ACE-HIGH: A five card hand containing an ace but no pair; beats a king high, but loses to any pair or above.

ACES UP: Two pairs, one of which is aces

ACTION: The betting, as in ‘The action is on you’

ADVERTISE: To reveal a bluff with the deliberate intention of being exposed as a loose player.

ALL IN: To bet all the chips you have left

AMERICAN AIRLINES: Pocket aces, A-A.

BACK DOOR: Catching two cards in a row (on the turn or river) to make a straight or a flush.

BAD BEAT: Unlucky turn of events that causes you to lose a hand.

BANKROLL: Amount of money you have that you will risk on poker or any other endeavour.

BELLY BUSTER: Straight draw in which only one card will complete your hand, otherwise known as an “inside straight draw”. For example, you complete a belly buster straight when an eight is dealt to complete a 7-8-9-10-J straight.

BET: To initiate the betting after a new card is dealt. When no one has bet in front of you, and it is your turn to act, you may bet or check.

BETTING ROUND: Betting that occurs from the time a new card is dealt until the action is complete.

BETTOR: Player who first voluntarily puts money into the pot.

BIG BLIND: Blind that is two to the left of the button. The big blind always costs one betting unit.

BLANK: Card that doesn’t’ help your hand.

BLIND: Money posted directly to the left of the button before the cards are dealt. There are two blinds, and the small blind is generally half the size of the big blind.

BLUFF: Bet that conveys to others that you have a stronger hand than you actually have.

BOARD: Faceup cards in a game of Hold’em

BOAT: Full house. Also referred to as a “full boat”

BROADWAY: Ace-high straight (10-J-Q-K-A)

BUBBLE: Last non-paying spot in a poker tournament.

BUILDING A POT: Raising in order to increase the amount of money in the pot

BURN A CARD: To remove a card facedown from the deck. This is done before each community card is dealt.

BUSTED: To run out of chips in a poker tournament.

BUTTON: Physical and symbolic designation of the person who is “dealing” and therefore last to act in the betting rounds.

BUY ANOTHER CARD: Call a bet to see the next card dealt.

CALL: To match another player’s bet.

CALLING SOMEONE DOWN: Calling all of another player’s bets, because you believe that you have a better hand.

CALLING STATION: Someone who calls other players too often.

CATCHING A CARD: Having a card come that was one of the cards needed to win a pot.

CHASING: Trying continually to hit long shots.

CHECK: To not bet. When no one has bet yet, you also have the option not to bet, without folding your hand.

CHECK-RAISE: To check and then raise within one betting round. You may check initially and then, when it is your turn to act again, raise someone else’s bet.

CHIP AND A CHAIR: Phrase used when someone has only a couple of chips left in a tournament.

COLD: Used to describe a situation in which the game seems to be going poorly and you haven’t been winning many pots over a period of at least an hour.

COMMUNITY CARD: Card that may be used by each player at the table.

COWBOYS: Pair of kings, K-K.

DEAL: Giving out the cards to the players and board, throughout an entire hand.

DOUBLE UP: To increase your chip stack by 100 percent.

DRAW: A situation in which a player needs one card to complete a poker hand.

DRAWING DEAD: Used to describe a situation in which a player cannot win the hand, regardless of what cards come up.

DUCKS: Pocket deuces, 2-2.

EARLY POSITION: One of the three positions to the immediate left of the big blind.

ENDGAME: Strategy pertaining to the last five players or fewer in a poker tournament.

EVEN-MONEY: Used to describe a situation in which a player’s chance of winning the pot is roughly 50 per cent.

FIFTH STREET: The final faceup card dealt and the last round of betting.

FLAT CALL: An instance in which a player with a very powerful hand calls instead of raising.

FLOP: First three cards dealt faceup in Hold’em. All three cards are flipped up at once, and they are community cards (all players can use them).

FLUSH: Five cards of the same suit.

FLUSH DRAW: Situation in which a player has four cards of the same suit, thus needing only one more of that suit to make a flush hand.

FOLD: To concede the pot either by throwing your hand away or by a verbal declaration of “I fold”.

FOUR OF A KIND: Four cards of the same rank, such as four aces A-A-A-A-2.

FOURTH STREET: The dealing of the fourth community card, also known as the turn.

FREE CARD: Used to describe a situation in which no bets are made on any given round of betting.

FREE ROLL: Describing a situation in which you are sure to win but also have an opportunity to win a further amount.

