winpoker

When you first start playing poker you may come across a lot of jargon as you do in other hobbies and professions. Here we have listed the most common terms that you may come across whilst playing at WinPoker.


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. In No-Limit Holdem you can make this move any time it is your turn to bet. It is known as going All-in. Once you are All-In 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, however this does not apply to tables that do not have Disconnection Protection (No DP).



Ante



A mandatory bet required from all players before any cards are dealt or viewed. These are usually introduced in later levels of play. This encourages more action as every player's stack is depleting each round.



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 occurs when a weak hand draws exactly the card(s) it needs in order to win the pot from an overwhelmingly strong hand. Typically it would be the case where the losing hand only had one or two cards in the deck for him to beat his opponent.



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 $100, and you bet the pot, your bet is $100.



Big Blind 



In games using a blind to put money in play, the big blind is generally equal to the higher amount of the stakes for that game. In a $2/$4 game, the big blind is $4. The big blind follows the small blind, which is put up by the first player to the left of the dealer.

Big Slick

The nickname given to Ace-King.


 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. This ensures there will always be plenty of action.



Board



The community cards in holdem are collectively known as “the board”. Occasionally players will “Play the Board”; this is when the cards on the board are stronger than those in their hand. The exceptions to this is Omaha where you must use two of your hole cards.



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 as it is very unlikely that it will be exposed. In online poker there is no possibility of this happening in our poker room; therefore we do not use burn cards.



Button



A marker, normally a round disc, to indicate which player is the dealer. The button is used in games where position relative to the dealer is important such as Texas Holdem and Omaha.



Buy-in



The amount of money you pay to join a table or to join a tournament.



Call



When a player matches the prior bet on the table, or when the small blind is to act and there has been no raise, that action is termed “the call”.



Cap



The last permitted raise in a betting round is called “the cap”. At WinPoker 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 poker software that you download to your computer, allowing you to interact with the room's servers.




Collusion


A form of cheating in which players attempt to gain an unfair advantage by sharing information of their hands with each other. WinPoker has a zero tolerance on collusion or any other form of cheating. We have state of the art security and monitoring systems, and any players caught will have their accounts closed.



Community Cards



Face-up cards on the table that are shared by all players are termed “community cards.” Texas Holdem and Omaha always have community cards.



Cowboys

Nickname for two Kings held as a pair in a players hole 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 and is placed in the middle of the table.



Dead Hand



A hand no longer in the game that has been folded by a player.



Down Cards



The face-down cards dealt to a player, also known as hole cards. In Texas Holdem each player received two of these.



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. The more common term is 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 Holdem, the first three community cards which are dealt face-up. These are then followed by the Turn (4th Street) and the River (5th Street)



Flush



Any 5 cards in one hand that are all the same suit. If they are connected then they are known as a straight flush.



Fold



Withdraw from further action 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. This is common in stud games.



Four of a Kind



Four cards of the same rank. For example, four kings, four queens, 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. Also some freerolls offer a chance to re-buy should you lose all your chips. For this there is a cost.



Full House



A hand which consists of a combination of a three-of-a kind and a pair. Example: three queens and two kings, 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.



Gutshot

One card needed to complete a straight. For instance a player has 7 8 9 Jack and needs a ten to hit their straight.


Hand



The cards used by a player during a single round. Alternatively, another word for a single round.



Heads Up



A game where only two players remain in contention for the pot. Alternatively, a specific type of game where two players play against each other to determine the winner.



Head to Head



A game where only two players may participate, such as a Heads Up Tournaments.



High Card



The card with the highest rank. Also a term used when a pot is won where no players have made a better hand. For example Ace High beats King High.



Hi/Lo



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.



Holdem



Also called Texas Holdem, 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. Texas Holdem No Limit, Pot Limit and Fixed Limit are the most common variations.



Hole Cards



The down cards in a player's hand. In Texas Holdem these consist of two cards.



House



The game's 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 and is still “In” the hand.



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." Also known as a gutshot.



Jackpot



A special bonus handed out by the poker room under specific circumstances, for example a “Bad Beat” jackpot or a “Royal Flush” jackpot.



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. Even if you get beaten in the main pot you may still win the side-pot.



Mo-Town

Nickname for J5, relating to the group Jackson Five (Jacks-n-5).


Muck



This refers to the pile of folded cards and discarded cards. Should you fold this is where your cards go. Also if you do not show your hand when you have won by all other players folding you have the option to “show” or “muck”.



Multi-Table Tournament (also known as MTT)
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 (MTTs) 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). Also known as the Rolls Royce of Poker.



Omaha



A game in which each player receives four face down cards and shares five community cards. The winning hand must use exactly two down cards and three community cards. This game also has a Hi/Lo variant where players can use two variations of the four cards.



Omaha Hi/Lo



This game allows players to compete for a pot split between the highest and the lowest hands using two down cards and three 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 Holdem and Omaha games, this means you are in the dealer position. A "button" (disc) marks the dealer position with a "D" in the centre.



One on One 



See head to head and Heads Up.



Outs



Cards that would complete a hand or improve it sufficiently to win the pot. For example should a player need a particular suit with two in his hand and two on the board there will be 9 outs (each suit has 13 cards 2+2+9 = 13).



Pair



A hand containing two cards of the same value, such as 99, KK, 33. 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. Aces are the highest pair.



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. This is usually when no-one has raised the Big Blind.



Play Chips



The chips used for play (practice) money games. Play Chips have no real monetary value, but are useful for those that would like to try the game without risking any money.



Playing the Board



Using only the community cards to create your best possible hand.



Pocket Cards



The term describing the down cards at the start of the hand.

Pocket Pair

The term used when a player is holding a pair in his hole cards, for example 66, 77 or KK.



Pocket Rockets



The hand A-A. Also known as Rockets



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 favourite hobby, favourite website, favourite 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 occurs 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 WinPoker 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 played 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 known as a “live” game, a ring game is any non-tournament game played for real money.





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. This can occur at any time when players are All-in



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 (STT) 



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 tournament's 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 WinPoker you are allowed to hold your seat at a table while not playing 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. See Dead Blind. To sit out you click the “sit out” check box on the table screen. To return, you unclick the same check box. If you are sat out in a tournament, you will still post your blinds and this is referred to as “away from the table”



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. Also a term used for what limit you are playing such as Micro, Medium and High Stakes.



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. 13 cards in each suit making a deck of 52.



Texas Holdem



The poker game where each player gets two down cards followed by five community cards face-up.



Three of a kind (also known as Trips or a Set)



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 Holdem 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. Also known as a bicycle.



Walking Sticks



Nickname given to a pair of 7s, due to their resemblance in shape.



Wayne Gretzky



A pair of 9s - so called after the hockey player, whose jersey number was 99.