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.
- Kicker
- A card not involved in the ranking of the hand, but used to decide the winner when more than one person has hands of the same rank.
- Kill Pot
- A hand played at double the usual stakes when a certain scenario occurs, such as when one player wins two qualifying hands in a row.
- Kitty
- Similar to the rake, but collected in a home/friendly game. The kitty is money taken from pots to buy refreshments or snacks.
- Kojak
- A Jack and a King in the hole (face down).
