p/l
1. (n) Shorthand, particularly in e-
mail and Internet postings, for
pot-
limit. You might
see a posting on
rec.gambling.poker that starts, "I was playing p/l
h/e at the Pasatiempo last night, and this
hand came up..."
1
pace
pack
2. (vt)
stack (definition 3); usually followed by a or the
deck.
1
packed house
packet
paddle
pai gow poker
1. (n) A banking
game based on the Asian tile
game pai gow, in which players arrange groups of tiles into
two hands, which then compete severally each against the
two hands played by the
banker. In the
card version, each
player makes a
wager, and then receives seven
cards, which he arranges into
two hands,
one consisting of five
cards and
one of
two, with the stipulation that the five-
card hand must
rank higher than the
two-
card hand. These hands, after being
set (arranged), are placed
in front of the
player, and then compete,
one at a
time, as in a blackjack
game, against the
banker hand (which
can be held by a
player or the
house). If both
player hands
beat the
dealer hand, the
player wins; if both
banker hands
beat the
player hand, the
dealer wins; otherwise it is a
push. If either
hand is exactly the same, that counts as a win for the
banker, which gives the
banker hand a slight
edge. The
banker hand competes against
player hands in an order determined by the shaking of a number of dice. (This gives the
game its alternative name of shake-shake.) This order is important, because if the
banker loses his
stake prematurely, not all
player hands may get to compete. The
house makes its money by always extracting a certain fee from every
player bet, prior to the actual playing of the hands (and often takes that fee whether or not the
hand is
even played). Apart from the rankings of the hands being the same as in
poker, pai gow poker is not really
poker. Also called
double hand or double-
hand poker.
1
paint
painted
painter
paintskin
pair
pair of shorts
pair up
Pallas
palm
1. (v) Perform the cheating maneuver of removing
one or more
cards from the
table (for the purpose of introducing them later) or chips surreptitiously from a
pot (that is,
steal the chips) by the expedient of covering and concealing them with the
hand. Also
see check cop,
hold out.
1
palm stock
1. (n)
Two or more
cards, arranged in a specific order, held
out (that is, palmed;
see palm) by a
thief for later introduction into the
game.
1
palmed card
1. (n) A
card that was removed from the
table, or introduced into the
game later, by a
thief, by the expedient of covering and concealing it with his
hand.
1
palooka
1. (n) Poor
player. In general (nonpoker) usage, this term has a wider but similar application, referring to an athlete (often a boxer) of limited capabilities, or,
even more generally, any inept person.
1
pan
2. (n)
Three 3s, 5s, or 7s, or, sometimes, J-Q-K of
spades. This usage usually comes up in a
lowball game, when
one player shows another his unplayable
hand, says, "Pan," and then pulls
out his
three 5s, or other paying pan combination.
1
panguingue
1. (n)
A game resembling
gin rummy played with eight decks of
cards, some of the melds of which are worth payments from
active players; pronounced
pan-GHEE-nee, and usually shortened to
pan. The
game is played in many California cardrooms and a few Nevada casinos.
See tops for another
poker term to
come out of this
game.
1
paper
1. (n)
Cards. "Nice paper" (used only as a spoken expression, often sarcastic) means "
Good hand." (
Even though most cardrooms use plastic decks, players rarely
say "Nice plastic.") Compare with
tickets.
1
paper deck
paper hanger
paper work
paper worker
papers
partner
partners
1. (n)
Two or more thieves playing together.
12. (n)
Two or more players using the same
bankroll (honestly).
1
partnership
party
Pasadena
pass
1. (v) To pass is to
fold.
33. (v) Decline to
call a
bet, at which
point, you must
throw your
cards away and you have no further interest in the
pot. If someone bets, and you
say, "I pass," you are
out of the
pot.
15. (v) Perform a
pull-through.
1
pass and back in
pass and out
pass for a prop
1. (v) In a no-
limit lowball game, when a
player is faced with a
raise, and wants to
gamble alone with the
raiser, usually involving a
proposition like
two-for-
one, but
there are other players to
act after the
player, in some
clubs the
player is permitted to pass for a prop, and then, if the other players do not
call the
bet,
can negotiate a
proposition with the
raiser. If any other
player calls the
bet, usually the
player who so passed is required to
drop; furthermore, if the
raiser does not wish to accept the
proposition, the passer must also
drop. For example, in a $4-to-go no-
limit lowball game, Harry opens with A-
joker-2-K-K. Sally and Bob
call. Walt raises $35. Harry does not
fold, nor does he
call the
raise. Instead he says, "Pass for a prop." Sally and Bob now both
fold, and Harry tosses the
two kings, saying, "
Two-for-
one?" Walt throws a
card among the
discards, and says, "You're on." (Walt
can, of course, also offer a
counter proposition. He may
say, "For all of them," and
stick his whole
stack in, which means, essentially, "I'll
break this
hand, but only if we both
put all our chips in the
pot." At this
point, either Harry agrees, or dumps his
hand.)
