La Hire
la pumpa
lady
lalapalooza
lalapalooze
lallapalooza
lamb
Lamebrain Pete
Lamebrains
lammer
Lancelot
large
1. (adj) Pertaining to $1000. "I lost six large" means "I lost $6000."
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large bet
Las Vegas riffle
1. (n) An appearance of shuffling the
cards by a
cheat, done by partial or complete concealment of the
deck, but without actually changing their order (from a presumably
set-up arrangement), by pulling
one half of the
pack through the other half, and then replacing the
deck to its original
position. Ironically, a
concealed shuffle is not permitted anywhere in Nevada. Also called
false shuffle or
fast shuffle.
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Las Vegas shuffle
last bet
1. (n) A betting scheme, used only in
home games, in which the betting on
one round begins with the
player who initiated the betting on the previous
round (if
there was no
raise), or with the
player who
put in the
last raise that was called around. In
stud games, the actual boards of the players have no relevance. If
there was no betting on the previous
round, then it goes
back to the last bet of the
round before. For example, in a
stud game, after the first
upcard,
John,
under the gun, makes the forced
high-
card bet,
showing an
ace.
Two players
call, and
Bill raises,
showing a
queen.
One player calls
behind, as do
John and the other
two players. On the next
card,
John has A-K and
Bill has Q-J.
Bill, having
put in the
last raise, bets first. All
call.
Bill is again first on the next
round.
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last card Louie
last position
last raise
last to act
late position
1. (n) In a
poker game, positions to the right of the
dealer, that is, those that
make their decisions after the first few players have acted. Late position is advantageous, because players get to
see what the other players have done before they have to
act, that is, they have more information than those who
act before they do. Some claim late position, in
a game with eight or more players, is the last
three positions. Compare with
early position. Sometimes called
back seat.
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laws of poker
lay down
lay paint
lay the odds
1. (v) To
wager more money on a
proposition or situation than you
can win. This does not necessarily mean you
have the worst of it; it just means you're putting up more than the other wagerer. For example, if the
odds are 4-to-1 against a particular event, and you lay the odds of 3-to-1 against someone, you have the
best of it.
1
laydown
1. (n) The
act of folding; often implies folding a
good hand for a
bet because the holder of the
hand thinks it cannot win in the circumstances. "
Good laydown" is a phrase often offered as a compliment to a
player who correctly folded in a situation in which most players would have called.
12. (n)
showdown (definition 1). He was
out before the laydown.
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lazy pineapple
lead
1. (v)
Bet first, usually deliberately in a situation in which a
player has the
option of checking.
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leader
leak
1. (n) Winning
poker players often lose
back part or all of their winnings through other gambling habits, either at the
casino or elsewhere (e.g., sports betting, craps, or golf). These are often referred to as leaks.
33. (n) The tendency of an otherwise winning
player to lose his money at other forms of betting, such as the craps
table or sports betting.
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leak a hand
leak air
leather ass
leave it
ledge
leg up
1. (n) In a
kill game, describing the situation in which a
player has won the previous
pot, and is thus liable to have to
kill the following
pot if he wins the current
pot.
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legal bet
legal raise
1. (n) An amount that constitutes a
raise of a
full bet, having various interpretations, depending on the
club. In a
limit game, in some cardrooms, a legal raise must equal the
limit (for example, a $10
bet must be raised $10; $9 does not constitute a legal raise); in others,
half a bet constitutes a legal raise. The rules are
even muddier in no-
limit games. Also
see full bet,
half a bet.
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legitimate hand
lemon juice
1. (n)
Anything picked up in a
pot without trying, usually the blinds, often as the result of a
walk, or, sometimes, more specifically, by none of the blinds calling when someone opens.
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Let It Ride
1. (n) A
casino game, banked by the
house, that resembles
poker only in the ranking of the hands. The
game is sort of a cross between
poker and a slot machine. Players
make three bets before receiving their
cards, after which each
player is dealt
three cards, and the
house dealer places
two cards face down to be used as
community cards. After looking at their
three cards, players
can opt to
take back one bet, or let it ride. The
dealer turns up
one of the
community cards, and players
can take back the
second bet or again let it ride. At this
point, the
dealer turns up the remaining
community card, and pays all winning hands according to a fixed payout schedule, starting with a
pair of 10s. Players
play against the payout schedule rather than against the
dealer or any other
player. The
game is played on a seven-
seat table, similar to a blackjack
table.
