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AGame 1) The higheststakes game in a given establishment. Opposite of Zgame. 2) One's best game, in terms of the quality of one's play, as, "He's playing his Agame."
Able An obsolete term for the player immediately to the left of the dealer in games that use an automatic betting scheme. Also called edge, elder hand, or eldest hand. Sometimes the player in that position is the last to bet before the draw, which is equivalent to the situation involving an underthegun blind.
According to Hoyle With respect to the rules of poker, proper; a vague phrase invoking authority.
Ace The highest or lowest card in the deck. If the cards are arranged in order, the ace either starts this sequence: A23456789TJQK; or finishes this one: 23456789TJQKA. In high poker, the ace is the highest card in a hand, with one exception: when it is part of a 5high straight, that is, in this hand: A2345, of mixed suits.
Ace in the Hole In a stud game, having an ace as one's down card or one of one's down cards. This being a desirable condition, the phrase passed into general usage as an advantage or resource kept in reserve until an opportunity presents itself.
Ace Out To win (perhaps by bluffing) while holding an ace high hand (that is, a relatively worthless hand, since it doesn't contain even a pair). This phrase passed into general usage with the meaning of winning by deception or just barely beating someone. (If your opponent holds a totally worthless hand, an acehigh hand would just barely beat him; that is, you would ace him out.)
Ace to Five In a game played for low, ace to five means straights and flushes don't count and the ace can be used as a low card. The best possible hand in an ace to five game is therefore A2345 (often called a wheel).
Ace Up the Sleeve Describing the situation in which a cheater has withdrawn an ace from the deck to be introduced into the game later, or, more generally, has taken some unfair advantage. The phrase passed into general usage to describe the situation in which someone is hiding some probably unfair advantage.
AceHigh A fivecard hand containing an ace but no pair; beats a kinghigh, but loses to any pair or above.
AceHigh Straight Flush A royal flush.
AcetoFive Draw In a game played for low, ace to five means straights and flushes don't count and the ace can be used as a low card. The best possible hand in an ace to five game is therefore A2345 (often called a wheel).
AcetoFive Lowball In a game played for low, ace to five means straights and flushes don't count and the ace can be used as a low card. The best possible hand in an ace to five game is therefore A2345 (often called a wheel).
Acepots A form of high draw poker, in which a player cannot open the pot without holding at least two aces as openers.
Aces and Spaces A fivecard hand consisting of two aces and three other worthless cards.
Aces Full A full house with aces over any pair.
Aces Over 1) Pairs, one of which is aces. 2) A full house with aces over any pair.
Aces Up Pairs, one of which is aces.
AceyDeucey 1) Two pairs, aces and deuces. 2) In hold 'em, A2 as one's first two cards. 3) A nonpoker game, usually played in home games, but also found rarely in casinos, in which players bet that a third card in succession will fall in rank between the first two, which are dealt face up before the bet. Sometimes called Red Dog.
AceyUppy Pairs, one of which is aces.
Act To do something when it's your turn, one of: check, call, fold, open bet, and raise.
Action
1) The relative liveliness of a game, often measured by the frequency and quantity of bets and raises. "This game has a lot of action." Often part of the phrase fast action. 2) Being required to act. When it's your turn to do something, someone might say, "It's your action," or, "The action is up to you." 3) That portion of the pot that a player short of the full bet can win a multiple of. In a nolimit game, if John bets $100, Jim calls the whole $100, and you call, but you have only $20, you are said to have $20 worth of action in the pot. A side pot of $160 will be created between John and Jim; $20 of John's bet goes into the main pot, as does $20 of Jim's bet, and all of your bet; you can win the $60 main pot if you win.
Action Button A bet that must be posted, in a sevencard stud highlow game, by the winner of a scoop pot above a certain size, signifying a full bet (a blind raise, in other words), rather than just a call of the original forced bet. Any player who acts before the action button can only call the bringin. The holder of the action button essentially raises blind, and then, when it gets back to those who have only so far called the opening bet, they can either call or raise. For example, if the low card normally must bet $1 in a $5$10 game, and there is an action button out, anyone who calls the $1 is committing to bet $5 later. No one would call the $1 without intending at least to call the blind raise by the action button. Whether the action button acts in turn, or after everyone else has acted, depends on the card room.
Action Only In many card rooms, with respect to an allin bet, only a full bet is considered a legitimate wager, in terms of whether this constitutes a raise that can be reraised. Anything less than a full bet is considered to be action only, that is, other players can call such a bet but not raise it. For example, Chloe bets $10. Henry calls. John goes all in for $14. When the bet gets back to Chloe, she is permitted only to call the extra $4; the same goes for John. See discussion at full bet.
Active Still in contention for a pot. "Before the draw, there were five people in the pot; after the draw, there were three active players."
Active Hand A hand still in contention for a pot.
