By
Gary Steele
Poker has its own set of unique terms and jargon, and more are being added every week as its popularity continues to expand. There are names for particular starting hands, such as pocket rockets and big slick. There are terms describing poker scenarios, such as a bad beat. It would take a week to write them all, but I think the following list will give you a good idea of the terms you will hear used on a regular basis as you play.
- Idiot straight
- The lower Straight that can be made with an open-ended Straight.
- Implied Odds
- Taking future bets into account when making mathematical decisions to call a bet. Similar to Pot Odds, but pot odds only take the amount currently in the pot into account.
- Inside Straight Draw
- When a player has a hand such as 2, 3, 5, 6 where only a 4 on the next draw will give them a straight. See also “Belly Buster” and “Gutshot.”
- In The Hole
- The face down, or hole cards each player has. Ex. The player in seat one had a small pocket pair “in the hole.”
- In Turn
- The player whose turn it is to make a decision is “In Turn.”
