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World Series of Poker

2011-02-15T23:33:00.000-08:00

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment. It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited six of the best-known poker players to the Horseshoe Casino for a single tournament, with a set start and stop time, and a winner determined by secret ballot.
The winner of each event receives a World Series of Poker bracelet and a monetary prize based on the number of entrants and buy-in amounts. Over the years the tournament has grown, both in the number of events and the number of participants. Each year the WSOP culminates with the $10,000 no-limit hold'em "Main Event", which since 2004 has attracted entrants numbering in the thousands. The victor receives a multi-million dollar prize and a bracelet, which has become the most coveted award a poker player can win. The winner of the World Series of Poker Main Event is considered to be the World Champion of Poker.
Starting in 2011, the WSOP consists of 58 events, with most major poker variants featured, though in recent years over half of the events have been variants of Texas hold 'em. Events traditionally take place during one day or over several consecutive days during the series in June and July. However, starting in 2008, the Main Event final table has been delayed until November.
The 2010 World Series of Poker was held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. It started on May 27 and ran through July 17, with the final table of the Main Event returning in November. Jonathan Duhamel became the first Canadian to win the main event, taking home US$8.94 million.The 2011 WSOP will again take place at the Rio. It will start on May 31 and run through July 19, with the final table of the Main Event returning again in November.

Format

Since 1971, all WSOP events have been tournaments with cash prizes. In 1973 a five-card stud event was added. Since then, new events have been added and removed. Since 1976, a bracelet has been awarded to the winner of every event at the annual WSOP; later on, the winners of pre-1976 events were retroactively given bracelets.
The tournament grew slowly for over a decade, reaching 52 participants in 1982. In the early 1980s, satellite tournaments were introduced, allowing people to win their way into the various events. By 1987, there were over 2,100 entrants in the entire series.
At the 2006 World Series of Poker there were 45 events, covering the majority of poker variants. Participation in the Main Event peaked that year, with 8,773 players competing.
Currently, Texas hold 'em, Omaha hold 'em and Seven-card stud and their lowball variants are played. H.O.R.S.E. has been played in the past and returned in 2006. Also, S.H.O.E. has been played in the past, and returned in 2007. Other events played in the past include Chinese poker, Five card stud, and many others. Like most tournaments, the sponsoring casino takes an entry fee (a percentage between 6% and 10%, depending on the buy-in) and distributes the rest, hence the prize money increasing with more players. In the 2005 main event US$52,818,610 in prize money was distributed among 560 players, with US$7.5 million as the first prize. The 2006 Main Event, won by Jamie Gold, is the largest single poker tournament in history; Gold pocketed US$12 million for his victory. In July 2010, it was announced that the winner of the 2010 Main Event would receive just under US$9 million.

Highlights

The number of participants in the WSOP grew every year from 2000 until 2006. Following 2006, new online gambling legislation restricted the number of online qualifiers to the event. 2007 was the first dip in numbers in this century while in 2008 more people participated than the previous year. In 2000 there were 4,780 entrants in the various events, but in 2005, the number rose to over 23,000 players. In the main event alone, the number of participants grew from 839 in 2003 to 8,773 in 2006. Phil Helmuth has won the most bracelets with 11 followed by Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan with ten bracelets each. Crandell Addington is the only player to place in the top ten of the World Series of Poker Main Event eight times, albeit in earlier years with small fields compared to modern times. Four players have won the main event multiple times: Johnny Moss (1971 and 1974), Doyle Brunson (1976 and 1977), Stu Ungar (1980, 1981 and 1997) and Johnny Chan (1987 and 1988). Bracelet winners who first achieved fame in other fields include French actor/singer Patrick Bruel (in 1998), Danish soccer player Jan Vang Sørensen (in 2002) and American actress Jennifer Tilly (in 2005). In recent years, there have been non-bracelet events at the WSOP; two of the most notable are the "World Series of Rock Paper Scissors" and "Ante Up for Africa."

History

The idea of a World Series of Poker began in 1969 with an event called the Texas Gambling Reunion.It was an invitational event sponsored by Tom Moore of San Antonio, Texas, and held at the Holiday Hotel and Casino in Reno. This inaugural event was won by Crandell Addington. The set of tournaments that the World Series of Poker (WSOP) would evolve into was the brainchild of Las Vegas casino owner and poker player Benny Binion. In 1970, the first WSOP at Binion's Horseshoe took place as a series of cash games that included five-card stud, deuce to seven low-ball draw, razz, seven-card stud, and Texas hold 'em. The format for the Main Event as a freeze-out Texas hold 'em game came the next year. The winner in 1970, Johnny Moss, was elected by his peers as the first World Champion of Poker and received a silver cup as a prize.

Acquisition by Harrah's

n 2004, Harrah's Entertainment purchased Binion's Horseshoe, retained the rights to the Horseshoe and World Series of Poker brands, sold the hotel and casino to MTR Gaming Group, and announced that the 2005 Series events would be held at the Harrah's-owned Rio Hotel and Casino, located just off the Las Vegas Strip. The final two days of the main event in 2005 were held downtown at what is now the MTR-operated "Binion's" in celebration of the centennial of the founding of Las Vegas. It also added a made-for-television $2 million "freeroll" invitational Tournament of Champions (TOC) event first won by Annie Duke as a "winner-take-all" event.

A Binion's poker table signed by WSOP Champions

Starting in 2005, the WSOP began a tournament "circuit" at Harrah's-owned properties in the United States where, in addition to the $10,000 buy-in tournament at each site, qualifying players became eligible for a revamped Tournament of Champions. The 2005 TOC, made up of the top twenty qualifying players at each circuit event, along with the final table from the 2005 Main Event and the winners of nine or more bracelets (Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, and Phil Hellmuth) would participate in the revamped TOC at Caesar's Palace. Mike Matusow won the first prize of $1 million (US), and all the players at the final table were guaranteed a minimum of $25,000 for the eighth and ninth place finishers. During a break in the final table of the 2005 Main Event on July 16, Harrah's announced that eleven properties — including the recently added Bally's and Caesar's properties — would host 2005–06 WSOP Circuit events that started on August 11 in Tunica, Mississippi. One event that was scheduled for Biloxi, Mississippi, was canceled after the Grand Casino Biloxi, which was scheduled to host the event, suffered major damage from Hurricane Katrina. The Rio also hosted the 2006 World Series of Poker, which began on June 25 with satellite events and formally began the day after with the annual Casino Employee event, won in 2006 by Chris Gros. 2006 featured the Tournament of Champions on June 25 and 26, won by Mike Sexton. Various events led up to the main event, which was held from July 28 until August 10. The first prize of $12 million was awarded to Jamie Gold.

Main Event

Since 1972, the Main Event of the WSOP has been the $10,000 buy-in no-limit Texas Hold 'Em (TXHE) tournament. (In 1971, the buy-in was $5,000.) Winners of the event not only get the largest prize of the tournament and a gold bracelet, but additionally their picture is placed in the Gallery of Champions at Binion's. The winner of the Main Event has traditionally been given the unofficial title of World Champion. However, some believe that no-limit hold 'em is not the optimal structure for determining a champion poker player. In 2002, Daniel Negreanu argued that the Main Event should switch to pot-limit hold 'em, believing that pot-limit required a more complete set of poker skills than no-limit, although he admitted that such a change would likely never be made. However, many of the game's top professionals, including Negreanu, have since stated that the recently-added $50,000 H.O.R.S.E./8-game event is the one which ultimately decides the world's best player. The $50,000 buy-in, being five times larger than the buy-in for the Main Event, has thus far tended to deter amateurs from playing in this event, and the variety of games played require a broader knowledge of poker. The first $50,000 event, conducted as a H.O.R.S.E. tournament, was won by Chip Reese in 2006. In 2010, the $50,000 event changed from H.O.R.S.E. to an "8-game" format, adding no-limit hold 'em, pot-limit Omaha, and 2–7 triple draw to the mix, and was rechristened The Poker Player's Championship, with Michael Mizrachi winning the first edition of the revamped event. Since Reese's death in December 2007, the winner of this event receives the David 'Chip' Reese Memorial Trophy in addition to the bracelet and the prize money.

The Gallery of Champions in 1979.

There have been many memorable moments during the main events, including Jack Straus's 1982 comeback win after discovering he had one $500 chip left when he thought he was out of the tournament. The end of the 1988 main event was featured in the movie Rounders. Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer, the winners in 2003 and 2004, both qualified for the main event through satellite tournaments at the PokerStars online card room. Jerry Yang, the winner in 2007, had only been playing poker for two years prior to his victory. He won his seat at a $225 satellite tournament at Pechanga Resort & Casino, in California. With passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006 online poker sites have been barred from purchasing entrance directly for their users. The 2009 final table lasted for 364 hands, including 88 hands of heads up play.

Players

Since its inception, Stu Ungar and Johnny Moss are the only players to have won the Main Event three times. However, Moss' first victory came in a different format, as he was elected winner by vote of his fellow players at the conclusion of what was then a timed event. Moss (if the first time win by vote is counted), Ungar, Doyle Brunson, and Johnny Chan are the only people who have won the Main Event in consecutive years. Johnny Chan's second victory in 1988 was featured in the 1998 film Rounders.
Phil Hellmuth holds multiple WSOP records: most bracelets (11), most WSOP cashes (78), and most WSOP final tables (42). The 2009 Main Event bracelet winner, Joe Cada, is the youngest person to win the Main Event.
Since 2004, a Player of the Year Award has been given to the player with the most points accumulated throughout the World Series. Only "open" events in which all players can participate count in the standings; this eliminates the Seniors, Ladies, and Casino Employee events. Beginning with the 2006 World Series of Poker, the Main Event and the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. competition had no effect on the outcome of the winner of the Player of the Year award. In the 2008 World Series of Poker, the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event counted toward the Player of the Year award, but the Main Event did not. Since 2009, all open events, including the Main Event, count towards Player of the Year. The Player of the Year is based upon performance at the WSOP in Las Vegas and does not take the World Series of Poker Europe into account.

World Series of Poker Hall of Fame

Since its inception in 1979, the Poker Hall of Fame has honored 38 individuals. Selection criteria for players include having competed against acknowledged top competition, played for high stakes and played consistently well to gain the respect of their peers. For non-players, selection is based on positive and lasting contributions to the overall growth and success of poker.