Active Player A player who is still in the pot.
Addon The opportunity to buy additional chips in some tournaments. Some tournaments allow players the opportunity at a certain point to buy additional chips, called an add on. This is different from a rebuy, because usually anyone still in the tournament can add on, and the opportunity to addon usually marks the end of the rebuy period. I was in such bad chip position, I decided it wasn't worth paying for the addon.
Advantage Same as edge (An advantage over an opponent, either specific or subjective.).
Advantage Player A thief or cheater, that is, someone who wins by taking an advantage.
Advantage Tool A cheating device, as a marked card or a mechanical device for hiding one or more cards, as, for example, a holdout machine.
Advertise To make a bluff with the deliberate intention of being exposed as a loose player. Advertising usually means showing down a mediocre hand, to give the impression that you play overly loose or that you play a generally weak game. The idea is that other players will then give you more action when you make a legitimate hand. Since people are bad at revising first impressions, this potentially beneficial effect can be longlasting. Typical advertising plays in hold'em might be to show down top pair with a weak kicker (e.g., K2), middle pair, or a gut shot draw that missed. These hands have marginal intrinsic value, but playing them early in a session might pay off later. Of course, it's best to advertise if you actually want to be called down more often, e.g., at an especially tight table. At a table full of calling stations, it might be unnecessary or even harmful. Advertising can also mean anything you do at the poker table to manipulate how other players assess you.
Advertisement The act of advertising.
AfterHours Game A private game, played after a card room closes for the night, often held in a motel or hotel room, and sometimes crooked.
Age An obsolete term for the player immediately to the left of the dealer in games that use an automatic betting scheme. Also called edge, elder hand, or eldest hand. Sometimes the player in that position is the last to bet before the draw, which is equivalent to the situation involving an underthegun blind.
Agent The partner of a thief in a cheating scheme.
Aggressive A style of play characterized by frequent raising and reraising. This is not the same thing as loose play. Many good players are selective about the cards they will play, but aggressive once they get involved in a hand. An aggressive table is one dominated by aggressive players.
Ahead 1) Winning. "Are you ahead or behind?" 2) With regard to a reference position at the table, acting before (usually immediately before). If the deal is one position to your right, you are ahead of the deal. If a player is sitting to your right, he acts ahead of you.
Ainsworth In hold'em, 62 as one's first two cards.
Air 1) In a lowball game, letting another player know whether you are going to draw cards or not, sometimes letting the player know how many, usually with the intention of getting that player into the pot. Usually part of the phrase give air. "Gimme some air. I'll draw two if you're drawing one." 2) Inadvertently exposing cards; usually part of the phrase put air into [a hand]. "You'll like sitting next to Johnny; he puts a lot of air into his hand." That is, if you sit next to Johnny, the way he holds his cards you can often see some of them, which, presumably, gives you an edge (albeit an unethical one) on him.
Ajax In hold'em, AJ as one's first two cards. Also called foamy cleanser.
Alabama Night Riders Three kings.
Alcohol. I'll call.
Alexander The king of clubs. Probably comes from Alexander the Great.
All ( Blue, Green, Purple, Etc. ) Colorful terms to describe a flush.
All Black Having a spade or club flush. Also, all blue, all purple.
All Blue Having a spade or club flush. Also, all black.
All Green Having a flush. This term is used only by those who have played a lot in home games and not much in cardrooms.
All Pink Having a heart or diamond flush. Also, all red.
All Purple
Having a spade or club flush. Also, all black, all blue.
All Red Having a heart or diamond flush. Also, all pink.
All the Way Betting all one's chips, usually preceded by go. "If I make this hand, I'm going all the way."
All the Way in One Play. I'm betting all my chips.
Allin To run out of chips while betting or calling. In table stakes games, a player may not go into his pocket for more money during a hand. If he runs out, a side pot is created in which he has no interest. However, he can still win the pot for which he had the chips. Example: "Poor Bob he made quads against the big full house, but he was allin on the second bet."
Allin Bet A bet made by a player in which he puts all his chips in the pot because he is all in.
Alone Player A card thief working with no confederates.
Amc. "All my chips." An announcement, usually in a nolimit game, on his turn that a player is betting or raising all of his chips.
American Airlines In Hold'em, a pair of Aces in the hole. Better known (at least in rec.gambling) as Pocket Rockets.
Ammo Chips. "Houseman, I need more ammo" is a request for more chips.
Ammunition Chips. "Houseman, I need more ammunition" is a request for more chips.
An Ace Working An ace in hand.
Anaconda
A form of seven stud in which cards are passed to left and right, sometimes multiple times, and sometimes with five cards chosen at the end and rolled, that is, exposed one at a time. Also called pass the trash, Screwy Louie
Angle Any technically legal but ethically dubious way to increase your expectation at a game; a trick.
