Comprehensive Guide to Poker Terminology – An A-Z Collection of Common Phrases and Terms

Poker players have formed their distinct communication style filled with terminologies that convey the ongoing actions and strategies in the game. For instance, if someone mentions, "he went all-in after hitting the nuts on the flop, only to lose it on the river,\" it might leave a non-player perplexed, as none of those terms would connect with poker for them!

By grasping these common poker phrases, you will be equipped to understand what your fellow players mean during your next poker session. This knowledge keeps you informed and lets you comprehend the discussions surrounding players and their strategies—insight that you wouldn't normally have.

To ensure you can gain this valuable knowledge, we have developed a detailed poker glossary that encompasses the key terms used in the poker community. For further details on where to play poker and enjoy other casino games, don’t forget to explore our Canadian online casino reviews to discover the best gaming platforms for an exhilarating experience.

• A-Game – A phrase indicating the highest level of performance a player can achieve.
• ABC Poker – Refers to a player adopting widely recognized poker strategies.
• Ace – The card regarded as the most valuable in poker; in many game variants, an ace can function as both a high and low card, especially in a low straight (A2345).
• Ace-high – A type of hand in poker where the player has none of their cards paired, straight or flush, with their top card being an ace (for example, Ah7h9cJd3s).
• Aces Over – A casual term for a full house comprised of three aces paired with two other matching cards (like AhAsAdKcKs).
• Aces Up – A phrase indicating two pairs, specifically featuring aces along with another pair (e.g., AcAh9d9sJc).
• Act – To take an action during a hand, such as calling or raising the bet.
• American Airlines – A slang reference for pocket aces (AA).
• Anna Kournikova – A playful term for ace-king (AK).
• Ante – A required bet made by each player prior to receiving their cards. Be aware that 'antes' differ from 'blinds,' both being forms of compulsory bets in poker.
• Ax – A hand comprising an ace along with one additional card (for instance, AsJd).

• Backdoor – Completing a winning hand by using both the turn and river cards to finalize a draw that wasn’t initially promising.
• Backdoor Draw – Referring to a draw scenario where a player needs two specific cards from the turn and river to successfully strengthen their hand.
• Backdoor Flush – A flush scenario requiring two consecutive cards to complete the flush.
• Backdoor Straight – A straight scenario requiring two cards to be drawn on the turn and river to form the straight.
• Bankroll – The total funds a player has allocated for participating in poker.
• Bet – The act of wagering a certain amount during a betting round.
• Big Blind – An obligatory bet placed by a player before cards are dealt. It also refers to a position at the table that sits to the left of the small blind and right of the Under the Gun (UTG) player.
• Big Pair – Represents the highest-ranking pocket pairs in poker, such as AA, KK, QQ, JJ, and TT.
• Big Slick – A frequently used slang designation for the hand of ace-king.
• Blocker – A card that inhibits a player from forming a particular hand. For example, holding the Ad on a board featuring 9d8d3d is a 'nut-flush blocker' since another player cannot possess the nut flush when you hold that card.
• Blocking Bet – Making a modest wager to deter an opponent from placing a larger bet on the river.
• Bluff – The act of feigning a stronger hand than one actually holds to coax opponents into folding.
• Bluff Catcher – A hand meant to counter only the bluffs of an opponent, but not any of their stronger hands.
• Board – A standard poker term that refers to the community cards presented in the center of the table.
• Boat – A slang term for a full house.
• Bomb Pot – An innovative poker hand where traditional preflop actions are eliminated; all players stake a fixed amount of chips into the pot prior to the flop, and action starts with the player to the button's left.

• Bonus Chips – Additional chips given by online poker platforms or casinos as part of promotional offers, often awarded for account registrations, deposits, or participation in exclusive events. bonuses Bot – A software program designed to play online poker unethically.

• Bounty – A financial reward offered in certain poker tournaments for eliminating another player.
• Bubble – The critical moment during a poker tournament just before players begin to earn prize money.
• Burn – The act of discarding the top card from the deck prior to dealing any community cards.
• Button – Recognized as the most advantageous seat at the poker table, the button is the last to act following the flop. This position is usually indicated by a small plastic button known as the dealer button in live poker.
• – A specific player who seldom folds to a wager, irrespective of hand strength.

