Poker Glossary

Advance Action: To help keep the pace of the games moving nicely, we have provided advance action capabilities. When you know what you will do next, you can use these to indicate your next action prior to the bet reaching you. These advance action options will always present the correct options for the context of the play. Using Advance Action buttons will help keep the pace of the game exciting.
All-in: When you run out of chips during a hand, but don't wish to fold, you are all-in. This means you have the potential to win a share of the pot up to and including your last contribution to that pot. You cannot share in any bets added beyond that point. These bets form a side-pot. The all-in is also used for some situations where a player in a hand loses connection to the server.
Ante: The small stake required from each player to participate before a hand is dealt. The ante is generally used in 7 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud High/Low. In Hold'em and Omaha, a blind is used as opposed to an ante. The ante is not part of a player's bet whereas a blind is.
Avatar: A term from computer gaming for an image or figure used to represent a person.
Away-from-table: In tournaments, you may not "sit out". Rather, you may be "away-from-table" which means you are dealt into every hand, posting blinds when your turn, and then folded when there is a raise before the flop, or a bet after the flop. When you are in a tournament and need to leave, time-out, or lose your connection, you are automatically marked as "away-from-table".
Bad Beat: to be a heavy favourite in a hand and lose to an opponent who was a severe underdog, statistically speaking.
Backdoor: Catching both turn and river cards to make a hand, e.g. With two hearts on the flop, two more arrive by the river to make a ‘backdoor’ flush.
Battleship: Two players playing a heads up match online with their laptops back-to-back.
Behind: A player in later position to you in respect of the betting, e.g. you bet and a player ‘behind’ you raises.
Bet the Pot: This term is used in pot limit games. It means your bet matches the current amount in the pot. If, when it is your turn to bet, the pot was at $217, and you bet the pot, your bet is $217.
Big Blind: See ‘blind’. The big blind in a $5/10 Limit game would be $5, whereas in a $5/10 No Limit game it would be $10.
Blank: A board card that does not seem to affect the hand, e.g. With A A K of different suits on the board, a deuce would be considered a ‘blank’ card.
Blind: This term refers to the required bets, called the small blind and the big blind used to put money into play. The blinds are mandatory bets and rotate around the table.
Board: The community cards in Hold'em are collectively known as the board.
Boat: A slang term for a full house (shown below).
Bottom Pair: The lowest pair on the flop, e.g. If you hold K4 and the flop is A 9 4 then you have hit bottom pair.
Bring-in: In ante games, the bring-in is a mandatory bet, normally half the lower stake value. The player with the lowest face-up card must either bet the lower stake, or the bring-in to start the hand.
Bubble: To bubble is to finish one place off the prize money in a tournament. For example, to finish 10th where the last prize money place is 9th. If you bubble on Bluesqpoker.com in any of our single or multi table tournaments you can take part in a monthly $1,000 freeroll. See the latest promotions page for full details.
Buddy List: A feature of our poker room allowing players to identify other players, with permission, as buddies. Buddies will be marked to reflect which table they are playing at, making it easier for you to find the people you enjoy playing poker with.
Burn: In physical poker rooms, the top card of the deck is discarded prior to each round of dealing. The intent is to minimize the risk of cheating by knowing the next card. There is no possibility of this happening in our poker room, therefore we do not burn cards.
Button: A marker, usually disk-shaped, to indicate which player is the virtual dealer. The button is used in games where position relative to the dealer is important.
Buy-in: There is a minimum chip value required to sit at any given table. Normally the minimum is 10 times the higher stake for that game. For some special games, that value may be higher. The minimum value required to be seated is called the buy-in. The amount of money you sit down in a game with. All games have a minimum buy-in, typically 10 times the big blind.
Call: When a player matches the prior bet on the table, that action is termed the call.
Calling Station: A player who calls a lot but does not raise or fold much.
Cap: The last permitted raise in a (limit) betting round is called the cap. We allow three raises beyond the initial bet in limit games. The third raise is the cap.
Case Card: The last card remaining of a certain rank in the deck, e.g. On a flop of A J 4 where you hold 44, you would need to catch the ‘case’ 4 to make four of a kind.
