• High To Low Poker Hands
• Low Poker Hand Crossword

In traditional poker games, the player with the best traditional hand wins the whole pot. Lowball variations award the pot to the lowest hand, by any of several methods (see Low hand (poker)).

The game of poker has its own slang or “poker talk.” If you are new to poker, learning the poker slang will greatly improve your knowledge of the game.

1. For the low hand, the ace is considered a low card (the lowest), while it can also serve as the highest-ranking card in high hands. An Example of an Omaha Hi-Lo Split-8-or-Better Poker Hand.
2. Simply, with fixed limit poker, the amount you can bet or raise is fixed for each round of betting. If you’re playing a $2-$4 fixed limit game, every player can only bet or raise $2 for the first few rounds (usually the first two) of betting, and can only bet or raise $4 for the last rounds of betting.
3. The two high hands will be compared, and the two low hands, the hand with the higher poker value winnings. If the event of a tie, for example both two-card hands are ace/king, then the tie has go to the 'banker.' If the player wins both comparisons, then the player will win even money on his bet, less a 5% commission.
4. High-low split: the highest and lowest hands split the pot. Generally there is a qualifier for the low hand. For example, the low hand must have 5 cards with ranks of 8 or less. In most high-low games the usual rank of poker hands is observed, so that an unsuited broken straight (7-5-4-3-2) wins low (see Morehead, Official Rules of Card Games).

From the small blind to the straight flush, here is a poker glossary of the important poker terms to know.

Act: check, bet, raise, or fold

Action: whose turn it is, as in “Action is on you.” Also, slang for gambling, as in “He loves action.” Or a lot of betting, like “The 2/4 game at Pala has a lot of action.”

Active Player:player still in competition for a pot

Add-on: additional chips that may be purchased to “add on” to your chip stack, usually at the end of the Re-buy period, though some tourneys allow add-ons earlier and some tourneys even allow for multiple add-ons (and/or Re-buys)

All-in: a player bets all of his or her remaining chips

Bad Beat: when a player has the best of it and the odds are heavily with him or her, but gets beaten in the hand by a long-shot draw

Bankroll:the money a player has set aside to gamble with

Behind: a player who acts after another player in a betting round

Benjamin: a hundred-dollar bill (Benjamin Franklin’s portrait appears on a U.S. $100 bill)

Best of It: the player who has the odds on his or her side

Bet:money initially wagered and put into the pot (during a given betting round, subsequent betting action beyond an initial bet is termed a “raise”)

High To Low Poker Hands

Big Blind: the larger of two forced “blind hands” in community card games like Hold’em and Omaha; the big blind is generally located two to the left of the “dealer button”

Big Hand: a really good hand

Big Slick: Ace-King hole cards (see Hole Cards)

Blank: community board card that looks like it is harmless or couldn’t really help anybody

Bluff: a bet or raise that appears to represent a good hand, when in fact the bettor has a mediocre or at best a drawing hand

Board:(see also, Community Cards) the playing surface and the community cards on the “board” that are shared by all players in games such as Hold’em and Omaha. Players use the community cards to complete their hands.

Boat:full house (aka “full boat”). three of one card, two of another. ex. JJJ99

Brick and Mortar: a casino with a physical world spatial existence (as opposed to merely online or cyberspace); some casinos, like Pala, have both a brick and mortar and an online existence.

Broadway: ace-high straight

Bubble: in a tournament, one place away from making it to the money

Busted: broke. Lost all chips and out of the tournament.

Button:(aka Dealer Button), disc that denotes which player is the “dealer” for that hand. Button position is dealt the last card and is last to act in each betting round

Buy-In:the amount of chips a player must buy in order to enter a card game. For tourneys, the buy-in is a set amount of money for a set amount of starting chips. For cashgames, buy-ins are generally expressed as minimums, but can have an optional limited or unlimited range beyond the minimum as well.

Buying the Pot: to win a pot with a bluff or semi-bluff that forces other players out

Call:to put in the amount that another player bet: “I call”

Calling Station: you bet and bet and he calls and calls; generally a weak player who calls too much but doesn’t usually bet or raise.

Case Card: last card of a given rank left in the deck… the other three are already out

Chasing: hoping an upcoming community card will “hit” to complete a so-far unmade hand

Check: to not bet when it is your turn. can say “I check” or tap on the table in a live game

Check and Raise: to check initially, but then make a raise if another player bets after your initial check

Chop:in tournament play, the last remaining players decide to split up the prizepool rather than play to the end; or, in a hand, where the end result is a tie and the pot is split up and distributed evenly to the tied players.

