It’s not the winnings that separate the professional poker player from the amateur. Yes, look carefully and listen – it’s the poker lingo!

Get the hang of Pokerspeak with this handy dictionary:

ABC Guy – This is usually an amateur who has just started out and is very cautious about his chips. He is very predictable and easily beaten.

Ace High – This hand has no pairs, flushes etc but a mix of cards with an Ace being the highest value card. Unless other cards have ranked value, this hand will be the winner.

Aces and Spaces – A term used by professionals when they an ace and a low card in the hole. Eventually, they get a pair for the Ace but not for the kicker. So, the common refrain: The river dumped me with aces and spaces!

Advertise To advertise – is a bidding bluff that you follow up a strong hand with. The first time with a strong hand you play close to your chest and show the cards and the second time do the same but with terrible cards bluffing opponents into thinking that you still have a good hand.

All In – When you bet all your chips into the pot in ‘No-limit Texas Hold Em poker.

Ammo, Ammunition – The chips that are in play.

Action – This is, as the term suggests, when something is happening with one of the players folding, checking, calling, betting or raising.

Aggressive action – When a player is able to win a pot without any showdown, raise or bet.

Ante – An amount of chips that must be posted by all players before the beginning of a hand.

Back Raise – is to re-raise the raise by another player.

BOARDCARD – This is one of the community cards before the dealer.

Button – A round plate designating the position of the dealer at the Poker table.

Check – To refrain from beginning the betting in a round but retaining the right to participate in the betting if someone else starts.

Facecard – Any of the picture cards like the King, Queen or Jack.

Flop – The three cards that are dealt by the dealer before himself after the first round of betting. They are also known as the community cards.

Floorperson – One of the employees of the casino who helps players take their seat and gives his verdict in case of a problem.

Freeroll – When a player is in a position to win without losing anything or is at no risk.

Heads-up play – When only two players are left to play at the round.

Kicker – The card with the highest value but without a pair that helps to decide the overall value of a five-card Poker hand.

Late position – In a poker game when one of the players has to act after all or almost everyone else has acted.

Lock-up – This is simply a chip marker that shows that a seat is taken by a player.

Miscall – When a player incorrectly declares the ranking of his hand.

Misdeal – When the dealer makes a mistake while dealing or shuffling the pack in Poker.

Nuts – The best possible Poker hand a player could have got.
Opener – The first player to make a voluntary Poker bet.

Play the board – When a player decides to use only the five community cards as his hand and none of the cards that were dealt to him initially.

Raise – To raise the amount of the bet that was previously made.

River – The final of the five community cards.

Showdown – The final event in a Poker round to decide whose hand is the better one and gets to take the pot.

Stack – The chips piled up in front of a player.

Steal – When an opponent folds after a player bets or raises simply out of the apprehension that he may not hold a good hand.

Stub – The part of the deck that has not been dealt out in a Poker game.

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