1
pass out
pass the buck
pass the deal
pass the trash
1. (n)
Anaconda. This is the most common usage of the term pass the trash.
1
passed out
passed pot
1. (n) In a double-
limit draw (
high)
game, a
pot that no
one opened, and is consequently being redealt. The first passed pot usually has an extra
ante by each
player. The
second passed pot usually has an extra
ante and is played at a higher
limit. the third and all subsequent passed pots usually
stay at the same
limit as the
second, with no further antes.
1
passing paper
passive
pasteboards
2. (n) By extension, any
cards.
1
pat
4. (adv) Drawing no
cards."How many
cards?" "I'm pat."
1
pat hand
pat hand bluff
patience poker
patsy
patter
1. (n) Misleading or distracting conversation by
one player, often an experienced
player, meant to precipitate a desired
action in another
player, such as folding or calling.
1
pay off
1. (v) To
call a
bet when the bettor is representing a
hand that you
can't
beat, but the
pot is sufficiently
large to justify a
call anyway. Example: "He played it exactly like he made the
flush, but I had
top set so I paid him
off."
22. (v) To
call a
bet by a
player you're reasonably sure has you
beat. Usually you ought to have some sort of reason to do this, other than just generosity.
Weak players pay you
off more often than other players.
I was pretty sure he had the
flush, but with all that money in the
pot I figured it was worth paying him
off to be sure.
3
pay station
payday game
peach
pedigree
pedro
1. (n) A 5 (the
card); so called because 5s are important in the
game of pedro.
1
peek
2. (n) A surreptitious
look at
cards drawn to a
hand, usually in such a way as to imply that the
peeker actually has not seen any of the drawn
cards, prior to this person claiming (or implying to claim) that he is now making a
blind bet, that is,
one based on really not having seen the
cards. Also,
fast peek.
14. (v)
Look at drawn
cards, often done by squeezing the
cards, that is, slowly separating them, as if the viewer wishes to surprise himself with the
cards; this is often done agonizingly slowly, frequently when it is the
peeker's
turn to
act, as if the
player deliberately wants to annoy the others, while he pretends to be innocent of any knowledge of what effect his slowness is having.
1
peek poker
peek store
1. (n) A crooked gaming establishment. This term is used more often for a dishonest carnival games midway than a
cardroom or
casino.
1
peeker
peep and turn
peewees
peg
1. (v)
Mark the fronts of
cards with a pin, thumbtack, ring, etc., in such a way that the
thief making such marks
can later
tell by feel the ranks of the
cards. Such marks are applied to the surface of
cards and do not tear the
cards, merely add indentations that
can be
felt from the
back, as opposed to nailing (
see nail), which puts marks in the edges of
cards. Also called
punch or
blister. This is the opposite of
prick, in which the
thief marks the
backs of
cards.
1
peg work
pelter
penny ante
1. (n) penny-
ante game. "We're playing penny ante."
12. (adj) Describing a
small game, often referring to small
limit; usually part of the phrase penny-
ante game. The phrase has passed into general usage meaning petty or small-
time.
1
penny ante game
penny poker
penultimate
1. (n) penultimate
card.
1
penultimate card.
percentage
percentage bet
percentage call
percentage player
1. (n) Someone who plays--that is, calls bets or raises, or makes them--only when she thinks she has the
best of it on that
wager.
1
perfect
3. (adj) In
lowball, pertaining to the lowest
hand of the
rank of the highest
card, that is, containing 4-3-2-A plus
one other
card 7 or higher. For example, a perfect 7 is 7-4-3-2-A, and a perfect 8 is 8-4-3-2-A.
1
perfect catch
perfect low
perfect pack
1. (n) A
good,
honest deck, that is,
one consisting of either 52 or 53
cards, with no marks, intentional or otherwise.
1
perfect perfect
perimeter of the pot
1. (n) An undefined
line toward the center of the
table surface when determining whether or not a
player must be forced to complete a
bet. If
there is a
line, the perimeter of the pot coincides with the
line.
1
Philadelphia
Philadelphia bankroll
philosopher
pick
pick off
1. (v)
Catch someone bluffing.
1
pick someone up
1. (v) Remove a
player from
a game, usually by the
management. If a
player leaves a
full table for whatever reason (such as to have a meal, try to get more playing capital, go
outside for a smoke) and does not
return within a specified amount of
time (such as, depending on the
cardroom, 20 minutes, half an hour, 45 minutes), the
floorman might elect to
pick him up. "You've been gone for nearly an hour, and the other players were complaining, so we had to
pick you up. Your chips are in the
cage." A
player can also get picked
up for cheating. Also
see third person walking rule.
1
pick up
pick up a hand
1. (v) In someone's absence,
play his
cards for him; usually followed by for. "I gotta go to the
can;
can you pick up a hand for me?"