Angle Shooter A poker player who uses various underhanded, unfair methods to take advantage of inexperienced opponents. The difference between an angle shooter and a cheat is only a matter of degree. What a cheat or thief does is patently against the rules; what an angle shooter does may be marginally legal, but it's neither ethical nor gentlemanly. Nor is it in the spirit of the game. Unfortunately, poker is not a gentleman's game. In addition to learning how to protect yourself against cheating players, you must learn to watch out for the angle shooters.
Announce In high/low games, declaring one's hand as high or low or both ways (usually done with chips in hand). Usually played in home games.
Announced Bet A verbal declaration by a player, in turn, in a nolimit or spread game, of the amount of his bet, or, in other games, that he is betting. In games in which announced bets are permitted, they are usually binding (when made in turn).
Ante 1) One or more chips put into each pot by each player before the cards are dealt. An ante is not part of a player's next bet, as opposed to a blind, which usually is. 2) The player to the left of the dealer, usually in an ante and straddle game.
Ante and Straddle A game in which the player to the left of the dealer (the ante) puts in (usually) one chip before getting any cards, and the player to his left (the straddle) puts in two chips. (Sometimes the dealer also puts in one chip.) The first player to have a choice on making a bet after having seen his cards is the player two positions to the left of the dealer. This is an old name for what is now called a twoblind traveling blind game. This is similar to a blind and straddle game. Also see little blind, middle blind, big blind.
Ante Bean An ante, or a chip used to ante.
Ante Up Put one's ante in the pot.
Ante Up.
A request, usually by the dealer, to one or more players to ante up.
Apologizer Same as apology card.
Apology Card In lowball, the appearance in the current hand of the card that would have made one's hand the previous hand. For example, a player draws to A234 and catches a four. Next hand, he looks at the first card he receives from the dealer. It's a five, which he turns face up for the whole table to admire (presumably because some of them may never have seen a five before), while saying, "There it is, the apology card."
Apple Big game, often the biggest game in a particular club. "I lost $1000 in the apple today." Also, big apple.
Argine The queen of clubs. May be an anagram of Regina (queen in Latin), or a corruption of Argea.
Arkansas Flush Fourcard flush.
AroundtheCorner Straight In high draw poker, a special straight, a nonstandard hand sometimes given value in a private or home game, five cards in a series in which the sequence of cards is considered to continue from king through ace, as, for example, JQKA2. Sometimes the hand ranks between three of a kind and a "normal" straight; sometimes it ranks between a "normal" straight and a flush.
Artist A cheat who manipulates the deck.
As Nas An ancient Persian game that some say is an ancestor of poker.
Asian FiveCard Stud A California game, a form of fivecard stud played with a stripped deck.
Asian Games The former name for California games. The term is still sometimes used in casinos and card rooms.
Asian Stud
A California game, a form of fivecard stud played with a stripped deck.
Assault Rifle In Omaha, hole cards that are AK47 of any suit(s)
Assigned Bettor The player who is first to bet in a particular round.
Auto Ante This option determines if you have to manually ante on each new hand. Generally it is easier to let the computer ante for you, but it is more realistic to ante up yourself)
Automatic Being in a mustbet situation.
Automatic Bet A bet, often a bluff, made, regardless of one's cards, in a situation in which the bet usually wins. For example, in a lowball game, if one player drew four cards and passes after the draw, and the next player drew one, the latter almost always makes an automatic bet, because most of the time that player has the best hand and the few times that he doesn't, the drawer of four cards doesn't call anyway.
Automatic Bluff A bet, often a bluff, made, regardless of one's cards, in a situation in which the bet usually wins. For example, in a lowball game, if one player drew four cards and passes after the draw, and the next player drew one, the latter almost always makes an automatic bet, because most of the time that player has the best hand and the few times that he doesn't, the drawer of four cards doesn't call anyway.
Ax The percentage of a pot kept by the management to pay expenses; usually called drop.
B The second position to the left of the dealer. Sometimes called just B.
BDealer A Bottom Dealer. A cheat who deals cards from the bottom of the deck. Also sometimes called bdealer, subway dealer, or cellar dealer.
BGame The secondhighest game in a particular club.
BaPoker Dictionary
An Internet mailing list, based in the San Francisco Bay Area (hence the ba) devoted to discussions of poker.
Baby A small card, usually a deuce through five in games other than lowball, and ace through five in lowball. "I caught a baby."
Back 1) Reverting to lowball, as in jacks back. 2) Finance another player.
Back Door Flush (Or Straight) Catching two cards to a flush.
Back in 1) In a passandbackin game, come into the pot after having passed. 2) Come into a pot cheaply as a result of having a blind and there not having been a raise.