Community Cards:(see also, Board) the community cards on the “board” that are shared by all players in games such as Hold’em and Omaha. Players use the community cards to complete their hands.

Connectors:(see also, Suited Connectors) two or more cards in sequence; for example: 89 or 10J

Counterfeit:In Omaha Eight or Better, when the board pairs one of your low cards

Cracked: to lose a hand you were initially favored to win, as in “My Aces got cracked!”

Crying Call: a very reluctant call

Dealer:player or staff member who deals the cards out to players; however, see also, Button

Dead Man Hand: A famous hand that consists of the black eights and the black aces

Deep Stack:a tournament in which players begin with an amount of chips that is relatively high in relation to the blind or ante.

Dog:underdog. Not favored to win.

Dominated: a hand that is beaten due to shared cards. for example, A-8 is “dominated” by A-K

Draw: hand that needs additional cards to become a winning hand

Drawing Dead: when there are no cards left in the deck that will make a draw hand into a winner

Draw Poker: each player gets a set amount of cards and then can replace some of his or her cards with others dealt out from the remainder of the deck

Duck: a deuce, a 2

Early Position: approx. first third of players to act in a hand

Face Down: cards, like the hole cards, that are unexposed to other players

Face Up: exposed card that everybody can see

Fast Play: aggressive style emphasizing a lot of betting and raising

Favorite: based on odds alone, most likely hand to win

Fish: a novice or poorly-skilled player, expected to lose money

Flop: first three community cards dealt face up on the board

Flush: hand containing five cards of the same suit

Fold:to get rid of one’s cards, and in doing so forfeiting the right to any part of the pot.

Four-Flush: having four of the five cards needed for a flush… and hoping for the fifth

Free Card: a betting round where all players have checked, thus allowing the next community card to fall without anybody putting any money in the pot

Freeroll: a poker tournament in which certain qualifying players get in for free. “Freerolling” also is an expression sometimes used to describe somebody who has won a lot of chips already and is “rolling” through the game with other people’s money.

Four-of-a-Kind: Hand containing four cards of the same rank, like J J J J.

Full House: hand with two of one rank and three of another, like 9 9 J J J

Hand: the cards a poker player holds, combined with any community cards, to make the best five card combination

Head-to Head: aka “Heads Up”

Low Poker Hand Crossword

Hi/Lo: type of poker where the highest hand and the lowest hand each take half the pot

Hole Cards: cards held by a player, unseen by other players

Implied Odds:what a player thinks his actual payoff will be if he hits his hand, relative to how much it will cost to play

In Front Of: a player who acts before another player

Inside Straight Draw: a draw where only one card will complete the straight, for example a hand like 6-7- – 9-10… needs an 8 to complete

Isolate: to bet and raise so as to get heads-up against a weaker hand or weaker player

Joker: a wild card, or slang for a really lucky card that came to complete a hand against odds

Kicker:unmatched card in a player’s hand that is not used except to break ties. Example, two pair 5-5 and 8-8 with A kicker beats two pair 5-5 and 8-8 with Q kicker.

Late Position: aprox. the final third of players to act in a hand

Laydown:to fold

Limit:the most that can be bet or raised at any one time (see also, Limit Poker)

Limit Poker:poker games where limits exist for betting or raising, as opposed to no-limit poker

Limp: to just call, rather than bet or raise

Live Card:a card whose rank has not yet appeared on the board (nor presumably in another hand)

Live One: a player likely to bet wildly and probably lose like a fish (see Fish)

Lock: a hand that cannot be beaten

Lock Up My Seat: a commitment to take a seat that is waiting for you

Longshot: a drawing hand that has the odds heavily against it and probably won’t be made

Look Up: to call somebody, as in “I’m gonna look you up.”

Loose: playing style that plays a lot of hands and often goes for longshots (see Longshot)

Made Hand: already solid. Don’t need to hit a draw to have a good winning hand.

Maniac:wild, loose player who bets it up with mediocre hands just to build the pot

Middle Position: aprox. the middle third of players to act in a hand

Monster: an excellent hand that is either a lock (see Lock) or at least probably won’t be beat

Muck: fold. To throw a hand away and toss it into the Muckpile. (see Muckpile) & (see Fold)

No-Limit: a player may bet any amount of chips up to and including everything he has in front of him or her

One Pair: hand containing two cards of the same rank, like Q Q

Overcard: a higher card. So a K is an “overcard” to a Q, and a Q is over a 9

Pocket Cards: see also- Hole Cards

Position: players relative position to the player who acts last; in flop games like Hold’em and Omaha, position is usually considered relative to the button

Pot:sum total of all antes, blinds, and bets put into the center of the table during a given poker hand. It is the pot for which players are competing to win.

