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Poker Terms Revealed

Act: To bet, fold, or call. Usually used as in "first to act" which is the first person to bet, fold, or call during a round of betting. Before the flop, it is the person immediately left of the Big Blind. In any other betting round, it is the person to the immediate left of the dealer.

All In: To bet all of your chips.

Big Slick: The starting hand of ace king.

Blind, Big: The person who has to put out their blind (minimum bet to play that hand) before they receive any cards.

Blind, Small: The person who has to put out half of their blind (minimum bet to play that hand) before they receive any cards.

Board: The community cards that everyone uses to make the best hand.

Boat: Full house

Bubble: The last person who goes out before people place in points or money.

Bully: A person, usually one of the chip leaders, who uses their chips aggressively to scare away other players and buy pots.

Burn: The card that is thrown away before the flop, turn, and river.

Buy In: In a cash game, the price to join the game.

Check: To not bet when there have been no bets made.

Chip Up: To turn in your smaller chips for larger chips once the blinds get high enough that those chips are no longer necessary to play.

Chip Down: When you turn in smaller chips for larger chips in larger denominations.

Cowboys: Kings

Dead Man's Hand: Aces and eights

Dealer: The person who deals. When there is not a professional dealer, the dealer rotates around the table with the active players.

Dead Dealer: When the person who is "supposed" to deal has gone out. The previous dealer deals a second time.

Dolly Parton: The starting hand of nine-five

Donkey: To be beaten after having lead the hand until the river.

Ducks: Twos

Fifth Street: The fifth and final card dealt onto the community board. Also known as the river.

Fishhooks: Jacks

Flat tire: The starting hand of Jack-four. (What do you use a Jack for? Flat tire)

Flop: The three community cards that are dealt face up following a burn card after the initial round of betting.

Fourth Street: The fourth card dealt onto the community board, also known as the Turn.

Hamburger: A cash game.

Heads Up: Two players playing against each other.

Hooks: Jacks, also known as fish hooks

Kicker: The highest card in a player's hand that is not already used in making a hand.

Ladies: Queens

Mo-Town: The starting hand of Jack-five (named after the group Jackson Five).

Muck: To throw your cards away, or the pile of cards that have been thrown away.

Nut flush: The highest possible flush. Usually involves having the Ace of whatever suit there is a flush draw for.

Option: After everyone has called the blind and no one has bet, the big blind has the Option to Bet or check.

Pocket: The two cards that are dealt face down - usually used in terms of pocket pairs, meaning you have a pair of cards as your starting hand.

Pot: The chips that have been bet.

River: The fifth and final card dealt on the board, also known as fifth street.

River Rat: A person who frequently catches their card and wins on the river.

Side pot: After there has been an all-in, the chips that have been bet over that person's all-in.

Snowman/Snowmen: Eights

Suited: Starting hand that consists of two cards of the same suit.

Turn: The fourth community card dealt onto the board, also known as Fourth street.

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