Glossary
Poker, like so many other pastimes and professions, has developed its own terminology. This guide includes not just common poker terms, but also those specifically related to online poker.
All-In
If you run out of chips during a hand, but don't wish to fold, you are All-In. This means you have the potential to win a share of the pot up to and including your last contribution to that pot. You cannot share in any bets added beyond that point. These bets form a side-pot. The All-In is also used for situations where a player in the middle of a hand loses connection to the server.
Ante
A mandatory bet required from all players before any cards are dealt or viewed.
Avatar
A term from computer gaming for an image or figure used to represent a person in an online poker room.
Away-from-table
In tournaments, you may not "sit out". Rather, you may be "away-from-table" which means you are dealt into every hand, posting blinds when it's your turn, and then folded when there is a raise before the flop, or a bet after the flop. When you are in a tournament and need to leave, time-out, or lose your connection, you are automatically marked as "away-from-table".
Bad Beat
A Bad Beat is when an apparently weak hand draws exactly the card(s) it needs in order to win the pot from an overwhelmingly strong hand.
Bet the Pot
This term is used in pot limit games. It means your bet matches the current amount in the pot. If, when your turn to bet, the pot was at $217, and you bet the pot, your bet is $217.
Big Blind (limit poker)
In games using a blind to put money in play, the big blind is generally equal to the lower amount of the stakes for that game. In a $5/$10 game, the big blind is $5. The big blind follows the small blind, which is put up by the first player to the left of the dealer.
Blind
This term refers to the required bets, called the small blind and the big blind used to put money into play. The blinds are mandatory bets and rotate around the table.
Board
The Community Cards in Hold'em are collectively known as "the board".
Burn
In physical poker rooms, the top card of the deck is discarded prior to each round of dealing. The intent is to minimize the risk of cheating by knowing the next card. There is no possibility of this happening in our poker room; therefore we do not burn cards.
Button
A marker, usually disk-shaped, to indicate which player is the dealer. The button is used in games where position relative to the dealer is important.
Buy-in
The amount of money you pay to join a table.
Call
When a player matches the prior bet on the table, that action is termed "the call".
Cap
The last permitted raise in a betting round is called "the cap". At Noble Poker we allow three raises beyond the initial bet in limit games. The third raise is the cap.
Check
If there is no bet on the table and you do not wish to place a bet, you can "check". You may only check when there are no prior bets.
Client
The term for the software that you download to your computer, allowing you to interact with the poker room's servers.
Collusion
A form of cheating in which two or more players attempt to gain an unfair advantage by sharing information. Noble Poker does not tolerate collusion or any other form of cheating.
Community Cards
Face-up cards on the table that are shared by all players are termed "community cards." Texas Hold'em and Omaha always have Community Cards.
Dead Blind
In a situation where you have missed your blinds and wish to re-enter the game before your turn to post the big blind. You must post both blinds and the small blind is called here a "dead" blind, meaning it does not count towards calling a bet.
Dead Hand
A hand no longer in the game.
Down Cards
The face-down cards dealt to a player, also known as Hole Cards.
Drawing Dead
A situation when a player is trying to draw a card to complete a hand when there is already a hand that will beat it, even if the player completes the hand.
Drop
To drop your hand when you decide not to go further with your hand; to return your cards to the muck. Same as to fold.
Face Down
Dealt cards that are not visible to other players.
Face Up
Dealt cards that are visible to all players.
Flop
In Texas Hold'em, the first three Community Cards which are dealt face-up.
Flush
Any 5 cards in one hand that are all the same suit.
Fold
Withdraw from further participation in the current hand. Also see drop.
Forced Bet
A mandatory bet. In certain games, a player is required to bet, having sat-in the game.
Four of a Kind
4 cards of the same rank. For example, 4 Tens, 4 aces, etc.
Freeroll
A freeroll is a type of poker tournament where the entry fee, stakes, or both, are waived. In some non-freeroll tournaments, the house may guarantee a minimum prize pool.
Full House
A hand which consists of a combination of a three-of-a kind and a pair. Example: three tens and two aces, or vice versa.
