Poker Lingo
Broadway
10 through ace straight.
buy the pot
Making a bet when no one else is betting so as to force the other players to fold, thus winning the pot uncontested. A specialized version of this is “buying the blinds” by making a large raise in the first round forcing all other players out of the game.
call the clock
A method of discouraging players from taking an excessively long time to act. When someone calls the clock, the player has a set amount of time in which to make up his mind; if he fails to do so, his hand is immediately declared dead. In tournament play, a common rule is that if a player takes too long and no one calls the clock, the dealer or floor personnel will automatically do so.
catch
To receive needed cards on a draw. I’m down 300–I can’t catch anything today. or Joe caught his flush early, but I caught the boat on seventh street to beat him. Often used with an adjective to further specify, for example “catch perfect”, “catch inside”, “catch smooth”.
chase
To call a bet to see the next card when holding a drawing hand when the pot odds do not merit it.
To continue to play a drawing hand over multiple betting rounds, especially one unlikely to succeed. Bob knew I made three nines on fourth street, but he chased that flush draw all the way to the river.
To continue playing with a hand that is not likely the best because one has already invested money in the pot. See sunk cost fallacy.
chip dumping
A form of collusion that happens during tournaments, especially in the early rounds. Two or more players decide to go all-in early. The winner gets a large amount of chips, which increases the player’s chance of cashing. The winnings are then split among the colluders.
coffee housing
Talking in an attempt to mislead other players about the strength of a hand. For example a player holding A-A as their first two cards might say “lets gamble here”, implying a much weaker holding. Coffee housing is considered bad etiquette in the UK, but not in the USA. This is also called speech play.
cripple
In some community card games, to cripple the deck means to have a hand that is virtually impossible for anyone else to catch up to. For example, in Texas hold ‘em, if a player’s hole cards are A-T and the flop is A-A-T the player has “crippled the deck”; though that player’s hand is high (probably unbeatable), other players are unlikely to see any possibility for improvement and will probably fold. Such a hand generally doesn’t gain much money for the player holding such a hand, however it is possible to win a large amount through #slow play.
Daddy Warbucks
the fool who feeds everyone chips.
dead man’s hand
Donkey
donkament
A slang term for a tournament whose players are mostly unskilled for the buy-in level. For example, poker professionals may refer to the WCOOP Main Event as a donkament since a large part of the player base consists of recreational players and players playing above their bankroll limits and the tournament used to provide a significant overlay in its early years.
dry ace
In Omaha hold ‘em or Texas hold ‘em, refers to an ace in one’s hand without another card of the same suit. Used especially to describe the situation where the board presents a flush possibility, when the player does not in fact have a flush, but holding the ace presents some bluffing or semi-bluffing opportunity and a redraw in case the flush draw comes on turn. Compare to “blocker”.
fifth street
The last card dealt to the board in community card games. Also “river”.
The fifth card dealt to each player in stud poker.
Fish
A poor player. See also Donkey.
going south
To sneak a portion of your chips from the table while the game is underway. Normally prohibited in public card rooms. Also “ratholing”.
grinder
A player who earns a living by making small profits over a long period of consistent, conservative play.
ignorant end, idiot end
In flop games, a player drawing to, or even flopping, a straight with undercards to the flop has the idiot end of it. A player with 8-9 betting on a flop of A-T-J puts himself at great risk, because many of the cards that complete his straight give credible opponents higher ones.
nut hand (the nuts)
The nut hand is the best possible hand in a given situation. See nut hand.
Orphan Annie
The lucky, possibly undeserving recipient of Daddy Warbucks’ largesse.
prop, proposition player
A player who gets paid an hourly rate to start poker games or to help them stay active. Prop players play with their own money, which distinguishes them from shills, who play with the casino’s money.
rabbit hunt
After a hand is complete, to reveal cards that would have been dealt later in the hand had it continued. This is usually prohibited in casinos because it slows the game and may reveal information about concealed hands. Also “fox hunt”.
rag
A low-valued (and presumably worthless) card. I don’t like playing ace-rag from that position. Hence “ragged”/”raggy” – having a low value: The flop was pretty ragged, so I figured my queens were good. Though note that if a flop consists of consecutive or same-suited low-value cards then it is not ragged/raggy, as it could be valuable as part of a straight or flush.
rail
The rail is the sideline at a poker table – the (often imaginary) rail separating spectators from the field of play. Watching from the rail means watching a poker game as a spectator. “Going to the rail” usually means “Losing all one’s money”.
railbird
A non-participatory spectator of a poker game
rainbow
Three or four cards of different suits, especially said of a flop.
rathole
To remove a portion of your chips from the table while the game is underway. Normally prohibited in public card rooms. Also “going south”.
rock
A very tight player (plays very few hands and only continues with strong hands).
A bundle of chips held together with a rubber band, or other token signifying an obligatory live straddle. If the player under the gun has the rock, he must use it to post a live straddle. The winner of the pot collects the rock and is obligated to use it in turn.
runner-runner
A hand made by hitting two consecutive cards on the turn and river. Also “backdoor”. Compare to “bad beat” and “suck out”.
scare card
A card dealt face up (either to a player in a game such as stud or to the board in a community card game) that could create a strong hand for someone. The Jack of spades on the turn was a scare card because it put both flush and straight possibilities on the board.
slow roll
To delay or avoid showing one’s hand at showdown, forcing other players to expose their hands first. When done while holding a good hand likely to be the winner, it is considered poor etiquette, because it often gives other players “false hope” that their hands might win before the slow-roller’s is exposed.
snow
To play a worthless hand misleadingly in draw poker in order to bluff.
The worthless hand in question.
Steam
A state of anger, mental confusion, or frustration in which a player adopts a less than optimal strategy, usually resulting in poor play and poor performance. See steam. Compare to ’tilt’.
suck out
A situation when a hand heavily favored to win loses to an inferior hand after all the cards are dealt. The winning hand is said to have “sucked out”. Compare to “bad beat”.
toke
In a brick and mortar casino, a toke is a “tip” given to the dealer by the winner of the pot. Tokes often represent a large percentage of a dealer’s income.
wheel
A 5-high straight (A-2-3-4-5), with the Ace playing low. See wheel.
In deuce-to-seven lowball, the nut low hand (2-3-4-5-7).