Check: If there is no bet on the table and you do not wish to place a bet, that action is termed a check. You may only check when there are no pending bets.
Check-Raise: To check and then raise on a betting round after a player behind you makes the opening bet.
Client: The term for the software that you download to your computer, allowing you to interact with the poker room's servers.
Coffeehousing: Intentionally misleading chat, intended to deceive opponents over the strength of one's hand. Coffeehousing is not permitted. Please do not talk about your hand while it is still in play.
Cold Call: Specific to limit poker, calling more than one bet in one go, e.g. A player raises the big blind and now subsequent players must cold call two bets to play.
Cold Deck: A combination of cards that gives you little opportunity to avoid a loss. A common example is two players getting AA and KK on the same hand.
Collusion: A form of cheating where two or more players attempt to gain an unfair advantage by sharing information. We do not tolerate cheating.
Community Cards: Face up cards on the table that are shared by all players are termed community cards. Texas Hold'em and Omaha always have community cards. In stud games, a community card is dealt in place of the last down card when too few cards remain in the deck for each player to receive a down card.
Connectors: A starting hand in hold em containing consecutive cards, e.g. JT, or 56.
Crack: To beat a hand. Usually used when a relatively weak hand beats a very b hand, e.g. “My KK was cracked by 64”
Cut Off Position: The seat immediately before the button.
Dead Blind: In a situation where you have missed your blinds and wish to re-enter the game before your turn to post the big blind. You must post both blinds and the small blind is termed a dead blind, meaning it does not count towards calling a bet.
Dead Hand: A hand no longer in the game.
Dead Money: A tournament player who has no realistic chance of winning.
Deuce: Alternative name for the rank ‘2’ in a card game.
Door Card: The first face-up card dealt with the two down cards in 7 Card Stud games.
Down Cards: The face-down cards dealt to a player.
Draw: To have a weak hand that has potential to improve with later cards, e.g. With 2 hearts on the flop and two in your hand you would be ‘drawing’ to a flush.
Drawing Dead: This describes the situation when a player is trying to draw a card to complete a hand when there is already a hand that will beat it, even if made.
Face Down: Dealt cards that are not visible to other players.
Face Up: Dealt cards that are visible to all players.
Family Pot: A pot in which all (or almost all) the players call preflop.
Felted: Gone bust in a tournament. If you have ‘felted’ a player you have knocked them out.
Fifth Street: The term for the fifth card in 7 Card Stud and the fifth board card in Hold'em.
Fish: Slang term for a player who calls too much ‘fishing’ for cards to make his/her draw. A poor poker player.
Flop: In Texas Hold'em, the set of 3 face-up community cards; the first three cards on the board, all dealt at the same time.
Flush: Any 5 cards in one hand that are all the same suit.
Fold: Withdraw from further participation in the current hand and forfeit any money invested in the pot.
Forced Bet: A mandatory bet. In certain games, a player is required to bet, having sat-in the game. Also see bring-in.
Four of a Kind: A great hand ... all 4 of one rank. For example, 4 Tens.
Fourth Street: The term for the fourth card in 7 Card Stud and the fourth board card in Hold'em.
Freeroll: This term applies to poker tournaments where there is no real money entry fee but which still have a cash prize pool.
Full House: A hand in which you have a combination of 3 of a kind, and a pair.
Graphics: The term for the artwork used to present you with the images of a poker room, including the table, chairs, avatars, cards, and chips (shown below).
Gutshot: A slang term for an inside straight draw.
Hand: A set of cards used by a player during a single round. Another word for a single round of shuffling, dealing, and betting.
Heads Up: A game where only two players remain in contention for the pot.
Head to Head: A game where only two players may participate.
High Card: The card with the highest rank.
High/Low: A variation of a game where the pot is split between the best hand and the worst hand. The worst hand is comprised of the 5 lowest cards. Most poker rooms, including this one, consider 5, 4, 3, 2, A (the wheel) as the lowest possible hand, despite it also being a straight.
