Glossary Of Poker Terms - Part 4

Screen Name: The identity you select by which you are known in the poker room. We only allow one player to use a screen name so please understand if the one you have selected is already taken.

See: This is a synonym of call. It is often used in conjunction with the term raise, as in "I'll see your $10 and raise you $10."

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 to a small number of hands. 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.

Speed Tournament: A fast-paced single- or multi-table tournament where the blinds levels increase every 3 minutes.

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: One of Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, or Spades (in rank order).

Table Stakes: The value of the chips with which a player sits down at a table. Also a term for no-limit poker.

Texas Hold'em: The poker game where each player gets two down cards followed by five community cards face-up.

Third Street: The nickname for the third card in any game of Stud.

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.

Turbo Tournament: A lightning-paced tournament. For single tables, the blinds levels increase every 1 minute; for multi-table tournaments, every 2 minutes.

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. If the player under-raising ... going all-in to raise ... has less than ½ of the expected raise for that betting round, the betting round is locked. The term locked here means that any player who has already acted in the round (checked, called, or raised) may no longer raise. They may only call or fold. However, players who have yet to act (betting has not reached them yet) may raise the expected raise for that betting round, after calling. If the under-raise is ½ or more than the expected raise, the lock rule does not apply.

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.ze pool.

Freeze-out: A game in which players start with a specified amount and then can buy no further chips, with the game continuing until one player has all the chips. This is a common tournament structure. Also written freezeout.

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 face-down.

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.

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 face-down 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. The dealer position is marked by a "button" with a "D" in the center.

One on One: See head to head.

Option: This term refers to the option given the big blind player the option of raising before the flop.

Overcard: In stud, if you assume your opponent has a pair of sevens, then every card above seven in your hand is considered an overcard.

Pair: Also called two of a kind. 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 pass 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 win 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 favorite hobby, favorite web site, favorite quote, and more.

Rake: The amount of money, in chips, taken by the house as the service fee.

Raise: The act of increasing the amount bet by a prior bettor.