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lid
lie
light
2. (adv) Not having anted. "Who's light?" means "Who forgot to
ante?"
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light work
lights
1. (n) In a
home game, a situation that comes up when a
player is
light (definition 1). In some
home games, not played for
table stakes, when a
player does not have enough chips to continue betting in a
pot, that
player withdraws chips from the
pot equal to the amount of the betting beyond his chips, (usually) stacking them neatly
in front of him. These are called lights. (To so withdraw chips is called
go light.) At the
end of the
hand, if the
player does not win the
pot, he buys enough chips to cover his lights. He then matches his lights, that is, puts the lights into the
pot plus an equivalent amount of chips from the ones he has just bought. For example, in a
stud game, Jill starts with $16. After the
sixth card, she has $2 left. The
high hand bets $4. She puts her last $2 in the
pot, and pulls $2 from the
pot, and stacks it
in front of her. At this
point, she might
say, "I'm
light," or, "I'm going
light." On the last
round, someone bets $4 and someone calls. She pulls another $4 from the
pot, adding it to her
pile of lights. On the
showdown, she finds that her
three 7s are
beat by a small
straight. She buys another $50 worth of chips from the
banker, adds $6 to her lights, and puts the $12 in the
pot. At this
point, the
winner takes the whole
pot. In a
split (
two-way)
pot, if both the
winner of the
high half and the
winner of the
low half have lights, they
exchange lights. This is equivalent to each first matching lights, and then splitting the
pot, and saves
time.
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limit
limit game
limit poker
1. (adj) Limit poker is any
game in which
there is a
fixed limit on how much you
can bet or
raise in any
round.
Limit games usually offer either fixed-sized bets for different betting
rounds or
spread limits, in which
there is a minimum and maximum
bet for each
round. For example, a 5-10 hold'em
game usually requires $5 bets and raises on the first
two rounds and $10 bets and raises on the last
two.
Games are often referred to as
low-
limit, medium-
limit, and
high-
limit. Typical
low-
limit games are 2-4, 3-6, and 5-10. Medium limits are 10-20, 20-40, and 30-60.
High-limits are 50-100 on up.
More generally, the word
limit is used to refer to the maximum
bet at a given
point, whether it's
pot-
limit,
spread limit, or whatever.
See also
structure.
I didn't want to give him a
chance to
draw out on me, so I
bet the limit.
32. (n) A form of
poker in which all bets are in increments of the
betting limit. That is, in a $2-
limit game, players
can bet or
raise only $2 at a
time. Limit poker is usually played
double limit (also known as Gardena-style), in which the betting increments double after the
draw, or
single limit (also known as
straight limit), in which all bets are in multiples of the
limit. In double-
limit, the
size of the
game is usually expressed as
two numbers, as, variously, 3/6, 3-6, $3/$6, $3-$6, 5/10, and so on, while in single-
limit,
one number, as $2-
limit (also called the
two-
limit, the
two, or the
deuce) or $80-
limit.
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limit stakes
limp
limp along
limp in
limper
line
1. (n) A
circle (or an oval on some tables)
inside of which is considered to be the domain of the
pot, with respect to determining whether or not a
player must be forced to complete a
bet. The line is either real, in which
case it is actually drawn on the
table (usually in
white or
black paint or ink) or imaginary;
even if imaginary, it exists, and its existence is sometimes strictly enforced in games. The line defines the
perimeter of the pot. Same as
circle. "That
bet has to
stay; it was
over the line."
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line work
liner
lineup
1. (n) The players in a particular
game. Also called crew.
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list
little blind
little bobtail
little casino
little cat
little dog
little Minnie
little Oldsmobile
little Pete
little slick
little squeeze
little tiger
little Virginia
little wheel
live
1. (n)
Cards that are not duplicated in an opponent's stronger
hand. For example, if you have A9 and your opponent has AJ, then your
ace is not "live" because making a
pair of aces won't do you any
good. The
nine, however, is live; making a
pair of nines gives you the better
hand.
25. (adj) Pertaining to a legitimate (as opposed to
foul)
hand16. (adj) Part of the phrase
draw live; sometimes followed by to when referring to the other
hand.