Graphics
The term for the artwork used to present you with the images of a poker room, including the table, chairs, avatars, cards, and chips.
Hand
The set of cards used by a player during a single round. Another word for a single round of shuffling, dealing, and betting.
Heads Up
A game where only two players remain in contention for the pot.
Head to Head
A game where only two players may participate.
High Card
The card with the highest rank.
High/Low
A variation of Omaha where the pot is split between the best hand and the worst hand. The worst hand is comprised of the 5 lowest cards. Most poker rooms, including this one, consider 5, 4, 3, 2, A (the wheel) as the lowest possible hand, despite it also being a straight.
Hold'em
Also called Texas Hold'em, one of the most popular poker games online and offline. Each player gets 2 down cards and can use three, four, or all five Community Cards to create the best possible hand.
Hole Cards
The Down Cards in a player's hand.
House
The games host, the provider of the gaming facilities, whether virtual or brick-and-mortar (casino, poker room, online casino, etc.)
In
A term for being an active player; one who has not folded.
Inside Straight
The term applied when a player has 4 of 5 cards needed for a straight with the missing card being inside the sequence rather than at either end, and gets the missing card. For example, a player holding 3, 4, 5, 7, needs a 6 to complete the straight. Getting that 6 is termed "making the inside straight."
Jackpot
A special bonus handed out by the poker room under specific circumstances.
Kicker
The term for the card used to break ties between two of a kind or between Two Pair. For instance, if your hand is an AQ and your opponent's hand is an AJ, and the flop includes an ace, each player has a pair of aces but you have the tie breaker "kicker" Q, which beats your opponent's J.
Live Blind
A mandatory, or forced, bet put in by one or more players before any cards are dealt. "Live" means those players can still raise when the action gets back around to them. A blind that counts towards any bet you call or raise.
Main Pot
The initial pot of money. When one or more players go all-in, a side pot is created for each all-in player.
Muck
As a noun, this refers to the pile of folded cards and discarded cards. As a verb, at showdown, the act of returning a losing hand to the dealer facedown.
Multi-Table Tournament
A tournament where players compete at more than one table, starting with equal numbers of chips, until one player has won all the chips. Prize payouts are a function of the number of competitors, and are posted on the tournaments page. Multi-table tournaments have a posted start time, and require registration in advance.
No Limit
A variation of the betting rules in which each bet is unlimited up to the number of chips a player has on the table (NL).
Omaha
A game in which each player receives 4 facedown cards and shares 5 Community Cards. The winning hand must use exactly 2 Down Cards and 3 Community Cards. This game also has a High/Low variant.
Omaha Hi/Lo
This game allows players to compete for a pot split between the highest and the lowest hands using 2 Down Cards and 3 Community Cards. A player may use different sets of cards to make up the best high and the best low hands.
On the Button
In Texas Hold'em and Omaha games, this means you are in the dealer position. A "button" marks the dealer position with a "D" in the center.
One on One
See head to head.
Outs
Cards that would complete a hand or improve it sufficiently to win the pot
Pair
A hand containing two cards of the same value, such as QQ, KK, a pair of tens, etc. When two or more players have a pair, the winner is determined by the card rank – the player with a pair with the highest card value wins.
Pass
To refrain from making a bet; if necessary, to fold if a wager is required in order to maintain a stake in the pot or to check if no bet is necessary to sustain a stake in the pot.
Play Chips
The chips used for play (practice) money games. Play Chips have no real monetary value.
Playing the Board
Using only the Community Cards to create your best possible hand.
Pocket Cards
The term describing the two down cards at the start of the hand.
Pocket Rockets
The hand A-A
Pot
The fund accumulated by the player wagers and which will be given to the winner of the hand.
Pot Limit
A poker variation in which players can bet up to the current amount in the pot (PL).
Profile
Information a player may enter concerning himself/herself that may be available, at the player's option, to other players in the poker room. Your profile may include your favorite hobby, favorite website, favorite quote, and more.
