Terminology

Action

A move by a player. There are seven basic moves in holdem:

Bet

Putting money in the pot

Call

To equal another player’s bet

Fold

Forfeiting cards and chance at winning pot

Check

Passing on making an action (if no bet is in play)

Raise

To increase another player’s bet

Re-Raise

Increasing another player’s raise!

All-in

Betting all the chips in front of you at once!

Bad beat

A hand that is beaten by someone getting very lucky and drawing out that hand.

Bank roll

Your total account stack.

Betting Rounds

Each played poker hand is devided into four betting rounds. Each betting round starts with the player left of the button, in first position, making an action.

Pre-flop

The betting round before the flop.

Flop round

The flop has been dealt and the betting starts again.

Turn round

After the fourth communal card.

River round

After the fifth and final betting round. Followed by the showdown.

Blind

The blinds, small forced bets, are placed before any cards are dealt. One player posts a big blind and the other a small blind. The small blind is half the amount of the big. The amount of the blinds depends on the limit played.

Bluff factor

Betting and raising with a hand that you are fairly certain is not the best hand. The idea is to scare your opponent into folding.

Board

The five communal cards that all the players can see and use to build their hand.

Flop

The first three communal cards to be dealt.

Turn

The fourth communal card

River

The fifth and final communal card

Bust

Losing your entire table stack or your entire bank roll.

Button

Virtual dealer marker moved from player to player in a clockwise direction after each hand. The player on the button always acts last. Consequently the player left of the button, in first position, always acts first.

Cap

There can only be a maximum of three raises in any given betting round. The last raise is called the cap.

Cracked

When the lovely starting hand of two aces is beaten – the aces are cracked.

Community cards

The five cards on the board shared by all players.

Connectors

Starting hands that are connected through their value like J-10, A-K, and 7-8.

Dominated

A hand that is subdued by another hand. For example AK would dominate AJ if an ace falls on the board. The dominated hand has a lower kicker (J) and little chance of winning.

Draw hand

A hand that needs a certain communal to hit in order to win – most commonly with a straight or a flush. The starting hand of J10 of spades on a 8s 9s and Ah flop would be a very good drawing hand. You have 7 or a Q for the straight and any spade for the flush. If Qs or 7s hit you even have a straight flush! But if none of these cards hit, the hand is worthless.

Drawing dead

A hand that cannot win, although the entire board is not yet on the table,