1
pick up on
1. (v)
Catch on to, generally implying noticing someone cheating. "Yeah, I came
off the
bottom, but I don't think anyone picked up on it."
1
pick up someone's chips
pickle man
picture
picture card
pictures
piece
1. (n) A portion of
one's
action given away in exchange for
help on the
buy-in; often done in tournaments by players who don't think they have a great
chance of winning, or traded by participants to increase their chances of making money. "If Doyle,
Chip, or Phil finishes
in the money, I'll
make out okay; I've got a piece of each of them." The term
point is similar.
1
piece of cheese
1. (n) A terrible
hand, usually said disparagingly by the actual or apparent
winner of a
pot about the
hand that might
call him, or just has. "
Throw that piece of cheese in the
muck."
1
piece of someone's action
pig in the poke
pigeon
pig's eye
1. (n) The
ace of
diamonds, so called because the single
diamond pip resembles the rhomboid iris of a pig's eye.
1
pile
pin work
1. (n)
Cards marked (by a cheater) with scratches on their
backs, such that their ranks
can be determined by feel.
See prick.
1
pineapple
pink
pink eye
pinochle
pip
1. (n)
One of the
suit spots (
spade ,
heart ,
diamond ,
club ) on the
face of a
card. Each
face card has four pips:
one at each
end,
outside the border, under the K, Q, or J representing the
card's
rank and
one more at each
end, within the border, next to each head. Each
ace has
three pips,
one in the center and
one under the A at each
end. Each
card, 2-10, has
two more pips than the number that represents its
rank, the
rank total in the central area, plus
one more pip under the number at each
end. (Some
say that the smaller symbol beneath the number or letter designating the
rank of the
card is not a pip, but is part of the
index, which is that number or letter plus the smaller
suit symbol beneath it. In that reckoning, each
face card has
two pips, each
ace has
one, and each
card, 2-10, has as many pips as the number that represents its
rank.) Also called
spot.
1
pipe salesman
1. (n) An
honest player in a public
cardroom game, usually someone knowledgeable, whose presence deters thieves from plying their pernicious trades.
1
piping
pistol Pete
pistol stud
pitch
3. (v)
Deal cards, sometimes with the implication of doing so in a cheating manner.
1
pitcher
place tickets
plain
plastic deck
plate
1. (n) A device for marking
cards by trimming their edges. (This produces
strippers of various
sorts.)
1
play
1. (n v) To play a
hand in
poker means to
make it past the initial
round of betting. In
seven card stud, this usually means calling the bring-in, while in hold'em, this means calling the
big blind. If someone says they haven't played a
hand in hours, they're not usually telling you that they've been walking, they're whining that they haven't had
cards good enough to play. Don't encourage them.
To
make a play, or
put a play on (someone), means to present a pattern of behavior inconsistent with your
cards, that will mislead your opponent and cause them to
make a mistake. Often this means bluffing them
out of a
pot, but it
can also mean getting them to
call when you have a
strong hand, or more generally
anything calculated to guide their behavior.
32. (n) A
bluff. "He got caught making a play.
13. (n) Playing a
hand in a nonstandard manner, not necessarily a
bluff.
14. (n) An attempt, often spectacular or by a
large or desperation
bet, to win a
pot. "When everyone passed, he made a play for the
pot."
16. (v) Participate in a
pot. "How much does it cost? I'll play."
1
play back
play behind
1. (v) The situation in which a
player has called for chips,
say from a
chip person, and has not yet received those chips, but
can have
action on that amount of money in
case he gets involved in a
pot. A
player might
say before receiving his
cards, "
Dealer, I'm playing $100
behind."
12. (v) Agree to
call any
bet, as if the
player had an unlimited
stack. If the
bet is more than his chips, he buys more as needed. This is not normally permitted in a
table stakes game, but is sometimes found in private games.
1
play behind a log
play blind
play by the book
play catchup
play fast
2. (v)
Play aggressively, betting and raising as often as
possible, and, in a no-
limit game, as much as permitted.
1
play off the blind
play over
play pat
play the board
play the nuts
1. (v)
Play only hands that are almost guaranteed to win.
1
play through the blind
play tight
play up
player
2. (n) Any participant in a particular
pot. "
Even after the
raise,
there were still five players in the
pot."
13. (n) Someone who knows what's going on in the
cardroom milieu, and usually implying someone making his living playing
cards. "Who's that guy putting all the chips in the
pot? Some
live one?" "Nah, he's a player."
1
player's bank
1. (n) A fund on deposit by a
player with the
management of a
cardroom, from which he
can withdraw cash to
play on, or to which he
can add his winnings, and which he
can, of course, clear
out at any
time. This is a convenient means for a
player to get around the difficulty of carrying
large amounts of cash on his person. The player's bank is usually kept track of on a ledger
card with transactions initialled by the
player or a
house official or both. The cashier is usually responsible for keeping the records
straight.
See sheet.
