There is a difference between flopping a set and flopping trips. First, flopping a set would be a situation where you hold a strong pair, such as KK, and the river comes K-A-6. Your monster 3 Kings are hidden, and anyone with an Ace is probably going to be putting in a raise, seeing top pair on the flop. The potential for this hand is amazing, and slow play would be a good option.
A similar situation we will call flopping trips. This would be a situation where you hold only one of the 3 cards as your pocket card. Say you hold AK suited, and the flop comes out K-K-Q.
Here again, you have 3 of a kind, but even so, you have to understand that this is a bit of a weaker hand. Anytime a pair is showing on board, there is danger of a full house already formed. QQ would definitely be a hand that someone would hold onto, and if given this flop, your 3 Kings are losers.
It’s also harder to maximize a pot with the two Kings on the flop. Those are huge scare cards, and if you bet out right away, you may get nothing more than what is already in the pot. Again, slow play, and be especially careful of an already formed full house.
There are, however, certain times you want to jam the pot with 3 of a kind. If the flop gives chances for a straight draw, like K-K-10, where anyone holding Q-J has a good chance at a straight, or if 2 of the cards are the same suit, giving someone a chance at a flush if they held onto a pair of same suited cards. In these instances, they are going to play to the river, so make them pay to see extra cards!
Another time you want to jam the pot is if you have flopped a small set. For example you checked with the big blind with a pair of 3's, and the flop comes out Q-8-3. You have your set, and will most likely win with it, but you don't want to risk someone holding a higher pair getting their set on the turn or river for free.
Bet, raise, check raise if you know someone else will bet, whatever you have to do to narrow down your competition and hopefully force out the medium pairs. What you like to see is someone with AQ in this situation with top pair, top kicker who will give you action but has very little chance of winning it. Jam the pot with small sets.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
10.PLAYING THE FLOP – Online Poker
Besides the dealing of the pocket cards, and your decision to fold or hold them, the Flop is probably the most important moment in Texas Hold em.
Three cards hit the board, often making “nut” hands out of weak pocket cards, and at times, making strong pocket cards useless.
Your ability to read the flop will be a huge factor in your success in Texas Hold em.
Three cards hit the board, often making “nut” hands out of weak pocket cards, and at times, making strong pocket cards useless.
Your ability to read the flop will be a huge factor in your success in Texas Hold em.
Monday, March 25, 2013
9.POT ODDS AND “OUTS” 2 – Online Poker
The next step is to use bet odds and implied odds. That's tougher, because it involves predicting reactions of other players. With bet odds, you try to factor in how many people are going to call a raise. With implied odds, you're thinking about reactions for the rest of the game. One last example on implied odds...
Say it's another $5/$10 hold em game and you have a four flush on the flop. Your neighbor bets, and everyone else folds. The pot is $50 at this point. First you figure out your chance of hitting your flush on the turn, and it comes out to about 19.1% (about 1 in 5).
You have to call this $5 bet versus a $50 pot, so that's a 10x payout. 1/5 is higher than 1/10, so bet odds are okay, but you must consider that this guy's going to bet into you on the turn and river also. That's the $5 plus two more $10 bets. So now you’re facing $25 more till the end of the hand.
You have to consider your chances of hitting that flush on the turn or river, which makes it about 35% (better than 1 in 3 now), but you have to invest $25 for a finishing pot of $100: $100/$25 with 1 in 4. That's pretty close. But there's more! If you don't make it on the turn, it'll change your outs and odds!
You'll have a 19.6% chance of hitting the flush (little worse than 1 in 5), but a $20 investment for a finishing pot of $100! $100/$20 is 1 in 5. So the chances would take a nasty turn if you didn't hit it! What's makes it more complicated is that if you did hit it on the turn, you could raise him back, and get an extra $20 or maybe even $40 in the pot. Is there an easier way to calculate pot odds?
Thankfully, there are several short cuts that have been devised to make a quick judgment for pot odds.
One of the easiest methods is to take your total outs, multiply times 2, and then add 2. This is roughly a percentage chance of making your hand.
For example, say you have an inside straight draw with 4 outs. 4x2 = 8. Add 2, for a total of 10. You have roughly a 10% chance to make your hand. Your call should be no more than 10% of what is already in the pot. This method is quick and decently effective, though certain calculations will be a bit off.
This method does not take into consideration the fact that you may have more than one card remaining to come; it simply estimates your chance of hitting your “out” on your next card.
