On of the first things a novice player will notice when playing, Casino Extra or studying, poker is the large number of slang terms the poker world uses. While there are many more past this list, here is a list of many of the most common ones.
Back door: Hitting a lucky hand for the win: usually unintended. Most common example is having a pair versus a better pair or trips, then hitting runner-runner for a flush.
Bad beat: A hand that is a huge favorite to win, but ends up losing (often to a back door)
Bubble: The area of a poker tournament when everyone is close to the cut off point for money, but not quite there.
Bust: Losing everything.
Calling station: A player who calls almost all the time no matter what.
Coin Toss: An all-in situation where both players have about a 50% chance of winning the hand.
Connectors: Pocket cards that connect in rank, for example 7-8 or Ace-King.
Cracked: To have the best starting Texas Hold’Em hand (pocket aces) beaten.
Crap Shoot: A table where the players are aggressive and the action is wild and crazy.
Dealer’s choice: A type of game (almost always a home game) where the seated players take turns deciding what game to play. Choices often include Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha and 7-Card Stud.
Drawing dead: A hand that is so badly beaten that no card or combination of cards can win for that player.
Free roll: A multi-table tournament that has no entry fee but still pays money to the top winners.
Heads up: When only two players are in a pot or game.
Hi/Lo: A game where half the pot goes to the player with the best hand and the other half goes to the player showing the worst hand. Usually played as a version of Omaha or 7 Card Stud.
Kicker: If a player makes a pair with one of his hole cards, the other is called the kicker. If another players holds the same pair, the highest kicker wins the pot.
Nuts: The best possible hand any player can have.
Outs: The total number of cards that a player can catch to win a hand. For example, if you have a pair of kings, but an opponent has a pair of aces you have two outs to win (another king).
On the Button: Being in the dealer’s position and therefore with the advantage of acting last.
Pot odds: A comparison between the amount of money needed to call a Casino Extra bet, the total amount in the pot, and the chance of actually winning the hand. An intermediate to advanced skill.
Rags: Low community cards that shouldn’t have any effect on the outcome of a hand.
Read: Studying other players to pick up tells that help you determine his or her hand.
Re-buy: A tournament feature that, for a limited time only, allows players who bust out of a tournament to buy their way back in again.
Runner-Runner: Catching two lucky cards in a row on the turn and the river to win.
Sandbagging: Playing a very strong hand weakly with the hope that someone will bluff heavily, allowing a bigger pay day.
Tell: A clue, whether physical or in betting patterns, that help reveal whether the player has a strong hand or is bluffing.
Tilt: Playing badly because of frustrations of losing—often occurs after getting beat one or more times by big underdog hands that get lucky.
Under the Gun: The position to the immediate left of the big blind, generally the weakest table position.