1
playing behind a log
playing card
playing S & M
playing with a full deck
playoff
1. (n) In some tournaments, the final portion, in which the winners of previous levels compete. For example, a
tournament may be held weekly for a number of months. At the
end of that
time, the winners of each weekly
tournament compete in the playoff. In a
shootout tournament, a number of single-
table contests are played, with
one winner in each. After these
end, the winners compete in the playoff.
1
playover box
PLH
PLHE
PLO
plug
plunge around
poch
poche
pochen.
pocket
pocket cards
pocket pair
pocket rockets
point
1. (n) A
percentage of
one's
action given away in exchange for
help on the
buy-in; often done in tournaments by players who don't think they have a great
chance of winning, or traded by participants to increase their chances of making money. Similar to
piece.
1
points
poke
2. (n) The place where
one keeps that
bankroll, as a wallet or purse.
1
Pokeno
1. (n) A commercial
board game that combines some of the elements of
poker with those of other games.
1
poker
1. (n) Poker isn't just a
card game - it's many
card games. While no definition is going to satisfy everyone, the majority of poker games do share some common features, especially betting in
rounds and the ranking of hands. Poker is commonly played in cardrooms (often within casinos) and in private
home games (illegally in many states). The games played in cardrooms seem to divide into
stud games,
draw games, and
flop games. In
home games, however,
anything goes, including games that seem to have no reason to be called poker. The varieties played in
home games probably number in the hundreds, or
even the thousands. Some common
cardroom games include
Texas Hold'em,
Seven Card Stud,
Omaha,
Razz,
Lowball,
Pineapple, and
Anaconda. (Okay, just kidding about the
anaconda.)
32. (n) A
card game based on the language of deception, a language expressed in words represented by bets; a
card game among
two or (usually) more players, in which each
player makes
one or more wagers that his five-
card (sometimes fewer)
hand ranks higher than those of all the others, or that he
can convince the others to retire from contention because they believe his
hand ranks the highest.
15. (vt)
Beat (someone) at poker. These last
two usages are rare.
1
poker chip
poker clack
1. (n) An apparently sad, nonverbal sound (a sort of tsk-like click) made by a
player who in reality has a
good hand. The term was invented by
Mike Caro, and described in his books, columns, and videos about tells. (
See tell.)
1
poker clergy
poker club
1. (n) An establishment, usually
open to the public, in which players gather to
play poker. This definition is somewhat more restricted than a
cardroom, in which any form of
cards may be played (
bridge,
gin rummy, California games, for example).
12. (n) A group of players who
meet regularly to
play poker, usually in the
home of
one player or alternating among the homes of various players, or at a private
club.
1
poker dice
1. (n) Dice that have
card symbols, usually ranking from 9 through
ace,
one of each, on each die,
three, four, or five of which are shaken in a cup and then thrown
out. When several players compete, the
player throwing the best
poker hand combination wins. Sometimes players are allowed to "
draw" to a
hand, by leaving some of the dice on the
table or
counter top and shaking and tossing the remainder.
12. (n) A
set of five ordinary dice, thrown similarly for
poker hands. Flushes are not
possible, but pairs, aces through sixes,
two pair, and so on, and
two straights (
1-2-3-4-5 and 2-3-4-5-6) are
possible.
13. (n) The
game played with either of the
two preceding dice sets.
1
Poker Digest
1. (n) A magazine, now defunct, devoted to
poker playing.
1
poker face
1. (n) A
poker player's supposed lack of facial expression, such that others cannot
tell whether she is bluffing. In reality, few
poker players remain expressionless doing
play.
12. (n) A
poker player who maintains such an expression. This usage is rare.
1
poker flat
poker god
1. (n) A mythical deity to whom
poker players supposedly pray for
good hands, and who presumably protects those in his (her?)
good graces; used humorously. Compare with
lowball god. Also,
god of poker.
1
poker hand
1. (n) The five
cards (usually) that a
poker player uses in his contention for a
pot. Some of the
possible five-
card combinations from the
poker deck have higher (or lower, in
low games) ranking than others, and this is how the
winner of a particular contest is determined.
1
poker joint
poker machine
poker patience
poker player
poker professional
poker room
poker rules
1. (n) The regulations of a particular
cardroom on the conduct of a
poker game, often codified in that
cardroom's
rule book, sometimes posted on the wall. Poker rules are not standard, although most rule books contain many similar rules. Some rules (frequently termed the
rules of poker), such as what
hand beats what, are fairly standard, particularly in public cardrooms, while others, such as what constitutes a legitimate
bet or
raise and the manner in which betting must be made, vary widely. The smart
player familiarizes herself with the poker rules of a particular establishment before first sitting
down to
play.
1
poker school
poker session
poker sharp
poker solitaire
poker table
poker with the joker
pokerino
1. (n)
Poker played for very
low stakes, often found in retirement homes, convalescent hospitals, and the like. Compare with
penny ante.
1
pokerist
pone
1. (n) The
player sitting to the
dealer's immediate right. This is an old term now rarely used.
