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Following the plays in Texas Holdem can be confusing
at times. In part, this can be due to the
terminology used to describe certain events and
situations in the game. While many of these
expressions have names that are pretty intuitive in
nature, there are still many expressions that are
sometimes unclear. Having knowledge of the meaning
of these different terms can facilitate the learning
process regarding Holdem.
Being comfortable with
using them can help indicate that a player is
adapting to this variation of Poker. To help people
who are new to the game, here is an alphabetical
listing of some of the terms and phrases that are
commonly used to characterize the action in Texas
Holdem. Many of these terms and phrases will are
also used throughout this website.
| all-in
|
| when a
player bets everything that he/she has
|
| ante
|
a
specified amount that all players are forced to
bet before they see their cards
(note: ante is not always used in Holdem games)
|
| beat, a
|
| when the
statistical favourite in a hand loses the pot to
a lucky hand |
| blind, big
|
| the player
to the immediate right of the player with the
small blind must bet double the amount of the
small blind before seeing his/her cards
|
| blinds
|
| forced
bets which ensure that there is some action in
each hand |
| bluff, to
|
| when a
player has relatively weak cards and bets a
significant amount in order to persuade others
into folding |
| boat, a
|
| having a
full house |
| bullets
|
| having a
pair of aces as a player's hole cards
|
| button, on
the |
| the player
who will act last in each round of betting,
after the first |
| call
|
| betting
the required amount needed to stay in the hand
|
| check, to
|
| choosing
not to bet if no bets have been made
|
| community,
the |
| dealt
cards that each player may use to construct
his/her hand |
| cowboys
|
| having a
pair of kings as a player's hole cards
|
| dealer
button |
| During the
game, a DEALER button is passed clockwise around
the table after each hand. This is to indicate
which player would be dealing that hand (if
there were no separate dealer), and it indicates
who will be making the blind bets.
|
| draw
|
| remaining
in the hand in order to see the next card(s)
|
| draw,
flush |
| when the
flop or turn reveals that there is a possibility
of having a flush |
| draw,
straight |
| when the
flop or turn reveals that there is a possibility
of having a straight |
| draw,
inside straight |
| when only
one more of the non-end cards in a straight are
required to complete it |
| draw,
open-ended straight |
| when
either one of the end cards in a straight are
required to complete it |
| fishing
|
| when a
player pays to see another card when there is
little chance of improving his/her hand and
his/her chances to win |
| flop, the
|
| the first
three community cards that are dealt
|
| flopped
|
denoting
the status of a player's hand after the flop has
been dealt
eg. I flopped a full house |
| fold, to
|
| when a
player drops out of the hand |
| heads up
|
| situation
in which there are only two players left in a
tournament |
| holds up
|
| when the
statistical favourite in a hand maintains the
lead and wins the pot |
| hole, in
the |
used to
describe what un-shared cards a player has
eg. he has a pair of ten's in the hole
|
| kicker
|
| any
unmatched card that is used in a hand to break
ties and distinguish between similar hands
|
| ladies
|
| having a
pair of queens as a player's hole cards
|
| muck, to
|
| when it is
a player's turn to reveal his/her cards in the
showdown, if he/she sees that he/she has lost
the hand, he/she may choose to simply return
his/her cards to the dealer, unrevealed
|
| pocket
pair |
| having any
pair in the hole |
| pot, the
|
| the amount
that is currently at stake in the hand
|
| rags
|
| having
very weak cards in the hole |
| rainbow
|
| when the
three cards dealt in the flop contain three
different suits, ensuring that no flush can be
made on the turn |
| raise, to
|
| betting an
amount that exceeds the previous bet
|
| river, the
|
| the fifth
community card that is dealt |
| set
|
| having
three-of-a-kind with a pair being in the hole
and the third being a community card
|
| showdown,
the |
| after the
last round of betting, all players reveal their
cards in turn, starting with the player that had
the small blind and following clockwise from
there on |
| slick, big
|
| having an
ace and a king as a player's hole cards
|
| speed
limit |
| having a
pair of five's as a player's hole cards
|
| suited
|
| having
hole cards that are of the same suit
|
| take down
|
| when a
player wins the pot after all others have folded
|
| tell, a
|
| any
subconcious gesture or action made by a player
that may reveal the strength or weakness of that
player's cards |
| trapping
|
| when a
player fakes weakness, often betting little or
nothing, to get others to commit to the pot
before betting |
| trips
|
| having
three-of-a-kind |
| turn, the
|
| the fourth
community card that is dealt |
| wheel, the
|
having a
five-high straight
eg. A,2,3,4,5 |
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