There are a number of tools online that help you calculate your odds. Just do a Google search, and you’ll find several. Keep in mind, though, that using them may significantly slow your play and cause your fellow players to interpret this as a “tell”.
Playing your pocket cards is key, but you’ll also need to know some strategies when it comes to the flop and the river.
Say it's another $5/$10 hold em game and you have a four flush on the flop. Your neighbor bets, and everyone else folds. The pot is $50 at this point. First you figure out your chance of hitting your flush on the turn, and it comes out to about 19.1% (about 1 in 5).
You have to call this $5 bet versus a $50 pot, so that's a 10x payout. 1/5 is higher than 1/10, so bet odds are okay, but you must consider that this guy's going to bet into you on the turn and river also. That's the $5 plus two more $10 bets. So now you’re facing $25 more till the end of the hand.
You have to consider your chances of hitting that flush on the turn or river, which makes it about 35% (better than 1 in 3 now), but you have to invest $25 for a finishing pot of $100: $100/$25 with 1 in 4. That's pretty close. But there's more! If you don't make it on the turn, it'll change your outs and odds!
You'll have a 19.6% chance of hitting the flush (little worse than 1 in 5), but a $20 investment for a finishing pot of $100! $100/$20 is 1 in 5. So the chances would take a nasty turn if you didn't hit it! What's makes it more complicated is that if you did hit it on the turn, you could raise him back, and get an extra $20 or maybe even $40 in the pot. Is there an easier way to calculate pot odds?
Thankfully, there are several short cuts that have been devised to make a quick judgment for pot odds.
One of the easiest methods is to take your total outs, multiply times 2, and then add 2. This is roughly a percentage chance of making your hand.
For example, say you have an inside straight draw with 4 outs. 4x2 = 8. Add 2, for a total of 10. You have roughly a 10% chance to make your hand. Your call should be no more than 10% of what is already in the pot. This method is quick and decently effective, though certain calculations will be a bit off.
This method does not take into consideration the fact that you may have more than one card remaining to come; it simply estimates your chance of hitting your “out” on your next card.
There are a number of tools online that help you calculate your odds. Just do a Google search, and you’ll find several. Keep in mind, though, that using them may significantly slow your play and cause your fellow players to interpret this as a “tell”.
Playing your pocket cards is key, but you’ll also need to know some strategies when it comes to the flop and the river.
8.POT ODDS AND “OUTS” – Online Poker
Probability and odds are huge factors in Texas hold 'em. Players use odds to determine their actions. The chances of finishing a flush or a straight, the probability of getting an over card, the percentage of times you're going to flop a set to match your pocket pair are all important factors in poker. Knowledge of these statistics is a key to winning. In online games especially with very few (if any) tells, statistical knowledge becomes the main factor when choosing whether to bet, call, or fold.
Pot odds decisions are one of poker's most elementary, yet it is one of the most common mistakes made by amateur players at all levels. You will most likely always find a player who is making bad pot odd decisions or ignoring them entirely, meanwhile paying off the rest of the table!
In Texas Hold 'Em, you commonly use outs and pot odds the most. This is also the starting point for those who want to learn about poker odds. To those out there who "ain't good at countin' much", you better get good because that is how it's done. Outs are defined as a card in the deck that helps you make your hand. At this point it's only simple division.
The numerator (top number) will be the number of outs you have. The denominator (bottom number) is the number of cards left that we haven't seen. The result will be the percentage chance of making one of those outs. Therefore,
the most math you'll be doing will be dividing small numbers by 50 (pre-flop), 47 (after the flop), or 46 (after the turn)
Pot odds are as easy as computing outs. You compare your outs or your chance of winning to the size of the pot. If your chance of winning is significantly better than the ratio of the pot size to a bet, then you have good pot odds. If it's lower, then you have bad pot odds.
For example, say you are in a $5/$10 hold em game with Jack-Ten facing one opponent on the turn. You have an outside straight draw with a board of 2-5-9-Q, and only the river card left to make it. Any 8 or any King will finish this straight for you, so you have 8 outs (four 8's and 4 K's left in the deck) and 46 unseen cards left. 8/46 is almost the same as a 1 in 6 chance of making it.
Your sole opponent bets $10. If you take a $10 bet you could win $200. $200/$10 is 20, so you stand to make 20x more if you call. 1/6 higher than 1/20, so pot odds say that calling wouldn't be a bad idea.
Pot odds decisions are one of poker's most elementary, yet it is one of the most common mistakes made by amateur players at all levels. You will most likely always find a player who is making bad pot odd decisions or ignoring them entirely, meanwhile paying off the rest of the table!