Raise
The act of increasing the size of a previous bet. For example, if the player before you bet $50, you can raise him to $60.
Rake
The amount of money, in chips, taken by the house from every pot as the service fee.
Raked Hand
Raked Hands are hands from real money tables where the poker room takes a rake. A Raked Hand is when any player is dealt cards in ring game play, in a hand which generates rake. This constitutes one Raked Hand even where the player folds before the flop. Note that some Noble Poker network tournaments with Raked Hand requirements refer to Raked Hands where a player has contributed to the pot in a hand which generates rake.
Rank
The order of the cards by value, from highest to lowest, based on the numeric or face value of the card regardless of the suit. In many poker games, the Ace may be as the highest ranked card or the lowest rank card.
Re-buy
To get more chips during a game but not during a hand that you are in. This applies to real money and tournament play.
Reducing
The act of removing chips from a table and returning immediately with fewer chips. Reducing is considered poor etiquette.
Registration
We ask you to select a screen name to serve as your poker room identity, a password, and provide a location and email address, in order to create an account. This is your registration process.
Ring Game
Also know as a "live" game, a Ring Game is any non-tournament game played for real money.
River
The fifth and final community card. This card is also known as Fifth Street.
Round
This refers to the dealing of a set of cards and associated betting. For example, the dealing of the river and the bets that follow are a round.
Royal Flush
The best possible high hand. This is a straight flush of the same suit from 10 through Ace.
Runner
A hand that was completed using the Turn and River cards. Also typically known as "Runner-Runner."
Running Pair
When the last two cards to appear on the board are a pair.
Screen Name
The identity you select by which you are known in the poker room. We only allow one player per screen name so please understand if the one you have selected is already taken.
Self-install
The term used to describe how the file you download from our web site is automatically installed and configured on your computer when you double-click on the file.
Server
The computer, or set of computers, providing a service to client computers. In this case the service is the poker room.
Showdown
After the final bet, when all players show their hands or muck, is known as the showdown.
Side Pot
This is a pot created when a player goes all-in. The side pot is the pot available to those players not all-in at that point. There can, on occasion, be more than one side pot.
Single Table Tournament
A poker table at which you may buy-in to a seat. All buy-in money goes to the prize pool. The prize pool is returned to the top finishers per the payout table on the tournaments page. A fee is normally required to play at this table. Players are staked to equal numbers of chips and play until one player has won all the chips. Single table tournaments begin as soon as the table has filled.
Sit Out
At Noble Poker you are allowed to hold your seat at a table while not participating in some hands. Under most conditions, we limit the time you may sit out. In blind games, you may be asked to post the equivalent of the blind if you return to your seat prior to the blind reaching you. To sit out you click the "sit out" check box on the table screen. To return, you unclick the same check box.
Small Blind
The size of the bet required of the player in the small blind position, usually half the size of the big blind.
Stakes
The amount of money players are willing to bet with during a poker game.
Straight
A hand containing five cards of consecutive value regardless of each card's suit. For example, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen.
Straight Flush
A straight consisting of cards which are all of the same suit.
Stud
The generic term for poker games where players receive the first card(s) down followed by some Up Cards where those Up Cards are exclusively for the use of that player. There may be a further Down Card as in 7 Card Stud.
Suit
Any of the four sets (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades) in a deck of cards.
Texas Hold'em
The poker game where each player gets two Down Cards followed by five Community Cards face-up.
Three of a kind
A hand consisting three cards of the same rank.
Tournament Buy-In
The cost to enter a tournament. All buy-in money is returned to the players via the prize pool.
Tournament Entry-Fee
A small fee the house charges to enter a tournament.
Trips
A nickname for three of a kind.
Turn
The fourth Community Card in Hold'em and Omaha.
Two Pair
A hand in which the player has two pairs of cards.
Under-raise
This occurs when a player raises a prior bet but has to go all-in to do so with an amount less than the full raise.
Up Card
A card dealt face up, so that all players may see it.
Wheel
A nickname for the best low hand A, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Walking Sticks
Nickname given to a pair of 7s.
