RAKEBACK-WORLD POKER GLOSSARY

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

All-In

If you push in all your chips in a no limit game you are going all-in.

B

Backdoor

Sometimes called runner. This is when you catch the turn and river to make a hand.

Bad Beat

When a massive underdog hand beats a better hand, particularly if it wins on the river. The term can also be applied to a big hand that loses to an even bigger hand.

Bad Beat Jackpot

Many poker rooms offer a bad beat jackpot. The hands involved will depend on the house rules but could be 4 of a kind losing to a better hand and often both hands must use the hole cards. Typical split of the jackpot is 50% to the person with the losing hand, 25% to the person with the winning hand 25% to the rest of the table that were dealt a hand.

Big Slick

Ace King in a Hold’em starting hand.

Big Blind

The player on the big blind posts the full amount of the flop bet. In a $1/$2 game the big blind is $1. The big blind is last to act before the flop. They have the option of raising, even if there is no raise to them.

Blinds

Applies to Hold’em and Omaha. The two players to the left of the dealer button post the small blind and the big blind. The blinds move round the table clockwise with the dealer button after each game.

Board

In Hold’em or Omaha these are the five community cards in the center of the table.

Burn

The card the dealer throws in the middle before showing the next card. Can also be the amount a player pays when he loses in a guts game.

Buy

An attempt to steal or bluff a pot.

Buy-In

The amount required for entry into a game or tournament.

C

Call

Cap

In a limit game there are usually only 4 bets allowed per round - the opening bet and then 3 raises. The 3rd raise is known as a cap and after this there are no more raises.

Caps do not apply to no limit or pot limit games.

Check

You have the option of doing nothing on your turn – this is called checking. You make no bet. The other players will then either check around the table as well and you will get a free card, or if another player bets you will have the option to call, fold, or raise.

Check Raise

This is when you check but then raise in the same round of betting if someone bets behind you.

Cold Call

To call a raise with no money in the pot already.

Community Cards

Connectors

In Hold’em where your starting cards are one apart in number. For example 34, 89, QK. If the two cards are of the same suit they are known as suited connectors.

D

Dealer

Dealer Button

The round disc that is passed around the table to show who the dealer is. The dealer acts last after the flop and is in the best position for betting. The blinds are posted to the left of the dealer.

E

F

Flop

In Hold’em and Omaha the flop is the first three community cards dealt to the middle of the table.

Flush

A hand of five cards that are all the same suit. This hand can only be beaten by a full house, four of a kind or a straight flush.

Fold

Four of a Kind

Freeroll

A tournament with no cash buy-in.

Full House

G

Guts

A ‘match the pot’ game where players decide who is in or out. The losers pay the winner the amount of the pot.

Gutshot

An inside straight draw. For example the community cards are 59K and you have 10Q, only a jack will make your straight.

H

Heads Up

A pot or game only involving 2 players.

Hold’em

Hole Cards

House

The poker room managing and dealing the game(s). The house makes its money from the rake.

I

J

K

Kicker

The highest unpaired card that will play with a 5 card hand of 4 of a kind, three of a kind, 2 pair, 1 pair or high card. If two players have the same hand, the player with the highest kicker wins. If the kicker comes from the community cards the pot is shared.

L

Limit

Describes the amount of the allowed bets (such as $2/$4) or a game with a fixed betting structure.

M

Muck

The pile of folded cards at the center of the table (sometimes called burn cards or discards).

Also another word for folding (mucking ones cards).

N

No-Limit

Poker game where players can bet any amount they want.

Nuts

The best hand possible using the community cards. A Royal Flush is the absolute nuts.

O

Offsuit

A starting hand where the two cards are of different suits.

Omaha

A game similar to Hold’em where a player must play and can only play 2 cards from their hand, and only play 3 from the window. There is a flop, turn and river as in Hold’em.

Overpair

A pocket pair that is higher than any of the community cards.

P

Pocket

Your starting two cards in Hold’em.

Post

Blinds are posted on every game.

Pot

Pot Limit

Poker game where players can bet anything up to the amount in the pot.

Prop (propping)

Also known as a proposition player. Paid by the house to help start games and keep short handed games alive. Prop players play with their own money and do not have any advantage.

Q

Quads

Any four of a kind.

R

Raise

Rake

The amount taken from each pot that constitutes the house’s profits. See the Rakeback FAQ section for more information.

Re-raise

River Card

The last card shown on the table in five card Hold’em and Omaha.

Royal Flush

The best hand possible in a game of poker - a 10JQKA straightflush.

Runners

The cards that make a winning hand on the turn and river.

S

Set

When you have trips that include your pocket pair and your third in the window.

Shill

A player employed by the house to help get games started under strict house rules. Shill players must fold often and follow in hands that they play. Shill players play with house money and do not have any advantage.

Short Stack

The player with a low, or the lowest, chip count in a tournament.

Side Pot

Created when there are two or more players involved in a pot and one player has run out of chips by going all in. The side pot will be played out among the players with chips. Multiple side pots are also possible.

Slowplay

The tactic of playing a strong hand weakly in order to keep more players in the pot.

Small Blind

The player on the small blind posts half the amount of the flop bet. In a $1/$2 game the small blind is $0.50. The small blind is last to act before the big blind.

Split Pot

A pot where two players have exactly the same hand.

Straight

Five cards in a row such as 678910 or 10JQKA. The ace can be high or low and is always the first or last card in the straight. QKA23 is not allowed.

Straight Flush

The same as a straight but with all the cards being the same suit.

Suited

When pocket cards in Hold’em are both the same suit.

Suited Connectors

T

Tell

Signs that players make to give clues about the hand they hold. Tells are different depending on whether the game is online or round a table face to face.

Tilt

Sometimes called steam bets. After a bad beat (or several) a player may play recklessly - patterns of this behaviour are raising and reraising nothing. Players playing like this are said to be on tilt.

Top Pair

The highest paired cards after the flop.

Trips

Turn Card

U

V

W

X

Y

Z