1
pony up
pool
pop it
pop it up
poque
1. (n) An early French
card game, from which some
say the word
poker came. The French pronunciation of the word is like
poker without the r sound.
1
position
1. (n) Position refers to your place at the
table, especially with respect to the order of betting within a particular
betting round. The first few players to
act are said to be in
early position, the next few in
middle position, and the last few in
late position.
Late position is almost always best, since you have the
advantage of knowing what your opponents have done. For this reason, many players are more liberal about the hands they will
play from later positions. In some games (most
flop and
draw games), position is fixed from
one round of betting to the next, and the
dealer (or the
player on the button) is always in
last position.
More generally, to have position on someone is to be in a position to
bet after them, either during a particular
hand or in general. You have position on anyone sitting immediately to your right, since you will far more often than not be
able to
act after them.
I didn't think he could've made the
straight because he would've had to be playing 65 in
early position. Shows what I know.
32. (n) Where a
player sits in relation to the others at the
table.
13. (n) Where a
player sits in relation to the
dealer, or, sometimes, in relation to the blinds. Position 1 is generally the position to the left of the current
dealer, although, in a
three-
blind traveling blind game, position 1 could be the position to the left of the
big blind, that is, position 1 is
three positions to the left of the
dealer.
Mike Caro reckons position as the number of players remaining to
act. Thus, in an eight-
player game, the position to the left of the
dealer is position 7, while the
dealer position is position 0. The compiler of this dictionary has extended this in his writings to
blind games, wherein the position immediately to the left of the
big blind is position 7, the
dealer is position 2, the
middle blind is position 1, and the
big blind is position 0 (because no players
act after him). Also
see early position,
late position.
14. (n) Where a
player sits in relation to a particular
player. Sitting to someone's left is generally termed
good position, and to his right
bad position.
15. (n)
Good position with respect to the other players at the
table. "You
can open with a worse
hand when you've got position."
16. (n) Sitting in
good position with respect to a particular
player, usually sitting
one or
two seats to the
player's left. "I had position on the
live one all night, but I never held any hands."
1
position bet
position player
positive expectation
1. (n) The situation in which a particular
bet, in the long
run, has an overall average profit. A
wager can lose more times than it wins and still have a positive expectation; this is because in the long
run the amount of money won on the times it wins is greater than the amount lost on the times it loses. Also called
positive return.
See discussion at
expectation.
1
positive return
possible
1. (n) In
high poker, a
hand that needs
one card to be completed, as four
cards to a
flush or
straight. For example, in seven-
card stud, after the last
card is dealt, you have
face up
three spades in
sequence, possibly
even four. Together with your
three downcards,
there exists a great possibility that you have a
straight or better. A
player may have
board cards that
rank higher than yours, such as a
pair, but that
player is afraid of your possibilities. When it is his
turn to initiate the betting, he might
say, "
Check to the possible."
12. (adj) In
stud games, the description, often by the
dealer of the
hand, of a
hand that could, based on its exposed
cards, be part of a
complete hand, such as a
flush or
straight. For example, in a five-
card stud game,
one player has four
spades showing; another has K-Q-10-9, so that a
jack in the hole would give him a
straight. As the
dealer distributes the last
round of
cards, he might
say, "Possible
flush, possible
straight,
pair of aces.
Pair of aces is
high."
1
post
3. (v)
Put up a missed
blind. If you
miss playing the
blind in a particular
round, probably because you were away from the
table or because you just came into
a game and the
blind has already passed you, the
house dealer asks if you want to post, that is,
put in as many chips as are
in the blind you missed. When the
action gets to you, you have already called
one bet, and, if the
pot has not been raised, you do not have to
put any more chips in the
pot. (You
can, of course,
raise in turn.) This is not the same as an
overblind or
kill, in which the
action temporarily skips the
player who has
put the
blind chips in the
pot, and which causes the
limit to increase.
1
post mortem
1. (n) An exhaustive discussion after a
hand is
over about the
play of the
hand, with so-called experts giving their opinions (with the
loser usually providing the most strident) on how the
hand should have been played.
12. (v) To engage in or conduct such a discussion; usually followed by a or the
hand.
1
post oak bluff
pot
2. (n) The chips in
play on a particular
hand. "They both had
straight flushes and the pot was
over $1000."
15. (v)
Make an arrangement to pay for drinks, sandwiches, etc.,
out of the next pot
over a certain amount (usually twice the cost of whatever they're potting for); often followed by for. An example is a
drink pot. "Let's order a
round. Who wants to pot?" "Who wants to pot for cigarets?"
1
Pot A
pot committed
1. (adj) A state where you are essentially forced to
call the rest of your
stack because of the
size of the
pot and your remaining chips.