1979 Felton "Corky" McCorquodale
1979 Johnny Moss
1979 Red Winn
1979 Sid Wyman
1979 "Nick the Greek" Dandolos
1979 Edmond Hoyle
1979 "Wild Bill" Hickok
1980 T. "Blondie" Forbes
1981 Bill Boyd
1982 Tom Abdo
1983 Joe Bernstein
1984 Murph Harrold
1985 Red Hodges
1986 Henry Green
1987 Puggy Pearson
1988 Doyle Brunson
1988 Jack Straus
1989 Fred "Sarge" Ferris
1990 Benny Binion
1991 David "Chip" Reese

1992 "Amarillo Slim" Preston
1993 Jack Keller
1996 Julius Oral "Little Man" Popwell
1997 Roger Moore
2001 Stu Ungar
2002 Lyle Berman
2002 Johnny Chan
2003 Bobby Baldwin
2004 Berry Johnston
2005 Jack Binion
2005 Crandell Addington
2006 T.J. Cloutier
2006 Billy Baxter
2007 Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
2007 Barbara Enright
2008 Duane "Dewey" Tomko
2008 Henry Orenstein
2009 Mike Sexton
2010 Dan Harrington
2010 Erik Seidel

World Series of Poker Europe

The World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) is the first expansion of the World Series of Poker. Since 1970, the event has occurred every year in Las Vegas. In September 2007, the first WSOP championship events outside of Las Vegas, complete with bracelets, were held. The inaugural WSOPE consisted of three events held in London from September 6–17, 2007. The main event, a GBP 10,000 buy-in no-limit hold 'em tournament, was won by Norwegian online prodigy Annette Obrestad on the day before her 19th birthday. This made her the youngest person ever to win a WSOP bracelet, a record that cannot be broken in the Las Vegas WSOP under current laws because the minimum legal age for casino gaming in Nevada is 21. Obrestad could play in the WSOPE because the minimum age for casino gaming in the United Kingdom is 18. While no definitive plans have been announced, WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack has indicated that in the next one to three years that other venues may start holding WSOP events. Two locations that have been mentioned as possible expansion sites are Egypt and South Africa.

Poker celebrities - Liv Boeree

2011-02-14T04:02:00.000-08:00

Olivia “Liv” Boeree (born 1984) is a poker player, TV presenter, and model from England. Born in Kent, Boeree studied physics with astrophysics at the University of Manchester before moving to London.

Liv Boeree

Poker

Boeree was introduced to the poker industry when she was selected as one of five contestants in the reality TV show "Ultimatepoker.com Showdown", which aired on Five in autumn 2005. During the show she was coached by Phil Hellmuth, a professional poker player. In 2006 Liv appeared on the Channel 4 show Codex.
After the show, Boeree began playing poker as a serious activity, and in 2006 she became the TV presenter and journalist for Gutshot TV at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Shortly after, she became the host of Challenge TV's on-line coverage of the European Poker Tour, and also appeared as a reporter at the World Series of Poker Europe on WorldSeriesofPoker.com. Liv writes a regular column in industry magazine "Bluff Europe" and has had front cover features in "Gambling Online", "World Poker Tour" and "Online Gambler" magazines.
Boeree's initial successes in poker were a 7th place finish at the Welsh Amateur Poker Championships, a 1st place finish at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas and winning a $19,000 package to the 2007 Five Diamond Poker Classic at the Bellagio, Las Vegas. Boeree has also appeared in the Gala UK Poker Tour Season 1 on Channel 4 as a featured player, the World Women's Open on Five in 2007 and on Sky Poker channel 865 in 2008.
In May 2008 Liv won the 2008 Ladbrokes European Ladies Championships for $30,000.
Boeree cashed in two events at the 2008 World Series of Poker: Event 38 $2000 Pot Limit Holdem, finishing 49th for $ 4,074 and Event 41 $1500 Mixed Limit Holdem, finishing 64th for $ 2,793. She also finished 49th at the 2008 Aruba Classic for $5,500.
In January 2009 she finished 7th in the $1500 NLH Bounty event for $18,900 AUD and in April 2009 made two final tables in the prelim events at the World Poker Tour Championships totalling $23,000. She also won a $25,000 seat in a satellite to the WPT Main event, in which she finished 37th for $41,000.
On 21 April 2010, Boeree won the European Poker Tour in Sanremo. Boeree won €1,250,000 and thereby became the third woman ever to win an EPT title.
Boeree is a member of team PokerStars. As of 2010 her total live tournament winnings exceed $2,050,000.
On 2 September 2010 Liv Boeree opened the Poker in the parkFestival in London. The event attracted people from all around the globe, who came there for the various attractions and free Poker tournaments.

Other activities

On 21 July 2007 Boeree appeared on the ITV show Golden Balls. She reached the Split or Steal game at the end of the show and stole the jackpot of £6500.50 from her opponent.
Boeree co-presented on Metal Hammer's Golden Gods free DVD that came with September 2008's issue. She also had a three page feature in the November 2008 issue of Loaded Magazine

Poker aggression

2011-02-12T00:43:00.000-08:00

In the game of poker, opens and raises are considered aggressive plays, while calls and checks are considered passive (though a check-raise would be considered a very aggressive play). It is said that "aggression has its own value", meaning that often aggressive plays can make money with weak hands because of bluff value. In general, opponents must respond to aggressive play by playing more loosely, which offers more opportunities to make mistakes.
While it is true that aggressive play is generally superior to passive play, using any play exclusively can lead to predictability, and being too predictable is far worse than being too passive. A player who is constantly aggressive and plays many inferior hands is called a "maniac", and skilled players will take advantage of him by calling him more often, using isolation plays, and by other means.
If a player is not aggressive with his weaker hands, the opponents can safely fold whenever the player does bet or raise. The appropriate amount of aggression can be computed using game theory, and depends on the game being played and the tendencies of the opponents.
Most theorists, like David Sklansky and Doyle Brunson suggest aggression as an important tool. It is also worth noting that aggressive play should not be confused with loose play. Aggression is called for in particular circumstances. Very strong starting hands should be played very aggressively most of the time. A very strong propositional hand - one that is more likely to win with a straight or a flush - is one of the hands that can be played for effect with an aggressive style. Such aggression is deceptive, as the low and unpaired ranks of the starting hand require much improvement to win. This is beneficial for two reasons:

When the hand improves the preceding aggression has increased the size of the pot, meaning a larger win.
On future raises with more traditionally powerful hands, other players must consider the fact that the aggressor's open or raise is indicative of a strong drawing hand as opposed to a high pair.

The second reasoning is what is known as "advertising" in poker. It can be very profitable for a player to convince the other players at the table that he is willing to gamble with less than premium cards. The result is larger pots when the aggressive player has tremendously strong hands.

Freeroll

2011-02-09T04:16:00.000-08:00

Freeroll hand

In playing a particular hand of poker, a freeroll is a situation that arises (usually when only two players remain) before the last card has been dealt, in which one player is guaranteed to at least split the pot with his opponent no matter what the final cards are, but where there is some chance he can win the whole pot if certain final cards are dealt. This most commonly occurs in a high-low split game where one player knows that he has a guaranteed low hand made, his opponent cannot make a better low no matter what the last card is, but the player who is low might possibly catch a lucky card that gives him a straight or flush, winning high as well.
Here's an example from Texas hold'em: Angie holds K♣ 10♣, and Burt holds K♥ 10♥. After the fourth card is dealt, the board is A♣ Q♠ J♥ 4♣. Both players have an ace-high straight, the current nut hand, and so they will most likely split the pot. But if the final card happens to be a club, Burt's straight will lose to Angie's flush. There is no other possible final card that will give Burt more than a split; only Angie can improve, so she is freerolling Burt.
If a player knows he has a freeroll, he can raise the pot with impunity, and often a less-skilled opponent with a good hand who does not realize that he is on the wrong end of the freeroll will continue to put in raises with no possible hope of gain.

Freeroll tournament

The term freeroll is also used to describe a tournament with no entry fee but the use of the terms 'free' and 'no entry fee' can be misleading because some freerolls require a payment at some point to gain entry to the tournament.
The prize pool, instead of being an accumulation of the entry fees minus a fee for the 'house' (the way pay-to-play tournaments are typically constructed), is derived from a donation from the house, sponsorship fees, admission charged to spectators, broadcast rights fees, or any combination of these. Sometimes a particular cardroom or casino (either traditional or online) will offer a freeroll tournament to frequent players. Invitation-only tournaments are frequently freerolls.
Freerolls at Internet poker sites should not be confused with their close counterpart -- play money tournaments. Freerolls are different from play-money tournaments in two respects. Play money tournaments usually require the 'payment' of play money and the tournament winnings are play money. Freeroll tournaments can be genuinely free, may require a payment of points (from a point system developed by the site), or on some occasions require a deposit of funds into the player's account. The winnings are either real money, points, merchandise or entry tickets (invitations) to other tournaments.
Most if not all Internet poker sites have freeroll tournaments although in many cases require a payment of points to play. These points typically can only be earned by paying and playing real money hands which in essence is a payment required to play their 'freerolls' and therefore a loose use of the term 'freeroll'. There are Internet sites that allow playing in freerolls without payment of any kind and with the chance to win real money.
It is not unusual to pay to play in a feeder tournament that gives the winner(s) a free entry to another tournament but it is debatable whether these second level tournaments can be called 'freerolls', since they require a buy-in, albeit smaller than the major tournament one. More often, such tournaments are called 'satellites'. This format is typical of freeroll tournaments both on the Internet and in the 'brick and mortar' sites.
The Professional Poker Tour is one such 'freeroll', with entrants being required to qualify through their results in previous tournaments. Sponsorship and broadcast-rights fees fund the prize pools.
Freeroll tournaments are not exclusive to poker. Casinos frequently offer them to frequent and/or high-value players in games such as craps, blackjack, video poker and slot machines.

Origin of the term

Many believe the term comes from Early 1950s Las Vegas, when guests would often be given a "free roll" of nickels to play at the slot machines upon check-in. Guests would often ask for their "free rolls" and the words became fused together and expanded to mean any complimentary gaming bonus.