Wayne Gretzky
A pair of 9s - so called after the hockey player, whose jersey number was 99.
All-In
If you run out of chips during a hand, but don't wish to fold, you are All-In. This means you have the potential to win a share of the pot up to and including your last contribution to that pot. You cannot share in any bets added beyond that point. These bets form a side-pot. The All-In is also used for situations where a player in the middle of a hand loses connection to the server.
Ante
A mandatory bet required from all players before any cards are dealt or viewed.
Avatar
A term from computer gaming for an image or figure used to represent a person in an online poker room.
Away-from-table
In tournaments, you may not "sit out". Rather, you may be "away-from-table" which means you are dealt into every hand, posting blinds when it's your turn, and then folded when there is a raise before the flop, or a bet after the flop. When you are in a tournament and need to leave, time-out, or lose your connection, you are automatically marked as "away-from-table".
Bad Beat
A Bad Beat is when an apparently weak hand draws exactly the card(s) it needs in order to win the pot from an overwhelmingly strong hand.
Bet the Pot
This term is used in pot limit games. It means your bet matches the current amount in the pot. If, when your turn to bet, the pot was at $217, and you bet the pot, your bet is $217.
Big Blind (limit poker)
In games using a blind to put money in play, the big blind is generally equal to the lower amount of the stakes for that game. In a $5/$10 game, the big blind is $5. The big blind follows the small blind, which is put up by the first player to the left of the dealer.
Blind
This term refers to the required bets, called the small blind and the big blind used to put money into play. The blinds are mandatory bets and rotate around the table.
Board
The Community Cards in Hold'em are collectively known as "the board".
Burn
In physical poker rooms, the top card of the deck is discarded prior to each round of dealing. The intent is to minimize the risk of cheating by knowing the next card. There is no possibility of this happening in our poker room; therefore we do not burn cards.
Button
A marker, usually disk-shaped, to indicate which player is the dealer. The button is used in games where position relative to the dealer is important.
Buy-in
The amount of money you pay to join a table.
Call
When a player matches the prior bet on the table, that action is termed "the call".
Cap
The last permitted raise in a betting round is called "the cap". At Noble Poker we allow three raises beyond the initial bet in limit games. The third raise is the cap.
Check
If there is no bet on the table and you do not wish to place a bet, you can "check". You may only check when there are no prior bets.
Client
The term for the software that you download to your computer, allowing you to interact with the poker room's servers.
Collusion
A form of cheating in which two or more players attempt to gain an unfair advantage by sharing information. Noble Poker does not tolerate collusion or any other form of cheating.
Community Cards
Face-up cards on the table that are shared by all players are termed "community cards." Texas Hold'em and Omaha always have Community Cards.
Dead Blind
In a situation where you have missed your blinds and wish to re-enter the game before your turn to post the big blind. You must post both blinds and the small blind is called here a "dead" blind, meaning it does not count towards calling a bet.
Dead Hand
A hand no longer in the game.
Down Cards
The face-down cards dealt to a player, also known as Hole Cards.
Drawing Dead
A situation when a player is trying to draw a card to complete a hand when there is already a hand that will beat it, even if the player completes the hand.
Drop
To drop your hand when you decide not to go further with your hand; to return your cards to the muck. Same as to fold.
Face Down
Dealt cards that are not visible to other players.
Face Up
Dealt cards that are visible to all players.
Flop
In Texas Hold'em, the first three Community Cards which are dealt face-up.
Flush
Any 5 cards in one hand that are all the same suit.
Fold
Withdraw from further participation in the current hand. Also see drop.
Forced Bet
A mandatory bet. In certain games, a player is required to bet, having sat-in the game.
Four of a Kind
4 cards of the same rank. For example, 4 Tens, 4 aces, etc.
Freeroll
A freeroll is a type of poker tournament where the entry fee, stakes, or both, are waived. In some non-freeroll tournaments, the house may guarantee a minimum prize pool.
Full House
A hand which consists of a combination of a three-of-a kind and a pair. Example: three tens and two aces, or vice versa.