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live blind
3. (n) In double-
limit draw (usually
lowball) games, or almost any
hold 'em or
Omaha game, a
blind that
can be raised
even when the
opening bet is not a
raise. For example, in a single-
blind 2-4
draw game, the
player to the
dealer's left puts $2 in the
pot before receiving his
cards, while in a 2-4
hold 'em or
Omaha game, the
player to the left of the
dealer puts in $1 and the
player to his left puts in $2. The first
player to
open in a
draw game usually opens for $4, and in the
hold 'em and
Omaha games sometimes does, that is, by raising, but not always. In a live blind
game, if the
pot is opened for $2 and no
one raises, when the
action returns to the $2
blind, he has the
option of raising.
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live card
live cards
live chips
live game
live hand
2. (n) A
hand that is still eligible to win the
pot (that is,
one that is not
dead1
live one
live player
1. (n)
One playing his own money, as opposed to that of the
house.
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LL
1. (n) Shorthand, particularly in e-
mail and Internet postings, for
low limit. From an
RGP posting: "The Pastime
Club has mostly LLHE."
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load
1. (n) A decent
session's winnings. "He's
back for another load."
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loaded for bear
1. (n) Having a great
hand, usually
one that has been passed; often said of a
sandbagger.
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loan shark
1. (n)
One who lends money, particularly to gamblers, at rates of interest far in excess of those charged by any
bank or
even any credit
card, with 30% per week and more not being uncommon. Such a person often enforces repayment with threats of physical punishment--and sometimes follows through on the threat, as warning to other malingerers, when payment is late. Also called
shylock.
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loan sharking
1. (v) Lending of money, particularly to gamblers, at excessive rates of interest.
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loball
1. (n) A variant--and now, according to the official
list published by
Card Player, improper--spelling for
lowball. Also, just as improperly, lo-ball and lo ball.
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lobby
1. (n)
Sit out several hands, usually away from the
table, or leave the
table frequently.
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lobbying chips
1. (n) Winnings. "He's got lobbying chips" means, simply, "He's winning." So called because generally winners
lobby, not losers. The losers have to concentrate on playing to get
even; the winners
can afford to relax and
sit out a few hands. Also called
talking chips.
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lobster
1. (n) A
sucker or
mark, particularly when that person is a victim of cheaters; a poor
player easily relieved of his money.
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local
1. (n) Someone who lives in Las Vegas (and "lives" in the
poker games), as contrasted to a
tourist.
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local option hands
lock
lock it up
1. (v) Reserve, with respect to a
seat at a
table. For example, Ken is playing 3-6
hold 'em when his name gets called for the 5-10. "Lock it up for me," he tells the
floorman.
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lock player
lock up
locked down
locked on
1. (adv) Unable to
throw a
hand away. "Too much money in the
pot; you got me locked on." Also,
tied on.
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locked up
1. (adv) Pertaining to chips residing in the
stack of a very
tight player, and thus difficult for any other
player to win. "You're not going to win any of those chips
back; he's got them locked up." Also,
locked down.
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locksmith
1. (n)
One who plays only the
nuts (usually used in a derisive sense).
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lollapalooza
London lowball
London lowball draw
long call
1. (n) Calling with mediocre
cards, usually in an attempt to
catch someone bluffing. "He thought the guy was bluffing and so he made a long call with a
pair of deuces."
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long studs
1. (n)
Stud poker involving more than five
cards; a term used primarily in England.
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longshot
1. (n) A
hand that has only a poor
chance of winning;
one that has to defy the
odds to win.
12. (n) A
bet that has only a poor
chance of winning.
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look
1. (v)
Call, especially the final
bet or
raise before the
showdown; often followed by at. If someone bets at you and you
say, "I'll look," that means, "I'll
call you." "I'll look at you" means the same. In most cardrooms, saying "I'll look" is not equivalent to saying "I
call." The latter is usually binding, that is, if you
say "I
call" when it is your
turn to
act, you must
put chips in the
pot,
even if the other
player shows his
cards before you have a
chance to physically get them in. (It's usually a
good idea, however, unless you know the other
player very well, to
wait until the chips are actually in the
pot before
showing your
cards,
even in establishments in which verbal declarations are binding. Saves arguments later.) "I'll look" is generally a phrase said accompanying the actual
act of placing the calling chips in the
pot, and is generally not binding (although it could be interpreted that way: another reason to be careful of what you
say in turn). In this sense,
see [the or your
bet] is also frequently used.