In Texas Hold 'Em, you commonly use outs and pot odds the most. This is also the starting point for those who want to learn about poker odds. To those out there who "ain't good at countin' much", you better get good because that is how it's done. Outs are defined as a card in the deck that helps you make your hand. At this point it's only simple division.
The numerator (top number) will be the number of outs you have. The denominator (bottom number) is the number of cards left that we haven't seen. The result will be the percentage chance of making one of those outs. Therefore,
the most math you'll be doing will be dividing small numbers by 50 (pre-flop), 47 (after the flop), or 46 (after the turn)
Pot odds are as easy as computing outs. You compare your outs or your chance of winning to the size of the pot. If your chance of winning is significantly better than the ratio of the pot size to a bet, then you have good pot odds. If it's lower, then you have bad pot odds.
For example, say you are in a $5/$10 hold em game with Jack-Ten facing one opponent on the turn. You have an outside straight draw with a board of 2-5-9-Q, and only the river card left to make it. Any 8 or any King will finish this straight for you, so you have 8 outs (four 8's and 4 K's left in the deck) and 46 unseen cards left. 8/46 is almost the same as a 1 in 6 chance of making it.
Your sole opponent bets $10. If you take a $10 bet you could win $200. $200/$10 is 20, so you stand to make 20x more if you call. 1/6 higher than 1/20, so pot odds say that calling wouldn't be a bad idea.
7.POSITION – Online Poker
Position is simply where you are sitting in relation to the dealer's button. In hold em and many other poker games, your position at the table is a big factor. The strength of your position comes from the fact that the betting goes in a clockwise fashion.
In a favorable position you get to see how many other players react to their hands and whether they fold, bet, or call before you do. The poker phrase, "Position is power" comes from this simple idea.
There are many names associated with position to identify where players are sitting in relation to the dealer's button. Each particular position has its own strengths or weaknesses.
The player to the left of the dealer is not only the small blind, but must act first after the flop.
The player to the left of the small blind is the big blind. He or she is already obligated to the game and is in another early position after the flop.
The player to the left of the big blind is "under the gun". This player is the first to act pre-flop and is considered to be in the worst position, even though they do not act first in any other betting round (the blinds would) because they would have to invest an entire bet to get into the action.
The player with the dealer's button is the last to act after the flop and has the most advantageous position. They are called "the dealer", "on the button", or just "the button".
The player to the right of the button is called "the cutoff", which comes from the fact that this position is one of the best for blind-stealing at a full nine-handed or ten-handed table. This player often cuts off the dealer by betting before they have a chance to bet.
Players in all positions are referred to as being in early, middle, or late position. Players in an early position are the first ones to act in a betting round (like the player under the gun) and late position players (like the cutoff and the button) are some of the last to act.
The importance of your position varies on many factors. For example, in no limit hold ‘em position is much more important than in limit hold ‘em. It is always better to be in a late position though, so it is important to identify what hands are generally playable in all positions.
Let’s say you're under the gun. You have Queen-Ten, unsuited and decide to limp into the pot. The player who bets after you raises, and everyone but you folds. Now you're in a jam. Chances are good that this player has a better hand than you.
If they have any ace, king, or pocket pair, they are statistically better than you. You'd suspect that someone who raised has at least a hand like that. Now you can either call again or go into the flop as an underdog or you can fold and just give up the bet. What's worse is that if you call, you will be acting before this player for the rest of the hand.
On the other hand, let's say you're on the button. You have Queen-Ten, unsuited and everybody folds to you. One option would be to fold and let the blinds fight it out. Another would be the just call and see what happens on the flop. Many players here would raise because you could steal the blinds and even if you didn't, you'd act after them for the remainder of the hand. Raising is only a viable option because of your favorable position.
Another notable factor is that position goes hand in hand with knowing the players directly around you. For example, an aggressive, blind-stealing player to the immediate right of a tight player usually results in the tight player's blinds getting stolen.
Being in late position with a good hand has major strengths over being early with a good hand. Early position raisers are assumed to have a good hand and it tends to scare players away. Early pre-flop raises force opponents to call two bets at once - at least in the case of no limit - with nothing in the pot yet. In late position, there may be players who have already called one bet.
Those players only have to call one bet (in limit) with a little something already in the
pot. So players in late position with a good hand have the ability to manipulate the pot.
While position is important, you will also need to calculate the best chances you have to pull out the card you need to win. We call these pot odds and outs.
