A
2. (n) Abbreviation for an
ace, usually found only in written text about
cards. As, for example, is the
ace of
spades.
1
A game
abc
a-b-c
1. (n) In
low games, 3-2-A, as 8-6-a-b-c for 8-6-3-2-A. Also
abc, A-B-C, or A.B.C.
12. (adj, adv) Playing predictably, or by the
book. ""He plays A-B-C."" ""He's an A-B-C
player."" Also,
1-2-3.
1
a-b-c-d
1. (n) In
low games, 4-3-2-A, as 8-a-b-c-d for 8-4-3-2-A. Also abcd or A.B.C.D. or A-B-C-D
1
able
1. (n) Same as
age. Sometimes called just A.
1
according to Hoyle
1. (adv phrase) With respect to the
rules of poker, proper, that is, following the rules. The expression passed into general usage as a vague phrase invoking authority. Named for Edmond Hoyle.
12. (n)
Book Title of same name, written by Edmond Hoyle, with the rules for many
card games.
1
ace
1. (n) The highest or lowest
card in the
deck. If the
cards are arranged in order, the ace either starts this
sequence: A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-T-J-Q-K; or finishes this
one: 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-T-J-Q-K-A. In
high poker, the ace is the highest
card in a
hand, with
one exception: when it is part of a 5-
high straight, that is, in this
hand: A-2-3-4-5, of mixed suits (where it must be the lowest
card to
make the
straight). In
low poker (
ace-to-five lowball), especially as played in California cardrooms, the ace is the lowest
card in a
hand. In
high-
low (
split)
poker games, the ace is either
high or
low, depending on how it is used. It
can even be both
high and
low in some hands. For example, 7c 4c 3c 2c Ac is a 7-
low hand, and an
ace-high flush. Also called
bullet,
bull,
rocket,
seed,
spike, and other names.
1
ace high
2. (adj) A term that often modifies (refers to) a
straight or
flush topped by an
ace. ""I was drawing to an
ace-high flush, but all I made was an ace high.""
1
ace high straight flush
ace in the hole
1. (n) In a
stud game, having an
ace as
one's
downcard or
one of
one's downcards. This being a desirable condition, the phrase passed into general usage as an
advantage or resource kept in reserve until an opportunity presents itself.
1
ace kicker
ace out
1. (v phrase) To win (perhaps by bluffing) while
holding an
ace high hand (that is, a relatively worthless
hand, since it doesn't contain
even a
pair). This phrase has passed into general usage with the meaning of winning by deception or just barely beating someone. (If your opponent holds a totally worthless
hand, an
ace-high hand would just barely
beat him; that is, you would
ace him
out.)
1
ace to five
ace up the sleeve
1. (n phrase) Describing the situation in which a cheater has withdrawn an
ace from the
deck to be introduced into the
game later, or, more generally, has taken some unfair
advantage. The phrase has passed into general usage to describe the situation in which someone is hiding some probably unfair
advantage. Compare with
ace in the hole.
1
ace-high
acepots
aces and spaces
aces full
aces over
ace-to-five
ace-to-five draw
ace-to-five lowball
acey uppy
acey-deucey
3. (n) A non-
poker game, usually played in
home games, but also found rarely in casinos, in which players
bet that a third
card in succession will fall in
rank between the first
two, which are dealt
face up before the
bet. Sometimes called
Red Dog.
1
act
action
1. (n) The relative liveliness of
a game, often measured by the frequency and quantity of bets and raises. "This
game has a lot of action." Often part of the phrase
fast action.
12. (n) Being required to
act. When it's your
turn to do
something, someone might
say, "It's your action," or, "The action is
up to you."
14. (n) A
player's
investment, current or potential, in a
pot or
game, particularly as part of the phrase
take someone's action. For example, in a $20-
limit lowball game, the
button has killed the
pot. Jim,
in the middle blind, cannot
play. Susie shows Jim her
cards prior to throwing them away. She has 4-5-6 and does not want to
put in another $30 and possibly
face a
raise. Jim says, "
Play, and I'll
take half your action." That is, he will give her $15 to
play those
cards. Whether he would
put up half the cost of a
raise and
possible action after the
draw is not at all clear. Besides, such
backing of a
hand is not usually permitted, and, furthermore, Jim probably was not serious. Or, another example, if I have staked someone in
a game, I have a
piece of his action.
