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.
- Passive
- A player who does not play many pots, and rarely raises when he or she does.
- The cards in the Hole are considered “Pocket” cards.
- Pocket Rocket
- A pair of Aces in the hole – Also knows as Bullets.
- Poker Face
- Keeping a blank face showing no emotion which could possibly give away the strength of your hand.
- Position
- A players place around the table. Players to the left of the dealer who act first are said to be in early “position.” Players to the right of the dealer who act last are said to be in late “position.”
- Position Bet
- A bet made, usually by one of the last people to act, based solely on their position at the table, not the strength of the player’s hand.
- Post
- To place the required ante or blind to the pot. Ex. Player 1 posted the small blind.
- Pot Equity
- The size of the pot multiplied by the probability you expect to win the pot.
- Pot Limit
- A betting variation in poker which only allows bets up to the size of the current pot.
- Pot Odds
- Making a decision about whether to call a bet based on the amount of the bet and the size of the pot.
- Preflop
- Anything that happens before the first three community cards are dealt face up.
- Prop
- Short for "proposition player" a player hired by a casino to fill up the seats.
- Quads
- Another name for a Four of a Kind.