Poker terms

2011-02-08T06:02:00.000-08:00

A

ace-to-five, ace-to-six: Methods of evaluating low hands.
act: To make a play (bet, call, raise, or fold) at the required time. It is Ted's turn to act. Compare to "in turn".
action

A player's turn to act. The action is on you.
A willingness to gamble. I'll give you action or There's plenty of action in this game.
A bet, along with all the calls of that bet. For example, if one player makes a $5 bet and three other players call, he is said to have $5 "in action", and to have received $15 worth of action on his bet. Usually this term comes into play when figuring side pots when one or more players is all in. See table stakes.

action button: A marker similar to a kill button, on which a player places an extra forced bet. In a seven-card stud high-low game, the action button is awarded to the winner of a scoop pot above a certain size, signifying that in the next pot, that player will be required to post an amount representing a completion of the bring-in to a full bet. For example, in a stud game with $2 and $4 betting limits and a $1 bring-in, a player with the action button must post $2; after the cards are dealt, the player with the low card must still pay the $1 bring-in, then when the betting reaches the player who posted the $2, he is required to leave it in as a raise of the bring-in (and has the option to raise further). Players in between the bring-in and the action button can just call the bring-in, but they know ahead of time that they will be raised by the action button.
action card: In Texas hold 'em or other community card games, a card appearing on the board that causes significant betting action because it helps two or more players. For example, an ace on the flop when two players each hold an ace.
action only: In many cardrooms, with respect to an all-in bet, only a full (or half) bet can be reraised. Anything less than a full (or half) bet is considered to be action only, that is, other players can call the bet but not raise it. For example, Alice bets $100. Bob calls. Carol goes all in for $119. When the action returns to Alice and Bob, they may only call the extra $19; they cannot raise it. Carol's raise is called action only. Compare to "full bet rule", "half bet rule".
active player: A player still involved in the pot. If there are side pots, an all-in player may be active in some pots, but not in others.
add-on: In a live game, to buy more chips before you have busted. In tournament play, a single rebuy for which all players are eligible regardless of their stack size. This is usually allowed only once, at the end of the rebuy period. The add-on often offers more chips per dollar invested than the buyin and rebuys. Compare with "rebuy".
advertising: To make an obvious play or expose cards in such a way as to deliberately convey an impression to your opponents about your style of play. For example, to make a bad play or bluff to give the impression that you bluff frequently (hoping opponents will then call your legitimate bets) or to show only good hands to give the impression that you rarely bluff (hoping opponents will then fold when you do).
aggressive, aggression: See aggression. Compare to "loose", "tight", "passive".
air

In lowball, "giving air" is letting an opponent who might otherwise fold know that you intend to draw one or more cards to induce him to call.
Nothing, as in That last bluff was with total air, or I caught air on the river.

all in: Having bet all of your chips in the current hand.
angle: A technically legal, but borderline unethical, play. For example, deliberately miscalling one's own hand to induce a fold, or placing odd amounts of chips in the pot to confuse opponents about whether you mean to call or raise. A player employing such tactics is called an "angle shooter".
ante: See ante.
ante off: In tournament play, to force an absent player to continue paying antes, blinds, bring-ins, or other forced bets so that the contest remains fair to the other players. Go ahead and take that phone call. We'll ante you off until you get back. Also "blind off".

B

backdoor

A draw requiring two or more rounds to fill. For example, catching two consecutive cards in two rounds of seven-card stud or Texas hold 'em to fill a straight or flush.
A hand made other than the hand the player intended to make. I started with four hearts hoping for a flush, but I backdoored two more kings and my trips won.

back in: To enter a pot by checking and then calling someone else's open on the first betting round. Usually used in games like Jackpots, meaning to enter without openers.
back into: To win a pot with a hand that would have folded to any bet. For example, two players enter a pot of draw poker, both drawing to flushes. Both miss, and check after the draw. The player with the ace-high draw "backs into" winning the pot against the player with only a king-high draw. Also to make a backdoor draw, for example, a player who starts a hand with three of a kind, but makes a runner-runner flush, can be said to back into the flush.
backraise: A reraise from a player that previously limped in the same betting round. I decided to backraise with my pocket eights to isolate the all-in player. Also limp-reraise.
bad beat: See bad beat.
bank: Also called the house, the person responsible for distributing chips, keeping track of the buy-ins, and paying winners at the end of the game.
bankroll: 1. The amount of money that a player has to wager for the duration of his or her poker career.; 2. To fund someone's participation in a game. As in, "John bankrolled Kate's $5,000 entry fee into the tournament." Compare with "staking".
behind

Not (currently) having the best hand. I'm pretty sure my pair of jacks was behind Lou's kings, but I had other outs, so I kept playing.
Describing money in play but not visible as chips in front of a player. For example, a player may announce "I've got $100 behind" while handing money to a casino employee, meaning that this money is "in play" and he may bet or call with that money even before the chips are brought to him.

bet

Any money wagered during the play of a hand.
More specifically, the opening bet of a betting round.
In a fixed limit game, the standard betting amount. There were six bets in the pot when I called.

betting structure: The complete set of rules regarding forced bets, limits, raise caps, and such for a particular game. See betting.
big bet: See big bet.
big bet game: A game played with a no limit or pot limit betting structure.
big blind: See blind.
big blind special: See big blind special
big full: The best possible full house in community card games. I had the big full when the flop came A-A-5 and my hole cards were A-5. A stronger hand than the "underfull".
big stack: A stack of chips that is relatively large for the stakes being played. Compare with "short stack".
blank: A card, frequently a community card, of no apparent value. I suspected Margaret had a good draw, but the river card was a blank, so I bet again. Compare to "rag", "brick", "bomb".
blaze: A Non-standard poker hand of five face cards that outranks a flush.
bleed: Consistently losing chips through bad play, possibly resulting from tilt. When a player is consistently losing chips, it is referred to as "bleeding chips".
blind

A type of forced bet.
In the "dark".

blind stud: A stud poker game in which all cards are dealt face down. Was popular in California before legal rulings made traditional stud legal there.
blind off, blinded

To "ante off".
To have one's stack reduced by paying ever increasing blinds in tournaments. Ted had to make a move soon or he would be blinded away in three more rounds.

blocker: In community card poker, refers to holding one of the opponent's outs, typically when the board threatens a straight or straight draw. A blocker is also having a combination of cards that turn your opponents outs into your own, such as having four to a straight flush. The two cards to give you a straight flush are blockers against his high flush draw.The board was A23 but with my pair of fives I held two blockers to the straight. Compare to "dry ace".
blocking bet: An abnormally small bet made by a player out of position intended to block a larger bet by an opponent.
bluff: See bluff.
board

The set of community cards in a community card game. If another spade hits the board, I'll have to fold.
The set of face-up cards of a particular player in a stud game. Zack's board didn't look too scary, so I bet into him again.
The set of all face-up cards in a stud game. I started with a flush draw, but there were already four other diamonds showing on the board, so I folded.

boat: Another name for Full house
both ways: Both halves of a split pot, often declared by a player who thinks he or she will win both low and high.
bottom dealing: See bottom dealing.
bottom end: The lowest of several possible straights, especially in a community card game. For example, in Texas hold 'em with the cards 5-6-7 on the board, a player holding 3-4 has the bottom end straight, while a player holding 4-8 or 8-9 has a higher straight. Also "idiot end".
bottom pair, bottom set: In a community card game, a pair (or set) made by matching the lowest-ranking board card with one (or two) in one's private hand. Compare second pair, top pair.
bounty: An aspect of some poker tournaments that rewards players for eliminating other players with a cash prize for each player they eliminate, separate from the tournament payout structure.
box: The chip tray in front of a house dealer, and by extension, the house dealer's position at the table. You've been in the box for an hour now; don't you get a break?
boxed card: A card encountered face-up in the assembled deck during the deal, as opposed to one overturned in the act of dealing. Most house rules treat a boxed card as if it didn't exist; that is, it is placed aside and not used. Different rules cover cards exposed during the deal.
break

In a draw poker game, to discard cards that make a made hand in the hope of making a much better one. For example, a player with J-J-10-9-8 may wish to break his pair of jacks to draw for the straight, and a lowball player may break his 9-high 9-5-4-2-A to draw for the wheel. In a Jacks-or-better draw game, a player breaking a high pair must keep the discarded card aside, to prove he had openers.
To end a session of play. The game broke at about 3:00.
During a tournament, an interval where play ceases and the players are free to refresh or relieve themselves.

brick: A "blank", though more often used in the derogatory sense of a card that is undesirable rather than merely inconsequential, such as a card of high rank or one that makes a pair in a low-hand game. Also known as a bomb. Compare to "rags".
brick & mortar: A brick & mortar or B&M casino is a term referring to a "real" casino based in a building, as opposed to an online casino. This term is used to refer to many real world locations vs. their Internet counterparts. It is not just a poker term or even a gambling term; it is often used in e-commerce in similar situations.
bridge order: Poker is neutral about suits. A spade flush and a club flush with all ranks matching is a tie. But in determining the dealer at the start of a game, or in determining the bringin bettor in a stud game, bridge rank rules: Spades beat hearts beat diamonds beat clubs. It's convenient but coincidental that this works out to reverse alphabetical order.
bring in

To open a betting round. Alice brought it in for $4, and Bob raised to $10.
A forced bet in stud games. In the first betting round, the holder of the worst (lowest or highest, depending) upcard must post a bring-in bet. The bring-in bet is typically a quarter to a third of a small bet. The bring-in bettor may look at his cards, and place a full bet if he deems it wise.

broadway: A 10 through ace straight.
brush

A casino employee whose job it is to greet players entering the poker room, maintain the list of persons waiting to play, announce open seats, and various other duties (including brushing off tables to prepare them for new games, hence the name).
To recruit players into a game. Dave is brushing up some players for tonight's game.

bubble: The last finishing position in a poker tournament before entering the payout structure. He was very frustrated after getting eliminated on the bubble. Also can be applied to other situations like if six players will make a televised final table the player finishing seventh will go out on the "TV bubble". Also used to describe any situation close to the payout structure.
buck: See button.
bug: See bug. Compare to wild card.
bully: A player who raises frequently to force out more cautious players, especially one with a large stack for the size of the game (a "big stack" bully).
burn card, burn: See burn card.
busted

Not complete, such as four cards to a straight that never gets the fifth card to complete it.
Out of chips. To "bust out" is to lose all of one's chips.

button: See button. Also "buck" or "hat". The most common button indicates the dealer position at the table, but other specialized buttons exist.
buy-in: The minimum required amount of chips that must be "bought" to become involved in a game (or tournament). For example, a $4-$8 fixed limit game might require a player to buy at least $40 worth of chips. This is typically far less than an average player would expect to play with for any amount of time, but large enough that the player can play a number of hands without buying more, so the game isn't slowed down by constant chip-buying.
buy short: To buy into a game for an amount smaller than the normal buy-in. Some casinos allow this under certain circumstances, such as after having lost a full buy-in, or if all players agree to allow it.
buy the button

A rule originating in northern California casinos in games played with blinds, in which a new player sitting down with the button to his right (who would normally be required to sit out a hand as the button passed him, then post to come in) may choose to pay the amount of both blinds for this one hand (the amount of the large blind playing as a live blind, and the amount of the small blind as dead money), play this hand, and then receive the button on the next hand as if he had been playing all along. See public cardroom rules.
A tactic most often used by late-position players: a raise to encourage the later and button players to fold, thus giving the raiser last position in subsequent betting rounds.

buy the pot: Making a bet when no one else is betting so as to force the other players to fold, thus winning the pot uncontested. A specialized version of this is "buying the blinds" by making a large raise in the first round forcing all other players out of the game.