In a favorable position you get to see how many other players react to their hands and whether they fold, bet, or call before you do. The poker phrase, "Position is power" comes from this simple idea.
There are many names associated with position to identify where players are sitting in relation to the dealer's button. Each particular position has its own strengths or weaknesses.
The player to the left of the dealer is not only the small blind, but must act first after the flop.
The player to the left of the small blind is the big blind. He or she is already obligated to the game and is in another early position after the flop.
The player to the left of the big blind is "under the gun". This player is the first to act pre-flop and is considered to be in the worst position, even though they do not act first in any other betting round (the blinds would) because they would have to invest an entire bet to get into the action.
The player with the dealer's button is the last to act after the flop and has the most advantageous position. They are called "the dealer", "on the button", or just "the button".
The player to the right of the button is called "the cutoff", which comes from the fact that this position is one of the best for blind-stealing at a full nine-handed or ten-handed table. This player often cuts off the dealer by betting before they have a chance to bet.
Players in all positions are referred to as being in early, middle, or late position. Players in an early position are the first ones to act in a betting round (like the player under the gun) and late position players (like the cutoff and the button) are some of the last to act.
The importance of your position varies on many factors. For example, in no limit hold ‘em position is much more important than in limit hold ‘em. It is always better to be in a late position though, so it is important to identify what hands are generally playable in all positions.
Let’s say you're under the gun. You have Queen-Ten, unsuited and decide to limp into the pot. The player who bets after you raises, and everyone but you folds. Now you're in a jam. Chances are good that this player has a better hand than you.
If they have any ace, king, or pocket pair, they are statistically better than you. You'd suspect that someone who raised has at least a hand like that. Now you can either call again or go into the flop as an underdog or you can fold and just give up the bet. What's worse is that if you call, you will be acting before this player for the rest of the hand.
On the other hand, let's say you're on the button. You have Queen-Ten, unsuited and everybody folds to you. One option would be to fold and let the blinds fight it out. Another would be the just call and see what happens on the flop. Many players here would raise because you could steal the blinds and even if you didn't, you'd act after them for the remainder of the hand. Raising is only a viable option because of your favorable position.
Another notable factor is that position goes hand in hand with knowing the players directly around you. For example, an aggressive, blind-stealing player to the immediate right of a tight player usually results in the tight player's blinds getting stolen.
Being in late position with a good hand has major strengths over being early with a good hand. Early position raisers are assumed to have a good hand and it tends to scare players away. Early pre-flop raises force opponents to call two bets at once - at least in the case of no limit - with nothing in the pot yet. In late position, there may be players who have already called one bet.
Those players only have to call one bet (in limit) with a little something already in the
pot. So players in late position with a good hand have the ability to manipulate the pot.
While position is important, you will also need to calculate the best chances you have to pull out the card you need to win. We call these pot odds and outs.
6.PLAYING TEXAS HOLD ‘EM 2 – Online Poker
Hold 'em is probably the best known and most popular form of poker today. Each player starts with two hole cards. There are three rounds of community cards.
These are dealt face up, for every player to use, with betting after each round. Players make the best 5-card hand using any combination of the five community cards and two hole cards.
Each new hand begins with a small blind, a big blind, and a round of betting. The betting rules vary depending upon whether the game is Limit, Pot Limit or No Limit.
Once the first round of betting is complete, the dealer then puts out the first three community cards, or "the flop". There is a round of betting. The dealer then puts out the fourth community card or "the turn". There is a round of betting. The dealer then puts out the fifth community card or "the river". There is a final round of betting. After the last round of betting, the pot is awarded to the best hand.
All Hold 'em games include a small blind and big blind. These are forced bets, and are determined by the position of the button. These bets are considered live, and every player in the hand must either call the big blind, raise, or fold. The button moves clockwise around the table, giving each player a turn being the button, small blind, and big blind.
In Limit Hold 'em, each betting round has a fixed bet. In $5/$10, the small blind is $2.50, the big blind is $5, and the first two rounds of betting are in increments of $5. The last two rounds of betting are in increments of $10.
There is a maximum of three re-raises per betting round. In Pot Limit, a player can bet any amount from the minimum bet to the size of the pot. In a $5/$10 pot-limit game, the small blind is $5 and the big blind is $10.
The first player can call the big blind (in this case, $10), or raise to any amount up to the size of the pot. A raise must either equal or exceed the previous bet or raise. In this case, a pot-sized raise would be $25 ($5 small blind + $10 big blind + $10 call), meaning that, in total, player three can bet up $35. Supposing player three makes a pot-sized raise, the total pot is now $50. If the next player wants into the hand, they must call $35, which is the size of player three's bet.