Back into 1) Win a pot unexpectedly or by default. For example, in a lowball game, John drew three cards and caught KQJ. He passed after the draw, planning to fold if anyone bet. The three onecard draws also passed, all having paired and all afraid to bet, and John backed into the pot. 2) End up with a hand other than the one you were drawing to. For example, in sevencard stud, start with two pair on the first four cards and end up with a flush.
Back Peek A cheating maneuver that enables the dealer to see the face of the top card on the deck, accomplished by squeezing the top of the deck between thumb and little finger in such a way as to bow the top card in the middle so that its value can be surreptitiously viewed. This move is made prior to dealing seconds. Also called heel peek.
Back Raise To make a small raise to prevent further or larger raises, when the number of raises in a betting interval is limited. Usually permitted only in home games, in which the rule that a raise must equal in size the previous bet or raise does not hold.
Back Seat A position on a round of betting in which you act after most of the other players have acted.
BacktoBack Serially, or in a row. "I drew two cards and caught backtoback kings."
Backdoor Catching both the turn and river card to make a drawing hand. For instance, suppose you have As 7s. The flop comes Ad6c4s. You bet and are called. The turn is the Ts, which everybody
checks, and then the river is the Js. You've made a "backdoor" nut flush.
Backdoor Straight Catching two cards to a straight.
Backed Up 1) Paired. "I have kings backed up" means, in a draw poker game, "I have one pair, kings." In hold 'em, wired. 2) In seven stud, having a pair in the hole.
Backer Someone who finances another player. "How you gonna get into the tournament? I thought you were broke." "I have a backer."
Backing The cash supplied by a backer (Someone who finances another player.). "How you gonna get into the tournament? I thought you were broke." "I have backing."
Backline 1) Make an agreement between two or more players to accumulate chips in the following manner. One of the players usually maintains the back line. Whenever he or the player with whom he has made the arrangement wins a pot, a certain portion of the chips in that pot are put on the back line, that is, in a pool for later distribution. That amount could be one chip for each pot. It could be some specified larger amount, perhaps five or 10 chips. In a limit game, it could also be one chip for each bet in the pot, or one for each bet won by the winner of the pot. For example, in a $10limit game, if two players are back lining one chip per bet, and one of them wins a $100 pot (that is, the pot contains 10 bets), $10 goes on the back line. If they are back lining one chip per bet won, and both of them (only) are in the pot, only $5 goes on the back line (because the winner of the pot profited by $50, or five bets). At some prearranged time, the players split the back line. That is the point of this arrangement, that when one of the players is running bad, he makes some money off his "partner's" good fortune. If the player who maintains the back line runs out of his own chips, there may be some argument about whether those chips are playable, or if the other player runs out of chips, he may want to get his share of the back line. For the reason that arguments sometimes arise from this sort of arrangement, many clubs do not permit back lining. In such clubs, some obstinate players do it anyway, but surreptitiously. It's best when back lining that all parties involved in the agreement maintain sufficient chips to avoid running out in one pot or having to use the back line chips to bet with. A sharp tight player tries to make a back lining arrangement with a loose player. The loose player may lose money overall, but he wins more pots (because he plays more pots), and so the back line accumulates. The loose player doesn't mind contributing when he's winning, and when he's losing, and his "partner" is lucky, he gets something from it. He just doesn't realize that he's taking the worst of it in yet another situation. 2) The chips accumulated by back lining. The name probably comes from where the chips are kept. The back line is usually a stack of chips behind the player's own playing capital. Sometimes the back line is kept on the wooden rim, if the table has one.
Backs The reverse sides of the cards, as opposed to the sides that show their ranks and suits.
Bad
A hand of a particular type that will not beat many other hands of that type. Often used in low games to indicate nonnut low hands with a particular high card. A rough 8 in ace to five lowball could be any eight high hand other than 8432A, although 8532A isn't too rough. Rough is the opposite of smooth.
Bad Beat A very good hand, often a full house or higher, that is beat by an even better hand.
Bad Game Any game in which you figure to be the loser, because the other players are better than you.
BadBeat Jackpot In some cardrooms, a prize that is shared by the players in a game, when a very good hand (usually Aces full, or better) is beaten by a higher hand. Jackpots are usually financed by taking a drop ($1 is a common amount) from every pot. A typical division of the jackpot will give the losing hand 50 %, the winning hand 25 %, and the other players at the table share the remaining 25 % of the Jackpot
BadBeat Story A story told by someone who lost a pot, often a big one, in a bad beat. Usually no one but the teller is interested in hearing the story. The analog in the fishing world is the one that got away.
Bait A small bet made to encourage a raise.
Baker The second position to the left of the dealer. Sometimes called just B.