15. (v) Bets and raises. "If a third
heart hits the
board and
there's a lot of action, you have to assume that somebody has made the
flush."
26. (v) The placing of money into the
pot. A
table with a lot of action is
one at which
there are a lot of bets, raises, and re-raises - in other words, betting action. In most cardrooms, verbal comments like "I
raise" are binding, and are therefore said to constitute action. Action is also used to mean someone's
turn to
act.
3
action button
1. (n phrase) A
bet that must be posted, in a seven-
card stud high-
low game, by the
winner of a
scoop pot above a certain
size, signifying a
full bet (a
blind raise, in other words), rather than just a
call of the original
forced bet. Any
player who acts before the action button
can only
call the bring-in. The holder of the action button essentially raises
blind, and then, when it gets
back to those who have only so far called the
opening bet, they
can either
call or
raise. For example, if the
low card normally must
bet $1 in a $5-$10
game, and
there is an action button
out, anyone who calls the $1 is committing to
bet $5 later. No
one would
call the $1 without intending at least to
call the
blind raise by the action button. Whether the action button acts
in turn, or after everyone else has acted, depends on the
cardroom. Posting an action button is not the same as a
kill (definition 2).
1
action only
1. (n phrase) In many cardrooms, with respect to an all-in
bet, only a
full bet is considered a legitimate
wager, in terms of whether this constitutes a
raise that
can be reraised.
Anything less than a
full bet is considered to be action only, that is, other players
can call such a
bet but not
raise it. For example, Chloe bets $10. Henry calls.
John goes
all in for $14. When the
bet gets
back to Chloe, she is permitted only to
call the extra $4; the same goes for Henry.
John's
raise is called action only.
See discussion at
full bet.
1
active
active player
add on
advantage
advantage player
1. (n) A
thief or cheater, that is, someone who wins by taking an
advantage.
1
advantage tool
advertise
advertisement
after the rabbit
after-hours game
1. (n phrase) A
private game, played after a
cardroom closes for the night, often held in a motel or hotel
room, and sometimes crooked.
1
age
agent
aggressive
1. (n) Pertaining to a style of
play characterized by much betting, raising, and reraising. This is not the same as
loose play. Some of the best players are very selective about the
cards they
play, but when they do get into a
pot,
play those
cards aggressively.
1
ahead
1. (adv) Winning. "Are you ahead or
behind?"
12. (adv) With regard to a reference
position at the
table, acting before (usually immediately before). If the
deal is
one position to your right, you are ahead of the
deal. If a
player is sitting to your right, he acts ahead of you.
1
Ainsworth
air
2. (n) Inadvertently exposing
cards; usually part of the phrase
put air into [a
hand]. "You'll like sitting next to
Johnny; he puts a lot of air into his
hand." That is, if you
sit next to
Johnny, the way he holds his
cards you
can often
see some of them, which, presumably, gives you an
edge (albeit an unethical
one) on him.
1
Ajax
Alabama night riders
Alaska hand
Alcohol
1. (v, imitative) "I
call."
1
Alexander
1. (n) The
king of
clubs. Probably comes from Alexander the Great.
1
all black
all blue
all green
1. (adj or adv phrase) Having a
flush. This term is used only by those who have played a lot in
home games and not much in cardrooms. (If four-color decks (
see four-color
deck)
come more into prominence, the phrase may be heard more in cardrooms.)
1
All in
1. (adv)
Out of chips, due to having
put one's remaining chips into the current
pot, while other
active players still have more chips and have the
option of further betting. "He
can't
call the whole
bet because he's all in."
12. (adj) Tending to
run out of chips, due to going all in frequently. "He sure likes to chunk 'em in. He's an all-in
player."
1
all in bet
1. (n phrase) A
bet made by a
player in which he puts all his chips in the
pot because he is
all in.