If they want to raise the maximum, they would bet $120, which equals the size of the pot ($50) plus a $70 raise ($35 call + $35 raise). In No Limit, a player can bet any amount from the minimum bet to the maximum number of chips they have in front of them. As in pot limit, a $5/$10 No Limit game means blinds of $5 and $10.
Here are some general guidelines for pocket cards. They are not steadfast, but can give you something to go by. Of course, the (S) means suited.
The Strongest Starting Hands:
PAIR of HIGH CARDS - AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 1010 ACE and HIGH CARD SUITED - AK(S), AQ(S), AJ(S), A10(S) FACES SUITED - KQ(S), KJ(S), QJ(S) ACE KING – AK
Medium Strength Starting Hands:
FACE TEN SUITED - K10(S), Q10(S), J10(S) MEDIUM PAIRS - 99, 88, 77 TWO HIGH CARDS - AQ, AJ, A10 (ace king ranks higher, above), KQ down to J10 ACE and MEDIUM SUITED - A9(S), A8(S), A7(S) MEDIUM SUITED CONNECTORS (No Gap/One Gap) - J9(S), 109(S), 108(S), 98(S), 97(S) down to 75(S)
Other Conditional Starting Hands:
LOW PAIRS - 66, 55, 44, 33, 22 ACE and LOW SUITED - A6(S), A5(S), A4(S), A3(S), A2(S) LOW SUITED CONNECTORS (No Gap/One Gap) - 65(S), 64(S), 54(S,) 53(S) (lowest)
One of the biggest factors in knowing how to play hold ‘em poker effectively is being aware of your position.
These are dealt face up, for every player to use, with betting after each round. Players make the best 5-card hand using any combination of the five community cards and two hole cards.
Each new hand begins with a small blind, a big blind, and a round of betting. The betting rules vary depending upon whether the game is Limit, Pot Limit or No Limit.
Once the first round of betting is complete, the dealer then puts out the first three community cards, or "the flop". There is a round of betting. The dealer then puts out the fourth community card or "the turn". There is a round of betting. The dealer then puts out the fifth community card or "the river". There is a final round of betting. After the last round of betting, the pot is awarded to the best hand.
All Hold 'em games include a small blind and big blind. These are forced bets, and are determined by the position of the button. These bets are considered live, and every player in the hand must either call the big blind, raise, or fold. The button moves clockwise around the table, giving each player a turn being the button, small blind, and big blind.
In Limit Hold 'em, each betting round has a fixed bet. In $5/$10, the small blind is $2.50, the big blind is $5, and the first two rounds of betting are in increments of $5. The last two rounds of betting are in increments of $10.
There is a maximum of three re-raises per betting round. In Pot Limit, a player can bet any amount from the minimum bet to the size of the pot. In a $5/$10 pot-limit game, the small blind is $5 and the big blind is $10.
The first player can call the big blind (in this case, $10), or raise to any amount up to the size of the pot. A raise must either equal or exceed the previous bet or raise. In this case, a pot-sized raise would be $25 ($5 small blind + $10 big blind + $10 call), meaning that, in total, player three can bet up $35. Supposing player three makes a pot-sized raise, the total pot is now $50. If the next player wants into the hand, they must call $35, which is the size of player three's bet.
If they want to raise the maximum, they would bet $120, which equals the size of the pot ($50) plus a $70 raise ($35 call + $35 raise). In No Limit, a player can bet any amount from the minimum bet to the maximum number of chips they have in front of them. As in pot limit, a $5/$10 No Limit game means blinds of $5 and $10.
Here are some general guidelines for pocket cards. They are not steadfast, but can give you something to go by. Of course, the (S) means suited.
The Strongest Starting Hands:
PAIR of HIGH CARDS - AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 1010 ACE and HIGH CARD SUITED - AK(S), AQ(S), AJ(S), A10(S) FACES SUITED - KQ(S), KJ(S), QJ(S) ACE KING – AK
Medium Strength Starting Hands:
FACE TEN SUITED - K10(S), Q10(S), J10(S) MEDIUM PAIRS - 99, 88, 77 TWO HIGH CARDS - AQ, AJ, A10 (ace king ranks higher, above), KQ down to J10 ACE and MEDIUM SUITED - A9(S), A8(S), A7(S) MEDIUM SUITED CONNECTORS (No Gap/One Gap) - J9(S), 109(S), 108(S), 98(S), 97(S) down to 75(S)
Other Conditional Starting Hands:
LOW PAIRS - 66, 55, 44, 33, 22 ACE and LOW SUITED - A6(S), A5(S), A4(S), A3(S), A2(S) LOW SUITED CONNECTORS (No Gap/One Gap) - 65(S), 64(S), 54(S,) 53(S) (lowest)
One of the biggest factors in knowing how to play hold ‘em poker effectively is being aware of your position.