Preflop:before the flop

Premium Starting Hands:holding among the best starting hole cards; for example, in Hold’em premium starting hands include A-A, K-K, Q-Q, and A-K, and possibly A-Q and J-J as well. Hi/Lo games also have low premium starting hands of their own, for example holding perhaps A-2-3-5 as a starting hand in Omaha Hi/Lo

Raise:adding more chips to another player’s original bet to make it more expensive for other players to continue to play for the pot

Rake:the amount of money taken out of a pot by the house (the dealer is the house’s representative in this process) as its fee for running the game; the rake is used to pay overhead, including equipment, facilities, utilities, and staff salaries

Reraise: raising another player’s raise

Ring Game: a cash game with a full table of players, usually seven or more for Stud and nine or more for Omaha or Hold’em

River: the fifth (last) community card on board

Royal Flush: an A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit. The highest ranking hand in poker.

Satellite Tournament: a smaller stakes tourney in which the prizes are one or more entries into a more expensive major event

Set: three of a kind, consisting of a pocket pair plus a matching community card

Shorthanded: a poker game with five players or less, perhaps six or less

Showdown: final act of a poker hand

Slowplay: playing a powerful hand in a weak manner to disguise its strength and lure, or “trap,” other players into the action

Small Blind: located just to the left of the button, it is the smaller of the two forced blind bets preflop

Standard Raise: typically, three times the big blind

Steal the Blinds: bluffing to make the blinds fold

Straight: a sequence of five consecutive cards, like 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10

Straight Flush: a sequence of five consecutive cards that are all also the same suit

Suck-out:to hit a longshot draw, typically on the river

Suited Connectors: (see also, Connectors) two or more cards in sequence and of the same suit; for example: 8-9 or 10-J of Hearts

Swing:fluctuation of a player’s chip count or even overall bankroll

Table Stakes: a player can only play with the money/chips he or she has on the table in front of him or her; the player’s bet, call, or raise is limited to the number of chips he or she currently has, and the player cannot buy, borrow, or produce more chips in the middle of a hand.

Three-of-a-Kind: three cards of the same rank held in a given hand, ex.: QQQ. see also, Trips

Tournament: a competition in which all players start with the same amount of chips and play continues until one player holds all the chips

Trap: to underplay or slowplay powerful hand so as to lure other players into betting

Trips: three of a kind

Turn: the fourth community card on board, following the flop

Two Pair: a hand that contains two different pairs, like QQ and KK in the same hand

Under the Gun: the first player to act in a round of poker; preflop, under the gun is to the immediate left of the button

Value Bet: betting a hand that is perhaps not a sure thing but that over time will win more than it loses

Wheel: (aka “Bicycle”) a five-high straight: A – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5

Wired: to have a pair in the hole from the start

Now that you are familiar with all of the poker terms you can start playing poker online! Sign up today for a poker tournament to win real money!

Poker slang lingo, part 4 continues this gamerisms glossary dedicated to all passionate poker players.
This section includes poker slang lingo and terms that are unique to this popular casino strategy game. For example, Overpair, Play on Your Belly, Rock, Rush and Scoot.
Understanding poker terms is critical to your game play, and this applies whether playing poker offline or online. Many of the terms below also apply to video poker, one of the most popular games at online casinos sites.

Poker Slang Lingo: N - O

• No-limit: poker lingo for wide open betting based on each players chips in hand.
• Nuts: the best of hands in the game thus far.
• Odds: calculated probability of winning a specific hand.
• Off-suit: cards that are not of the same suit.
• On the Finger: monies received on credit.
• On Tilt: going into wild play mode after a bad hand.
• Open: player who makes the first bet in a round.
• Outdraw: refers to receiving a better hand by drawing more cards.
• Outs: refers to unseen cards left in the deck that could result in a better hand.
• Overpair: refers to a higher pair than the best card on the board in flop games. Example: You hold KK and the flop is J94.
  

Poker Slang Lingo: P - Q

• Paint: poker slang lingo for a picture card--Jack, King or Queen.
  
• Pair: refers to two cards that have the same rank with a Pair of Aces topping the list.
  