Balanced Games The philosophy in some public card room that keeps two games of the same type at the same limit balanced with respect to the empty seats. Rather than one full game, and one short game, two games at the same limit would have the same number of empty seats. The rules that govern when and how players can move between such games vary from card room to card room. For example, if a card room has two 2040 hold 'em games, and 14 players, rather than seat nine players at one game and five at the other, the floor personnel ensure that the games stay at seven and seven. If one more player comes in, the games would become eight and seven. Whatever is considered the main gamesometimes the more desirable game in terms of action; sometimes the game that started firstgets the extra player when there are an odd number of players. The reason to have balanced games is so the card room doesn't lose players who might not otherwise hang around to play in a short game. What often results is two short games full of disgruntled players.
Banana Dollar; dollar chip.
Bank
Act as cashier, that is, sell and buy chips, usually in a private game. (The term has a different meaning in housebanked casino games.)
Banker 1) The player who sells and buys the chips, usually in a private game. This function is often fulfilled by the host of the game. 2) The player against whom all other players play in California games, analogous to the house in a casino.
Bankroll 1) Playing capital. Sometimes expressed as BR. 2) Put up the money for one or more players; provide backing for.
Bar Officially exclude someone from playing in a particular establishment. "I hear Sin City barred Frankie for holding out."
Barbara Hutton In hold 'em, 105 as one's first two cards.
Barn A Full House, three of a kind and a pair.
Barnburner Very good hand; likely a wheel in lowball or a high straight flush in high poker.
Base Dealer A Bottom Dealer. A cheat who deals cards from the bottom of the deck. Also sometimes called bdealer, subway dealer, or cellar dealer.
Baseball Plays the same as Seven Card Stud except that in this game, threes and nines are wild, and a four up allows you to buy an extra card. If a player gets a four up, he has the option to buy an additional card for a predetermined amount, which is then dealt up.With eight wild and extra cards, it is usually fair to say, if you ain't got 'em, get out. That is unless you are dealt a natural royal flush. BEE No. 92 (TM) n. Trade name for the "diamond back" cards frequently used in casino games.
Baseball Poker Dictionary Baseball.
Basement Bottom of the deck; usually preceded by from the. Usually refers to the move of a bottom dealer. "I saw him coming from the basement" means I saw him deal a card from the bottom of the deck.
BaskinRobbins In hold 'em, 3A as one's first two cards; from the ice cream chain's "31 Flavors."
Bay and a Gray A $6 bet, consisting of a red chip ($5) and a white chip ($1). Such a bet would be made in a $3 $6 limit game. Bay comes from horseracing, where it is a reddish brown horse with black markings; red casino chips often have black markings on their edges.
Bb Shorthand, particularly in email and Internet postings, for big blind.
Bbrb 1) The term usually applies to a draw game, generally lowball, and is often shortened to BBRB. 2) The situation in which one player offers to bet without looking at his cards if the second will raise, similarly without looking at his cards.
Bean Chip; dollar. "Dealer, would you sell me some ante beans?" "Cost ya a bean to get in this pot."
Bear A tight player.
Beat 1) Get ahead of. "I can't beat this game." 2) The situation of losing a pot, often to someone defying the odds; usually preceded by bad. "I had four kings pat. The guy called a raise to draw three to acejoker and made a fivehigh straight flush. What a bad beat!"
Beat the Board In a stud or hold'em game, have a hand better than any other player's board. The opposite is can't beat the board, and means that a particular player's entire sevencard hand cannot beat the four exposed cards of another player.
Bedsprings A form of widow game found only in home games, in which each player is dealt five down cards, as in draw, followed by a betting round, and then 10 cards are arranged in two columns of five, with each turned face up one at a time, each followed by another betting round (yes, 11 betting rounds). Each player makes the best hand possible by using any combination from his five and two next to each other from the widow.
Bee Deck A standard paper deck for card room use, made by the American Playing Card Company; so called because of a drawing of a large bee on the ace of spades. Since the cards often have a diamond pattern on the back, they are sometimes called diamondback cards.
Beer Hand In hold 'em, 72 as one's first two cards.
Beggar In high games, a nopair hand (and one that is not a straight or flush, either) with no card higher than a 10.
Behind 1) Losing. "Are you behind or ahead?" 2) With regard to a reference position at the table, acting after (usually immediately after). If the deal is one position to your left, you are behind the deal. If a player is sitting to your left, he acts behind you.
Behind a Log Describing a situation in which a player is far ahead of a game and thus playing only premium hands. Sometimes playing behind a log.
Belly Buster A draw to fill an insight straight; a gut shot.
Belly Card A card that makes an inside straight.
Belly Hit A card that makes an inside straight.
BellyBuster Straight A straight made by catching a belly buster.
BellyUp 1) Honestly; usually preceded by play. To play bellyup implies honest play from a usually dishonest player. "Why do I deal myself seconds? Because I can't win when I play bellyup." 2) Playing carefully, as opposed to recklessly. "I don't lose as much when I play bellyup, but I don't have any fun, either." 3) Broke; busted. "I went bellyup after I had that flush beat."
