All-In

The act of putting all the remaining chips you have in the pot, usually before the hand is over. A player who is all-in can only win that part of the pot he was able to match, if he has the best hand at the end.

Backdoor

Making a hand that you originally weren’t drawing to or trying to make.

Bad Beat

To lose with a great hand.

Big Slick

In a flop game an ace and a king as your hole cards.

Board

The cards that are turned up in a flop game and belong to everybody. Also called Community Cards.

Broadway

An ace-high straight.

Button

A round disc with the words “Dealer” printed on it. It moves clockwise with each new hand to indicate who holds the dealer’s position.

Buy-In

The amount of money it costs to play in a ring or a tournament.

Call

To match another player’s bet without raising.

Calling Station

A player who calls way too often when folding or raising might be a better option.

Check

To not make a bet when it is your turn. It means, “I bet nothing”. Checking is not allowed if there has been a bet in front of you.

Cold Call

To call two or more bets at once as opposed to calling one bet then calling the other.

Door Card

In stud games the players first exposed card.

Double Belly Buster

A straight draw that has eight outs, yet is not an open-end straight draw.

Drawing Dead

Trying to make a particular poker hand that, even if you make it, is already beaten or cannot possibly win.

Early Position

To be in the first third of the players in a poker game to have to act on their hands.

Gutshot

An inside straight draw. For example, you hold AK and the flop is J 10 7.

Head-Up

A game in which you only have one other opponent.

Kicker

The highest card in your hand that does not help make a straight, flush, full house or pair.

Limp in

To call another player’s bet when you might be thinking of raising.

Middle Position

To have an approximately equal number of players before and after you in the play of the hand.

Muck

To fold and throw your hand in the discard pile.

Nuts

The best possible hand that can be made after the flop, the turn, and especially after the river.

Outs

The number of cards that will help your hand.

Overcall

A call made after there has already been a bet and a call.

Pocket

The first two cards that you’re dealt constitute your private cards.

Rainbow Flop

A flop with three different suits and no pair.

Ring game

A poker game that is not a tournament.

Rock

A poker player who has a reputation for playing only premium starting hands and whose playing style is dull and very low risk.

Rolled up

In stud, to start with three-of-a-kind in your first three cards.

Runner-runner

Used to describe the turn and river cards when they were exactly what you needed to win, or what your opponent needed to beat you.

Set

A pair in the pocket and one on the board.

Sheriff

A player who likes to always call on the river so that no one can ever get away with bluffing at that point in the game.

Slowplay

To play your hand in much a weaker manner than its strength would usually call for in order to disguise that strength for a future betting round.

Suited connectors

Two consecutive cards of the same suit.

Tell

A clue from an opponent that helps you figure out what his poker hand is. That clue can be made either voluntarily or involuntarily, and verbally or physically.

Under the gun

In first position, first to act.