Graphics
The term for the artwork used to present you with the images of a poker room, including the table, chairs, avatars, cards, and chips.
Hand
The set of cards used by a player during a single round. Another word for a single round of shuffling, dealing, and betting.
Heads Up
A game where only two players remain in contention for the pot.
Head to Head
A game where only two players may participate.
High Card
The card with the highest rank.
High/Low
A variation of Omaha where the pot is split between the best hand and the worst hand. The worst hand is comprised of the 5 lowest cards. Most poker rooms, including this one, consider 5, 4, 3, 2, A (the wheel) as the lowest possible hand, despite it also being a straight.
Hold'em
Also called Texas Hold'em, one of the most popular poker games online and offline. Each player gets 2 down cards and can use three, four, or all five Community Cards to create the best possible hand.
Hole Cards
The Down Cards in a player's hand.
House
The games host, the provider of the gaming facilities, whether virtual or brick-and-mortar (casino, poker room, online casino, etc.)
In
A term for being an active player; one who has not folded.
Inside Straight
The term applied when a player has 4 of 5 cards needed for a straight with the missing card being inside the sequence rather than at either end, and gets the missing card. For example, a player holding 3, 4, 5, 7, needs a 6 to complete the straight. Getting that 6 is termed "making the inside straight."
Jackpot
A special bonus handed out by the poker room under specific circumstances.
Kicker
The term for the card used to break ties between two of a kind or between Two Pair. For instance, if your hand is an AQ and your opponent's hand is an AJ, and the flop includes an ace, each player has a pair of aces but you have the tie breaker "kicker" Q, which beats your opponent's J.
Live Blind
A mandatory, or forced, bet put in by one or more players before any cards are dealt. "Live" means those players can still raise when the action gets back around to them. A blind that counts towards any bet you call or raise.
Main Pot
The initial pot of money. When one or more players go all-in, a side pot is created for each all-in player.
Muck
As a noun, this refers to the pile of folded cards and discarded cards. As a verb, at showdown, the act of returning a losing hand to the dealer facedown.
Multi-Table Tournament
A tournament where players compete at more than one table, starting with equal numbers of chips, until one player has won all the chips. Prize payouts are a function of the number of competitors, and are posted on the tournaments page. Multi-table tournaments have a posted start time, and require registration in advance.
No Limit
A variation of the betting rules in which each bet is unlimited up to the number of chips a player has on the table (NL).
Omaha
A game in which each player receives 4 facedown cards and shares 5 Community Cards. The winning hand must use exactly 2 Down Cards and 3 Community Cards. This game also has a High/Low variant.
Omaha Hi/Lo
This game allows players to compete for a pot split between the highest and the lowest hands using 2 Down Cards and 3 Community Cards. A player may use different sets of cards to make up the best high and the best low hands.
On the Button
In Texas Hold'em and Omaha games, this means you are in the dealer position. A "button" marks the dealer position with a "D" in the center.
One on One
See head to head.
Outs
Cards that would complete a hand or improve it sufficiently to win the pot
Pair
A hand containing two cards of the same value, such as QQ, KK, a pair of tens, etc. When two or more players have a pair, the winner is determined by the card rank – the player with a pair with the highest card value wins.
Pass
To refrain from making a bet; if necessary, to fold if a wager is required in order to maintain a stake in the pot or to check if no bet is necessary to sustain a stake in the pot.
Play Chips
The chips used for play (practice) money games. Play Chips have no real monetary value.
Playing the Board
Using only the Community Cards to create your best possible hand.
Pocket Cards
The term describing the two down cards at the start of the hand.
Pocket Rockets
The hand A-A
Pot
The fund accumulated by the player wagers and which will be given to the winner of the hand.
Pot Limit
A poker variation in which players can bet up to the current amount in the pot (PL).
Profile
Information a player may enter concerning himself/herself that may be available, at the player's option, to other players in the poker room. Your profile may include your favorite hobby, favorite website, favorite quote, and more.
Raise
The act of increasing the size of a previous bet. For example, if the player before you bet $50, you can raise him to $60.
