Poker Terms

Ensure you understand and appreciated the meanings of poker terms before you get into a pressure game of poker where you need to concentrate and think fast, not worrying about the poker terms and what they mean.

Poker Flop

The three cards dealt to the table for all to see.

Poker Turn

The fourth card dealt to the centre of the table visible to all.

Poker River

The last card dealt for all to see to the centre of the table.

Small Blind

Before the cards are dealt, two forced bets are made to get chips in the pot and encourage other players to bet. The first of these is the "Small Blind" - sat to the left of the poker dealer this is half the value of the ... you guessed it "Big Blind".

Big Blind

The big blind is the minimum bet that can be made in the game once the cards are dealt.

Poker Dealer Action

The dealer deals two cards (one at a time) to each player with chips in the game - these are known as the "pocket cards" and must be kept secret from all other players, failure to keep them secret could cost you your place in the game.

Call

Matching the big blind or bet before you.

Bet

When a player wages an amount higher than the big blind.

Raise

When a player increases a bet by an earlier player.

Fold

Deciding you have no reason to stay in this hand. You discard you cards and lose any chips you may already have put in.

Short Stack

The person with the least amount of chips in the game.

Tight Player

One who only plays very good hands. Predictable!

Bad Beat

A hand that is expected to be the winner in most cases, but has been beaten by an even better hand.

Gut Shot Draw

When a player is waiting for a middle card to complete their straight.

Poker Sit and Gos

The basic casino and online game of poker is where a new player to a game can sit down in any seat with his chips and play until they decide to leave - through lack of chips, sufficient profit, time to get back to doing some work etc. In these games the blinds stay the same every hand.

Poker Tournaments

When you play in a poker tournament the "blinds" are set to increase at an agreed time, or after an agreed amount of hands. Without this increase the tournament game could go on forever. So the blinds increase ensures more of each players "stack" is committed at the start of every hand - this inevitably results in a conclusion sooner rather than (much) later.