2
pot limit
pot limit dig
pot odds
1. (n) The amount of money in the
pot compared to the amount you must
put in the
pot to continue playing. For example, suppose
there is $60 in the
pot. Somebody bets $6, so the
pot now contains $66. It costs you $6 to
call, so your pot odds are 11:1. If your
chance of having the
best hand is at least 1
out of 12, you should
call. Pot odds also apply to draws. For instance, suppose you have a
draw to the
nut flush with
one card left to
come. In this
case, you are about a 4:1
underdog to
make your
flush. If it costs you $8 to
call the
bet, then
there must be about $32 in the
pot (including the most recent
bet) to
make your
call correct.
22. (n) The ratio of the amount of money in the
pot to the amount of money it will cost you to
call a
bet. The greater the pot odds, the more likely you should be to
call (all else being equal), because you will have to win fewer times (in the long
run) to
make the
bet positive expectation.
I knew it was a
longshot, but with all that money in the
pot and a
draw to the
nuts, I had no choice but to
call.
3
pothook
potstuck
potting out
1. (n) Taking money
out of a
pot to
buy food, cigarettes, or drinks, or to
make bets. Also
see pot 1
poverty poker
1. (n) A form of
poker, usually found only in
home or private games, in which a
player is given a free
buy-in, after going broke, on which to continue playing. Usually that
buy-in must be returned to the source if the
player wins, and the
player must
quit if he loses the free
buy-in. The source for such funds either comes from a direct contribution at the
time by the other players, or, more frequently, by cutting money from each
pot, which money goes toward a special fund to be used for this particular purpose.
1
power
2. (n) The holder of the
hand who has been betting the most aggressively. For example, in no-
limit lowball, you made a
large raise before the
draw, I called to
draw a
card, and you stood
pat; if I
miss the
hand I was drawing to, but either made, or want to imply that I made, a
hand with which I might
call, I might
say, "
Check to the power."
1
powerhouse
1. (n) An exceptionally
strong hand, often
one that cannot lose in a given situation.
1
preflop
1. (adv) Pertaining to the
bet or situation before the
flop.
1
premium
premium hand
press
1. (v) Give a
stake player more chips to
play on, after he loses his first
stack; usually equal to half of what he started with. For example, the
shift manager used Crying Cal to
help get
a game started, by staking Cal, for which he gave Cal $40 in
house chips with which to
play. Cal lost the $40, and the
game is in danger of breaking up, so the
shift manager goes to the
cage, and says to the cashier, "Press Cal," for which the cashier gives him $20, and writes the $20
on the sheet.
12. (n) The chips so given. The
manager might later
say to the cashier, "I'm $20
short in my
box. Did you write
down that press for Cal?"
1
presto
1. (adj) A nickname for
pocket 5's, usually in hold'em. This nickname comes from the internet newsgroup rec.gambling (now
rec.gambling.poker), and is sometimes used among the readership of that newsgroup to identify other members.
3
pretties
price
prick
primero
1. (n) An early Spanish
card game having some of the features of
poker.
1
private game
1. (n) A
poker game played elsewhere than in a public
cardroom. Also called
home game. Sometimes private game has a wider application, because a private game could be played in other than someone's
home (for example, in a hotel
room). Compare with
public game.
1
Procter and Gamble
producer
1. (n) Someone who brings lots of money to
a game and keeps that money in circulation. The term is usually used by the
management to describe someone around whom
a game can be built (because others like to
play with him or her), or by professionals to describe a
live one. Also,
provider.
12. (n) A
player whose main source of income does not derive from gambling.
1
profession
professional gambler
1. (n) A
player whose main source of income derives from gambling. Compare with
producer (definition 2).
1
professor
1. (n) A
gambler who has the ability to calculate the
odds, particularly in
card games. Also, dean.
1
profiles
progressive
progressive jackpots
progressive poker
progressive progressive
prop
4. (v) To function as a prop. "How ya keepin' in chips?" "I'm propping at the Pasatiempo
Club."
1
prop bet
prop player
proposition
1. (n) An offer by
one player to another to
play under certain circumstances, usually more favorable to the other
player, in exchange for calling a
bet. Propositions are found mainly in no-
limit lowball games. For example,
one player raises. The
player who opened the
pot asks, "
Two-for-
one?" He is offering a proposition, which is, in effect, saying, "I need to
draw two cards to this
hand. I would not normally
call your
raise, but you
look like a sporting fellow, so I will
call and
draw two cards if you agree that you will
take one card. If you have to
break a
pat hand to comply, then so be it; I will not
play otherwise." Gentlemen do not offer a proposition and then renege. In other words, if you offer, for example,
two-for-
one, it's not considered sporting to then
draw only
one or
stand pat after the other has thrown his
card, nor is it sporting on his part to accept and then
stand pat. (Of course, he could accept and
draw two, because that is more of a
gamble than the offerer of the proposition was requesting or expecting.) If someone offers you a proposition, naturally you
can decline. Again, the sporting thing to do in this example is not to
say, "Oh, I'm probably drawing anyway," and then
stand pat. If you don't want to
give away anything about your intentions, you
can say, "Just
call the
bet, or
throw away your
hand," or
say nothing. Just don't
out-and-
out lie. While permitted, it's not sporting, and will lose you respect and
action later. A
counter proposition (described under
pass for a prop) is also a possibility.