Clubs (the suit), in written text. Kc, for example, is the king of clubs (K ).
CGame Any lowstakes game, generally the third highest in a given establishment.
CIX In lowball, a 6high hand. When a player shows down a 6high, he sometimes announces his holding by spelling out, "cix."
CNote A $100 bill.
C.H.O.R.S.E A game or tournament format in which six forms of poker are played in rotation, usually either half an hour of each or one round of each. The games are Chowaha, limit hold 'em, Omaha/8, razz, sevencard stud (high), and sevencard stud highlow.
C.H.O.R.S.E.L A game or tournament format in which seven forms of poker are played in rotation, usually either half an hour of each or one round of each. The games are Chowaha, limit hold 'em, Omaha/8, razz, sevencard stud (high), sevencard stud highlow, and lowball.
Caesar The king of diamonds.
Cage A room or an area, often behind a glass or behind bars, from which the cage person buys and sells chips. Also, window.
Cage Girl A female cashier.
Cage Man A cashier of the male persuasion.
Cage Person Cashier, specifically, the person who dispenses chips to the floor personnel, cashes players in when they leave, cashes checks for players, sometimes sells chips to players, keeps track of players' banks, records the progress of stake players (if any), keeps track of time collections, etc.
Calamity Jane The queen of spades. Named for the markswoman of the Old West (Martha Jane Canary, who is buried in Deadwood, SD, in 1903, next to Wild Bill Hickok), whose name some say was associated with prophecies of doom.
California A form of poker found only in home games, a widow game in which each player receives five cards face down, as does a central area of the table, followed by a round of betting, and then the
dealer turns up each central card, one at a time, each followed by another round of betting. At the showdown, each player uses the best five cards among his five and those of the widow. The game is often played highlow split. Also called Utah, Lamebrains, or California. Southern Cross is a variant of Cincinnati.
California Blind Betorfold, double limit draw poker (high), open on anything, with three traveling blinds.
California Draw 1) High draw poker as most often played in limit games: passandbackin before the draw, jacks or better to open, each player antes, and there are no blinds. 2) As played in nolimit games, betorfold (before the draw) draw poker, open on anything, usually played winner blind or with one or more traveling blinds (see traveling blind), and sometimes also with antes from each player. For both definitions, often called just draw or high.
California Game Any of the games played in the California games section of a card room or casino.
California Games A set of card room games, formerly called Asian games, some of which resemble poker, but are not strictly poker, in which players place bets before receiving the hands on which they wager. Others resemble blackjack. In these games, to get around the legal restriction against banking games, the only interest the house has is to take a portion of every bet; one player acts as banker, playing one hand against each player in turn. These games include pai gow (played with tiles, and not a card game at all), pai gow poker, super nine (also called super pan nine), California blackjack (also called X blackjack, where X is the name of the club), California Aces (a variant of blackjack in which the object is to get closest to 22, with two aces being the best hand; similarly often called X aces), 13card (not played with a banker).
California Lowball Five card acetofive low draw poker with the joker, betorfold before the draw, sevens rule after the draw.
Call To call is to match the current bet. If there has been a bet of $10 and a raise of $10 then it costs $20 to call. Calling is the cheapest (and the most passive) way to remain in a hand. See also cold call, flat call, and it To put in to the pot the minimum amount of money necessary to continue playing. See also: SEE. (CALL is used mostly in the present tense with the bet as the object, see with future tense and the original bettor as the object).
Call Cold To call a bet and raise at once.
Call Someone Down Check each round, and call each bet made by an opponent (who presumably bets each round).
Called Hand A hand that someone bet and someone else called, as opposed to a hand that was bet and no one called. The term often comes up when a bet is made, called, and lost, and the bettor who lost the hand now wants to throw the cards away unshown (perhaps from embarrassment at being caught bluffing).
Caller One who calls. Sometimes used collectively, as in "3 callers".
Calling Hand A hand with which a player feels he must call a (often any) bet. "I knew you made it, but I had a calling hand."
Calling Station A player who calls much too often is called a calling station. Such a player will pay you off when you make hands, and will often fail to press their advantage when they have relatively strong hands. On the other hand, calling stations will hit more backdoor and other unlikely draws than other players, making it occasionally frustrating to play against them, especially in large numbers.
Can't Beat the Board 1) In a stud game, have an entire sevencard hand that cannot beat the four exposed cards of another player. 2) In hold 'em, have a hand that cannot beat the board (The exposed cards); this implies that the player is playing the board.
Canine In hold 'em, K9 as one's first two cards. Also, pedigree.
Cap 1) After dealing the first round, put a chip on top of the undealt cards for protection; usually followed by the deck. 2) Put in the maximum number of raises in a round of betting; usually followed by the bet, the bets, or the betting. Make the maximum raise permitted in the current round. "I'll cap it" means that someone has put in the, say, third raise.