• Calling Station – A type of casino poker game where the aim is to achieve a hand superior to the dealer's. Extra payouts are provided for particularly strong hands like four-of-a-kind or a royal flush.
• Caribbean Stud Poker – The last remaining card of a rank in the deck (for instance, the 'case' ace).
• Case – A poker variant where the chips in play are valued as cash. Such games can continue indefinitely, lacking a predetermined end.
• Cash Game – To successfully draw the card needed to form a winning hand.
• Catch – To call a bet with the goal of pulling off a draw.
• Chase – The individual holding the largest chip stack during a tournament.
• Chip Leader – A drawing type where players are striving to complete both a straight and a flush, with the potential of forming a straight flush.
• Combo Draw – The community cards placed face-up on the table that players can use to create their optimal five-card poker hand.
• Community Cards – Making a bet during the flop after positioning as the aggressor preflop.
• Continuation Bet/C-Bet – When two robust hands contend against one another (for example, a pair of aces versus a pair of kings).
• Cooler – A poker position that sits to the right of the button and to the left of the hijack seat.
• Cut-off Dead Man's Hand – Slang for a hand consisting of aces and eights, famously associated with Wild Bill Hickock's alleged hand before his assassination at a poker table.

• – Cards essential for a player to complete their hand that have already been discarded by opponents.
• Dead Outs Dealer Position – Another term for the button, this position is situated to the left of the cutoff and to the right of the small blind.
• – A game format where the player in the button position gets to select the variant of poker played for the round.
• Dealer's Choice Dog to win – Refers to a player or hand perceived as an underdog with less chance of victory.
• Deck – The 52 cards required to play poker.
• – A fun term for a player who lacks skill in poker.
• Donk Donk Bet – A maneuver where a player places a wager 'out of sequence' to an aggressive player from the preflop round.
• Double-Up – Occurs when a player wins a hand and successfully doubles their pile of chips.
• Draw – A hand characterized solely by its likelihood to improve into a straight or flush.
• – When a player is all-in but lacks the possibility of forming a winning hand from the required community cards.
• Drawing Dead – A flop containing minimal to no connectivity, for example, Kc8d2s.
• Dry Board – A term used to define the first 2-3 positions at the poker table.

• Early Position Edge Shot – A bet placed by a player when they find themselves in a favorable position.
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• Fishhooks – A slang term for a pair of jacks.
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• Five Card Stud A-Game – This phrase describes the highest standard of play a player is capable of achieving.
• Fixed Limit Poker – This term refers to a player who is employing a fundamental strategy in poker.
• Float Ace – The card recognized as the ultimate card in poker. Depending on the variant, aces can hold the position of both the highest and lowest card, especially in the case of a low straight (A2345).
• Flop – A hand type characterized by the absence of pairs, straights, or flushes, where the highest card is an ace (e.g. Ah7h9cJd3s).
• Flop a Set – A colloquial phrase for a full house that comprises three aces and an additional pair (e.g. AhAsAdKcKs).
• Flush Aces Up – A term that indicates having two pairs, notably with aces and another set of paired cards (e.g. AcAh9d9sJc).
• Flush Draw Act – To take action in the hand, which could involve calling or raising.
• Four Bet American Airlines – A playful nickname for pocket aces (AA).
• Four-of-a-kind Anna Kournikova – A lighthearted term for the ace-king hand (AK).
• Freeroll Ante – A compulsory bet made by each player prior to being dealt their cards. It is important to note that 'antes' differ from 'blinds'.
• Freeze-Out – A hand that consists of an ace coupled with another card (e.g. AsJd).
• Full House Backdoor – Winning a hand by completing a draw that wasn't initially robust with the help of both the turn and river cards.

• Grinder – A specific type of draw where a player needs to draw both a turn and another card on the river to complete their hand.
• GTO (Game-Theory-Optimal) Backdoor Flush – This refers to a flush draw relying on hitting two particular cards in succession to achieve the flush.
• Guarantee Backdoor Straight – A straight draw that needs two cards on both the turn and the river to stay viable.
• Gutshot Straight Draw Bankroll – The total funds a player has earmarked specifically for participating in poker games.

• Heads-Up Bet – The process of placing a wager within a betting round.
• Hijack Big Blind – A mandatory bet placed by one player before the deal, also denoting a poker position located to the left of the small blind and right of early position players.
• Hole Cards Big Pair – Signifies the strongest pocket pairs available, including AA, KK, QQ, JJ, and TT.
• Hollywood Big Slick – A colloquial term often used to refer to ace-king.
• Hooks Blocker – A card held by a player that prevents opponents from achieving a certain hand. For instance, possessing the Ad while the board shows 9d8d3d means you have the 'nut-flush blocker', impeding another player from having the nut flush.
• HORSE Blocking Bet – Making a small wager aimed at discouraging an opponent from making a larger bet on the river.
• HUD (Heads-Up Display) Bluff – The strategy of simulating a stronger hand than one actually possesses, persuading opponents to fold.