C

call: See call.
call the clock: A method of discouraging players from taking an excessively long time to act. When someone calls the clock, the player has a set amount of time in which to make up his mind; if he fails to do so, his hand is immediately declared dead. In tournament play, a common rule is that if a player takes too long and no one calls the clock, the dealer or floor personnel will automatically do so.
calling station: See calling station. A calling station is usually a loose passive player.
cap: A limit on the number of raises allowed in a betting round. Typically three or four (in addition the opening bet). In most casinos, the cap is removed if there are only two players remaining either (1) at the beginning of the betting round, or (2) at the time that what would have otherwise been the last raise is made.; Also, term for the chip, token, or object placed atop one's cards to show continued involvement with a hand.
cap game: Similar to "cap" above, but used to describe a no-limit or pot limit game with a cap on the amount that a player can bet during the course of a hand. Once the cap is reached, all players remaining in the hand are considered all-in. For example, a no limit game could have a betting cap of 30 times the big blind.
cards speak: See cards speak.
case card: The last available card of a certain description (typically a rank). The only way I can win is to catch the case king., meaning the only king remaining in the deck.
cash game: See ring game.
cash plays: An announcement, usually by a dealer, that a player requested to buy chips and can bet the cash he has on the table in lieu of chips until he receives his chips. In many card rooms, it also refers to the policy that $100 bills may remain on the table and considered to be "in play" in cash form, rather than converted to chips.
cashing: Winning a share of the prize money in a tournament.
cashing out: Exchanging chips for cash when leaving a game.
catch: To receive needed cards on a draw. I'm down 300--I can't catch anything today. or Joe caught his flush early, but I caught the boat on seventh street to beat him. Often used with an adjective to further specify, for example "catch perfect", "catch inside", "catch smooth".
catch up: To successfully complete a draw, thus defeating a player who previously had a better hand. I was sure I had Alice beat, but she caught up when that spade fell.
catch perfect: To catch the only two possible cards that will complete a hand and win the pot, usually those leading to a straight flush. Usually used in Texas hold 'em. Compare with "runner-runner".
center pot: The main pot in a table stakes game where one or more players are all in.
chase

To call a bet to see the next card when holding a drawing hand when the pot odds do not merit it.
To continue to play a drawing hand over multiple betting rounds, especially one unlikely to succeed. Bob knew I made three nines on fourth street, but he chased that flush draw all the way to the river.
To continue playing with a hand that is not likely the best because one has already invested money in the pot. See sunk cost fallacy.

check

To bet nothing. See check.
A casino chip.

check out: To fold, in turn, even though there is no bet facing the player. In some games this is considered a breach of etiquette equivalent to folding out of turn. In others it is permitted, but frowned upon.
check-raise: See check-raise.
chip: See casino token.
chip declare: A method of declaring intent to play high or low in a split-pot game with declaration. See declaration.
chip dumping: A form of collusion that happens during tournaments, especially in the early rounds. Two or more players decide to go all-in early. The winner gets a large amount of chips, which increases the player's chance of cashing. The winnings are then split among the colluders.
chip leader: The player currently holding the most chips in a tournament (or occasionally a live no limit game).
chip race: See chip race.
chip up

To exchange lower-denomination chips for higher-denomination chips. In tournament play, the term means to remove all the small chips from play by rounding up any odd small chips to the nearest large denomination, rather than using a chip race.
To steadily accumulate chips in tournament play, typically by winning small pots with minimal risk-taking.

chop

To split a pot because of a tie, split-pot game, or player agreement.
To play a game for a short time and cash out. Also "hit and run".
A request made by a player to a dealer after taking a large-denomination chip that he wishes the dealer to make change.
To chop blinds.
An agreement by all players remaining in a tournament to distribute the remaining money in the prize pool according to an agreed-upon formula instead of playing the tournament to completion. Usually occurs at the final table of a large tournament.

chopping the blinds: See chopping the blinds.
closed: See closed.
coffee housing: Talking in an attempt to mislead other players about the strength of a hand. For example a player holding A-A as their first two cards might say "lets gamble here", implying a much weaker holding. Coffee housing is considered bad etiquette in the UK, but not in the USA. This is also called speech play.
coin flip: A situation where two players have, perhaps wisely, invested all their money in the pot and it's a roughly even chance which of them wins. A-K against a small pair is a common case; the A-K is only a modest dog. Also "race."
cold call: To call an amount that represents a sum of bets or raises by more than one player. Alice opened for $10, Bob raised another $20, and Carol cold called the $30. Compare to "flat call", "overcall".
cold deck: A deck that has been intentionally rigged ('stacked') such that some player or players cannot win.
collusion: A form of cheating involving cooperation among two or more players. See cheating in poker.
color change, color up: To exchange small-denomination chips for larger ones.
combo, combination game: A casino table at which multiple forms of poker are played in rotation.
come bet, on the come: A bet or raise made with a drawing hand, building the pot in anticipation of filling the draw. Usually a weak "gambler's" play, but occasionally correct with a very good draw and large pot or as a semi-bluff.
community card: See community card poker.
complete hand: See made hand.
completion: To raise a small bet up to the amount of what would be a normal-sized bet. For example, in a $2/$4 stud game with $1 bring-in, a player after the bring-in may raise it to $2, completing what would otherwise be a sub-minimum bet up to the normal minimum. Also in limit games, if one player raises all in for less than the normally required minimum, a later player might complete the raise to the normal minimum (depending on house rules). See table stakes.
connectors: Two or more cards of consecutive or close to consecutive rank.
continuation bet: A bet made after the flop by the player who took the lead in betting before the flop (Texas hold 'em and Omaha hold 'em). Compare to "probe bet".
cooler: A case in which playing a strong hand (often the second best) that normally justifies the maximum bet is beaten by a still stronger hand.
countdown

The act of counting the cards that remain in the stub after all cards have been dealt, done by a dealer to ensure that a complete deck is being used.

counterfeit: See counterfeit. Also "duplicate".
cow: A player with whom one is sharing a buy-in, with the intent to split the result after play. To "go cow" is to make such an arrangement.
cripple: In some community card games, to cripple the deck means to have a hand that is virtually impossible for anyone else to catch up to. For example, in Texas hold 'em, if a player's hole cards are A-T and the flop is A-A-T the player has "crippled the deck"; though that player's hand is high (probably unbeatable), other players are unlikely to see any possibility for improvement and will probably fold. Such a hand generally doesn't gain much money for the player holding such a hand, however it is possible to win a large amount through #slow play.
crying call: Calling when a player thinks he does not have the best hand.
cut: See cut.
cut card: A distinctive card, usually stiff solid-colored plastic, held against the bottom of the deck during the deal to prevent observation of the bottom card.
cutoff: The seat immediately to the right of the dealer button. In home games where the player on the button actually shuffles and deals the cards, the player in the cutoff seat cuts the deck (hence the name).

D

dark: Describing an action taken before receiving information to which the player would normally be entitled. I'm drawing three, and I check in the dark. Compare to "blind".
dead blind: A blind that is not "live", in that the player posting it does not have the option to raise if other players just call. Usually refers to a small blind posted by a player entering, or returning to, a game (in a position other than the big blind) that is posted in addition to a live blind equal to the big blind.
dead button: See dead button rule.
dead hand: A player's hand that is not entitled to participate in the deal for some reason, such as having been fouled by touching another player's cards, being found to contain the wrong number of cards, being dealt to a player who did not make the appropriate forced bets, etc.
dead man's hand: See Dead Man's Hand.
dead money: See dead money.
deal

To distribute cards to players in accordance with the rules of the game being played.
A single instance of a game of poker, begun by shuffling the cards and ending with the award of a pot. Also called a "hand" (though both terms are ambiguous).
An agreement to split tournament prize money differently from the announced payouts.

deal twice: In a cash game, when two players are involved in a large pot and one is all-in, they might agree to deal the remaining cards twice. If one player wins both times he wins the whole pot, but if both players win one hand they split the pot. Also, "play twice".
dealer

The person dealing the cards. Give Alice the cards, she's the dealer.
The person who assumes that role for the purposes of betting order in a game, even though someone else might be physically dealing. Also "button". Compare to "buck".

dealer's choice: A version of poker in which the deal passes each game and each dealer can choose, or invent, a new poker game each hand or orbit. See dealer's choice.
declare: To verbally indicate an action or intention. See declaration.
defense: See defense.
deuce

A 2-spot card. Also called a duck, quack, or swan.
Any of various related uses of the number two, such as a $2 limit game, a $2 chip, etc.

deuce-to-seven: A method of evaluating low hands. See Deuce-to-seven low.
dirty stack: A stack of chips apparently of a single denomination, but with one or more chips of another. Usually the result of inattention while stacking a pot, but may also be an intentional deception.
discard: To take a previously dealt card out of play. The set of all discards for a deal is called the "muck" or the "deadwood".
dominated hand: A hand that is extremely unlikely to win against another specific hand, even though it may not be a poor hand in its own right. Most commonly used in Texas hold 'em. A hand like A-Q, for example, is a good hand in general but is dominated by A-K, because whenever the former makes a good hand, the latter is likely to make a better one. A hand like 7-8 is a poor hand in general, but is not dominated by A-K because it makes different kinds of hands. See also domination.
door card

In a stud game, a player's first face-up card. Patty paired her door card on fifth street and raised, so I put her on trips.
In Texas hold 'em, the door card is the first visible card of the flop.
In Draw poker, the sometimes visible card at the bottom of a player's hand. Players will often deliberately expose this card, especially at lowball.

