12 Colors - In Chinese Poker, a Clean Sweep hand consisting of exactly 12 cards of one color and a 13th of the other.

13 Colors - In Chinese Poker, a Clean Sweep hand consisting entirely of either hearts and diamonds; OR clubs and spades.

Aces Up - A pair of aces with another pair. This term can be used with any 2-pair hand, e.g. 7’s up - a pair of 7’s with another pair below 7.

Action - The act of betting, raising, checking, or folding. “Your action” means your turn to act.

All-in - A player who runs out of money in the middle of a hand is “all in”. Subsequent betting by other players thus results in a side pot. This way, players can never be bet out of a hand simply for running out of money. Players who do are only eligible for the money in the pot into which they contributed.

Ante - Money placed in the pot by all players before receiving cards. Typically, only stud games require antes.

Assistant -In Big 2, the Player who plays immediately before the winner’s final discard. If the assistant fails to play the best possible hand before the winner’s final hand, the assistant must cover the other Players’ losses.

Back Door Flush/(Straight) - So called when both the last 2 cards make a player’s flush/(straight).

Back Hand - In Chinese Poker, the backhand is defined as the highest hand of the bottom set in the series of three - Also referred to as the "Big Behind".

Bad Beat - A typically strong hand that loses to an even stronger hand.

Bicycle (or Wheel) - A straight to the 5. Example: A 2 3 4 5.

Big Bet - Amount of money wagered in the later betting rounds. In $10/$20 Hold ‘Em, the big bet is $20.

Big Blind - The amount that the 2nd player to the left of the button must post before receiving cards. Big blind is the same amount as the small bet.

Blank - A card on either 4th or 5th Street that is of no value to anyone’s hand.

Blinds - Money used in place of an ante in a flop type game such as Hold ‘Em to initiate action.

Bluff - The act of betting or raising with the intention of getting someone else to fold a strong hand.

Board - The community cards in flop games such as Hold 'Em. In stud games, the cards dealt face up to each player.

Bring In - Initial bet. In stud games the player with the lowest card showing on the first round must bring in. (In the event of a tie, the player closest to the dealer’s left brings in.)

Button - Used in Texas Hold ‘Em and similar games to display which player acts first in a hand. The button moves clockwise after every hand.

Call - Wagering the same amount after the original bet has been made. E.g., player A bets $10, player B calls $10.

Cap - The pot is capped when the last allowable raise has been taken. There is usually no cap during heads up or in tournaments.

Card Set - A group of cards that a Player may discard from his hand at once during a round of Big 2.

Check (or Pass) - Neither betting nor folding when play comes to you. You can only check when you’re first to act or placing a bet.

Check/Raise - Checking, then raising, after a player bets.

Clean Sweep - In Chinese Poker, a special hand that automatically wins. Clean Sweep hands include Dragon, 13 Colors, 12 Colors, 6 Pair, 3 Straights, and 3 Flushes.

Community Cards - Cards that all players may use to make their hands. Board cards in flop games such as Hold 'Em are community cards. A community card is used in 7-Card stud when there aren’t enough cards left for all players to receive a 7th card.

Dead Card - In stud, a card that has already been seen.

Deuce - A 2 card of any suit.

Dog - A hand unlikely to win the pot.

Door Card - In 7-Card Stud, the 1st exposed card in a player’s hand.

Down Cards (or Hole Cards) - A player's individual cards that are face down.

Dragon - The highest possible hand in Chinese Poker. It contains one card of every rank.

Draw - Receive a card.

Drawing Dead - Drawing to a hand that can’t win, e.g. to a straight when someone has a flush.

Draw Out - To make the winning hand on the last card or draw.

Family Pot - A pot in which everyone plays and no one folds.

Flop - In Texas Hold ‘Em, the 1st 3 board cards. They’re turned up simultaneously and start the 2nd round of betting.

Flush - A hand consisting exclusively of suited cards, e.g. 2 4 5 8 J.

Fold (or Muck) - To throw away your cards and drop out of a hand.

Forced Bring-In - A mandatory bet; the player facing a forced bring-in can neither check nor fold. Usually used in stud to start the action on the 1st round of betting by the player with the lowest card showing.