13. (n) Part of the phrase look [someone] up.
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look [someone] up
look at one
look at two
1. (v) In
lowball, look at two
cards (usually the first
two dealt), with the implication of then killing (overblinding) the
pot, "I'll look at two" often means "I'll
look at my first
two cards and if I like them I'll
kill the
pot."
12. (n) Describing a
lowball game in which players are allowed to
overblind after seeing their first
two cards. "We're playing look at two." "This
game is look at two."
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looking down [someone's] throat
1. (v) Being in a situation in which you know you have a
hand your opponent cannot possibly
beat. This implies that the other
player has
good cards showing on the board (in seven-
card stud), at which you are presumably looking, and still you know you will win.
1
looking out the window
1. (v) Describing a
player who is not paying attention to the
game or the
action, often used in a situation in which you would very much appreciate if the
player would
take a great interest in the current
hand. "Wouldn't ya know it? I get dealt a
pat wheel and everybody's looking out the window."
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looloo
loose
1. (adj) Playing loose simply means playing more hands and
holding on to them longer. In essence, loose with your cash. A loose
table is a
table dominated (so to
speak) by loose players. Loose isn't always
bad - excessively
tight play can be equally costly, especially at
high levels of
play. Looseness should not be confused with aggressiveness.
A loose
call is a borderline inadvisable or
even incorrect
call.
He was playing so loose, it seemed like he was in every
pot.
32. (adj) Playing liberally; not
tight. In
high draw, usually implies drawing to all the little pairs, all the four-straights and four-flushes, and many of the
two-
card draws to other than
trips, and often calling many bets and raises to do so. In
lowball, implies taking all the
one-
card draws to
rough hands (that is hands that frequently lose
even when they are made perfectly), and most of the
two-
card draws. In
hold 'em, playing almost any
two-
card starting combination, and playing through to the
river on almost
anything that has a prayer of winning. In seven-
card stud, the same with almost any
three-
card starting combination, and staying in until the situation is hopeless. You often hear the rhyming phrase loose as a goose or
loosey-goosey.
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loose juice
loose player
loosey
loosey goosey
2. (adv) Playing in a
loose fashion.
1
loser
2. (n) A
player losing. (
There is a distinction. Definition 2 may be just a temporary situation, while 1 implies permanency.) "I'm loser today." (The implication here is that, yes, today I'm losing, but that will change.)
13. (n) A losing
session. "I booked a loser my last
three plays."
14. (n) A
hand that cannot (or probably cannot) win in a particular situation. "I
can't
call; I know this
straight is a loser."
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low
2. (n) In a
high-low
split game, the low
hand; usually preceded by the. "Who's got the low?" means "Which
player has the winning low
hand?"
1
low belly strippers
low hole card wild
Low Mambo
low poker
low roller
low spade
2. (v) To
play for the low spade. "I'll low spade you for the drinks" means that if, for example, I get the seven of
spades on the next
hand and you get no
spades or a
spade higher than the seven, you're supposed to
buy me a drink, if you agree to the
proposition. Sometimes called just
spade. For both meanings, compare with
high spade.
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low spade in the hole
low stakes
3. (adv) Pertaining to
a game played for smaller amounts than the other games in a particular establishment.
1
low stakes game
low variance
low variance play
lowball
3. (n) A
wheel; usually preceded by a. "I've got a lowball."
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lowball draw
lowball god
1. (n) A mythical deity to whom
lowball players supposedly pray for
good hands, and who presumably protects those in his (her?)
good graces; used humorously. Compare with
poker god. Also,
god of lowball.
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lowball stud
luck
1. (n) An illusory factor that losers think is the only reason for winning, and that winners know is the main determinant for winning only in the
short run.
1
luck out
lucky
1. (adj) Possessing
luck. "I'd rather be lucky than
good any
day."
1
lucky draw
lucky hit
lumber
lumberman's hand
luminous readers
lying
1. (n) Bluffing.
See bluff. "I think you're lying; I'm gonna
call you."
1
lying in the bushes
lying in the weeds