Poker Terms Selection

This is a selection of entries from the Wikipedia article Glossary of poker terms.

• bet The opening bet of a betting round.
• fold To discard one's hand and forfeit interest in the current pot.
• walk A walk is a situation where all players fold to the big blind.
• laydown The choice to fold a strong hand in anticipation of superior opposition
• raise To raise is to increase the size of an existing bet in the same betting round.

• reraise, coming over the top Raise after one has been raised.
  backraise A reraise from a player that previously called in the same betting round.
• check-raise Deceptive play whereby a player initially checks with the intention of raising should another player bet.
• check To bet nothing.
• call  To match a bet or raise.
• donk bet Bet made into the previous aggressor (e.g. betting post-flop against the pre-flop raiser).

• overcall To call a bet after others have called.
• hero call Calling when a player has a relatively weak hand but suspects their opponent may be bluffing.
• cold call To call an amount that represents a sum of bets or raises by more than one player.
• flat call, smooth call A call, in a situation where one might be expected to raise.
• all in When a player bets all of their chips in the current hand.
• coin flip A situation where two players have invested all their money in the pot and have a roughly even chance of winning.
• heads up Playing against a single opponent.

• deep stack A stack of chips that is relatively large for the stakes being played.
• short stack A stack of chips that is relatively small for the stakes being played.
• dirty stack A stack of chips apparently of a single denomination, but with one or more chips of another.

• cow A player with whom one is sharing a buy-in, with the intent to split the result after play.
• donkey, fish A weak player.
• grinder A player who earns a living by making small profits over a long period of consistent, conservative play.
• in turn A player is said to be in turn if that player is expected to act next under the rules.
• maniac A very loose and aggressive player, who bets and raises frequently, and often in situations where it is not good strategy to do so.
• mark A person at a poker table that is the focus of attention, often due to their inexperience.
• nit A player who is unwilling to take risks and plays only premium hands in the top range.
• rock A very tight player (plays very few hands and only continues with strong hands).
• sandbagging Slow playing.
• shark A professional player.
• under the gun The playing position to the direct left of the blinds.

• dry board A measure of texture of the community cards. A board is considered dry when the cards on the table mean that is unlikely or impossible that any player has made a strong hand like a straight or flush.
• wet board A wet board is when the cards on the table make it possible for players to have hit strong hands.
• family pot A deal in which every (or almost every) seated player calls the first opening bet.
• orbit A full rotation of the blinds at a table, equal to the number of people at the table.
• play the board If the player's best hand is on the board and the player goes to the showdown they are said to play the board.
• rabbit hunt After a hand is complete, to reveal cards that would have been dealt later in the hand had it continued.
  suits The four French suits: clubs (♣), diamonds (♦), hearts (♥) and spades (♠).

• flop The dealing of the first three face-up cards to the board, refers also to those three cards themselves.
• turn The turn, turn card or fourth street is the fourth of five cards dealt to a community card board
• river The river or river card is the final card dealt in a poker hand, to be followed by a final round of betting and, if necessary, a showdown.
• dry ace An ace in one's hand without another card of the same suit.
• four-flush Four cards of the same suit.
• door card First visible card of the flop.
• blank, rag A card, frequently a community card, of no apparent value.
• broadway A 10 through ace straight.
• burn card, burn A card that is removed from the deal to prevent cheating.
• kicker A card in a hand that does not itself take part in determining the rank of the hand, but that may be used to break ties between hands of the same rank.
• junk A hand with little expected value.
• rainbow Three or four cards of different suits, especially said of a flop.
• runner-runner A hand made by hitting two consecutive cards on the turn and river.
• top pair In community card poker games, top pair is a pair comprising a pocket card and the highest-ranking card on the board.
• top two A split two pair, matching the highest-ranking two flop cards.