Hold'em: Also called Texas Hold'em. One of the most popular poker games. Each player gets 2 down cards and can use 3, 4, or 5 of the community cards.
Hole Cards: The down cards in a player's hand.
Hollywood: An attempt to give off a false tell, mostly found in live play, e.g. Pausing before checking (with a sigh!) on the river holding the nuts.
In: A term for being an active player; one who has not folded.
Inside Straight: The term applied when a player has 4 of 5 cards needed for a straight with the missing card being inside the sequence rather than at either end, and gets the missing card. For example, a player holding 3, 4, 5, 7 needs a 6 to complete the straight. Getting that 6 is termed "making the inside straight."
Jackpot: A bonus fund which can be won for getting selected hands while playing in selected games.
Jim Britton: Slang term for the biggest price in a Blue Square poker betting market, e.g. A 500/1 outsider is the ‘Jim Britton’ of the market.
Kicker: The card used to differentiate between two seemingly tied hands, e.g. On a board of Q T J J 4 where one player has AQ and one KQ. Player 1 wins with two pairs queens and jacks with an ace kicker.
Limp: To call. Usually refers to preflop play and has a connotation of weakness.
Live Blind: A blind that counts towards any bet you call or raise.
Main Pot: The initial pot of money. When one or more players go all-in, a side pot is created for each all-in player.
Muck: As a noun, this refers to the pile of folded cards and discarded cards. As a verb, the act of returning a losing hand to the dealer face-down.
Multi-Table Tournament (MTT): A tournament where players at more than one table compete, starting with equal numbers of chips, until one player has won all the chips. Blind levels increase at regular intervals. Prize payouts are a function of the number of entrants, and are posted on the tournaments page.
No Limit: A variation of the betting rules in which each bet is unlimited up to the number of chips a player has on the table (NL).
Nuts: The best possible hand in the current state of play. For example AQ on a rainbow flop of K J T would be the nuts (top straight).
Offsuit: A starting hand in hold em where the two cards are of different suits.
Omaha: A game in which each player receives 4 face-down cards and shares 5 community cards. The winning hand must use exactly 2 down cards and 3 community cards. This game also has a High/Low variant.
Omaha High/Low: This game allows players to compete for a pot split between the highest and the lowest hands using 2 down cards and 3 community cards. A player may use different sets of cards to make up the best high and the best low hands.
On the button: This term means you are in the dealer position in Texas Hold'em and Omaha games. The dealer position is marked by a "button" with a "D" in the center.
One on One: See head to head.
Option: This term refers to the option given the big blind player the option of raising before the flop or just checking.
Out: A card that will improve your hand, e.g. You need a club for a flush so you have 9 outs.
Overcard: If you have a pair of sevens in hold em and the flop is A Q 4 then there are two ‘overcards’ (cards of a higher rank than your pair) on the board.
Overpair: A pocket pair that is of a higher rank to all of the board cards, e.g. With KK and a flop of J 9 5 you have an overpair.
Pair: Also called two of a kind. This is a hand where the player's best hand is made up of 2 cards of the same rank.
Pass: See ‘fold’.
Play Chips: The chips used for play money games. Play chips have no monetary value.
Playing the Board: Using all the community cards in hold em as your best hand, e.g. A K Q J T for top straight.
Pocket Cards: The term for the two down cards at the start of the hand.
Position: When people talk about position, they are referring to where a player is sitting in relation to the button. Players can be said to be in early, mid or late position.
Pot: The chips available to win in any given hand (shown below).
Pot Limit: A variation on betting where each player may bet up to the current amount in the pot (PL).
Profile: A term describing the information a player may enter about himself/herself that may be available, at the player's option, to other players in the poker room. Your profile may include your favorite hobby, favorite web site, favorite quote, and more.
Quads: Slang term for four of a kind.
Rainbow Flop: A flop made up of three different suits, meaning less likelihood of a flush being made.
Raise: The act of increasing the amount bet by a prior bettor.
Rake: The amount of money, in chips, taken by the house as the service fee.