1
proposition bet
proposition hustler
1. (n) Someone, usually a
player, who offers other players bets on certain occurrences, paying
off at less than true
odds. For example, in a
draw game, a proposition hustler might
say to another
player, "I'll
bet you
can't
beat a
pair of sevens before the
draw next
hand." The actual
odds against such an occurrence are worse than 1.5-to-1.
1
proposition player
2. (n)
One who receives a salary from the
management of a
cardroom for playing in
short games (those with empty seats), starting new games, filling in where needed, etc. While a proposition player works for the
house, he does not
play house money (thus differing from a
stake player), nor does the
house care how he plays; he plays his own money, and is welcome to continue propping as long as his money holds
out (although it is generally understood that a proposition player will treat the other patrons and the dealers kindly and with respect). Frequently shortened to
prop. Also called
public relations player in politically correct cardrooms.
1
protect
1. (v) To keep your
hand or a
chip on your
cards. This prevents them from being fouled by a discarded
hand, or accidentally mucked by the
dealer.
22. (v) To invest more money in a
pot so
blind money that you've already
put in isn't "wasted." Example: "He'll always protect his blinds, no matter how
bad his
cards are."
23. (v) To protect a
hand is to
bet so as to reduce the chances of anyone outdrawing you (by getting them to
fold). A
hand that needs
protection is
one that is almost certainly best, but that is vulnerable to being outdrawn.
Large pots
make it difficult to protect hands, since players will be willing to
chase more long shots. The
structure of
a game has a
large impact on how easy it is to protect a
hand, as do the personalities of the players at the
table. It's easiest to protect a
hand in no-
limit play, where you
can potentially
make it as expensive as you like for someone to
draw.
34. (v) To protect your
cards is to place a
chip or some other small object (players often have particular artifacts they like to use)
on top of them so that they don't accidentally get mucked by the
dealer, mixed with another
player's
discards, or otherwise become
dead when you'd like to
play them.
35. (v)
Bet in such a way as to increase the chances of an all-in
player winning a
pot, that is, ensure a
showdown between only the bettor and the all-in
player. For example, in a $4-to-go no-
limit lowball game, Grady has $20, while
Tom, Sue, and Scott all have
over $200. Grady opens for $4, and
Tom raises to $20. Sue calls, and Scott raises another $40. Grady calls all of his remaining chips.
Tom and Sue
call the
reraise, creating a $60
side pot. Grady,
Tom, and Sue all
draw one card, and Scott stands
pat. Grady cannot
bet after the
draw.
Tom and Sue both
pass. Now Scott says, "I'll protect your
hand, Grady," and bets $150. If
Tom and Sue now both
fold, Grady has a better
chance of winning the
main pot (and Scott
can make money
even if he was bluffing, by winning the now-uncontested
side pot). Compare with
dry pot.
1
protect the other players
1. (v)
Act in such a way as to not jeopardize any other
player's
action. Acting
in turn is a way of protecting the others.
1
protected
protected bet
1. (n) A
bet made in a situation such that it is likely to win or lose a
pot based on the comparative
value of a
hand, without having to introduce the complication of bluffing. For example, in a
hold 'em game, Norman, an
aggressive player, has been betting the
flop and the
turn with
two spades on the board. You flopped
middle pair, and intend to
call all the way.
Behind you sits Sue, a
player capable of raising with less than the
best hand,
even a
bluff; she will, of course, also
raise with the
best hand. Another
spade comes
on the river. Norman bets and you
call. Normally you would be worried about Sue, because when you just
call, if she raises and reopens the betting, you'll have trouble calling if Norman reraises. But Sue has exactly
one big bet left. Because she cannot
raise, your
call was a protected bet. If you have the
best hand, you win, and you don't have to worry about being bluffed. Also
see protected hand.