• ICM (Independent Chip Model) Bluff Catcher – A hand that only stands a chance against an opponent's bluffs and cannot beat their solid betting hands.
• Implied Odds Board – A widely-recognized poker term that refers to the community cards laid out in the center of the table.
• In the Middle Bomb Pot – A unique scenario in poker where preflop actions are disregarded; each player puts in a predetermined number of chips, the flop is revealed, and action commences from the player seated left of the button.
• In the Money Bonus Chips – Additional chips provided by online poker sites or casinos as part of special promotions, which may be awarded for account creation, making a deposit, or participating in events.

• J-Boy – A slang term for a jack.
• Jacks or Better – A variant of video poker.
• Jam – The act of going all in.
• Jammed Pot Bot – An illicit computer program designed to play poker online.
• Jesse James Bounty – A monetary reward offered in specific poker tournaments for eliminating an opposing player.
• Joker Bubble – The critical phase in a poker tournament occurring just prior to players reaching the payout stage.

• Kicker Burn – The discarded card that is removed from the top of the deck before any community cards are dealt.
• Kojack – A slang term for the hand KJ.

• LAG – A loose aggressive poker player.
• Late Position Button – Considered the most advantageous position at the table, the button acts last after the flop. Its placement is typically indicated by a small plastic marker called the dealer button in live games.
• Leak – A certain type of player who tends to rarely fold to bets, regardless of the strength of their hand.
• Limp – A casino poker variant where players strive to surpass the dealer by creating the strongest hand possible, with bonuses awarded for superior hands like four-of-a-kind and royal flushes.
• Little Blind – Another term for the small blind.
• Lock – A hand that cannot lose.
• Lojack – Refers to the final available card of that rank in the deck (e.g., the case ace).
• Luckbox – A poker variant where the chips hold a cash value, allowing games to continue indefinitely without a fixed ending.

• Made Hand – To successfully draw the card needed for a winning hand.
• Middle Position – To match a bet with the goal of hitting a drawing hand.
• Misdeal – The competitor possessing the highest number of chips in a tournament.
• Miss – A type of draw where a player aims for both a straight and a flush, which may result in a straight flush.
• Missed Blind – Community cards displayed face-up at the center of the table available for all players to use in forming their best five-card combination.
• MTT (Multi Table Tournament) – The action of placing a bet on the flop following a proactive play on preflop.

• Newlyweds – A slang term for the hand KQ.
• Nickels – A slang term for the hand 55.
• Nit – A scenario where two strong hands compete against one another (for instance, a pair of aces facing a pair of kings).
• No Limit – A poker position situated to the right of the button and left of the hijack.
• Nut Flush Dead Man's Hand – A phrase referring to the specific hand of aces and eights, which is notoriously said to have been the last hand held by Wild Bill Hickok before his demise at a poker table.
• Nut Straight – Cards essential for a player to create their hand that have already been discarded by others.
• Nuts Dealer Position – Another term for the button, positioned to the left of the cutoff and right of the small blind.

• Omaha – A game format where the player on the button selects the poker variant for the current round.
• Open Limp Dog to win – Refers to a player or hand that is deemed less likely to emerge victorious.
• Open Raise – A lighthearted expression used to describe a player who lacks proficiency in poker.
• Open-Ended Straight Draw Donk Bet – A wager made unexpectedly against the preflop aggressor.
• Outs Double-Up – The situation where a player wins a hand, effectively doubling their stack of chips.
• Overbet Draw – A hand characterized by its inherent potential to improve into a straight or flush.
• Overcall – When a player is all-in but lacks any possibility of achieving the winning hand with upcoming cards.
• Overcards – A flop exhibiting little to no interconnected cards, for example, Kc8d2s.
• Overlay – A term used to indicate the initial 2-3 seating positions at a poker table.
• Overpair Edge Shot – A bet made by a player when they are in a position of advantage.

• Peel – A slang term for calling a bet.
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• Preflop – The first betting round in poker.
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• Quads – A slang term for four-of-a-kind.