Capable Having the ability to cheat. "Is he capable?" means "Is he a thief or mechanic?"
Capitola. Saying, often said by California dealers, that means "The betting is capped."
Capped Describing the situation in which the maximum number of raises in a round of betting have been made.
Capper The chip used to cap the deck.
Cappuccino. Saying, often said by dealers, that means "The betting is capped."
Card 1) One of 52 (or 53) flat, rectangular objects, made usually of paper or plastic, with a uniform design on one side (the backs) and a representation of value (rank and suit) on the other; each card is either the joker, or one of the four suits (spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs) and 13 ranks (A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, T, J, Q, K). A complete set of cards is called a deck. Paper cards are sometimes called pasteboards. Collectively, cards are sometimes called the Devil's playthings. 2) A player's bank. 3) Check cashing card.
Card Club A card room.
Card Dauber Someone who marks cards.
Card Down The situation in which a card has been dealt off the table or otherwise dropped to the floor, and a floor person must be called to pick up the card, because, in many casinos and card rooms, the house dealer is not permitted to retrieve the card, nor is a player. If a card falls on the floor, the dealer may announce, "Card down," and a floor person comes over to pick it up. Whether the card or cards that fell to the floor are still live or dead is subject to individual card room interpretation.
Card Mechanic A cheat who manipulates the deck.
Card Mob Two or more cheaters working together in a card game.
Card Money Money allocated by a gambler for playing at cards; bankroll.
Card Play Playing at cards. Also, carding
Card Player The premier magazine devoted to card playing.
Card Playing Playing at cards. Also, carding, card play.
Card Rack Someone who gets a lot of good hands; usually used facetiously or humorously. Sometimes called human card rack.
Card Room 1) An establishment, usually open to the public, in which cards, usually poker, are played. 2) The section of a casino in which poker is played. 3) A room in a club devoted to card playing.
Card Sense In a poker game, an acute awareness of the totality of what is going on, not narrowing your focus to just what's happening in your own hand. Card sense implies the ability to act on your observations, and to think on your feet. You must have imagination in playing your own hand, almost xray vision in being able to reconstruct opponents' hands. It is card sense that causes a player to play the same cards differently in different situations. A player without card sense usually plays the same cards the same in all situations.
Card Shark An expert card player, usually a professional gambler. The term is not necessarily synonymous with cheater.
Card Smith A card player, particular one who plays for a living.
Card Table 1) Poker table. 2) Any table designed specially for playing cards. Different styles of tables are used for bridge, blackjack, baccarat, and poker, which itself has several types, depending on the specific game.
Card Wrench A device to pry apart cards so that the card you caught will fit the hand; used humorously. If, in high draw poker, a player draws to 4567 and catches a 9, he might say, "I need a card wrench to fix this hand."
CardHolder A player who seems to get more good hands than random chance would dictate.
CardHustler Card thief.
CardRoom License
A specific gambling license issued by any combination of municipality, county, state, or country, to a card room, usually specifying the types of games permitted, the stakes, hours of operation, and other restrictions.
Carder One who plays cards, particularly a professional.
Carding 1) Playing at cards. 2) Noting exposed cards (particularly at sevencard stud), and using that information in the play of a hand.
Cards 1) The playing of a card game, often poker. "I'm going out to play some cards tonight." 2) A deck. "Give me the cards; it's my deal." 3) Any portion of a deck. "You're not supposed to pick up the cards for the next deal until the previous hand is completely over."
Cards Break Even The theory that states in the long run everyone gets the same cards implies that if the cards are running bad for awhile for a particular player, they will eventually fall back into a normal pattern. "I'll get even if the cards ever start breaking even."
Cards Speak 1) Cards speak is simply the rule that the value of your hand is determined solely by your cards. You don't have to declare your hand properly in order to claim the part of the pot you deserve. The alternative to this is mainly declare games, usually played in home games for low stakes 2) A name for highlow split with no declaration.
Cardshark An expert card player, usually a professional gambler. The term is not necessarily synonymous with cheater.
Cardsharping The Cheating at cards.
Caribbean Stud A casino game, banked by the house, that resembles poker only in the ranking of the hands. The game is sort of a cross between poker and a slot machine. Players bet before receiving their cards that their hands will be better than the dealer's; they can increase the bet after seeing their hands. Certain combinations, usually three of a kind or better, pay premiums, and a royal flush wins a progressive jackpot.
Carpet Joint A wellappointed casino or card room, as opposed to a sawdust joint. Also called rug joint.
Carry a Slug Shuffle a slug into prearranged position. For example, in draw, a cheat might carry a slug full of spades in it so that it ends up in a position one beyond the cards required to deal the hand. When he or his partner draws, he can draw two or three cards and make a spade flush.