Front Hand - In Chinese Poker, a 3-card hand created from the 13 cards a Player is dealt. The front hand must be outranked by the middle hand.

Full House - A hand consisting of 3 cards of one rank and 2 of another, e.g. 3 3 3 6 6.

Gut Shot (or Inside Straight Draw) - Drawing to a straight that needs one of the middle cards to complete it, e.g. if you hold 5 6 8 9 , any 7 completes a straight inside.

Heads Up - Only 2 players remaining in a hand.

Implied Odds - The amount you expect to win if you make your hand, divided by what it will cost you to keep playing.

Kicker (or Side Card) - The next card in a hand after a pair or 3-of-a-Kind. 9 9
K 2 5 is a pair of 9’s with a king kicker.

Limits - The amount of money that can be bet in any round of a game, e.g. $3/$6, $5/$10, $10/$20.

Live Card - In stud games, a card not yet seen and therefore possibly still in play.

Loose - A game with a lot of players in most pots.

Main Pot - 1st pot that all players are eligible for.

Middle Hand - In Chinese Poker, one of two 5-card hands created from the 13 cards a Player is dealt. The middle hand must outrank a Player’s front hand, and be outranked by the Player’s back hand.

Minimum Buy-In - The minimum amount of money that a player can buy into a game for. e.g., in $10/$20 limit, the minimum buy-in is $100.

Missed Blind - When a player sits out and misses a blind, in order to receive a hand, he/she must post both blinds or wait a turn to take the big blind.

Nuts - The best possible hand. In a Hold ‘Em game where 3 5 7 9 are visible, the nuts would be three 9’s.

On the Come - Drawing to any straight or flush.

Open End/Outside Straight Draw - Drawing to a straight that needs either outside card to complete it, e.g., if you hold 5 6 7 8 , any 4 or 9 completes the straight outside.

Open Game - A game in which anyone can play.

Open Pair - An exposed pair in stud.

Open Poker - A game in which some cards are dealt face up.

Open Seat - An empty seat in a game that anyone can sit in and play at.

Overcard - A card higher than any visible card.

Pot Odds - The money in the pot divided by what it will cost you to continue the hand.

Raise - To increase the amount of the original bet, usually by doubling. e.g., Player A bets $10, player B raises bet to $20.

Rake - The amount of money taken out of the pot by the house, usually on a percentage with a maximum.

Redraw - A draw to an even better hand when you currently hold the nuts.

River - The 5th board card in Texas Hold ‘Em or the last card in stud.

Rolled Up - When a player's first 3 cards in 7-Card stud are of the same kind.

Round of Betting - The action sequence in which each player can check, bet, raise or fold.

Scare Card - One which looks as though it may make a strong hand.

Set (or Trips) - 3-of-a-Kind.

Showdown - The showing of cards at the end of a hand.

Side Pot - Pot created after a player goes all in. It’s possible to have multiple side pots.

Small Bet - 1st betting round. e.g., in $10/$20 Hold 'Em, small bet is $10.

Small Blind - Money the 1st player to the left of the button must post before receiving cards. Small blind is usually ½ the big blind.

Split Pot - A pot split evenly among players with equal hands.

Straight - A hand consisting of cards of consecutive rank, e.g. 7 8 9 10 J .

Straight Flush - A hand consisting of suited cards of consecutive rank,
e.g. 5 6 7 8 9 .

Street - Refers to a temporal point in the game. In 7-Card Stud, 3rd Street is the 1st betting round on the 1st three cards. 4th Street is the 4th card dealt to each player, etc. In Texas Hold ‘Em and similar games, 4th Street is the 4th card on board in the 3rd round of betting.

Surrender - In Chinese Poker, discarding one’s hand from play and removing oneself from the current betting round. A Player who surrenders pays each opponent 3 units, but eliminates the risk of greater losses.

Table Stakes - The money that players have at the start of a hand, available for that hand. Players may not add money to their stacks, nor bring more to the table while involved in a hand. Players may not be bet out of a hand, nor be forced to fold because they run out of money in the middle of a hand. (See all in.)

Turn - 4th board card.

Under the Gun - The position of the player who is first to act.

Up Cards - Player's individual cards that are face up in stud games.