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• Rainbow A-Game – A term indicating the highest level at which a player can perform.
• Raise – A term for a player employing a fundamental poker strategy.
• Rakeback Ace – The card often regarded as the strongest in poker, capable of being the highest or lowest card in various versions of the game, especially when forming a low straight (A2345).
• Range – A hand type characterized by no pairs, straights, or flushes, where the ace serves as the highest card (e.g. Ah7h9cJd3s).
• Read (Getting a) – A casual term for a full house consisting of three aces coupled with two other matching cards (e.g. AhAsAdKcKs).
• Represent Aces Up – A phrase that denotes two pairs, specifically with aces and another matching set of cards (e.g. AcAh9d9sJc).
• River Act – To take action during the hand, such as opting to call or raise.
• Rock – Another term for a nit.
• Royal Flush American Airlines – A colloquial expression referring to pocket aces (AA).
• Runner-Runner Anna Kournikova – A playful term for ace-king (AK).
• Running Bad Ante – A mandatory bet made by every player prior to receiving their hands. It's important to recognize that 'antes' differ from 'blinds' as types of enforced bets in poker.
• Running Good – A poker hand that includes an ace and one additional card (e.g. AsJd).
• Running it Twice Backdoor – Securing a winning hand by using both the turn and river cards to fulfill a draw that was not initially strong.

• Sandbag – A slang term for slowplaying.
• Scare Card – A drawing opportunity requiring two cards on the turn and river for completion.
• Scoop Backdoor Flush – A situation where a player needs two successive cards to achieve a flush.
• Semi-bluff Backdoor Straight – A straight draw that necessitates two specific cards on the turn and river to finalize the hand.
• Set Bankroll – Refers to the funds a player has allocated for participating in poker.
• Seven Card Stud Bet – The action of placing a wager during a round of betting.
• Shootout Big Blind – A forced bet that must be placed by one player before any cards are dealt. It's a specific poker seat located to the left of the small blind and right of the under-the-gun position.
• Short Stack Big Pair – This term refers to the largest pocket pairs in poker, including AA, KK, QQ, JJ, and TT.
• Short-Handed Big Slick – A popular slang term for ace-king.
• Shove – The act of moving all in.
• Slowplay Blocker – A card that inhibits a player from holding a particular hand. For instance, having the Ad on a board of 9d8d3d serves as a 'nut-flush blocker' because it prevents any other player from obtaining a nut flush with that card.
• Small Blind Blocking Bet – A strategic small wager made to discourage an opponent from placing a bigger bet on the river.
• SNG (Sit and Go) Bluff – The act of pretending to hold a stronger hand than one actually does, aiming to force opponents to fold.
• Soft-play Bluff Catcher – A hand capable of only beating an opponent's bluffs and none of their strong value bets.
• Stack Board – A term in poker commonly used to describe the community cards placed in the center of the table.
• Stakes Bomb Pot – A unique type of hand where preflop action is bypassed; players contribute a fixed amount of chips to the pot, the flop is dealt, and betting commences with the player sitting left of the dealer.
• Steal Bonus Chips – Additional chips granted by online poker platforms or casinos as part of marketing promotions
• Straight Flush often rewarded for registration, deposits, or during special events.
• String Bet/Raise Bot – A software system illegally playing online poker.
• Suck Out Bounty – A cash reward issued in specific poker tournaments after eliminating an opposing player.
• Suit Bubble – The period in a poker tournament right before players finalize their place in the prize pool.
• Suited Burn – The act of discarding the top card of the deck prior to dealing any community cards.

• Tank Button – Often regarded as the prime spot at the poker table, the button is the last to act after the flop. This position is typically indicated by a small plastic disc, known as the dealer button.
• Tell – A certain type of poker player who is reluctant to fold regardless of their hand's strength.
• Texas Hold'em – A casino poker game where players aim to outplay the dealer by creating the strongest hand possible. High payouts are available for exceptional hands like four-of-a-kind and royal flushes.
• Three-bet – The final card of a specific rank remaining in the deck (e.g. the case ace).
• Tilt – A variant of poker played where chips equate to cash value. These games can proceed indefinitely without a set end.
• Top Kicker – To draw the card necessary to achieve the winning hand.
• Top Set – To call a bet while attempting to complete a draw.
• Trap – The tournament participant holding the largest chip stack.
• Trips – A type of draw where players can potentially complete both a straight and a flush, with the prospect of achieving a straight flush.

• Underdog – The community cards displayed face-up in the middle of the table, which all players can utilize to compile the best five-card poker hand.
• UTG (Under the Gun) – The act of placing a bet on the flop following prior aggressive action in the preflop stage.

• Value Bet – When two powerful hands confront each other (e.g. a pair of aces against a pair of kings).
• Variance – A poker position situated to the right of the button and to the left of the hijack.
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• Wayne Gretzky – The cards that a player needs to complete their hand, which have already been discarded by other participants.
• Wet Board Dealer Position – An alternate designation for the button, this position lies left of the cutoff and right of the small blind.
• WPT – A scenario where the player in the dealer position selects the poker variant played in that round.
• WSOP Dog to win – Refers to a player or hand that is expected to lose.

• Z-Game – A casual term for an individual who lacks proficiency in poker.