Carry Over Credit a stake or a cow with his chips from one shift to the next. A stake player is usually liable for the amount of his last press. For example, if he was staked $20, lost it, given a $10 press, and then carried over, only $10 would go on the sheet of the next shift. In such case, a stake could lose for the house and still make money for himself. If the stake were given $20, and then a $10 press, and went broke while still in the same shift, he would have no carryover and could not make money on that shift. That is why some stakes try to get staked near the end of a shift, and then, if they are short near the end of the shift, contrive to lose the last chips so they can get pressed just before the next shift starts. That way they can start the next shift with just $10 on the sheet, and, if they lose that, get still another press.
CarryOver Chips or cash being carried over.
Case 1) Descriptive of the only remaining card of a rank or suit. "I caught the case ace" means there was only one left to draw (in a draw game) or hit (in a stud game) and the player got it. 2) All; said of money. "He bought in for his case money" means that all he had in his pocket went to buy chips; if he loses these, he can't buy anymore.3) The last card of a denomination or suit, when the rest have already been seen.4) Look over; usually said of a card room, referring to checking out the action. "He only comes in to case the joint, and never lights."
Case Bet A gambler's last bet, when he has lost his bankroll or stake.
Case Card The last card of a denomination or suit, when the rest have already been seen.
Case Chips A player's last chips.
Case Money The last of a gambler's bankroll or stake.
Cash in To leave the game and convert one's chips to cash, either with the dealer or at the cage.
Cash Out
To leave a game and cash in one's chips at the cage.
Casino 1) A building or establishment devoted to gambling games of all kinds. 2) A large, usually opulent, card room.
Casino Cage A room or an area, often behind a glass or behind bars, from which the cage person buys and sells chips. Also, window.
Casino Chowaha A hold 'em variant invented in a private game by RGPer Mike Chow, and popularized at BARGE, in which each player gets two down cards, the dealer flops nine cards, arranged in three rows of three, then turns two cards vertically at the ends of the "corridors" between the preceding rows, and rivers one card in the middle and to the right of the two, the whole arrangement forming a large arrowlike structure. Players form their best fivecard hand using their two plus any three cards from the four possible fivecard board combinations: top row of three plus top card of two plus river card, bottom row of three plus bottom card of two plus river card, middle row of three plus either one of the two turn cards plus river card.
Cat Any one of big tiger, little tiger, big cat, little cat.
Cat Flush A nonstandard hand sometimes given value in a private or home game, a big tiger or little tiger, all in the same suit, ranking above a straight flush (since a tiger beats a straight).
Cat Hop In draw poker, a draw of two (or more cards) to a straight or flush, or, sometimes, to a pair with (usually) an ace kicker. The term has two implications. One is just the attempt to make such a draw. "He draws to every cat hop that comes along" implies the player draws two cards every time he starts with three cards to a straight or flush. The other is actually making it. "Wouldn't you know I'd get beat by a cat hop when I finally made a straight?"
Catbird Seat The position immediately to the right of the dealer. This is a restricted usage of the more general term, which means advantageous situation or position.
Catch 1) Receive a card. 2) Receive a card that makes a hand (that is, in draw poker, draw a card that fills the hand or makes specifically what one was trying to make, or, in a stud game, be dealt the card one needs). "As soon as he started to bet, I knew he caught."
Catch Inside
1) In lowball or razz, make the particular hand you're drawing to. If you have 7432, and catch a 6, 5, or ace, you catch inside. 2) In any high game, make an inside straight.
Check and Raise Permitting players to pass and still retain their cards. "This is a checkandraise game before the draw."
Check Blind 1) Without looking at the cards you have been dealt. 2) The card or cards you have drawn, make no bet; usually accompanied by a verbal announcement of this fact. Also check dark.
Check Cashing Card A sheet on which the cashier keeps track of a player's transactions against a blank, signed check.
Check Cop 1) A thief whose specialty is stealing chips from pots or other players, usually by palming them. 2) A sticky substance a thief rubs on his palm to permit chips to stick to the palm without having to close his fingers around the chips. Also, glue.
Check Copper A thief whose specialty is stealing chips from pots or other players, usually by palming them.
Check Dark The card or cards you have drawn, make no bet; usually accompanied by a verbal announcement of this fact.
Check in the Dark 1) To check before looking at the card or cards just dealt. 2) Intention of folding on the turn and the river, but no one ever bet.
Check Rack A box, or tray, that has indentations to neatly hold chips in (often five) stacks.
Check Raise To check initially, then raise a bet made later on in the same betting round. Frequently a sign of strength, but may be a bluff.
CheckRack Request a player to leave. Comes from what a player usually does before cashing in: fill a chip rack with his chips, and head for the cage. "When the floor man saw Danny come from the cellar, he chipracked him" means "When the floor man saw Danny deal a card from the bottom of the deck, he asked Danny to cash in (and leave the premises)."