5.Poker Vocabulary – Online Poker
Ace-High A five-card hand that has no hand combinations (flush, straight, pair etc), but contains one Ace.
All-in When you bet all your money on a hand, either voluntarily in the belief that you have the strongest hand, or because do not have enough money to cover the full amount bet by someone else. You then contend for the pot in an amount proportional to what you contributed.
Ante The minimum bet that players must place into the pot by each player before betting begins. The ante is placed before any cards are dealt.
Bad Beat When a good hand that would have been expected to win the pot is beaten by a lucky draw.
Backdoor making a hand you weren't playing for, eg. You play for a full house but make a flush
Big Blind The first bet posted by the player to the left of the player who posts the small blind. It is a forced bet. The big blind bet amount is equal to the lower bet. For example, in a $10 - $20 game, the big blind is $10
Big Slick An A-K combination as pocket (hole) cards.
Blind Bet A forced bet that is placed before any cards are dealt. It is considered a live bet for the first round of betting. You have big blind and small blind bets in the first round of betting
Bluff To pretend that you have a better hand than you actually do, by betting aggressively, in the hope that the other players will fold.
Boat Slang for a full house.
Board The cards seen by all the players, the community cards in the center of the table or in a players hand in a game like stud poker
Bullets A pair of Aces. If these are your pocket cards, they are also known as “Pocket Rockets”.
Burning a Card Discarding the top card from the deck.
Buy-in Amount the amount you must bring into a game.
Call When you place a bet equal to the previous bet.
Cash Out To finish playing and exchange your chips for cash.
Catch When a player makes the hand s/he was drawing to.
Check When you want to stay in the game but not place a bet. You can only check if no other bets have been placed in the betting round.
Check-Raise To check at the beginning of a betting round and then raise when a player to your left bets.
Community Cards Cards that are dealt to the table. All players can use these cards to complete a five-card hand.
Dead Man's Hand Two pair hand consisting of Aces & Eights. This is reputed to be the hand that Wild Bill Hickock was holding when he was shot dead.
Dealer-button A flat disk that is used to signify the Dealer's position on the table in online poker. The disk is usually marked with a D.
Deuces A pair of Twos.
Drawing Remaining in the round and accepting more cards.
Drawing to a hand Remaining in the round with the hope of making one’s potential hand as more cards are dealt.
Drawing Dead When a player is drawing to a hand that is not the best hand offered by the flop and will therefore be beaten even if the hand is made.
Early Position
In an early betting position for a hand weakest position
Family Pot
When everyone at the table is still involved in the pot
Fast Play
Betting and raising aggressively
Flop The first three community cards dealt to the table
Fold When players throw in their cards. They give up any claim on the pot in exchange for not having to contribute more money to the pot.
Forced Bet
A bet that a player has no choice but to make, a blind bet
Flush Draw When a player holds four cards of the same suit and is hoping to draw a fifth card of that suit to complete a flush.
Go on tilt When a player loses emotional balance during a game and plays irrationally.
Gut Shot To draw to an inside straight.
Heads Up A game with only two players in it.
Hole Cards These are the Down Cards in front of the players. (Also known as “Pocket Cards”)
House The host of the game (e.g. the casino).
Inside straight draw Drawing to a straight where the cards needed to complete the straight are those in the middle of the straight. For example, you have 6-7-9-10 and need the middle card (8) to make the straight.
Kicker The highest unpaired card of a player’s pocket cards.
Limping In Calling the big blind rather than raising.
Monster A very strong hand.
Muck When you do not want to show your hand to the table. The hand is discarded without being displayed to the table. You can muck a losing hand in a show down, or the winning hand if everyone else has folded before you.
Nuts The best possible hand that cannot be beaten, at a particular point of the game.
Nut Flush A flush containing the Ace.
Off suit Cards of different suits.
Outs Cards that will make the hand that the player is drawing to.
Over card
A card on the board higher than your pair
Paint Cards The picture cards (King, Queen, Jack).
