poker chips

Poker Terms

So you're a beginner poker player and still find yourself clueless on some of the poker jargons. Do not fret anymore, and learn some of the most important poker terms that you might need to use as you enjoy the game of poker. Learning them may even add to your poker confidence level.

Aggressive - A poker player who more often than not, raises and bets just to intimidate and scare other players.

All-in - A poker action wherein a player bets all of his or her poker chips, and risks losing them all and being out of the game.

Big Slick - They are big because these cards are the Ace and King, off suit.

Blind - A required bet to ensure that the winner will get something if ever everybody else folded their cards.

Bluff - a poker strategy that involves deceiving others. A player does this when he or she really does not have a good hand but makes others believe that he or she does by betting or raising.

Boat - In poker, a boat means a full house, instead of the usual means of transportation by water.

Bullets - Also known in poker as the pocket aces, you have this when you get two aces at pre-flop in your hole cards.

Fish - A weaker poker player who throws money away.

Flop - These are the first three community cards, fliped before the turn.

Fold - To give up your hand and your rights to the pot.

Hole cards - These are the cards drawn to each player face down before the flop.

Misdeal - mistake on the card-dealing. Cards must be re-shuffled and then dealt again.

Outs - The possibility that you'll get the card or cards that you need to form a good hand. Good poker players compute the outs before they act.

Quads - Tthis sounds like the word quarter, which means four. In poker, it means you have four-of-a kind, for example, if you have 4 Jacks, then you have quads.

Shark - an excellent, strong poker player who takes away money from the weaker ones.

Turn - In poker, this is the fourth community card, flipped after the flop and before the river.

River - Last card flipped after the turn, it's the fifth community card.

Stack - These are your collection of chips, piled in front of you on the poker table.

Split pot - This occurs when two players or more are tied. It means that no hand is better than the other, so they split the pot.