Poker Glossary



Taking Notes

Most Poker software has the ability to store any notes you make on your rival players. Very useful to remember when someone’s cracked under pressure, or beaten you via an unexpected route.

PokerRoom have added colour coding to the notes feature for added usability.

Using the Controls available

You can’t read people online as in a real-life Poker situation but there are other signs to read. The use of automatic calls, checks or raises gives out a signal, as do the pauses taken to decide. These are often give-away indications of what the person is thinking – but if they know about this aspect of the game they could be bluffing.

The use of chat can influence behaviour in a game, but sometimes it’s better just to turn this feature off.

Showing Cards

The other players don’t know what kind of player you are until they see your cards. If you’ve been bluffing successfully the whole way through a game and have shown your cards, they will bear this in mind next time around. Likewise for strong cards; if people see two Aces, that will influence their opinion of you as someone who only plays strong cards. You can use these factors to your advantage.

Styles

Everyone develops a natural playing style; aggressive, patient, irrational, logical etc.

At higher levels of play it pays to be able to switch between styles – confusing the opposition, and when they’re confused you have the advantage.

Don’t Tilt

‘Tilting’ is when you lose your cool and start acting irrationally, often after an unlucky loss. This usually signals the end of the game. Don’t automatically bet a large amount to regain your loss – stick to a plan and keep control.

Multiple sites

Having multiple accounts prevents you playing a second-choice game and losing – instead find the exact type of game you’re after from a wider choice of companies. International payment mechanisms such as NETeller or Firepay can transfer money around very simply, unlike bank wires or using Visa. This is especially relevant for non-UK companies and individuals.

Poker Words & Terms from  

ALL-IN
When a player has insufficient chips to "call" the bet, he bets all of his chips and covers the current pot, any subsequent bets will be in a side pot and he will not be involved in this side pot. If his hand is the highest then he will win the main pot, but not the side pot.

BAD BEAT
This is a common term for when you have a really good hand and are beaten by a much better hand. Some poker rooms offer jackpot prizes for the best BAD BEAT hand, i.e. the best losing hand.

BIG BLIND
The player to the dealers left posts a small blind, (a compulsory bet) equal to half the small bet, the player to his left places the Big Blind, equal to the small bet.

BOARD
The community cards in flop games.

BUTTON
A disc that signifies who is the nominated dealer for this hand. The button moves clockwise (to the left), each hand.

CALL
This is a bet that matches the current bet.

CHECK
If no other bets have been made, you can check (pass), and wait to see if anyone else will bet. If everyone checks, then play moves to the next round.

DEALER
The player nominated to be the dealer for each hand, he doesn't actually deal, but is the last one to bet, so it can be advantageous.

FISH
The weakest player on the table, the one who loses the most money. The famous saying is: " If you look around the table for the "Fish" and you can't find him, it's you and it's time to get out of this game".

FLOP
The first three community cards in Hold'Em or Omaha.

FOLD
To throw your cards in, i.e. to decide your hand is not worth playing anymore.

HOLE CARDS
The first two cards dealt face down to you, also known as "pocket cards" in Hold'Em.

INITIAL DEAL
The first set of cards dealt to players before they have to make a decision.

KICKER
The high card that goes with a pair or two pair.

MUCKED CARDS
To throw your cards in without showing them to anyone.

NUTS
The best possible hand in any one game. A hand that can not be beat, and should be bet aggressively.

POCKET CARDS
Same as Hole Cards.

POST
Usually a forced bet, like a blind, upon entering the poker game.

POT
The total of all the chips in the centre of the table, this is what we are all playing for.

RAKE
The money removed from each pot by the house, as a commission.

RAISE, RE-RAISE
A bet that will increase the level of the current bet.

RIVER
The last community card in a flop game, also refers to the last card in 7 card stud.

ROUNDS OF BETTING
A round of betting is complete when all players have had the opportunity to either fold, call or raise.

SHOW ALL
When betting is finished and the cards are required to be shown, to establish the highest hand.

SMALL BLIND
Refer to Big Blind.

TURN
The fourth community card in flop games.

So now that you know the basics, how about getting started ......
Individual rules for each of our games are available at How to Play.


Chat terms :

nh - 'nice hand'

vnh - 'very nice hand'

gg - 'good game' - a comment usually made at the conclusion of an online tournament, by the winners only

gp - 'good play' - comment from one player to another, very rarely made

lol - 'laugh out loud' - player responds to good humour from another player or mocks his own bad luck, very common

raoflmho - 'rolling around on floor laughing my head off' (also ruder versions of this)

Fish - the weakest player at the table who loses the most money (If you don't know who this fish is it's probably you)

wb - 'welcome back' - comment from players when a Fish returns to table having visited the online bank and purchased more chips

Blind - compulsory bet made a the beginning of a hand

Pocket cards - also known as 'hole cards' - the two personal cards dealt face down to each player in Hold'em

Flop - the three 'communal' cards dealt in a game of Texas Hold'em

Turn - the fourth communal card dealt in Hold'em

River - the fifth and last card dealt in Hold'em

Floptrips - A powerful hand when you are holding three of a kind after the flop

The Nuts - the best possible hand in any particular game that can't be beaten. Players often say 'I've got the nuts', however they are not always telling the truth.

Flush draw - when a player bets on making a flush hand with the last communal card dealt (The River)

Str8 draw - when a player bets on making a straight from the River card

Tight - well disciplined player who only play their best hands

Loose - aggressive player who bets on plenty of hands, good and bad including regular Flush and Str8 draws

tx - 'thanks' - cheeky comment from a player who has just won a big pot

tilt - 'I'm on a bad run'

wtg - 'way to go' - congratulatory remark from one player to another, usually well meant and quite rare

gtg - 'got to go' - usually from a player who has won money is about to leave

omg - 'oh my god' - when a good hand is beaten by an even better hand, also known as a 'bad beat'

hehe - cheeky acknowledgement by a player that he was lucky to win a hand

 

^Top