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.
- Underpair
- A pocket pair that ranks lower than the three cards on the flop.
- Under the gun (UTG)
- The player first to act on the first round of betting (in holdem the player who sits directly left to the big blind).
- Value bet
- A bet made to get paid off for a made hand.
- Walking Sticks
- A pair of 7’s in the Hole.
- Wheel
- The lowest possible hand in a Low game consisting of Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, is known as the “Wheel”. When ranking Low hands straights are not counted.
- Wild
- A predetermined card, such as a joker, which can be used as any card in the deck.
- Wired Pair
- A pair in a players first two down cards – Also known as a pocket pair.
- WSOP
- The World Series of Poker. The most prestigious and highest paying poker tournament in the world held at The Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