double-ace flush: Under unconventional rules, a flush with one or more wild cards in which they play as aces, even if an ace is already present.
double-board, double-flop: Any of several community card game variants (usually Texas hold 'em) in which two separate boards of community cards are dealt simultaneously, with the pot split between the winning hands using each board.
double-draw: Any of several Draw poker games in which the draw phase and subsequent betting round are repeated twice.
double raise: The minimum raise in a no-limit or pot-limit game, raising by just the amount of the current bet.
double suited: Used to describe an Omaha hold 'em starting hand where two pairs of suited cards are held, e.g. two spades and two diamonds. May be abbreviated "ds" in written descriptions. AAJT (ds) is widely considered a premium pot-limit Omaha hold 'em starting hand.
double up, double through: In a big bet game, to bet all of one's chips on one hand against a single opponent (who has an equal or larger stack) and win, thereby doubling your stack. I was losing a bit, but then I doubled through Sarah to put me in good shape.
downcard: A card that is dealt facedown.
drag light: To pull chips away from the pot to indicate that you don't have enough money to cover a bet. If you win, the amount is ignored. If you lose, you must cover the amount from your pocket. This is not allowed at any casino or any but the most casual home games; see table stakes.
draw, drawing hand, come hand

A 'drawing hand' is when a player has a chance to improve their hand to something considerably stronger through 'drawing' the required cards on the flop, on the turn or on the river.

drawing dead

Playing a drawing hand that will lose even if successful (a state of affairs usually only discovered after the fact or in a tournament when two or more players are "all in" and they show their cards). I caught the jack to make my straight, but Rob had a full house all along, so I was drawing dead.
Playing a hand that can never improve beyond the opponent's hand. As soon as he tabled that flopped three-of-a-kind, I knew my pair of aces was drawing dead.

drawing live: Not drawing dead; that is, drawing to a hand that will win if successful.
drawing thin: Not drawing completely dead, but chasing a draw in the face of poor odds. Example: a player who will only win by catching 1 or 2 specific cards is said to be drawing thin. Profitable drawing thin requires large pot odds.
drop

To fold.
Money charged by the casino for providing its services, often dropped through a slot in the table into a strong box.
To drop ones cards to the felt to indicate that one is in or out of a game.

dry ace: In Omaha hold 'em or Texas hold 'em, refers to an ace in one's hand without another card of the same suit. Used especially to describe the situation where the board presents a flush possibility, when the player does not in fact have a flush, but holding the ace presents some bluffing or semi-bluffing opportunity and a redraw in case the flush draw comes on turn. Compare to "blocker".
dry pot: A side pot with no money created when a player goes all in and is called by more than one opponent, but not raised. If subsequent betting occurs, the money will go to the dry pot.
duplicate: To counterfeit, especially when the counterfeiting card matches one already present in the one's hand.

E

early position: See position.
eight or better: A common qualifier in High-low split games that use Ace-5 ranking. Only hands where the highest card is an eight or smaller can win the low portion of the pot.
equity: One's mathematical expected value from the current deal, calculated by multiplying the amount of money in the pot by one's probability of winning. For example, if the pot currently contains $100, and you estimate that you have a one in four chance of winning it, then your equity in the pot is $25. If a split is possible, the equity also includes the probability of winning a split times the size of that split; for example, if the pot has $100, and you have a 1/4 chance of winning and a 1/5 chance of taking a $50 split, your equity is $25 + $10 = $35.
expectation, expected value, EV: See expected value. Often used in poker to mean "profitability in the long run".
exposed card: A card whose face has been deliberately or accidentally revealed to players normally not entitled to that information during the play of the game. Various games have different rules about how to handle this irregularity. Compare to "boxed card".

F

family pot: A deal in which every (or almost every) seated player called the first opening bet.
fast: Aggressive play. I was afraid of too many chasers, so I played my trips fast. Compare to "speeding".
favorite: A hand which when matched against another in a showdown has an advantage odds-wise over the other. A hand can be called a small or a big favorite depending on how much it is dominating the other. Contrast "underdog" where the situations are reversed. Favorites are usually used but not exclusively comparing how 2 hole cards do against 2 other hole cards pre-flop.
feeder: In a casino setting, a second or third table playing the same game as a "main" table, and from which players move to the main game as players there leave. Also called a "must-move table."
felt: The cloth covering of a poker table, whatever the actual material. Metaphorically, the table itself: Doyle and I have played across the felt. Also used to refer to table felt made visible by being uncluttered with chips from a player having lost them all or taken all of an opponent's. I felted Carla when I filled up against her flush.
field

All players as a collective in a large tournament: There were many professionals amongst the field of the Main Event.
To refer to the number of players in a large tournament: Duhamel defeated a field of 7318 other players to win the title.

fifth street

The last card dealt to the board in community card games. Also see river.
The fifth card dealt to each player in stud poker.

fill, fill up: To successfully draw to a hand that needs one card to complete it, by getting the last card of a straight, flush, or full house. Jerry made his flush when I was betting my kings up, but I filled on seventh street to catch up.
final table: The last table in a multi-table poker tournament. The final table is set when a sufficient amount of people have been eliminated from the tournament leaving an exact amount of players to occupy one table (typically no more than ten players).
first position: The playing position to the direct left of the blinds in Texas hold 'em or Omaha hold 'em, also known as "under the gun." The player in first position must act first on the first round of betting.
fish: A poor player. See also Donkey.; To chase draws holding weak hand. Especially when facing aggressive play by another player.
five of a kind: A hand possible only in games with wild cards, or a game with more than one deck, defeating all other hands, comprising five cards of equal rank.
fixed limit, flat limit: See fixed limits.
flash

Any card which becomes briefly exposed by accident to at least 1 player must be shown to all the players by the dealer during dealing. The card is said to be "flashed" to all players before being discarded to the muck pile. See also exposed.
Unintentionally showing the bottom of the deck if not using a cut-card (an opaque non-play card used to conceal the bottom of the deck) is considered flashing.
To show one or more downcards from one's hand. After everyone folded, Ted flashed his bluff to the other players.

flat call: A call, in a situation where one might be expected to raise. Normally I raise with jacks, but with three limpers ahead of me I decided to flat call. Also "smooth call". Compare to "cold call", "overcall". See slow play.
float: Calling a bet with the intention of bluffing on a later betting round. A player might do this when he suspects an opponent of making a continuation bet on the flop in the hopes that the bettor will give up his unimproved hand and check on the turn, allowing the caller to bet with a weak hand and hopefully take the pot away from the preflop aggressor. We are floating over the other guys flop bet looking for an opportunity to take the pot.
floorman, floorperson: A casino employee whose duties include adjudicating player disputes, keeping games filled and balanced, and managing dealers and other personnel. Players may shout "floor!" to call for a floorperson to resolve a dispute, to ask for a table or seat change, or to ask for some other casino service.
flop: The dealing of the first three face-up cards to the board, or to those three cards themselves. Also see turn and river.
flop game: A community card game.
flush: A hand comprising five cards of the same suit. See List of poker hands.
fold: To discard one's hand and forfeit interest in the current pot. See fold.
fold equity: The portion of the pot one expects to win, on average, by a bet that induces your opponents to fold, rather than seeing the showdown. For example, if your opponent folds 50% of the time to bets in situations like this, your fold equity = (current pot size) * (0.50). See also equity.
forced bet: See forced bets.
forced-move: In a casino where more than one table is playing the same game with the same betting structure, one of the tables may be designated the "main" table, and will be kept full by requiring a player to move from one of the feeder tables to fill any vacancies. Players will generally be informed that their table is a "forced-move" table to be used in this way before they agree to play there. Also "must-move".
forward motion: A house rule of some casinos states that if a player in turn picks up chips from his stack and moves his hand toward the pot ("forward motion with chips in hand"), this constitutes a commitment to bet (or call), and the player may not withdraw his hand to check or fold. Such a player still has the choice of whether to call or raise. Compare to "string bet".
fouled hand: A hand that is ruled unplayable because of an irregularity, such as being found with too many or too few cards, having been mixed with cards of other players or the muck, having fallen off the table, etc. Compare to "dead hand".
four-flush: Four cards of the same suit. A non-standard poker hand in some games, an incomplete drawing hand in most. See Four flush.
four of a kind: A hand containing four cards of equal rank. Also "quads". See List of poker hands.
four-straight: Four cards in rank sequence; either an open-ender or one-ender. A non-standard poker hand in some games, an incomplete drawing hand in most. Sometimes "four to a straight".
fourth street

The fourth card dealt to the board in community card games. Also "turn".
The fourth card dealt to each player in stud.

free card: A card dealt to one's hand (or to the board of community cards) after a betting round in which no player opened. One is thereby being given a chance to improve one's hand without having to pay anything. I wasn't sure my hand was good, but I bet so I wouldn't give a free card to Bill's flush draw.
freeroll: See freeroll.
freezeout: The most common form of tournament. There's no rebuy, play continues until one player has all the chips.
full house, full boat, full hand, full: A hand with three cards of one rank and two of a second rank. Also "boat", "tight".
full bet rule: In some casinos, the rule that a player must wager the full amount required in order for his action to constitute a raise. For example, in a game with a $4 fixed limit, a player facing an opening bet of $4 who wagers $7 is deemed to have flat called, because $8 is required to raise. Compare to "half bet rule".
full ring: A full ring game is a cash game with more than six players involved, typically nine to eleven. This term is normally used in the context of online poker. Compare to "shorthanded".

G

gap hand: In Texas hold 'em, a gap hand is a starting hand with at least one rank separating the two cards. Usually referred to in context of one-gap and two-gap hands.
get away: To fold a good hand against a supposedly superior hand. Compare with laydown.
going south: To sneak a portion of your chips from the table while the game is underway. The intent is to reduce the stakes you have at risk. Normally prohibited in public card rooms. Also "ratholing".
grinder: A player who earns a living by making small profits over a long period of consistent, conservative play. Compare to "rock".
guts, guts to open

A game with no opening hand requirement; that is, where the only requirement to open the betting is "guts", or courage.
Any of several poker variants where pots accumulate over several hands until a single player wins.

gut shot, gutshot: See inside straight draw.
gypsy: To enter the pot cheaply by just calling the blind rather than raising. Also "limp".

