List of Poker Terms & Definitions

Poker is a card game with a rich history and a large number of variations played and enjoyed by many in Ireland. To become a skilled poker player, you must not only understand the rules of the game but also its terminology, so you don't sound like a 'newcomer'.

The focus of this article will be on providing an extended list of poker terms and definitions to help both beginner and experienced players improve their understanding of the game. Whether you're playing an online game from your living room, or perhaps at a high-stakes tournament abroad on your holidays, knowing the lingo can help you immensely.

Essential Poker Terms for Irish Players

• Ante - A mandatory small bet that all players must contribute before a hand is dealt. Think of it as the 'entry fee' for each round.
• All-In - When a player wagers all of their remaining chips. It's a big move, so be sure you've got the hand to back it up!
• Action - Refers to the betting and raising that takes place during a hand. If there's 'action', it means players are getting stuck in.
• Bluff - To make a bet or raise with a weak hand, hoping to convince your opponents to fold their better hands. A classic poker move!
• Bad beat - When a player with a strong hand loses to an opponent with a weaker hand due to a lucky card turn up. It's the way of the game, often leaving a player feeling a bit unlucky.
• Bankroll - The total amount of money a player has set aside specifically for playing poker. Managing your bankroll is key to long-term play.
• Bet - An amount of money wagered on a hand. That's how you place your stake.
• Big blind - A mandatory bet made by the player two positions to the left of the dealer button in certain types of poker.. Knowing this helps understand betting structures.
• Blind - A forced bet made by one or two players at the start of each hand to stimulate action.
• Button - A marker indicating the dealer's position for the current hand. The button "in play" moves clockwise.
• Call - To match a prior bet made by another player. Simply put, you agree with the stake.
• Check - To pass on betting during a round when no bet has been made before you. You stay in the hand without betting.
• Community cards - Cards dealt face-up in the centre of the table that are shared by all players to form their hands.
• Check-raise - A play where a player checks initially, then raises after another player makes a bet. A crafty tactic!
• Draw - A hand where a player needs specific cards to improve it to a winning hand, often by discarding and replacing unwanted cards.
• Drop - To fold or give up a hand when you don't think you can win. It's often wiser to save your chips.
• Early position - The seats at the table that act first in a betting round. Playing from early position requires a tighter, more selective strategy.
• Exposed card - A card that is accidentally shown to opponents during the dealing process or during play. This can sometimes lead to refreshing the deck.
• Edge - A small advantage that a skilled player has over their opponents, whether through strategy, observation, or a bit of luck.
• Flop - The first three community cards that are dealt face-up in popular games like Texas Hold'em. It's often where the real action begins.
• Fold - To give up your hand and withdraw from the current round. You're essentially forfeiting your chance to win this particular pot.
• Full House - A strong hand consisting of three cards of one rank and two cards of a different rank. A classic winning combination.
• Flush - A poker hand consisting of five cards of the same suit.
• Gutshot - A straight draw in which a player needs one specific card in the middle of the sequence to complete the hand, such as holding 7-8 and needing a 9.
• Heads Up - A game in which only two players play against each other.
• Hole Cards - The cards that are dealt face down to each player at the beginning of each round
• Jackpot - A special bonus payout for hitting a rare hand, such as a royal flush.
• Jam - To go all-in one hand.
• Kicker - A card that is used to break a tie between two players who have the same hand ranking.
• Knockout tournament - A poker tournament format in which each player has a bounty on their head, and when they are eliminated, the player who eliminated them receives the bounty.
• Laydown - To fold a hand, especially a strong one, after facing a large bet or raise.
• Limit - A type of poker betting structure in which there is a fixed maximum bet size and a limited number of rises per betting round.
• Lowball - A type of poker game in which the lowest hand wins, such as a 2-7 Triple Draw.
• Main pot - The primary pot in a hand, which is created when one or more players go all-in and cannot match subsequent bets.
• Monster - A very strong hand, such as a full house or better.
• No-Limit - A type of poker betting structure in which there is no maximum bet size, and players can bet all of their chips at any time.
• Nuts - The best possible hand at any given point in the hand.
• Nut low - In high-low split games, the best possible low hand.
• Nine-handed - A poker game or table with nine players.
• Offsuit - Cards that are of different suits, such as a king of hearts and a queen of spades.
• Open-ended straight draw - A hand that needs one of two possible cards to make a straight, such as holding a 7-8 and needing either a 6 or a 9 to complete the straight.
• Out - A card that can improve a player's hand and potentially win the pot.
• Overlay - A poker tournament in which the total prize pool is greater than the combined buy-ins of all players.
• Overpair - A pocket pair that is higher than any of the community cards.
• Pot - the total amount of chips or money in play.
• Pocket cards - The two cards dealt face down to a player in a game of Texas Hold'em.
• Position - A player's place at the table relative to the dealer, which can impact the order of betting and the information available about other players' actions.
• Pot-limit - A type of poker betting structure in which the maximum bet size is the current size of the pot.
• Preflop - The period of play before the flop is dealt, when players have only their pocket cards and must decide whether to bet, call, or fold.
• Pair - Two cards of the same rank, such as two jacks or two sixes.
• Raise - increasing the current bet in order to stay in the game.
• River - the fifth and final community card dealt in Texas Hold'em and Omaha.
• Rebuy - In a tournament, the option to buy back into the game after being eliminated.
• Round of betting - One complete cycle of betting, usually starting with the player to the left of the dealer.
• Royal flush - The highest-ranking hand in poker, consisting of the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of a single suit.
• Showdown - The final phase of a hand where players turn over their cards to determine the winner.
• Small blind - The forced bet placed by the player to the left of the dealer in Texas Hold'em and Omaha.
• Split pot - A pot that is divided equally between two or more players because they have equivalent hands.
• Straddle - A voluntary bet made by the player to the left of the big blind before the cards are dealt, usually double the big blind.
• Straight - A poker hand consisting of five cards in sequence, such as 4-5-6-7-8.
• Trips - Three of a kind made with one hole card and two on the board in Texas Hold'em.
• Turn - The fourth community card in Texas Hold'em, dealt face up on the board after the flop.
• Table stakes - A betting rule where players can only bet on the chips they have on the table at the beginning of the hand, and cannot add more during the hand.
• Under the gun - The position of the player who must act first in the betting round, located to the left of the big blind in Texas Hold'em.
• Underdog - A hand or player that is not favored to win the pot.
• Upcard - A card dealt face-up in a game of stud poker.
• Value bet - A bet made with a strong hand to extract value from opponents who have weaker hands.
• Wheel - The lowest possible straight, consisting of A-2-3-4-5.

Conclusion

There are many terms and definitions to learn if you are a poker beginner. But without knowing them, you won't succeed at the poker table. Some of the most critical terms to be familiar with include "ante," "bet," "check," "raise," "fold," and "pot." Also, there are terms associated with particular types of poker, such as "flop" in Texas Hold'em and "lowball" in 2-7 Triple Draw.

"Position" is one of the most important terms in poker, which means a player's position at the table relative to the dealer. When it comes to betting and bluffing, understanding position is essential.