1
protected hand
1. (n) A
hand in a situation such that it is likely to win or lose a
pot based on the comparative merits of its
value, without having to introduce the complication of bluffing. For example, in a
straight limit lowball game, a
solid player opens the
pot in a
middle position. A very
live player calls on the
middle blind. This
player is likely drawing to a
rough hand or drawing
two cards. You have the
big blind; your
hand is a
rough 10,
say 10-9-8-7-6. If it were just you and the
middle blind, you would
raise. You do not want to
raise, though, because the
opener is either drawing to a very
good hand or already has a
pat hand better than yours, and if he reraises, you will have wasted an extra
bet (because you'll likely
fold for the
reraise). Just calling the
half a bet offers
odds of better than 5-to-1. Neglecting bluffing, you should win the
pot in this situation more than
one-
sixth of the
time, giving you
positive expectation. At least a
sixth of the
time, both players will be drawing and will both
miss. And you
can neglect bluffing, because, if the
middle blind passes after the
draw, you will
pass also to
see what the
opener does. Now, whether the
middle blind draws
one or
two cards, the
opener has to
play his
hand properly. That is, if he has a
one-
card draw, he must
draw one card; if he stands
pat, he really has a
pat hand better than yours. Had it been just you and the
opener, you probably would not
stand pat without raising and then
check after the
draw. If you
stand pat, the
opener likely would
stand pat with a better 10 and might
stand pat with worse, reasoning that you would be
hard put to
call a
bet. But when the other
player is added into the mix, if the
opener stands
pat, you know he really has a
pat hand and do not have to consider calling a
bet. Also, if he draws and bets, again you don't have to
call a
bet. The
opener would be very unlikely to
bluff, not because of your
hand, but because the
middle blind is a
calling station. The
middle blind could very well be drawing to an 8 or 9, which he would
pass if he made but then
call either your or the
opener's
bet. Since the
opener is unlikely to
bluff in this situation, your
hand is a protected hand.
1
protection
1. (n) How a
cardroom protects players against being cheated, including such measures as having a
house dealer, using plastic
cards, having
floor personnel who know what to
look out for, etc.
1
protection bet
1. (n) In a
big bet game, a
bet made after the
draw in a
draw game, or in a vulnerable
position in a
stud or
hold 'em game, to avoid having to
call a larger
bet from a potentially better
hand or from a
possible bluff. For example, in no-
limit lowball, a
player opens for $4. Another
player raises $25. The first
player calls and draws
one card, while the other stands
pat. The first
player catches an 8, to
make an 8-6. He does not want to
check, because, with the
sevens rule, if the other
player has a 7 or better, she might
bet a lot, knowing she cannot possibly lose. So the first
player now bets $4. That is a protection bet, because the other
player will likely not
raise with a
hand (like a
rough 7) that would be a cinch if the first
player had not
bet. Also
underbet.
1
provider
1. (adj) A provider is a
poker player who makes the
game profitable for the other players at the
table. Similar in meaning to
fish, although provider has a somehow less negative connotation. A provider might be a decent
player who just happens to be playing
out of his/her league. A
fish is usually someone who's probably
out of any league.
3
public game
public poker
1. (n)
A game played in a
poker room, with usually a fee charged (or taken from each
pot) by the establishment for the use of the premises. Compare with
private game.
1
public relations player
puck
pull
2. (n) The drawing of such a
card.
1
pull for prime
pull prime
pull the film
pull the tape
1. (v) Remove and view the tape from the surveillance camera above a
table for the purpose of determining whether an alleged rules infraction took place or resolving a dispute. Pulling the tape is usually done only in extreme situations, and usually requires official
action on the part of a representative of the
management,
say a
shift manager.
1
pull through
1. (n) A form of false shuffling, in which the cheating
dealer performs a maneuver that makes it
look like he is riffling the
cards, but all he does is
pull half the
deck through the other half, and then cuts the
cards without changing their order. Also called
pass.
1
pump
pumpa
pumped up
1. (adv) Having lots of playing capital, presumably as a result of a
winning streak.
1
punch
punching
1. (n) Marking
cards as described under
peg.
1
puppy feet
1. (n) A cutesy name for
clubs (the
suit), so called because they (sort of)
look like dogs' footprints.
1
puppy foot
pure nuts
1. (n) The
nuts; that is, an unbeatable
hand; usually preceded by the.
1
purple
push
1. (v) What the
dealer does with the
pot when he or she figures
out who the
winner is. Because of the nature of
poker tables, the
dealer can almost always orient him- or herself so as to be facing the
winner of the
pot. From this
position, pushing the
pot (literally, the chips in the
pot) will result in the movement of the
pot towards the
winner of the
hand, so that the
player can add the chips to his or her stacks. Aren't you glad you asked?
33. (v)
Bet too often or too much;
play too aggressively. "The
time to get
Fat Freddy is when he's pushing."
1
push bets
Push the pot
pushka
1. (n) A pushka is an arrangement between
two or more players to share part of the pots they win, or more precisely, the container into which the shared chips are placed. Typically pushka
partners will place as much as $10 from each
pot won into a container, and
split the container's contents later. I've only heard this term in Maryland, although apparently it's due to the Polish word for
box, via Yiddish. Of course removing chips from the
table is illegal in
table stakes games.
See also
scoot.
3
put
put a play on
1. (v) Outmaneuver someone by the timing or
size (or both) of a
bet.
0
put air into
put on
put on a sizz
put someone in a game
1. (v)
stake (definition 4 or 5) someone.
1
put someone on a hand
put someone on his own
put the bite on
1. (v) Attempt to borrow money from. "
Can you believe it? Smiley put the bite on me for $100."
1
put the clock on
put up
1. (v)
Put the proper amount of money (or money as represented by chips) into a
pot.
1
put up a deck
puta
putting on a sizz