Rake
The amount of money, in chips, taken by the house from every pot as the service fee.
Raked Hand
Raked Hands are hands from real money tables where the poker room takes a rake. A Raked Hand is when any player is dealt cards in ring game play, in a hand which generates rake. This constitutes one Raked Hand even where the player folds before the flop. Note that some Noble Poker network tournaments with Raked Hand requirements refer to Raked Hands where a player has contributed to the pot in a hand which generates rake.
Rank
The order of the cards by value, from highest to lowest, based on the numeric or face value of the card regardless of the suit. In many poker games, the Ace may be as the highest ranked card or the lowest rank card.
Re-buy
To get more chips during a game but not during a hand that you are in. This applies to real money and tournament play.
Reducing
The act of removing chips from a table and returning immediately with fewer chips. Reducing is considered poor etiquette.
Registration
We ask you to select a screen name to serve as your poker room identity, a password, and provide a location and email address, in order to create an account. This is your registration process.
Ring Game
Also know as a "live" game, a Ring Game is any non-tournament game played for real money.
River
The fifth and final community card. This card is also known as Fifth Street.
Round
This refers to the dealing of a set of cards and associated betting. For example, the dealing of the river and the bets that follow are a round.
Royal Flush
The best possible high hand. This is a straight flush of the same suit from 10 through Ace.
Runner
A hand that was completed using the Turn and River cards. Also typically known as "Runner-Runner."
Running Pair
When the last two cards to appear on the board are a pair.
Screen Name
The identity you select by which you are known in the poker room. We only allow one player per screen name so please understand if the one you have selected is already taken.
Self-install
The term used to describe how the file you download from our web site is automatically installed and configured on your computer when you double-click on the file.
Server
The computer, or set of computers, providing a service to client computers. In this case the service is the poker room.
Showdown
After the final bet, when all players show their hands or muck, is known as the showdown.
Side Pot
This is a pot created when a player goes all-in. The side pot is the pot available to those players not all-in at that point. There can, on occasion, be more than one side pot.
Single Table Tournament
A poker table at which you may buy-in to a seat. All buy-in money goes to the prize pool. The prize pool is returned to the top finishers per the payout table on the tournaments page. A fee is normally required to play at this table. Players are staked to equal numbers of chips and play until one player has won all the chips. Single table tournaments begin as soon as the table has filled.
Sit Out
At Noble Poker you are allowed to hold your seat at a table while not participating in some hands. Under most conditions, we limit the time you may sit out. In blind games, you may be asked to post the equivalent of the blind if you return to your seat prior to the blind reaching you. To sit out you click the "sit out" check box on the table screen. To return, you unclick the same check box.
Small Blind
The size of the bet required of the player in the small blind position, usually half the size of the big blind.
Stakes
The amount of money players are willing to bet with during a poker game.
Straight
A hand containing five cards of consecutive value regardless of each card's suit. For example, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen.
Straight Flush
A straight consisting of cards which are all of the same suit.
Stud
The generic term for poker games where players receive the first card(s) down followed by some Up Cards where those Up Cards are exclusively for the use of that player. There may be a further Down Card as in 7 Card Stud.
Suit
Any of the four sets (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades) in a deck of cards.
Texas Hold'em
The poker game where each player gets two Down Cards followed by five Community Cards face-up.
Three of a kind
A hand consisting three cards of the same rank.
Tournament Buy-In
The cost to enter a tournament. All buy-in money is returned to the players via the prize pool.
Tournament Entry-Fee
A small fee the house charges to enter a tournament.
Trips
A nickname for three of a kind.
Turn
The fourth Community Card in Hold'em and Omaha.
Two Pair
A hand in which the player has two pairs of cards.
Under-raise
This occurs when a player raises a prior bet but has to go all-in to do so with an amount less than the full raise.
Up Card
A card dealt face up, so that all players may see it.
Wheel
A nickname for the best low hand A, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Walking Sticks
Nickname given to a pair of 7s.
Wayne Gretzky
A pair of 9s - so called after the hockey player, whose jersey number was 99.
