All-In
This is when a player runs out of chips while betting or calling during a hand. When this happens, a side pot is created and the player who went All-In can only collect bets from that side pot.

Backdoor
This is the term used to describe winning your hand on the turn and the river card when you didn’t have much to work with to start off your hand.

Bad Beat
When you have a winning hand all the way through only to get beat by a backdoor move, this can be called a bad beat. The player who won usually had no business being in contention for the pot and they had a lot of luck on their side in order to win their hand.

Blank
A board card that doesn’t affect the standing of your hand.

Blind
Similar to an ante, a small bet that is made by one or more players before any cards are dealt.

Board
The shared or community cards in a Holdem hand. Often referred to as the flop, the turn and the river.
Bottom Pair
When you get a pair with the lowest card on the flop.

Buy
When you bluff or ‘buy’ the pot without being called on the bluff.

Calling Station
This is a conservative player who does not raise much but calls often.

Cap
The last raise permitted in a betting round.

Case
The last card of a particular rank in the deck.

Center Pot
This is the main pot in a poker hand. Any side pots by all-in players are not included in the center pot.

Check
Not betting or folding, but leaving the option to do either open later in the same betting round.

Check Raise
To check and then raise when a player behind you bets.

Connector
In Texas Holdem, when the starting hand contains two cards that are one apart in rank.

Counterfeit
When your hand is weakened by cards that are dealt on the turn or the river that are the same as the cards in your pocket.

Crack
To beat a big hand

Cripple
When you have the cards in the pocket that someone else is looking for to improve their hand.

Draw Dead
To draw for a hand that – even if accomplished – will not win the pot because there is a better hand at the table.

Family Pot
When everyone calls before the flop. A family pot is usually a big one.
Fast
To play a hand aggressively in an attempt to get your competition to fold.

Flop
The first three community cards that are shared by everyone at the table.

Gutshot Straight
Also referred to as an ‘inside straight.’ This could happen if you have an A-K-J-10-9 and then you get a Q on the turn or the river.

Heads Up
When only two players are in contention for the pot.

Hit
When the flop, turn or river help your hand.

House
The Web site that hosts the game.

Kicker
When two hands are equal or nearly equal, the kicker is the unpaired card that is used to determine the winner of the hand. For example, if both players have a pair of 2s and one has an ace and one has a king as their high card. The ace ‘kicker’ would win the pot.

No-Limit
A form of poker in which any player can bet any amount of money he or she wishes. This can be a much more expensive form of poker than limit poker.

Offsuit
A starting hand where the two cards are of a different suit.

Out
One card that will make your hand a winner.

Outrun
To win a hand.

Overcard
A pocket card higher than any card on the flop.

Overpair
A pocket pair higher than any card on the flop.

Pocket
The two cards in the player’s hand that only he or she can see.

Quads
Four of a Kind

Ragged
A flop that doesn’t appear as if it would help anyone’s hand.

Rainbow
A flop with three different suits, this rendering a flush much harder to complete.

Rake
The poker site’s commission which is taken from each hand.

Rank
The numerical value of a card.

River
The fifth and final community card, also known as ‘fifth street.’

Second Pair
When you have a pair with the second highest card on the flop.

Set
Three of a kind when holding a pocket pair.

Short Stack
When your stack of chips is much smaller than the others at the table, you have a ‘short stack.’

Showdown
When all of the remaining players show their hand to determine who wins the pot.

Side Pot
A pot created when one player runs out of chips in the middle of a hand.

Slow Play
To play a strong hand conservatively in order to tempt other players to stay in.

Split Pot
When two or more players have an equal hand, the pot will be split between the players.

Split Two Pair
When you have two pair one of each card in each pair is in your pocket hand and one is on the board.

Suited
A starting hand where both cards are of the same suit.
Tell
A hint that the player gives about the strength (or lack of) of his or her hand.

Tilt
To play recklessly. Raising on bad hands is an example.

Top Pair
A pair with the highest card on the flop.

Trips
Three of a kind.

Turn
The fourth community card. This is the card after the flop and before the river. Also referred to as ‘fourth street.’