H

half bet rule: In some casinos, the rule that placing chips equal to or greater than half the normal bet amount beyond the amount required to call constitutes a commitment to raise the normal amount. For example, in a game with a $4 fixed limit, a player facing a $4 opening bet who places $6 in the pot is deemed to have raised, and must complete his bet to $8. Compare to "full bet rule". See Public cardroom rules and "all in" betting.
hand: See hand.
hand-for-hand: See hand-for-hand.
hand history: The textual representation of a hand (or hands) played in an Internet cardroom. See Poker tools.
hanger: When the bottom card of the deck sticks out beyond the others, an unwanted tell that the dealer is dealing from the bottom of the deck.
heads up: Playing against a single opponent. After Lori folded, Frank and I were heads up for the rest of the hand.
heater: See rush.
high hand, high: The best hand using traditional poker hand values, as opposed to lowball. Used especially in high-low split games.
high card

A no pair hand, ranked according to its highest-ranking cards.
To defeat another player by virtue of high-ranking cards, especially kickers.
To randomly select a player for some purpose by having each draw one card, the highest of which is selected (for example, to decide who deals first). When all the players get here, we'll high card for the button. Often high card by suit is used for this purpose.

high-low, high-low split: See high-low split.
hijack seat: The seat to the right of the cutoff seat, or second to the right of the button.
hole cards, hole

Face-down cards. Also "pocket cards". I think Willy has two more queens in the hole.
A seat, often preceded by a number relative to the button. Sara opened from the 2-hole.

hole cam: A camera that displays a player's face-down cards ("hole cards") to television viewers. Also "pocket cam" or "lipstick cam".
home game: A game played at a private venue (usually the home of one of the players), as opposed to a casino or public cardroom.
horse: A player financially backed by someone else. I lost today, but Larry was my horse in the stud game, and he won big. Compare with "bankroll" and "staking".
H.O.R.S.E.: See H.O.R.S.E..

I

ignorant end, idiot end: In flop games, a player drawing to, or even flopping, a straight with undercards to the flop has the idiot end of it. A player with 8-9 betting on a flop of A-T-J puts himself at great risk, because many of the cards that complete his straight give credible opponents higher ones.
implied pot odds, implied odds: See implied pot odds.
improve: To achieve a better hand than one currently holds by adding or exchanging cards as provided in the rules of the game being played. I didn't think Paula was bluffing, so I decided not to call unless I improved on the draw.
inside straight: See inside straight draw. Also "belly buster", "gutshot". Compare to outside straight draw.
in position, IP: A player is said to be in position, if the player is last to act on the flop, turn and river betting rounds. Compare to out of position.
insurance: A "business" deal in which players agree to split or reduce a pot (roughly in proportion to the chances of each of them winning) with more cards to come rather than playing out the hand, or else a deal where one player makes a side bet against himself with a third party to hedge against a large loss.
in the middle

In a game with multiple blinds, an incoming player may sometimes be allowed to post the blinds "in the middle" (that is, out of their normal order) rather than having to wait for them to pass.
A player being whipsawed is said to be "in the middle".

in the money: To place high enough in a poker tournament to get prize money. Also "ITM".
in turn: A player, or an action, is said to be in turn if that player is expected to act next under the rules. Jerry said "check" while he was in turn, so he's not allowed to raise.
irregular declaration: An action taken by a player in turn that is not a straightforward declaration of intent, but that is reasonably interpreted as an action by other players, such as pointing a thumb up to signify "raise". House rules or dealer discretion may determine when such actions are meaningful and/or binding.
irregularity: Any of a number of abnormal conditions in play, such as unexpectedly exposed cards, that may call for corrective action. See Public cardroom rules.
isolation: See isolation.

J

jackpot

A game of "jackpot poker" or "jackpots", which is a variant of five-card draw with an ante from each player, no blinds, and an opening requirement of a pair of jacks or better.
A large pool of money collected by the house and awarded for some rare occurrence, typically a bad beat.

joker: A 53rd card used mostly in draw games. The joker may usually be used as an Ace, or a card to complete a straight or flush, in high games, and as the lowest card not already present in a hand at low. See bug. A joker may give a player a great many outs.
juice: Money collected by the house. Also "vig", "vigorish". See rake.
junk: A hand with little expected value.

K

kicker: See kicker.
kill game, kill pot: See kill game.
kitty: A pool of money built by collecting small amounts from certain pots, often used to buy refreshments, cards, and so on. The home-game equivalent of a rake.

L

lag: A "loose aggressive" style of play in which a player plays a lot of starting hands and makes many small raises in hopes of out-playing his opponents.
last to act: A player is last to act if all players between the player and the button have folded.
laydown: A tough choice to fold a good hand in anticipation of superior opposition.
lead: The player who makes the last bet or raise in a round of betting is said to have the lead at the start of the next round. Can also be used as a verb meaning to bet out into the pot, "to lead into the pot."
level: Used in tournament play to refer to the size of the blinds which are periodically increased. For example, in the first level the small blind / big blind may be $50 / $100, in the second level the blinds may be $100 / $200.
leg-up, leg-up button: The button used to signify who has won the previous hand in a kill game. Winning a pot in a "2 consecutive pots" kill game with the leg-up button in front of you, results in a kill.
light: A hand which is not likely to be best. Usually used as an action descriptor; "call light", "3-bet light". See semi-bluff.
limit

The minimum or maximum amount of a bet.
See fixed limit.

limp, limp in: To enter a pot by simply calling the bet to them instead of raising, called so because a player with a marginal hand may be willing to pay the minimum to see more cards, but would likely fold if the bet increased further.
limp-reraise: A reraise from a player that previously limped in the same betting round. I decided to limp-reraise with my pocket eights to isolate the all-in player. Also backraise.
live bet: A bet posted by a player under conditions that give him the option to raise even if no other player raises first; typically because it was posted as a blind or straddle, or to enter a new game.
live cards: In stud poker games, cards that will improve your hand that have not been seen among anyone's upcards, and are therefore presumably still available. In games such as Texas hold 'em, a player's hand is said to contain "live" cards if matching either of them on the board would give that player the lead over his opponent. Typically used to describe a hand that is weak, but not dominated.
live hand: A hand still eligible to win the pot; one with the correct number of cards that has not been mucked or otherwise invalidated.
live game: A game with a lot of action, usually including many unskilled players, especially maniacs. See also live poker, below.
live poker: A retronym for poker played with at a table with cards, as opposed to video poker or online poker.
lock up: To "lock up" a seat in a cash game means to place a poker chip, player's card, or other personal effect on the table in front of the seat, to signify that the seat is occupied even though the player may not be present.
loose: See loose/tight play. Compare to "tight", "aggressive", "passive".
low

The lowest card by rank.
The low half of the pot in a high-low split.

M

M-ratio: A measure of the health of a chip stack as a function of the cost to play each round. See M-ratio.
made hand: See made hand. Compare to a drawing hand.
maniac: A very loose and aggressive player, who bets and raises frequently, and often in situations where it is not good strategy to do so. Opposite of rock.
Mark: A person at a poker table that is the focus of attention. Other players consider the "mark" a weaker competitor and try to push the person out. See Mark.
match the pot: To put in an amount equal to all the chips in the pot.
micro-limit: Internet poker games with stakes so small that real cardrooms couldn't possibly profit from them, are said to be at the "micro-limit" level (e.g. 25¢-50¢).
middle pair: In a community card game, making a pair with neither the highest nor lowest card of the community cards. See also second pair.
misdeal: A deal which is ruined for some reason and must be redealt.
missed blind: A required bet that is not posted when it is a player's turn to do so, perhaps occurring when a player absents himself from the table. Various rules require the missed bet to be made up upon the player's return.
move in: In a no-limit game, to "move in" or to "go all in" means to bet one's entire stake on the hand in play. See table stakes.
muck

To fold.
To discard one's hand without revealing the cards. Often done after winning without a showdown or at a showdown when a better hand has already been revealed.
The discard pile "There were only a couple of cards in the muck"

multi-way pot: A pot where several players compete for it. Also known as a family pot.

N

negative freeroll: See negative freeroll.
no-limit: Rules designating players are allowed to wager any or all of their chips in a single bet. See no-limit.
nothing: When a player only has the possibility of a high card and no other hand that will win.
nut hand (the nuts): The nut hand is the best possible hand in a given situation. Players sometimes evaluate hands by ranking them as being the "Second nuts" or being the "Pure nuts". The "Pure nuts" is usually the absolute best hand to have at that moment which is impossible to beat, the "Second nuts" is the second best hand only beat by the "Pure nuts", etc. The "nut low" is the absolute worst hand to have in a given round.
nut low

The best possible low hand in high-low split games.

nit: A player who is unwilling to take risks and plays only premium hands in the top range. Contrast weak player who plays like a nit but also folds extremely easily after taking risks even when holding an excellent hand. A weak player may be a nit but a nit is not necessarily a weak player.

O

offsuit: Cards that are not of the same suit. The ace of clubs and the king of spades are called ace-king offsuit
one-chip rule: A call of a previous bet using a chip of higher denomination than necessary is considered a call unless it is verbally announced as a raise.
one-eyed royals: See one-eyed royals.
one-ended straight draw: Four out of five cards needed for a straight that can only be completed with one specific rank of card, in cases where the needed card rank is either higher or lower than the cards already held as part of the sequence; as opposed to an inside straight draw or an open-ended straight draw; While A-2-3-4 and A-K-Q-J are the only truly one-ended straight draw possibilities, an open-ended straight draw could be considered one-ended if one of the card ranks needed to complete it would also give an opponent a hand of higher rank than a straight. Example: Player A has 8s-9c in the pocket, Player B has 10d-10c in the pocket. The flop and turn were 7c-6d-Ks-6h. Player B would complete a full house with a 6 or a 10. Player A would complete a straight with a 5 or a 10. While strictly speaking Player A has an open-ended straight draw, it can also be referred to as a one-ended straight draw because one of the ends - the 10 - would not help the hand. The odds of completing a one-ended straight draw are the same as the odds of completing an inside straight draw
open: To bet first. See open.
open-ended straight draw, open-ended: An outside straight draw. Also "two-way straight draw" or "double-ended straight draw".
openers: The cards held by a player in a game of "jackpots" entitling him to open the pot. "Splitting openers" refers to holding onto one of your openers after discarding it to prove you had the necessary cards to open should you win the pot.
open limp: Being the first person in the pot preflop, but not raising.
option

An optional bet or draw, such as getting an extra card facedown for 50 cents or raising on the big blind when checked all the way around.
The right to raise possessed by the big blind if there have been no raises.

orbit: A full rotation of the blinds at a table. Equal to the number of people at the table.
outs: See out.
out of position, OOP: A player is said to be out of position, if he is either first to act, or is not last to act on a betting round.
outside straight draw: See outside straight draw. Also "two-way straight draw" or "double-ended straight draw".
overbet: To make a bet that is more than the size of the pot in a no limit game.
overcall: To call a bet after others have called, esp. big bets. Jim bet, Alice called, then Ted overcalled. Compare to "cold call", "flat call", "smooth call".
overcard

A community card with a higher rank than a player's pocket pair.
A higher card. Ted held two overcards to Jill's pair with two cards to come.

overpair: In community card games such as Texas hold 'em and Omaha hold 'em, a pocket pair with a higher rank than any community card.
overs: An option to increase the stakes in limit games. Players may elect to play or not play overs; those who choose to play display some sort of token. If, at the beginning of a betting round after the first, only overs players remain in the hand, bets of twice the present limit are allowed. Most often used in home games as a compromise between aggressive and meek players.

