Poker Definitions

Appendix D – Must be made available to participants upon request.

ACTION: A fold, check, call, bet, or raise. For certain situations, doing something formally
connected with the game that conveys information about your hand may also be considered as
having taken action. Examples would be showing your cards at the end of the hand or indicating
the number of cards you are taking at draw.
AGGRESSIVE ACTION: A wager that could enable a player to win a pot without a showdown; a
bet or raise.
ALL-IN: When you have put all your playable money and chips into the pot during a hand, you
are said to be all-in.
ANTE: A prescribed amount posted before the start of a hand by all players
BET: The act of placing a wager in turn into the pot on any betting round, or the chips put into
the pot.
BIG BLIND: The largest regular blind in a game.
BLIND: A required bet made before any cards are dealt.
BOXED CARD: A card that appears face up in the deck where all other cards are facedown.
BURNCARD: After the initial round of cards is dealt, the first card off the deck in each round
that is placed under a chip in the pot, for security purposes. To do so is to burn the card; the
card itself is called the burncard.
BUTTON: A player who is in the designated dealer position. See dealer button.
BUY-IN: The minimum amount of money required to enter any game.
CALL: To match, rather than raise, the previous bet.
CAPPED: Describes the situation in limit poker in which the maximum number of raises on the
betting round have been reached.
CARDS SPEAK: The face value of a hand in a showdown is the true value of the hand,
regardless of a verbal announcement.
CHECK: To waive the right to initiate the betting in a round, but to retain the right to act if
another player initiates the betting.
CHECK-RAISE: To waive the right to bet until a bet has been made by an opponent, and then
to increase the bet by at least an equal amount when it is your turn to act.
COLOUR-UP: During a poker tournament, the Tournament Director may elect to remove the
smaller denomination chips from play. Usually a "color up" will result in removing those big
stacks of chips from players and replacing them with a smaller quantity of higher denomination
chips.
COMMUNITY CARDS: The cards dealt face up in the center of the table that can be used by all
players to form their best hand.
CUT: To divide the deck into two sections in such a manner as to change the order of the
cards.
CUT-CARD: Another term for the bottom card.
DEAD CARD: A card that is not legally playable.
DEAD HAND: A hand that is not legally playable.
DEAD MONEY: Chips that are taken into the center of the pot because they are not
considered part of a player’s bet.
DEAL: To give each player cards or put cards on the board. As used in these rules, each deal
refers to the entire process from the shuffling and dealing of cards until the pot is awarded to
the winner.
DEALER BUTTON: A flat disk that indicates the player who would be in the dealing position for
that hand (if there were not a house dealer). Normally just called “the button.”
DECK: A set of playing-cards. A full complement of 52 cards.
DISCARD(S): In a draw game, to throw cards out of your hand to make room for replacements,
or the card(s) thrown away; the muck.
FACECARD: A king, queen, or jack.
FIXED LIMIT: In limit poker, any betting structure in which the amount of the bet on each
round is pre-set.
FLASHED CARD: A card that is partially exposed.
FLOP: The three community cards that are turned simultaneously after the first round of
betting is complete.
FLUSH: A poker hand consisting of five cards of the same suit.
FOLD: To throw a hand away and relinquish all interest in a pot.
FOURTH STREET: The first boardcard after the flop in Hold’em (also called the turn card).
FOULED HAND: A dead hand.
FULL HOUSE: A hand consisting of three of a kind and a pair.
HAND: (1) All a player’s personal cards. (2) The five cards determining the poker ranking. (3) A
single poker deal.
HEADS-UP PLAY: Only two players involved in play.
HOLECARDS: The cards dealt facedown to a player.
KICKER: The highest unpaired card that helps determine the value of a five-card poker hand.
MISCALL: An incorrect verbal declaration of the ranking of a hand.
MISDEAL: A mistake on the dealing of a hand which causes the cards to be reshuffled and a
new hand to be dealt.
MISSED BLIND: A required bet that is not posted when it is your turn to do so.
MUCK: (1) The pile of discards gathered face down in the center of the table by the dealer.
(2) To discard a hand.
NO-LIMIT: A betting structure where players can wager any or all their chips in one bet.
OPTION: The choice to raise a bet given to a player with a blind.
PASS: (1) Decline to bet. In a pass-and-out game, this differs from a check, because a player
who passes must fold. (2) Decline to call a wager, at which point you must discard your hand
and have no further interest in the pot.
PLAY THE BOARD: Using all five community cards for your hand in Hold’em.
POSITION: (1) The relation of a player’s seat to the blinds or the button. (2) The order of acting
on a betting round or deal.
POT-LIMIT: The betting structure of a game in which you can bet up to the amount of the pot.
PROTECTED HAND: A hand of cards that the player is physically holding or has topped with a
chip or some other object to prevent a fouled hand.
PUSH: When a new dealer replaces an existing dealer at a table.
RABBIT HUNTING: Looking through the undealt deck of cards.
RAISE: To increase the amount of a previous wager. This increase must meet certain
specifications, depending on the game, to reopen the betting and count toward a limit on the
number of raises allowed.
RERAISE: To raise someone’s raise.
SCRAMBLE: A facedown mixing of the cards.
SIDE POT: A separate pot formed when one or more players are all in.
SHOWDOWN: The final act of determining the winner of the pot after all betting has been
completed.
SHUFFLE: The act of mixing the cards before a hand.
SMALL BLIND: In a game with multiple blind bets, the smallest blind.
SOFT PLAY: Having a strong hand (even the best hand) but not betting it.
SPLIT POT: A pot that is divided among players, either because of a tie for the best hand or by
agreement prior to the showdown.
STACK: Chips in front of a player.
STRAIGHT: Five cards in consecutive rank.
STRAIGHT FLUSH: Five cards in consecutive rank of the same suit.
STREET: Cards dealt on a round in stud games. For instance, the fourth card in a player’s hand
is often known as fourth street.
STUB: The portion of the deck which has not been dealt.
SUPERVISOR: A retailer employee appointed to make rulings.
TIME: An expression used to stop the action on a hand. Equivalent to “Hold it.”
TOURNAMENT: A poker competition, normally with an entry fee and prizes.
TURNCARD: The fourth street card in Hold’em.
WAGER: (1) To bet or raise. (2) The chips used for betting or raising.
WASH: To scramble the cards face down on the table.