Pocket Cards The cards dealt face down to each player. (Also known as “Hole Cards”)
Pocket Rockets A pair of Aces as your pocket cards (hole cards).
Pot The pot is the pile of chips that accumulates as each player ante, bet and raise. All winnings are paid from the pot. The value of the pot varies. It is dependant on the stakes involved and the amount the Players bet. The pot goes to the winner of each round.
Note: The House takes a small percentage of the pot. This is known as the “rake”.
If two or more Players have the same winning hand, they split the pot equally.
Pot –Limit
A game where a player's maximum bet is the size of the pot
Pot Odds
The calculated odds the money in the pot represents in relation to how much it will cost to play and hand and the players chances of winning the hand
Quads Four of a kind (four cards of the same denomination).
Rake Percentage of the pot taken by the house.
Rags Useless cards – cards that don’t improve a hand.
Rainbow When the board contains 3 or 4 cards of different suits.
Raise When you increase the bet made by a preceding player. This increases the stakes for remaining Players, who now have to match the total amount including the raise.
Ring Game A normal real money table game, as opposed to a tournament game.
River Card The final community card dealt.
Scare Cards High board cards (e.g. an Ace that appears on the flop).
See To see someone is to call their bet.
Semi-bluff To bluff with a hand that still has drawing potential and could improve to be the winning hand.
Seven Deuce The acknowledged weakest starting card combination in Texas Hold-em (7-2)
Show down After the last betting round when the remaining players compare hands to determine the winner. The player with the highest value hand wins the pot.
Sitting Out When you choose to leave a table for a few hands.
Note: If a player sits out for more than fifteen minutes, or has missed two rounds of blinds, they are usually removed from the table.
Slow Playing Playing non-aggressively with a powerful hand; calling and betting instead of raising. This is done in the hope of not driving players out of the hand and thus sucking more money into the pot. This is also called “sandbagging”.
Small Blind The first bet posted by the player to the Dealer's left. It is a forced bet. The small blind bet amount is equal to half of the lower bet. For example, in a $10 - $20 game, the small blind is $5.
Stack A player’s chips.
Steal To try and win the pot by betting when everyone else has checked, or by making a large raise when everyone else has called.
Tells
Gestures or words by a player that give away the value of his/her hand
Tight
A tight player is a player who never bets unless they hold a good hand
Turn The fourth community card dealt
Under the Gun The player who must act first in the betting round.
Visible Cards Cards dealt face up to each Player. Players use these cards to complete a five-card combination.
WSOP World Series of Poker
Now that you have the terminology at hand, let’s look at playing the game of Texas Hold ‘Em.
All-in When you bet all your money on a hand, either voluntarily in the belief that you have the strongest hand, or because do not have enough money to cover the full amount bet by someone else. You then contend for the pot in an amount proportional to what you contributed.
Ante The minimum bet that players must place into the pot by each player before betting begins. The ante is placed before any cards are dealt.
Bad Beat When a good hand that would have been expected to win the pot is beaten by a lucky draw.
Backdoor making a hand you weren't playing for, eg. You play for a full house but make a flush
Big Blind The first bet posted by the player to the left of the player who posts the small blind. It is a forced bet. The big blind bet amount is equal to the lower bet. For example, in a $10 - $20 game, the big blind is $10
Big Slick An A-K combination as pocket (hole) cards.
Blind Bet A forced bet that is placed before any cards are dealt. It is considered a live bet for the first round of betting. You have big blind and small blind bets in the first round of betting
Bluff To pretend that you have a better hand than you actually do, by betting aggressively, in the hope that the other players will fold.
Boat Slang for a full house.
Board The cards seen by all the players, the community cards in the center of the table or in a players hand in a game like stud poker
Bullets A pair of Aces. If these are your pocket cards, they are also known as “Pocket Rockets”.
Burning a Card Discarding the top card from the deck.
Buy-in Amount the amount you must bring into a game.
Call When you place a bet equal to the previous bet.
Cash Out To finish playing and exchange your chips for cash.
Catch When a player makes the hand s/he was drawing to.
Check When you want to stay in the game but not place a bet. You can only check if no other bets have been placed in the betting round.
Check-Raise To check at the beginning of a betting round and then raise when a player to your left bets.
Community Cards Cards that are dealt to the table. All players can use these cards to complete a five-card hand.
Dead Man's Hand Two pair hand consisting of Aces & Eights. This is reputed to be the hand that Wild Bill Hickock was holding when he was shot dead.
