List Of Texas Holdem Terms
We always list the most important Texas Holdem Terms And Definitions terms & conditions that you need to know about. With that being said, there are several well Texas Holdem Terms And Definitions known and trusted casinos that offer a first deposit bonus of 400% up to €40. Texas Hold ’em Terms. Ace In the Hole. If a player has an ace in their hand it’s known as having an ace in the hole. In some tournaments, players can. Poker Etiquette for Texas Hold’em. The etiquette tips in the following list apply to Texas Hold’em and to any other poker game. Sure, you can have fun while you play poker, but you can have all the fun you want without being impolite to the other players or the dealer. Basic poker etiquette includes these tips: Always play in turn.
What keeps Texas holdem interesting is that there are multiple ways it can be played. I’ve compiled a list of the 9 best Texas holdem variations, accounting for the betting structures and online formats that are available. Each variation features a small rules section, pros and cons, and famous players from each game. When playing Texas Hold’em it’s technically possible to have three pairs, but since a poker hand only consists of 5 cards only the 2 highest pairs are in play. For example, if you hold Q-J and the board reads Q-J-6-A-A you only have two pair: Aces and Queens.
Texas Hold’em poker is everywhere these days — on TV, online, and in clubs and casinos. Before you sit down to a game of Texas Hold ’em, make sure you’re in good shape to be successful — take care of non-poker issues and check your physical, mental, and financial status. During the game, you need to understand basic odds and playable hands, as well as how to bluff successfully and follow proper poker etiquette. Texas Hold ‘Em also has its own abbreviations for online play.
Playable Texas Hold’em Hands
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Texas Hold’em is a game of strategy, like any poker game, but where you’re sitting in relation to the action becomes part of your strategy when playing Hold’em. If you bet early, you generally need better cards than you do if you’re one of the blinds. The following table offers sound advice on what hands are playable when you’re sitting in different positions.
Questions to Ask Yourself before You Play Texas Hold’em
Whether you’re playing Texas Hold’em for fun or money — make that whether you’re playing for high stakes or low stakes — make sure you’re in a position mentally, physically, and financially to enjoy the game and make the most of your chances. Ask yourself these questions before you sit down to a game:
What is the purpose of my playing this session? Whether it’s to learn more, win money, or just hang with friends for a good time, make sure you know why you’re there and that you’re doing everything you can to accomplish that goal.
If I were to play an opponent who’s exactly the same as a well-rested, un-stressed version of me, would that person have an advantage? If the answer is “yes,” hold off on playing until you’re in a better psychological and physical state.
Can my bankroll handle this level of play? If not, play a lower level.
Are there any distractions in my life that I need to get rid of before I play? Pay your rent, walk your dog, call your significant other — whatever it is, get it out of your head so you can focus.
Do I know if the house I’m playing in has any bonuses for players such as bad beat jackpots, high hands, free food and/or drinks for players, or freeroll tournaments? If not, ask a floorperson before you start playing and find out about the details of how you can qualify.
Is there an aggressive person at the table I’ll be playing at? If so, try to get yourself seated to his left so you see the raises before your action and not after.
What do I know about the people sitting at the table? Whatever it is, use it to your advantage.