P

paint: Any royal card. Used mostly in lowball games, where royal cards are rarely helpful.
pair: See one pair
passive: A style of play characterized by checking and calling. Compare to "aggressive", "loose", "tight".
pat: Already complete. A hand is a pat hand when, for example, a flush comes on the first five cards dealt in Draw poker. Also see made hand.
pay off: To call a bet when you are most likely drawing dead because the pot odds justify the call.
penny ante: Frivolous, low stakes, or "for fun" only; A game where no significant stake is likely to change hands.
perfect: The best possible cards, in a lowball hand, after those already named. For example, 7-perfect would be 7-4-3-2-A, and 8-6-perfect would be 8-6-3-2-A.
pick-up: When the house picks up cash from the dealer after a player buys chips.
play the board: In games such as Texas hold 'em, where 5 community cards are dealt, if your best hand is on the board and you go to the showdown you are said to "play the board".
pocket cards: See "hole cards".
pocket pair: In community card poker or stud poker, when two of a player's private cards make a pair. Also "wired pair".
poker face: A blank expression that does not reveal anything about the cards being held. Often used outside the world of poker.
position: See position.
position bet: A bet that is made more due to the strength of the bettor's position than the strength of the bettor's cards.
post: To make the required small or big blind bet in Texas hold 'em or other games played with blinds rather than antes
post dead: To post a bet amount equal to the small and the big blind combined (the amount of the large blind playing as a live blind, and the amount of the small blind as dead money). In games played with blinds, a player who steps away from the table and misses his turn for the blinds must either post dead or wait for the big blind to re-enter the game. Compare to "dead blind".
post oak bluff: See post oak bluff
pot: See pot.
pot-committed: More often in the context of a no limit game; the situation where you can no longer fold because the size of the pot is so large compared to the size of your stack.
pot-limit: See pot limit.
pot odds: See pot odds.
pre-flop: On flop games refers to the time when players already have their pocket cards but no flop has been dealt yet. It's also the first round of bets.
probe bet: A bet after the flop by a player who did not take the lead in betting before the flop (and when the player that did take the lead in betting before the flop declined to act). Compare to "continuation bet".
prop, proposition player: A player who gets paid an hourly rate to start poker games or to help them stay active. Prop players play with their own money, which distinguishes them from shills, who play with the casino's money.
protected pot: A pot that seems impossible to bluff to win because too many players are active in it and the chances of another player either calling you to the end or raising beyond measure become an assurance.
protection, protect: See protection.
purse: The total prize pool in a poker tournament
push: To bet all in.
put the clock (on someone): See call the clock.
put on: To put someone on a hand is to deduce what hand they have based on their actions and your knowledge of their gameplay. See also tells.

Q

quads: Four of a kind.
qualifier, qualifying low: A qualifying low hand. High-low split games often require a minimum hand value, such as 8-high, in order to award the low half of the pot. In some home games, there are qualifiers for high hands as well: "Seven stud, trips-eight".
quarter: To win a quarter of a pot, usually by tying the low or high hand of a high-low split game. Generally, this is an unwanted outcome, as a player is often putting in a third of the pot in the hope of winning a quarter of the pot back.

R

rabbit hunt: After a hand is complete, to reveal cards that would have been dealt later in the hand had it continued. This is usually prohibited in casinos because it slows the game and may reveal information about concealed hands. Also "fox hunt".
rack: 1. A collection of 100 chips of the same denomination, usually arranged in 5 stacks in a plastic tray.; 2. A plastic tray used for storing a rack of chips.
race: See coin flip.
rag: A low-valued (and presumably worthless) card. I don't like playing ace-rag from that position. Hence "ragged"/"raggy" - having a low value: The flop was pretty ragged, so I figured my queens were good. Though note that if a flop consists of consecutive or same-suited low-value cards then it is not ragged/raggy, as it could be valuable as part of a straight or flush.
rail: The rail is the sideline at a poker table - the (often imaginary) rail separating spectators from the field of play. Watching from the rail means watching a poker game as a spectator. "Going to the rail" usually means "Losing all one's money".
railbird: A non-participatory spectator of a poker game
rainbow: Three or four cards of different suits, especially said of a flop.
raise: See raise.
rake: See rake. Also "juice", "vig", "vigorish".
rakeback: Rebate/repayment to a player of a portion of the rake paid by that player, normally from a non-cardroom, third-party source such as an affiliate. Rakeback is paid in many ways by online poker rooms, affiliates or brick and mortar rooms. Many use direct money payments for online poker play. Brick and Mortar rooms usually use rate cards to track and pay their rakeback. See Rake (poker)#Rakeback.
Rakeback pro: Rakeback pro is the definition given to a poker player who may not be a winning player, however, uses rakeback to supplement his losses and turn them in to winnings.
range of hands: Term used for the list of holdings that a player considers a opponent might have when trying to deduce their holding. See also "put on".
rathole: To remove a portion of your chips from the table while the game is underway. Normally prohibited in public card rooms. Also "going south".
rebuy: An amount of chips purchased after the buy-in. In some tournaments, players are allowed to rebuy chips one or more times for a limited period after the start of the game, providing that their stack is at or under its initial level. Compare with "add-on".
redeal: To deal a hand again, possibly after a misdeal.
redraw

To make one hand and have a draw for a better hand. Ted made a straight on the turn with a redraw for a flush on the river..
Second or later draws in a draw game with multiple draws.

represent: To represent a hand is to play as if you hold it (whether you actually hold it or are bluffing).
reraise: Raise after one has been raised. Also coming "over the top".
ring game: See ring game.
river: The river or "river card" is the final card dealt in a poker hand, to be followed by a final round of betting and, if necessary, a showdown. In Texas hold 'em and Omaha hold'em, the river, is the fifth and last card to be dealt to the community card board, after the flop and turn. A player losing the pot due only to the river card is said to have been "rivered".
rock

A very tight player (plays very few hands and only continues with strong hands).
A bundle of chips held together with a rubber band, or other token signifying an obligatory live straddle. If the player under the gun has the rock, he must use it to post a live straddle. The winner of the pot collects the rock and is obligated to use it in turn.

rolled-up trips: In seven-card stud, three of a kind dealt in the first three cards.
rounder: An expert player who travels around to seek out high-stakes games
royal cards: Royal card are also known as face cards or picture cards. These cards consist of the Jack, Queen, and King of any suit.
royal flush: A straight flush of the top five cards of any suit. This is generally the highest possible hand.
run it twice, running it twice: A gentleman's agreement (which isn't allowed in some casinos) where the players (usually two or three) agree to draw each remaining card to come in two different occasions instead of just once after all parties have gone all-in (two flops, turns and river for example for a total of 10 community cards in 2 sets of 5). You may run twice the flop, turn and river or just the turn and river or only the river. Cards are usually not run retroactively unless the players expressly request so (which is rare). The winner of one "run" gets half the pot while the winner of the second "run" gets the other half. Running it twice is done to minimize bad beats and remove variance (which works well if the hands are equally likely to win the hand but not so well if one is dominated over the other). Running it twice is a form of insurance.
runner-runner: A hand made by hitting two consecutive cards on the turn and river. Also "backdoor". Compare to "bad beat" and "suck out".
rush: A prolonged winning streak. A player who has won several big pots recently is said to be on a rush. Also "heater".

S

sandbag: See slow play.
satellite: A tournament in which the prize is a free entrance to another (larger) tournament.
scare card: A card dealt face up (either to a player in a game such as stud or to the board in a community card game) that could create a strong hand for someone. The Jack of spades on the turn was a scare card because it put both flush and straight possibilities on the board.
scoop: In high-low split games, to win both the high and the low halves of the pot.
second pair: In community card poker games, a pair of cards of the second-top rank on the board. Second pair is a middle pair, but not necessarily vice-versa. Compare bottom pair, top pair.
sell: In spread limit poker, to sell a hand is to bet less than the maximum with a strong hand, in the hope that more of your opponents will call the bet.
semi-bluff: When a player bluffs on one round of betting with an inferior or drawing hand that might improve in a later round. See semi-bluff.
set: Three of a kind, esp. the situation where two of the cards are concealed in the player's hole cards. Compare to "trips".
set-up: A deck that has been ordered, usually King to Ace by suit (spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds). In casinos, it is customary to use a set-up deck when introducing a new deck to the table. The set-up is spread face up for the players to demonstrate that all of the cards are present before the first shuffle. Also called to "spade the deck".
sevens rule: A rule in many A-5 lowball games that requires a player with a seven-low or better after the draw to bet, rather than check or check-raise. In some venues a violator loses any future interest in the pot; in others he forfeits his interest entirely.
shark: A professional player. See also card sharp.
shoe: A slanted container used to hold the cards yet to be dealt, usually used by casinos or in professional poker tournaments.
shill: See shill. Compare to "proposition player".
shootout: A poker tournament format where the last remaining player of a table goes on to play the remaining players of other tables. Each table plays independently of the others; that is, there is no balancing as players are eliminated. This format is particularly common in European televised poker programs, including Late Night Poker.
short buy: In no-limit poker, to buy in to a game for considerably less money than the stated maximum buyin, or less than other players at the table have in play.
short stack: A stack of chips that is relatively small for the stakes being played.
shorthanded: A poker game that is played with around six players or less, as opposed to a full ring game, which is usually nine or ten players. A tournament where all tables are shorthanded at all times is called a short table tournament.
showdown: When if more than one player remains after the last betting round, remaining players expose and compare their hands to determine the winner or winners.
side game: A ring game running concurrently with a tournament made up of players who have either been eliminated or opted not to play the tournament.
side pot: A separate pot created to deal with the situation of one player going "all in". See Betting (poker)#Side pots.
sit and go: A poker tournament with no scheduled starting time that starts whenever the necessary players have put up their money. Single-table sit-and-goes, with nine or ten players, are the norm, but multi-table games are common as well. Also called sit n' gos and a variety of other similar spellings.
slow play: See slow play.
slow roll: To delay or avoid showing one's hand at showdown, forcing other players to expose their hands first. When done while holding a good hand likely to be the winner, it is considered poor etiquette, because it often gives other players "false hope" that their hands might win before the slow-roller's is exposed.
small blind: See blinds.
smooth call: See "flat call".
snow

