Poker Glossary

"Get your nuts out of my river"

Althought we don't have every poker definition in the word we have a lot of them. One thing that you'll find if you don't yet play a lot of poker is that your language slowly slips into using lots of special terminology including nuts, turns, streets, blinds, bricks and more. In fact to a poker newbie you can sound downright crazy! Therefore this glossary is meant to ease the translation so you can get the most out of the material on this site.

american airlines

Pocket Aces (in Texas Holdem)

BB

This is usually the Big Blind in Texas Holdem or Omaha Holdem games. This is one of two forced bets that are made before players see any cards. The big blind is usually one small bet (or $3 at a $3-$6 limit game). BB can also sometimes mean Big Bet which in a limit game would be the larger bet size, or $6 in a $3-$6 limit game.

blind

In Hold 'em there are either one or two "blind" bets (bets which you are required to make before seeing any cards).  If there are two blinds in the game then there will typically be a big blind which is an entire small bet ($3 in a 3-6 game) and a small blind which will be half the big blind (rounded down) ($1 in a 3-6 game and $2 in a 4-8 game).  The blinds are in the first (and second if there are two) positions after the dealer, so they act first in all future betting rounds.

brick

Or "to catch a brick." A brick is a card that does not help your hand. In Texas Holdem, a brick on the board would be a card that does not appear to help anyone's hand. For example, if there are two high spades on the board and a low club is dealt that card is likely a brick.

bullets

Pocket Aces (in Texas Holdem)

calling station

A person who almost always calls, but who rarely raises.

check raise

Checking with the intention of raising after someone bets.  A technique used when you have a strong hand to ensure other players are making a mathematical mistake by calling.

cowboys

Pocket Kings (in Texas Holdem)

community cards

In games like Texas Holdem and Omaha Holdem the community cards are cards that all players share to make a 5 card poker hand. In Texas Holdem the player can combine 0, 1, or both of their hole cards with any (or none) of the 5 community cards on the board to create the best 5 card poker hand. In Omaha Holdem the player must use exactly two cards of the four hole cards they are dealt combined with exactly three cards from the board.

nut

The nut is used to refer to the highest possible hand of a certain type given the board (in community card games like Texas Holdem and Omaha).  For example if the board contains 6 7 8 K Q then the nut straight is 9 T.  Other straights are possible (5 9 and 4 5) but 9 T is the highest.

nuts (or absolute nuts)

"The nuts" means the highest possible hand on the board at any given moment.  For example if the board contains: Jh Qh Kh 2h 2s then the nuts would be Ah Th (for a Royal Flush).  Of course it might not be wise to fold Ah by itself (the nut flush) or JJ, QQ, KK, or especially 22.  Often you don't need the absolute nuts to win.

fish

Term used to describe an inexperienced or bad poker player, especially one that continues in poker hands with weak draws.

flop

In Texas Holdem, you are dealt two cards face down, then a round of betting, then the dealer places three community cards face up all at once.  These three cards are called the flop.

free card

Sometimes you can raise on or near last position on the flop with the intention (hope) that everyone will check to you and you can check as well if you don't make your hand on the turn.  Although this is called a free card it actually cost you a small bet on the flop, but it is still a play often worth making (if it there is a good chance it will work).

gutshot

A straight draw with only 4 outs (as opposed to an open straight draw which has 8).  An example would be when you hold J T and the flop is 9 K 2.  You need one of the four unseen Queens to make your straight

jackpot

In many low limit games there is a jackpot for some extremely improbably bad beat (like Aces Full of Tens beaten by Four of a Kind or Better).  Also sometimes jokingly announced when it is obvious that anyone with a Jack will win the pot (a board of Ac Kd Qh Td 2c) would be one example.

pocket rockets

Pocket Aces (in Texas Holdem)

rainbow

Typically used to describe the flop in Holdem when all three cards have difference suits (making a flush unlikely).

river

The last card dealt by the dealer. In Texas Holdem and Omaha Holdem this would be when the 5th and last community card is dealt.

scoop, scooping

Typically used in high/low games to describe the situation when a single hand takes both halves of the pot (the high and the low).  In high low games it is a critical strategy to play hands that can scoop the pot.

turn

In Texas Holdem and Omaha this is the next card dealt after the flop, the next card dealt is called the turn.