GARBAGE: Weak hand.

HEADS UP: Used to describe a situation in which poker is played one-on-one, mano a mano.

HOLE CARDS: Player’s private facedown cards that only he can see.

ISOLATION: Technique in which a player reraises a weaker player’s bet, trying to play him heads-up (one on one) by making it expensive for any other players to call.

KICKER: Highest card with your pair.

LADIES: A pair of queens, Q-Q.

LATE POSITION: Refers to the player on the button, and the two players to the right of the button.

LAY DOWN: To fold your cards.

LIMP IN: To call the big blind bet before the flop.

LOOSE: Style of play in which you play a lot of hands.

MADE HAND: Complete hand that is a straight or better.

NO LIMIT: Variation of poker games in which players may bet as much as they want, as opposed to limit poker, where there is an established betting structure.

NUTS: The best possible hand given the faceup cards.

OFF SUIT: Used to describe cards of different suits.

OPEN ENDED STRAIGHT DRAW: Draw in which a player can hit two different cards to complete a straight. For example, a player with 8-9-10-J has an open-ended straight draw because he will hit the straight if either a seven or a queen comes.

OUT: Number of cards required to make a hand.

OVERCARD: Card on the board higher than the pair you have.

OVER THE TOP: Refers to situations in which a player reraises an opponent.

PAIR: Two cards of the same rank, such as 3-3.

POCKET PAIR: Pair in a player’s facedown cards.

POCKET ROCKETS: Pair of aces among a player’s facedown cards.

POSITION: Refers to where a player is seated relative to the button.

POT: Money gathered in the middle of the table during a hand.

POT ODDS: Calculation of odds: the size of the pot divided by the cost of calling a bet.

RABBIT HUNTING: Looking at what cards would have come up, after all players have folded their hands. This is considered bad etiquette in poker, because it slows the game down.

RAG: Weak or unplayable card. Often small community cards.

RAISE: Add a bet to an opponents bet.

READ (AN OPPONENT): Make your best guess at what your opponent’s hand is; try to determine whether your opponent’s hand is weak or strong.

REPRESENT: Pretend that and play as if you have a strong hand.

RERAISE: Raise someone who has raised.

RIVER: Last card flipped up.

RIVERED IT: Made your hand on the river (last card)

ROYAL FLUSH: A-K-Q-J-10 (ace-high straight) of the same suit.

RUSH: Term used when someone is winning pot after pot.

SET: Three of a kind.

SHORTHANDED: Refers to a game with four or fewer players in it.

SHOW DOWN: Flipping the hands faceup after all the betting is complete.

SLOW PLAYING: Underbetting a strong hand, in order to lure other players into calling.

SMALL BLIND: The physical location for the small blind is just left of the button. It is usually half the size of the big blind.

SMOOTH CALLING: Just calling someone else’s bet when you have a strong hand, in order to lure your other opponents into the pot.

SPLIT POT: Pot divided in equal portions when players have equal hands.

STEAL THE BLINDS: To make a raise trying to make the blind hands fold, thus winning the pot immediately.

STRAIGHT: Five cards in a row, such as A-2-3-4-5.

STRAIGHT DRAW: Refers to a situation in which you need two different face cards that will make you a straight. For example, if you have 4-5-6-7, then you need a three or an eight to complete your straight.

STRAIGHT FLUSH: Five cards in a row of all the same suit.

SUITED CONNECTORS: Term used for a suited hand that also runs in sequence.

SUPERTIGHT: Used when you play only a few select hands.

TABLE IMAGE: Refers to the way the other players at the table view you.

THREE OF A KIND: Three cards of the same rank, such as 4-4-4.

TIGHT: Poker strategy in which you are very selective in choosing hands to play; this causes you to play very few hands.

TILT: Term used when someone is playing far too many hands because he’s emotionally effected by previous play.

TOP KICKER: Best possible high card that goes with your pair.

TOP PAIR: Pair of the highest community cards on the board.

TRAP: To try to trick an opponent into thinking you have a weak hand when in fact you have a powerful one.

TREYS: Pocket threes, 3-3.

TRIPS: Common term for three of a kind.

TURN: The fourth card turned up.

UNDER THE GUN: Position of the player directly to the left of the big blind.

WHEEL: Common term for the lowest straight possible A-2-3-4-5.

ZONE: Almost mythical place where you’re reading players perfectly and making all the right moves.