Rough Odds for Texas Hold’em
Playing poker is about playing the odds. The following list gives the odds for outcomes in Texas Hold’em hands. When you realize how heavily the odds are stacked against you, you may want to rethink going all-in before the flop with two suited cards. Use the odds to your advantage:
1 percent (1-in-100): Percentage of time that no player holds an Ace or a King at a table in a 10-handed game
1 percent (1-in-100): Percentage of time that if you hold two suited cards, you’ll flop a flush
6 percent (about 1-in-20): Percentage of time that five community cards will give pocket suited cards a flush
6 percent (about 1-in-20): Percentage of time that you’ll be dealt a pocket pair
8 percent (about 1-in-12): Percentage of time that you’ll hit at least trips after having a pair on the flop
12 percent (about 1-in-8): Percentage of time that you’ll flop trips if holding a pocket pair
12 percent (about 1-in-8): Percentage of time that two more cards will flop in the same suit as a suited pocket pair
19 percent (about 1-in-5): Percentage of time that the five community cards will at least trip your pocket pair
32 percent (about 1-in-3): Percentage of time that you’ll pair one of your cards on the flop (with no pocket pair)
33 percent (about 1-in-3): Percentage of time that you’ll make a full house or better after having trips on the flop
35 percent (about 1-in-3): Percentage of time that you’ll make a flush on the turn or river if you have four cards to a flush after the flop
Texas Hold’em Bluffing Tips
What makes any poker game exciting, and Texas Hold’em is certainly no exception, is that players can bluff at any point. Sometimes half the fun of a game is seeing whether you can successfully bluff an opponent out of some money. But, even as you’re misleading your opponents, make sure you bluff in the right circumstances. Heed these bluffing tips:
Only bluff where it makes a difference to your standing — either in a tournament or to your stack of chips.
Be careful bluffing someone considerably worse than you are. He may call just to see what you have, or on some probabilistically low draw when he already has you beaten anyway.
Bluff in situations where the board hints at the great hand you do not have: straights and flushes being hinted at by the board, the turn of an Ace, and so on.
Don’t try to bluff players who only play the most solid of hands if they’re still in the pot.
Don’t bluff people who are extremely likely to call.
Do bluff the timid or people who are likely to fold.
Remember that it’s easier to bluff in No-Limit than Limit because the bets (both implied and real) are bigger.
Poker Etiquette for Texas Hold’em
The etiquette tips in the following list apply to Texas Hold’em and to any other poker game. Sure, you can have fun while you play poker, but you can have all the fun you want without being impolite to the other players or the dealer. Basic poker etiquette includes these tips:
Always play in turn.
Be aware of when it’s your turn to post the blinds and do so promptly.
Any time there is a discrepancy at the table, talk to the dealer — not the other players — about it. If you’re not able to get satisfaction from the dealer, ask for a floorperson. Talking with other players about the problem you perceive may generate ill will among people who have no authority in the situation in the first place.
Place your bets in front of you. Do not splash them into the pot.
Do not show your hand to other players at the table while a hand is in progress.
Tell the dealer when you intend to raise. In No-Limit, gather the amount that you’re going to raise and either announce the total, or move it all forward with one motion. This prevents being called on a “string raise.”
Don’t forget to tip your dealer. Dealers work for minimum wage and rely on tips for their livelihood.
Online Poker Abbreviations for Texas Hold’em
Playing online poker in general, and Texas Hold’em in particular, is a very popular pastime. When you’re online, you may encounter abbreviations specific to the world of poker. To understand what other players are saying, get familiar with these online abbreviations:
| Abbreviation | What It Means | Abbreviation | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 86 | To remove or ban | ne1 | Anyone |
| brb | Be right back | nh | Nice hand |
| gc/nc | Slightly sarcastic phrase meaning good catch/nice catch | gg | Good game |
| lol | Laughing out loud | gl | Good luck |
| nl | No-Limit | ty | Thank you |
| n1 | Nice one | 🙂 | Smiley face (view sideways) |
Texas Hold'em Poker Terms and Glossary
Our poker glossary listed below includes not only common poker terms, but also poker terms specifically related to online poker. The game of poker is evolving, and like any language, new words are being added to the poker lexicon all the time. Knowing what poker players are saying when they use poker lingo, poker jargon, and even poker slang will ensure that you have an equal chance at the table.