• Pass: refers to no betting or folding.
• Passive Play: player who is not likely to bet and raise.
• Pat: this hand is it, no further cards required.
• Pineapple: poker version, known as Crazy Pineapple online, is similar to Holdem in that players are dealt 3 cards each and must toss 1 card after the flop is dealt.
  
• Playback: action whereby a player raises an opening bet.
• Playing the Rush: refers to a player who 'is on a roll' of good cards and pots won.
• Play on your Belly: refers to legal play, no cheating.
• Pocket Cards: refers to cards dealt face down.
• Position: poker term for a player's position at the table in reference to betting. Example: early position means that player is the first to bet.
• Post: to bet or wager chips in the pot or a position directly in front of you at the table.
• Pot: winning hand(s) take the spoils, either all the money in the middle of the table or a share of the pot in certain games.
• Pot-limit: refers to the maximum bet/raise that is of no greater value than the total pot.
• Pot Odds: refers to amount of money in the pot versus the amount of money required to call a bet.
• Proposition Player/Shill: refers to the casino/card room hired help whose duties include filling up tables or jump-starting games.
• Protect: poker lingo for increased betting or otherwise attempting to eliminate players who could outdraw your hand.
• Quads: four of a kind—a very sweet hand. Example: 4 queens.
• Qualifier: refers to the minimum standard a hand must meet to qualify for all or part of the pot. Example: with Caribbean stud poker, the dealer must have a minimum hand of ace/king to qualify and continue the round.
  

Poker Slang Lingo: R

• Rabbit Hunting: jargon for looking into the future as to what cards would have been if the round had continued. Do you want to see if you would have received that Full House? Some poker rooms forbid this hunting.
  
• Rabbits: poker jargon used for weak or amateur players.
• Rack: poker slang lingo for tray that holds poker chips.
• Rags: term for cards coming your way that do not help your hand.
• Raise: poker term for wagering more than the last bet thereby increasing the bet for other players in the game.
• Railbirds: spectators or lookie-lous watching the action.
• Rake: a percentage and/or flat fee deducted from the pot after each betting round for the casino services. These services include a dealer and equipment
• Rank: value of a set of cards.
• River: poker term for the last cards dealt in a game of Holdem, Omaha or 7-card Stud.
• Read: skillful players use this method to predict cards held by other players.
• Re-buy: purchasing additional chips after initial buy, if tournament rules allow.
• Represent: term for wagering in a specific way that tells you have a specific hand.
• Riffling or Zipping: method used to shuffle cards before dealing.
• Road Gang: poker jargon for a gang of cheating players.
• Rock: player who raises or folds and rarely calls, thus playing few hands.
• Rock Garden: poker lingo for a game consisting of tight players.
• Round: can mean either a betting round or round of poker hands.
• Rounder: skillful player who makes a comfortable living playing poker—a dream job for many poker players.
• Round of Play: a segment of game play that includes dealing, betting and a declared winner.
• Royal Flush: the best of the best, sequence of AKQJ10, all in the same suit.
• Running: you receive the cards you need from the last two cards dealt.
• Rush: poker lingo for a big win quickly—truly a rush.
  

Poker Slang Lingo: S

• Sailboats: poker jargon for a pair of fours starting hand.
• Sandbag: strategy used to check and then raise the opener to increase the pot.
• Scare Card: jargon for a dealt card that may produce a better hand. For example, a third card in an outside straight sequence (Jack, 10 and 9).
• Scarne Cut: refers to cutting the cards by taking a bunch of cards from the center of the deck and putting them on top of the deck.
  
• Schoolboy Draw: amateur draw, not using sound judgment.
• Scoot: poker lingo for sending some pot winning chips to another player.
• Seat Position: refers to the position of a poker player in accordance to other players. When it comes to betting in poker, position can be an advantage if you are the last to bet in a poker round.
  
