They player that has folded will not have any stake in the pot, but will also not have to contribute any more credit towards the pot for further participation.
Fourth Street: Referring to the second round of betting. In this round all players will have a total of 4 cards each.
The following applies to the Fourth Street:
The player at the end of a round that is holding the highest card value hand will start the next subsequent round of betting. The player has the choice to either Call, Fold, Check or Raise.
Take note that, if a PAIR is the highest rated card hand, the initial player to place a bet has the choice a low or high bet limit. This will then stand as the raise amount for the remainder of the game. Additional players are required to follow this amount on a raise. This rule is only applicable to the game of Seven-Card Stud Poker.
Flush Draw: 4 cards of the exact same suit are held by the player, with the hope of receiving a further (fifth) card which will then finish a flush.
Go on Tilt: Irrational play by a player who loses focus and emotional balance within the duration of a game.
Gut Shot: An inside straight is drawn.
Hand: Together with the communal cards, this is the best combination a player can attempt to make with the held cards.
Heads Up: A two-player game.
Hold: The retaining of your chosen cards in a game. To hold the card, click over the card of choice.
Hole Cards: The retaining of your chosen cards in a game. To hold the card, click over the card of choice. (Also known as "Pocket Cards")
House: The game host, which in this regard is Platinum Play Online Casino.
Inside straight draw: A straight drawn with the required cards being in the middle of the straight. An example of this would be if a player currently has 6-7-9-10, and only the middle eight (8) card is needed to complete the straight.
Kicker: Within the pocket cards, this is the highest unpaired card.
Limping In: instead of raising, the big blind is called in.
Live Blinds: Blind Bets in play.
Lowest Card: The lowest valued card. Aces are high. If the same, lowest card is held by 2 players, the card is identified by suit. The suits are positioned in alphabetical order, ranging from low to high values.
Maniac: A player with aggressive attributes, who plays practically any hand while generally raising instead of calling.
Monster: An extremely strong hand.
Muck: When a hand is not shown to the table. The hand will then be discarded. A losing hand can be ‘mucked’ in a showdown, or if all other players have already folded before then in a winning hand.
Nuts: An unbeaten hand during any course of the game.
Nut Flush: An Ace within a flush.
Offsuit: Different suits of cards.
Outs: Specific cards which will make a hand the player is attempting to draw to.
Paint Cards: These are the Kings, Queens and Jacks; also ‘picture cards’.
Pair: These are the Kings, Queens and Jacks; also ‘picture cards’.
- Three of Clubs and Three of Hearts
- Queen of Diamonds and Queen of Spades
Pocket Cards: Face-down cards (‘Hole Cards’) dealt to players.
Pocket Rockets: Pocket cards (‘hole Cards’) constituting a pair of Aces.
Post Now: New players who join an existing game are given the choice to either post now or hold out for the big blind bet. If the decision is made to post now, players will then have to bet an equal amount to that of the big blind bet. They will then receive the cards instantly.
Pot: A stack of chips that increases as the individual players ante. The pot is where all winnings are paid out from, with the pot’s value varying with the winnings from the pot, as received by the winning player from each individual round. The pot is reliant on the stakes concerned and the bet amount by players. A “rake” is what is meant when the casino (house) takes a minimum portion from the pot. The pot will be shared equally amongst players if any have the same hand.
Quads: Four of a Kind – meaning that 4 cards have the same denomination.
Quartered: A quarter of the pot is earned when the player ties with a high or low hand. This is applicable to Omaha Hi-Lo Poker.
Rake: The casino (house) takes a portion from the pot.
Rags: A card that does not advance the prospects of the hand and is considered useless.
Rainbow: A board that includes 3 or 4 cards stemming from dissimilar suits.
Raise:When the bet by a previous player is increased, thus raising the stakes for the remaining players. These remaining players will have to match the entire amount as well as the raise.
Ring Game: A table game with real normal money, unlike the tournament games.
River Card: The dealing of the last community card.
Rock: Describes a player who will only consider playing the most important and best hands.
Scare Cards: Card Boards of high values, such as an Ace appearing on a flop.
See: To call another players bet is to ‘see’ them.
Semi-bluff: To bluff on a hand which still holds drawing potential, thus improving the hand and resulting in a win.
Seven Deuce: In Texas Hold-em (7-2), this is the accepted lowest beginning card combination.
Seventh Street: Players will each have 7 cards in the last round, which is also the fifth round.
In Seventh Street, players can find the following applicable
- A river card is kept face down when dealt.
- Whichever player began first in the Sixth Street will start first in the seventh.
- After a further round of betting in a game, and if there are multiple players remaining, the game will be concluded with a ‘showdown’.
- The winner will receive the pot if the best five-card hand is revealed.
- This applies to Seven-Card Stud Poker.
Showdown: This will occur directly after the final betting round, as the lasting players compare hands to distinguish a winner. Ultimately, the player in position of the top-rated hand will win the pot.
Sitting Out: When the decision is made to forego participation at a table for a number of hands/rounds.
If participation runs over a 15-minute period by a player, or 2 rounds of blinds have been missed, they will then subsequently be removed from participating in the table.
Sixth Street: In the fourth round of betting where players will each have 6 cards. In Seventh Street, players can find the following applicable
Higher limit betting amounts are applicable in Sixth Street.
The player who possesses the strongest ranking hand will proceed to begin the upcoming betting round.
All bet limits are stated by a card room.
This is applicable to Seven-Card Stud Poker.
Slow Playing: A non-aggressive approach to play with a commanding hand while calling or betting rather than raising. This is done in a manner not intended to drive players out of the hand, while being able to retrieve more cash for the pot. This process is also called “sandbagging”.
Small Blind: The first posted bet of the player seated to the left of the Dealer. As a forced bet, the bet amounts to half the lower bet value.
Splash the Pot: The action of tossing chips into the pot rather than placing them in delicately, which is considered as appalling etiquette.
Stack: The chips that a player possesses.
Steal: The action of attempting to win the pot while all other players have already checked. Also, by placing a high raise while all other players have called.
Suit: The decks of cards with any 1 of the 4 sets, namely:
- Clubs
- Diamonds
- Hearts
- Spades
Suited Cards: Cards of the same suit
Third Street: Within the first round of betting players will each have 3 cards, and thus is called Third Street. The card with the lowest value possessed by a player will determine who brings-in the betting for this round. This applies directly to Seven-Card Stud Poker.
Turn: Within the community cards dealt, this would be the fourth one. This is relevant in these games:
- Texas Hold'em
- Omaha
- Omaha Hi-lo
Under the Gun: In the bet round, this is the player who must take action first.
Visible Cards: Face-up cards that are dealt. These cards are used to complete 5-card combinations.
WSOP: The acronym for the World Series of Poker.