Rank: The value of a card. The rank of the 2 of Spades is 2. The rank of the Queen of Hearts is Queen. Rank value increases from 2 through 10, followed in order by Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. In High/Low games, the Ace may be used both for its high rank and as the lowest rank card.
Rebuy: To get more chips during a game but not during a hand that you are in. This applies to real money and tournament play.
Reducing: The act of removing chips from a table and returning immediately with fewer chips. Reducing is considered poor etiquette, and is not permitted in our poker room.
River: The fifth and final community card. This card is also known as fifth street.
Rock: An extremely tight player who almost exclusively plays the nuts or very b hands.
Round: This refers to the dealing of a set of cards and associated betting. For example, the dealing of the river and the bets that follow are a round.
Royal Flush: The best possible high hand. This is a straight flush from 10 through to Ace of the same suit.
Satellite (super-): A tournament, either single table or multi-table (super-satellite) where the prize is entry into a bigger tournament rather than cash.
See: This is a synonym of call. It is often used in conjunction with the term raise, as in "I'll see your $10 and raise you $10."
Set: A slang term for three of a kind.
Short Stack: The short stack of the table would be any player with a significant chip disadvantage to the other players. Any player in a tournament very low on chips.
Showdown: After the final bet, when all players show their hands or muck, is known as the showdown.
Side Pot: This is a pot created when a player goes all-in. The side pot is the pot available to those players not all-in at that point. There can, on occasion, be more than one side pot.
Single Table Tournament (STT): A knockout tournament limited to one table of players where all start with an equal amount of chips. The prize pool is returned to the top finishers as per the tournament prize structure.
Sit Out: We permit you to hold your seat at a table while not participating in some hands. Under most conditions, we limit the time you may sit out to a small number of hands. In blind games, you may be asked to post the equivalent of the blind if you return to your seat prior to the blind reaching you. To sit out you click a check box on the table screen. To return, you unclick the "sit out" check box.
Slow Play: To play a b hand weakly in order to disguise it’s power and lure others into the pot for maximized profit.
Small Blind: In Hold'em and Omaha, this is the mandatory bet required of the player to the left of the dealer, e.g. In a $5/10 Limit game the small blind would be $2.50, whereas in a $5/10 No Limit game the small blind is $5.
Stakes: The level of game you are playing, e.g. A $5/10 No Limit game has blinds of $5 and $10.
Straight: A hand in which the player has five cards in rank order. Suit does not matter. For example, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen.
Straight Flush: A straight all of the same suit.
Stud: The generic term for poker games where players receive the first card(s) down followed by some up cards where those up cards are exclusively for the use of that player. There may be a further down card as in 7 Card Stud.
Suit: One of Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, or Spades.
Suited: Two pocked cards in hold em which are both of the same suit.
Texas Hold'em: The poker game where each player gets two down cards followed by five community cards face-up.
Third Street: The nickname for the third card in any game of Stud.
Three of a kind: A hand consisting three cards of the same rank.
Tilt: To play recklessly, often after experiencing a bad beat or a losing session.
Tournament Buy-In: The cost to enter a tournament. All buy-in money is returned to the players via the prize pool.
Tournament Entry-Fee: A small fee the house charges to enter a tournament.
Trey: Alternative name for the rank ‘3’ in card games.
Trips: A nickname for three of a kind.
Turn: The nickname for the fourth community card in Hold'em and Omaha.
Two Pair: A hand in which the player has two pairs of cards.
Under-raise: This occurs when a player raises a prior bet but has to go all-in to do so. If the player under-raising … going all-in to raise … has less than ½ of the expected raise for that betting round, the betting round is locked. The term locked here means that any player who has already acted in the round (checked, called, or raised) may no longer raise. They may only call or fold. However, players who have yet to act (betting has not reached them yet) may raise the expected raise for that betting round, after calling. If the under-raise is ½ or more than the expected raise, the lock rule does not apply.
Under The Gun: The player who has to act first on a betting round. One to the left of the big blind preflop and one to the left of the button post flop.
Up Card: A card dealt face up, so that all players may see it.
Wheel: A nickname for the best low hand: 5, 4, 3, 2, A.


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