• Seconds: lingo about the cheater who deals the second card instead of the top card.
• Semi-bluff: the difference from a bluff is that a semi-bluff has a higher certainty of a win.
• Sequence: refers to cards of consecutive value, example: 56789 straight.
• Session: term for time span for poker games played.
• Set: refers to 3-of-a-kind to include two in the hole or a method of play for paigow poker whereby cards are set into two hands of low-hand=2 cards and high hand=5-card.
• Shiner: cheaters use these mirror-like devices to view unexposed cards.
• Shorthanded: refers to a game where there are only a few players.
• Short Pair: refers to a pair that is lower than the openers.
• Short Stack: situation where a player does not have sufficient chips to cover the betting at the table.
• Short Stud: poker slang lingo for 5 rather than 7-card stud poker.
• Shotgun: game where betting begins once the third card is dealt.
• Shove them Along: version of 5-card stud poker where every player can either play the first upcard or pass to the next player.
• Showdown: poker term to describe the end of betting where a winner is declared by a show of hands by the remaining players.
• Shuffle/Shuffling: mix up those cards before starting another game.
• Side Pot: occurs when a player is unable to match the bet made, but continues play of the game. This pot is for players who have the funds and want to bet more. Winner of the side pot goes to the best hand from the players who participated.
• Slowplay: strategy to under bet an excellent hand.
• Slowroll: don't you just hate those players who ever so slowly, roll out their hand while the other participating players await the result?
• Smooth Call: method of holding back a raise in order to call additional bets with a very good hand.
• Snap Off: you call the bluffer and beat him/her with a not-so-hot-hand—'tis a sweet deal.
• Snarker: player who wins and taunts the loser—bad manners and strategy rolled into one.
• Soft Play: poker lingo for intentionally going easy on a player.
• South: poker slang lingo for player folding as in Going South.
• Spikes: here comes that stunning pair of Aces again.
  
• Splash the Pot: player who tosses chips in rather than putting them in front.
• Spread Limit: poker term for fixed minimum-maximum bets allowed per round.
• Squeeze Bet or Squeeze Raise: poker term for a third player with a weak hand who is in the middle of the squeeze and it's costing him/her because of the larger bets made by other players with better hands.
• Stack: poker term for total of all your chips.
• Steal: winning the pot by bluffing—a card sharp's specialty.
• Stenographers: Four Queens, also know as Administrative Assistants in the pc world.
• Still Pack: term for the deck set aside two card decks are used.
• Stonewall: player who remains to the bitter end holding a weak hand.
• Straddle: refers to doubling the blind wherein the player betting becomes the bigger blind. He/she who bets the straddle then bets last in the pre-flop round.
  As a straddle is designated as a blind, not a bet, the player can then raise if everybody calls his/her straddle.
• Straight: refers to 5-card sequence, example: 78910J.
• Straight Draw: refers to the game of draw poker that does not require openers.
• Straight Flush: beauty of a hand that has 5-cards of consecutive rank and are the same suit, example=78910J of clubs.
• Streak: run of either winning or losing hands—what streak do you prefer :-)
• Stringer: poker slang lingo for a straight.
• Stripping: refers to a method of shuffling/changing the order of the cards in a deck.
• Suicide King: poker lingo for the King of Hearts as the card displays a sword poised to the head.
• Suit: refers to the 4 suits in a deck of cards—clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds.
• Super Stud Poker: another name for Caribbean Stud Poker and Casino Stud Poker, however, with a Progressive Jackpot

Poker Slang Lingo: T

• Table Stakes: we are talking money here in reference to the amount a player places on the table that cannot be changed during the hand.
• Talon: poker slang lingo for the rest of the deck after the deal.
• Tap or Tap Out: you have bet all your money and if you lose, you are tapped out.
• Tell or Tell play: refers to a player giving out signals or 'telling' about his/her hand.
• Thirty days or Thirty miles: poker jargon for 3 tens.
• Three of a kind: 3 cards of the same rank, AAA.
• Tierce: refers to a three-card straight flush.
• Tiger: poker lingo for a low hand to include 23456 or 7.
• Tight Player: poker term for a cautious player who rarely bets on weak hands.
• Trap: poker lingo for a situation where a player may have to call a big raise to stay in the game.
• Trey: refers to the 3-card with 3 pips.
• Two-card Poker: version where the best 2 cards are winners.
• Two Pair: refers to a 5-card hand that includes two different pairs, QQ773.
  

Poker Slang Lingo: U - Z

• Underdog: card contest wherein the underdog is usually the loser.
• Under the Gun: refers to the first player's action once the blind bets are completed.
• Unlimited Poker: no bet or raise limits in this game.
• Washing the Cards: the dealer blends the deck of cards in a circular motion with both hands before a shuffle is performed.
• White Meat: poker slang lingo for profit or money made with the game of poker.
• Wild Card: card(s) that can sub for any other card to improve your hand.
• World Series of Poker WSOP: the granddaddy of all poker tournaments played at Binion's Horseshoe Casino in Vegas yearly. A gold bracelet awaits the winner.
  

After poker slang lingo, you can take a look at Poker Game Software Reviews
Online Poker Guide
Other Casino Clicks
Slot Machines Defined
Roulette Quiz
Video Poker Facts Trivia