Texas Holdem Poker Free
All-in If you bet all your chips at any point, you are considered as having gone 'All-in.' This can happen either when you don't have enough chips to make a required or elective bet, or when you bet all your chips as a strategic move in No Limit games. Having gone All-in gives you 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 above and beyond that point. These bets form a side-pot. The all-in is also used for situations where a player in a hand loses connection to the server. | 'Going all-in with your chips occasionally ends with your going all out of the game.' | ||
Poker Texas Holdem Rules
Ante An ante is a mandatory bet paid equally by all players prior to a poker hand being dealt. Antes are always found in stud and razz poker games (where there are no blinds), and also quite frequently in the later stages of No Limit Hold'em tournaments to encourage more action. Antes are also available at select No Limit Hold'em cash tables. | ||||
Avatar A term from computer gaming for an image or figure used to represent a person. 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'. | ||||
Back Bet A 'Back Bet' is a bet on something to happen (a prop bet) – a horse to win a race, a football team to win, or in poker’s case, winning a hand with the hole cards 27 offsuit. It’s just like a poker prop bet that you would regularly place in live games at casinos or with friends. | ||||
Bad Beat This term refers to a heavy favorite in a hand who loses to an opponent who was a severe underdog statistically speaking. 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 The big blind is the bigger of two forced bets, ensuring that there is money in the pot. The small blind is placed by the player to the left of the dealer and the big blind is then posted to the small blind's left. Generally, the big blind is equal to the minimum bet. In a $5/$10 limit game, for example, the big blind is $5. | ||||
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. | ||||
| 'Poker has a language all its own. You need to know the jargon if you want to play the game.' | ||||
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 virtual dealer. The button is used in games where position relative to the dealer is important. |
Buy-in The amount of money required to sit down at a poker game. Tournament entry fees are considered the 'buy-in.' At a ring game, there is a minimum and a maximum buy-in, defining how much money you can bring to the 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. 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, that action is termed a check. You may only check when there are no prior bets. | 'If you check, you're still in the hand. A check is not a bet, but also not a fold.' | |||
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 where two or more players attempt to gain an unfair advantage by sharing information. We do not tolerate cheating. | 'Cheaters and colluders will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law' | |||
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 termed 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 termed hole cards. | ||||
Drawing Dead This describes the 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 made. | ||||
Drop To drop your hand when you decide not to go further with your hand; to return your cards to the muck. Same as fold. Face Down Dealt cards that are not visible to other players. Face Up Dealt cards that are visible to all players. | ||||
Fixed Limit Poker In a fixed limit poker game, the amount you can bet or raise is fixed for each round of betting. For example, if you’re playing a $2-$4 fixed limit Texas Hold'em game, every player can only bet or raise $2 during the first two rounds of betting, and can only bet or raise $4 during the last two rounds rounds of betting. To understand this better, plese refer to our article: In Praise of Fixed Limit Poker. Flop In Texas Hold'em, the set of 3 face-up community cards or the first three cards on the board, all dealt at the same time. | ||||
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 A great hand ... all 4 of one rank. For example, 4 Tens. | ||||
Freeroll This term applies to poker tournaments where the entry fee, the stakes, or both the entry fee and stakes are waived. In some non-freeroll tournaments, the house may guarantee a minimum prize pool. | 'A freeroll is a tournament that every player can afford to play.' | |||
Full House A hand in which you have a combination of 3 of a kind, and a pair. | ||||
Hand A set of cards used by a player during a single round. Another word for a single round of shuffling, dealing, and betting. Hand for Hand (h4h) The end stage of a multi-table tournament where play is coordinated across all tables to prevent players from slow-playing in order to gain an advantage and move up in the prize structure. The Hand for Hand mechanism is usually employed at the stage when the amount of the prize money is due to increase. Typically, players will need to wait at their table until the action on a hand is completed at another table before a new hand is dealt. When a player is eliminated from the tournament and the higher prize level is reached, Hand for Hand action stops, only to resume when the next prize level increase is reached. When playing Titan Poker tournaments, players see a notification indicating that they are in Hand for Hand mode. | ||||
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 a game 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. Each player gets 2 down cards and can use 3,4, or 5 of the community cards. | ||||