1
all pink
all purple
all red
all the way
1. (adv phrase) Betting all
one's chips, usually preceded by go. "If I
make this
hand, I'm going all the way."
1
All the way in one play
1. (adv phrase) "I'm betting all my chips."
1
alone player
1. (n phrase) A
card thief working with no confederates.
1
alternate straight
AMC
1. (v) "All my chips." An announcement, usually in a no-
limit game, on his
turn that a
player is betting or raising all of his chips.
1
American Airlines
2. (n phrase) In other games, a
pair of aces.
13. (n phrase) In both senses, sometimes a
pair of
red aces (since the logo of the airline is
two red A's).
1
America's Mad Genius
ammo
ammunition
1. (n) Chips. "
Houseman, I need more ammunition" is a request for more chips.
1
anaconda
angle
1. (n) A maneuver, usually on the border between legality and illegality (but usually clearly unethical), to
take unfair
advantage of another
player. Extreme example: Some
clubs consider putting fewer chips than required into the
pot an uncompleted
bet that is not valid until completed, and that, furthermore,
can be removed until such
time as sufficient chips are
bet. (Fortunately,
there aren't many such
clubs.) In such a
club, you
bet $100 and another
player puts in $99. You
show your
cards, which have him
beat. He says, "I
put in only $99; I didn't
call your
bet." He withdraws the chips. Of course, if he had you
beat, he would quietly
take the whole
pot. If someone pointed
out at that juncture that he called only $99, he would probably
say, "Oh, pardon me, just an oversight; I meant to
call," add the missing
chip, and then
drag the
pot. All of that is part of an angle.
See angle shooter.
1
angle shooter
1. (n) A
poker player who uses various underhanded, unfair methods to
take advantage of inexperienced opponents. The difference between an angle shooter and a
cheat is only a matter of degree. What a
cheat or
thief does is patently against the rules; what an angle shooter does may be marginally legal, but it's neither ethical nor gentlemanly. Nor is it in the spirit of the
game. Unfortunately,
poker is not a gentleman's
game. In addition to learning how to
protect yourself against cheating players, you must learn to watch
out for the
angle shooters.
See angle.
1
angle shot
announce
announced bet
ante
2. (n) All of the antes in a particular
pot, taken as a whole; usually preceded by the. "Nobody else had
openers when I had
aces full, and all I won was the ante."
14. (v)
Put an ante into a
pot. "Someone's
light in this
pot; did you ante, Andy?"
1
ante and straddle
ante bean
ante up
2. (v phrase) A request, usually by the
dealer, to
one or more players to ante up.
1
anything
1. (adv) Much. "How'd you do today?" "Oh, I didn't win anything."
1
anything opens
apologizer
apology card
1. (n) In
lowball, the appearance in the current
hand of the
card that would have made
one's
hand the previous
hand. For example, a
player draws to A-2-3-4 and catches a four. Next
hand, he looks at the first
card he receives from the
dealer. It's a five, which he turns
face up for the whole
table to admire (presumably because some of them may never have seen a five before), while saying, "
There it is, the apology card."
1
apple
aquarium
Argine
1. (n) The
queen of
clubs. May be an anagram of regina (
queen in Latin), or a corruption of Argea.
1
Arkansas flush
around-the-corner straight
artist
artist in coloring
As Nas
1. (n) An ancient Persian
game that some
say is an ancestor of
poker.
1
Asian five-card stud
Asian games
1. (n phrase) The former name for California games. The term is still sometimes used in casinos and cardrooms.
1
Asian Stud
assigned bettor
automatic
1. (adv) Being in a must-
bet situation.
1
automatic bet
1. (n phrase) A
bet, often a
bluff, made, regardless of
one's
cards, in a situation in which the
bet usually wins. For example, in a
lowball game, if
one player drew four
cards and passes after the
draw, and the next
player drew
one, the latter almost always makes an automatic bet, because most of the
time that
player has the
best hand and the few times that he doesn't, the drawer of four
cards doesn't
call anyway.
1
automatic betting scheme
automatic bluff
ax