Dealer-button A flat disk that is used to signify the Dealer's position on the table in online poker. The disk is usually marked with a D.
Deuces A pair of Twos.
Drawing Remaining in the round and accepting more cards.
Drawing to a hand Remaining in the round with the hope of making one’s potential hand as more cards are dealt.
Drawing Dead When a player is drawing to a hand that is not the best hand offered by the flop and will therefore be beaten even if the hand is made.
Early Position
In an early betting position for a hand weakest position
Family Pot
When everyone at the table is still involved in the pot
Fast Play
Betting and raising aggressively
Flop The first three community cards dealt to the table
Fold When players throw in their cards. They give up any claim on the pot in exchange for not having to contribute more money to the pot.
Forced Bet
A bet that a player has no choice but to make, a blind bet
Flush Draw When a player holds four cards of the same suit and is hoping to draw a fifth card of that suit to complete a flush.
Go on tilt When a player loses emotional balance during a game and plays irrationally.
Gut Shot To draw to an inside straight.
Heads Up A game with only two players in it.
Hole Cards These are the Down Cards in front of the players. (Also known as “Pocket Cards”)
House The host of the game (e.g. the casino).
Inside straight draw Drawing to a straight where the cards needed to complete the straight are those in the middle of the straight. For example, you have 6-7-9-10 and need the middle card (8) to make the straight.
Kicker The highest unpaired card of a player’s pocket cards.
Limping In Calling the big blind rather than raising.
Monster A very strong hand.
Muck When you do not want to show your hand to the table. The hand is discarded without being displayed to the table. You can muck a losing hand in a show down, or the winning hand if everyone else has folded before you.
Nuts The best possible hand that cannot be beaten, at a particular point of the game.
Nut Flush A flush containing the Ace.
Off suit Cards of different suits.
Outs Cards that will make the hand that the player is drawing to.
Over card
A card on the board higher than your pair
Paint Cards The picture cards (King, Queen, Jack).
Pocket Cards The cards dealt face down to each player. (Also known as “Hole Cards”)
Pocket Rockets A pair of Aces as your pocket cards (hole cards).
Pot The pot is the pile of chips that accumulates as each player ante, bet and raise. All winnings are paid from the pot. The value of the pot varies. It is dependant on the stakes involved and the amount the Players bet. The pot goes to the winner of each round.
Note: The House takes a small percentage of the pot. This is known as the “rake”.
If two or more Players have the same winning hand, they split the pot equally.
Pot –Limit
A game where a player's maximum bet is the size of the pot
Pot Odds
The calculated odds the money in the pot represents in relation to how much it will cost to play and hand and the players chances of winning the hand
Quads Four of a kind (four cards of the same denomination).
Rake Percentage of the pot taken by the house.
Rags Useless cards – cards that don’t improve a hand.
Rainbow When the board contains 3 or 4 cards of different suits.
Raise When you increase the bet made by a preceding player. This increases the stakes for remaining Players, who now have to match the total amount including the raise.
Ring Game A normal real money table game, as opposed to a tournament game.
River Card The final community card dealt.
Scare Cards High board cards (e.g. an Ace that appears on the flop).
See To see someone is to call their bet.
Semi-bluff To bluff with a hand that still has drawing potential and could improve to be the winning hand.
Seven Deuce The acknowledged weakest starting card combination in Texas Hold-em (7-2)
Show down After the last betting round when the remaining players compare hands to determine the winner. The player with the highest value hand wins the pot.
Sitting Out When you choose to leave a table for a few hands.
Note: If a player sits out for more than fifteen minutes, or has missed two rounds of blinds, they are usually removed from the table.
Slow Playing Playing non-aggressively with a powerful hand; calling and betting instead of raising. This is done in the hope of not driving players out of the hand and thus sucking more money into the pot. This is also called “sandbagging”.
Small Blind The first bet posted by the player to the Dealer's left. It is a forced bet. The small blind bet amount is equal to half of the lower bet. For example, in a $10 - $20 game, the small blind is $5.
Stack A player’s chips.
Steal To try and win the pot by betting when everyone else has checked, or by making a large raise when everyone else has called.
Tells
Gestures or words by a player that give away the value of his/her hand
Tight
A tight player is a player who never bets unless they hold a good hand
Turn The fourth community card dealt
Under the Gun The player who must act first in the betting round.
Visible Cards Cards dealt face up to each Player. Players use these cards to complete a five-card combination.
WSOP World Series of Poker
Now that you have the terminology at hand, let’s look at playing the game of Texas Hold ‘Em.
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