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Basic poker terminology (continued)
Inside Straight Draw: Drawing to a straight where the cards needed to complete the straight are those in the middle of the straight. For example, you have 6-7-9-10 and need the middle card or the 8 to make the straight.
Kicker: The highest unpaired card of a player’s pocket cards.
Limping In: This is when you call in the big blind instead of raising.
Live Blinds: This refers to blind bets that are in play. For example: Player A posts a small blind bet. Player B joins the game and posts the big blind bet. Player A must now equalize the betting as the big blind bet is in play and is live.
Lowest Card: Refers to the card with the lowest value. Aces are high. If two players happen to have the same lowest card, the value is determined by the suit. They are ranked from lowest to highest value alphabetically – Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades.
Maniac: This is a very loose and aggressive styled player. Usually they will play almost any hand and will typically raise rather than call.
Monster: A very strong hand.
Muck: This is when you don’t want to show your hand to the table. The hand is discarded without being displayed to the table. You can muck a losing hand in a showdown, or the winning hand if all the other players have folded before you.
Nuts: This is the best possible hand, that can’t be beaten, at a particular point in the game.
Nut Flush: This is a flush containing an Ace.
Offsuit: Cards of different suits.
Outs: Cards that will make the hand the player is drawing to.
Paint Cards: This refers to the picture cards (King, Queen, Jack).
Pocket Cards: The cards dealt face down to each player.
Pocket Rockets: A pair of Aces as your pocket (hole) cards.
Post Now: A choice given to new players who are joining an existing game. If they decide to post now, they bet the equivalent of the big blind and join immediately otherwise they may opt to wait for the big blind bet.
Pot: The value of the pot varies depending on the stakes involved and the amount the Players bet. The pot refers to the pile of chips which accumulates as each player ante, bet and raise. The pot goes to the winner of each round. However if two or more players have the same winning hand they will split the pot equally.
Note: The House takes a small percentage of the pot known as the “rake”.
Quads: Four of a kind (four cards of the same denomination).
Quartered: (Applies to Omaha Hi-Lo) This is when players tie with either a high or a low hand and earn a quarter of the pot.
Rake: The percentage of the pot taken by the House.
Rags: Cards that don’t improve the hand and prove useless.
Rainbow: When the board contains 3 or 4 cards of different suits.
Raise: Refers to the increased stakes for remaining Players when the preceding Player increases their bet, which then has to match the total amount including the raise.
Ring Game: This is a normal real money game, as opposed to a tournament game.
River Card: The final community card dealt.
Rock: This term refers to a Player who only plays the best hands and nothing less.
Scare Cards: High board cards (e.g. an Ace that appears on the flop).
See: To see someone is to call their bet.
Semi-bluff: To bluff with a hand that still might have drawing potential and could improve to be the winning hand.
Seven Deuce: The acknowledged weakest starting card combination in Texas Hold’em (7 – 2).
Seventh Street : (Applies to 7 Card Stud) The fifth and final round of betting where all Players have 7 cards each.
The following applies to the Seventh Street: The river card is dealt face down. The Player that played first on the Sixth Street plays first. If there is more than one Player left in the game after another round of betting, the game is resolved by means of a showdown. You expose the best 5 card hand possible and the winner is awarded the pot.
Showdown: When the remaining Players compare hands after the last betting round to determine the winner. The Player with the highest value hand wins the pot.
Sitting Out: This is when a Player chooses to leave the table for a few hands. However if a Player sits out for more than fifteen minutes, or has missed two rounds of blinds, they are removed from the table.
Sixth Street : (Applies to 7 Card Stud) The fourth round of betting where all Players have 6 cards each. Note: Bet amounts are at the high limit. The Player with the highest ranking hand starts the next round of betting. The betting limits are set by the card room.
Slow Playing: Also called “sandbagging”. This is when a Player plays non-aggressively with a powerful hand; calling and betting instead of raising in the hope of increasing the pot while not driving other Players out of the hand.
Small Blind: The first bet posted by the Player to the left of the Dealer. It’s a forced bet and is equal to half of the lower bet. For example, in a $10 - $20 game, the small blind is $5.
Splash the Pot: When Players toss chips into the pot instead of placing them. This is seen as bad etiquette.
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