Hole Cards The down cards in a player's hand. | ||||
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 bonus opportunity to win under specific circumstances set by the poker room. | ||||
Kicker The term for the card used to break ties between two of a kind or between Two Pair. | ||||
Live Blind A forced bet put in by one or more players before any cards are dealt. The 'live' means those players still have the option of raising when the action gets back around to them. | ||||
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 time, the act of returning a losing hand to the dealer facedown. Multi-Entry Tournaments Multi-Entry Tournaments (MET) allow players to register to play at multiple tables at a single tournament to increase their winning potential. Each of the entries to an MET has a separate chip stack and is played simultaneously. Players can either register multiple times simultaneously or only enter again if they get eliminated. | ||||
Multi-Table Tournament (MTT) A tournament where players at more than one table compete, starting with equal numbers of chips, until one player has won all the chips. Prize payouts are a function of the number of entrants, and are posted on the tournaments page. Multi-table tournaments have a posted start time, and require registration in advance. | ||||
nh Nice hand. | ||||
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). | 'No-limit Hold'em: Hours of boredom followed by moments of sheer terror' Tom McEvoy | |||
No Limit Hold'em The most popular variety of poker, featuring unlimited betting. Most poker tournaments, both online and live, are played in the No Limit Hold'em format. | ||||
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. Omaha High/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 This term means you are in the dealer position in Texas Hold'em and Omaha games.A 'button' marks the dealer position with a 'D' in the center. | ||||
Pair This is a hand where the player's best hand is made up of 2 cards of the same rank. | ||||
Pass Can be used in place of either check or fold depending on the context. Play Chips The chips used for play money games. Play chips have no monetary value. Playing the Board Using all the community cards in Hold'em as your best hand. | ||||
Pocket Cards The term for the two down cards at the start of the hand. | ||||
Pot The chips available to be won in any given hand. | 'A multi-way pot is one where there are three or more players left in the hand vying for the pot.' | |||
Pot Limit A variation on betting where each player may bet up to the current amount in the pot (PL). | ||||
Profile A term describing the information a player may enter about himself/herself that may be available, at the player's option, to other players in the poker room. | ||||
Raise The act of increasing the amount bet by a prior bettor. Rake The amount of money, in chips, taken by the house as the service fee in a ring game when the pot reaches a minimal amount. | ||||
No flop, no drop = Rake is not charged if a hand has ended before the flop cards have been dealt. | ||||
Raked Hand A Raked Hand is any hand in ring game play in which a player participates by contributing to the pot, either by posting a blind or a bet, and rake is generated. Rank The value of a card. The rank of the 2 of Spades is 2. The rank of the Queen of Hearts is Queen. Rank value increases from 2 through 10, followed in order by Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. In High/Low games, the Ace may be used both for its high rank and as 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. Re-Entry Tournaments Re-Entry Tournaments (RET) allow players to re-register after they are eliminated, simply by buying back in. As a result, more players participate at the tournament tables and prize pools grow larger. | ||||
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 from 10 through to Ace of the same suit. | ||||
Satellite A preliminary poker tournament awarding seat(s) to a larger, more important tournament. | ||||
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. 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. | ||||
Sit 'N' Go A poker tournament which starts as soon as the required number of poker players sit down at the table. Sit 'n' go tournaments are usually single table tournaments, however, there are multi-table tournaments that are considered sit 'n' go tournaments and which start play as soon as all available seats are filled. | ||||
Single Table Tournament (STT) A poker tournament taking place at just one table. All players buy-in with an equal amount and the 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. | ||||
Sit Out We permit you 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 a check box on the table screen. To return, you unclick the 'sit out' check box. | ||||
Small Blind In Hold'em and Omaha, this is the mandatory bet required of the player to the left of the dealer. Stakes In Limit games, Stakes are the fixed amount for bets and raises. Steel Wheel If a player holds a five high straight flush, (5-4-3-2-A), it is commonly called a 'steel wheel'. | ||||
Straight A hand in which the player has five cards in rank order. Suit does not matter. For example, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen. | ||||
Straight Flush A straight 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. | ||||
'Hold'em is to Stud, what chess is to checkers' - Johnny Moss | ||||
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. Turbo A form of poker play with minimal time to make decisions. Turn The nickname for 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 5, 4, 3, 2, A. | ||||