To play a worthless hand misleadingly in draw poker in order to bluff.
The worthless hand in question.

soft-play: To intentionally go easy on a player (e.g. not betting or raising against him when you usually would). Soft play is expressly prohibited in most card rooms, and may result in penalties ranging from forced sit-outs to forfeiture of stakes or winnings.
splash the pot: To throw one's chips in the pot in a disorderly fashion. Not typically allowed, because the dealer can't tell how much has been bet.
split: See split and high-low split.
split two pair: In community card poker, a two pair hand, with each pair made of one of your hole cards, and one community card.
spread: The range between a table's minimum and maximum bets.
spread-limit: A form of limit poker where the bets and raises can be between a minimum and maximum value. The spread may change between rounds.
squeeze play: A bluff reraise in no limit hold'em with less-than-premium cards, after another player or players have already called the original raise. The goal is to bluff everyone out of the hand and steal the bets. This play is most effective when a loose aggressive player opens the pot and is called by one or more passive / weak players. Assuming a standard raise of 3BBs, and only one caller, then the minimum bluff squeezing stack is generally accepted as being at least 18 BBs (this increases the more cold callers there are in the pot).
stack

The total chips and currency that a player has in play at a given moment.
A collection of 20 poker chips of the same denomination, usually arranged in an orderly column.

stakes: The definition of the amount one buys in for and can bet. For example, a "low stakes" game might be a $10 buy-in with a $1 maximum raise.
staking

Staking is the act of one person putting up cash for a poker player to play with in hopes that the player wins. Any profits are split on a predetermined percentage between the backer and the player. A backed player is often known as a "horse". The player will then use the money to play in a tournament or ring game. Compare with "bankroll".

stand pat: In draw poker, playing the original hand using no draws, either as a bluff or in the belief it is the best hand.
starting hand: See starting hand.
steal: See steal.
steam: A state of anger, mental confusion, or frustration in which a player adopts a less than optimal strategy, usually resulting in poor play and poor performance. Compare to 'tilt'.
stop and go: Stop and go or stop 'n' go is when a player bets into another player who has previously raised or otherwise shown aggression. Example: On the flop, Bill bets into Tom, Tom raises, and Bill just calls. On the turn, Bill bets into Tom again. Bill has just pulled a stop 'n' go play.; Another version of the "stop and go" is in tournament poker when a player raises pre-flop with the intention of going all in after the flop regardless of the cards that fall. This is typically done when the blinds are high and every chip becomes vital.
straddle bet: See straddle bets.
straight

Poker hand: see straight.
When used with an amount, indicates that the speaker is referring to the total bet, versus the amount being raised. Alice bets twenty. Bob raises to fifty straight. Meaning he called twenty and raised thirty. Also "altogether" or "all day".

straight flush: See straight flush.
strategy card: A wallet sized card that is commonly used to help with poker strategies in online and casino games.
street: A street is another term for a dealt card or betting round, e.g. as in first street, second street, third street (flop), forth street (turn), fifth street (river)
string bet: A call with one motion and a later raise with another, or a reach for more chips without stating the intended amount. String bets are prohibited in public cardroom rules. Compare to "forward motion". A player can (and should) defend himself against string bet complaints by declaring his intention before moving any chips. Note that the "I call, and raise..." cliche is a string bet.
structured: A structured betting system is one where the spread of the bets may change from round to round.
stud

A variant of poker. See stud poker.
A card dealt face up in Stud poker.

suck out: A situation when a hand heavily favored to win loses to an inferior hand after all the cards are dealt. The winning hand is said to have "sucked out". Compare to "bad beat".
suited: Having the same suit. See card suits.
suited connectors: See suited connectors.
super satellite: A multi-table poker tournament in which the prize is a free entrance to a satellite tournament or a tournament in which all the top finishers gain entrance to a larger tournament.

T

table stakes: See table stakes.
tag: A "tight aggressive" style of play in which a player plays a small number of strong starting hands, but when in pots plays aggressively.
tell: A tell in poker is a detectable change in a player's behavior or demeanor that gives clues to that player's assessment of his hand. A player gains an advantage if he observes and understands the meaning of another player's tell, particularly if the tell is unconscious and reliable. Sometimes a player may fake a tell, hoping to induce his opponents to make poor judgments in response to the false tell. See tell.
third man walking: A player who gets up from his seat in a cash game, after two other players are already away from the table, is referred to as the "third man walking". In a casino with a "third man walking rule", this player may be required to return to his seat within 10 minutes, or one rotation of the deal around the table, or else his seat in the game will be forfeited if there is a waiting list for the game.
three bet, three betting, 3-bet, 3bet: To be the first player to put in a 3rd unit of betting. For example, if Bob opens for $10, and Mary raises to make the bet $20, if Ted also raises to make the bet $30, this is to "three bet". (Before the flop, 3-betting means re-raising the first raiser.)
three of a kind: See three of a kind. Also "trips", "set".
three pair: In a seven card game, such as seven-card stud or Texas hold 'em, it is possible for a player to have 3 pairs, although a player can only play two of them as part of a standard 5-card poker hand. This situation may jokingly be referred to as a player having a hand of three pair. Note that in Omaha hold 'em, it is possible to "have" 4 pair in the same manner.
tight

See loose/tight play. Compare to "loose", "aggressive", "passive".
Having a tight is also slang for a "full house".

tilt: Emotional upset, mental confusion, or frustration in which a player adopts a less than optimal strategy, usually resulting in poor play and poor performance. See tilt. Compare with 'steam'.
to go: A term used to describe the amount that a player is required to call in order to stay in the hand, "Alice was deciding whether to call now it was $50 to go."
toke: In a brick and mortar casino, a toke is a "tip" given to the dealer by the winner of the pot. Tokes often represent a large percentage of a dealer's income.
top kicker: In community card poker games, top kicker is the best possible kicker to some given hand. Usually it would be an Ace, but with an Ace on the board it would be a King or lower.
top pair: In community card poker games, top pair is a pair comprising a pocket card and the highest ranking card on the board. Compare second pair, bottom pair.
top two: A split two pair, matching the highest-ranking two flop cards.
trap: See slow play.
trey: A 3-spot card. Casino personnel refer to the 3♣ as the "trey of clubs".
trips: When one of a player's hole cards in Texas hold 'em connects with two cards on the board to make three of a kind. This differs from a set where three of a kind is made when a pocket pair connects with one card on the flop to make three of a kind. Compare to "set".
turbo: A turbo is a type of tournament where the blind levels increase much faster than in standard play.
turn: The turn or "turn card" or "fourth street" is the fourth of five cards dealt to a community card board, constituting one face-up community card that each of the players in the game can use to make up their final hand. See also flop and river.

U

under the gun: The playing position to the direct left of the blinds in Texas hold 'em or Omaha hold 'em. The player who is under the gun must act first on the first round of betting.
underdog: An underdog or dog is a player with a smaller chance to win than another specified player. Frequently used when the exact odds are expressed. Harry might have been bluffing, but if he really had the king, my hand was a 4-to-1 dog, so I folded.
underfull: A full house made where the three of a kind has lower ranking cards than the pair. I had the underfull when the flop came A-A-5 and I had pocket 5's in the hole. Can be beaten by the "big full".
up: When used with a card rank to describe a poker hand, refers to two pair with the named card being the higher pair. For example, a hand of QQ885 might be called "queens up".
upcard: See upcard.
up the ante: Increase the stake. Also commonly used outside the context of poker.
upstairs: See raise.

V

value bet: A bet made by a player who wants it to be called (as opposed to a bluff or protection bet). This is typically because he has a superior hand that he expects to win at showdown, or a very good draw for which he can increase his pot equity by more than the amount of his bet. See value.
vigorish, vig: The rake. See vigorish.
VPIP

A statistic that stands for Voluntary Put Money In Pot. It represents the percentage of hands with which a player puts money into the pot pre-flop, without counting any blind postings. Also called VP$IP. VPIP is an excellent measure of aggression.

W

wake up: To "wake up with a hand" means to discover a strong starting hand, often when there has already been action in front of the player.
walk: A walk is the situation where all players fold to the big blind.
wash: To mix the deck by spreading the cards face down on the table and mixing them up. A dealer may wash the deck before shuffling.
weak ace: An ace with a low kicker (e.g. four). Also "small ace," "soft ace," "ace-rag."
weak player: A player who is easily bullied out of a hand post-flop by any sort of action (betting, raising), whether he has the best hand or not. Weak players are usually but not always nits. Weak players are poker player's favorite opponents second only to calling stations.
wheel

A 5-high straight (A-2-3-4-5), with the Ace playing low. See wheel.
In deuce-to-seven lowball, the nut low hand (2-3-4-5-7).

wild card: See wild card. Compare to bug.
window card: An upcard in stud poker. The first window card in stud is called the "door card". In Texas hold'em and Omaha, the window card is the first card shown when the dealer puts out the three cards for the flop.
wrap: In Omaha hold 'em, an open ended straight draw comprising two board cards and three or four cards from a player's hand. A player holding 345A with the board 67K has a "wrap", as any 3, 4, or 5, or 8 will make a straight. A hand of 4589 would also be a wrap draw, but would often be referred to as a "big wrap" because it has twenty outs rather than thirteen, and is not at the idiot end.

Poker bluff

2011-02-06T07:02:00.000-08:00

In the card game of poker, a bluff is a bet or raise made with a hand which is not thought to be the best hand. To bluff is to make such a bet. The objective of a bluff is to induce a fold by at least one opponent who holds a better hand. The size and frequency of a bluff determines its profitability to the bluffer. By extension, the term is often used outside the context of poker to describe the act of making threats one cannot execute.

Pure bluff

A pure bluff, or stone-cold bluff, is a bet or raise with an inferior hand that has little or no chance of improving. A player making a pure bluff believes he can win the pot only if all opponents fold. The pot odds for a bluff are the ratio of the size of the bluff to the pot. A pure bluff has a positive expectation (will be profitable in the long run) when the probability of being called by an opponent is lower than the pot odds for the bluff.
For example, suppose that after all the cards are out, a player holding a busted drawing hand decides that the only way to win the pot is to make a pure bluff. If the player bets the size of the pot on a pure bluff, the bluff will have a positive expectation if the probability of being called is less than 50%. Note, however, that the opponent may also consider the pot odds when deciding whether to call. In this example, the opponent will be facing 2-to-1 pot odds for the call. The opponent will have a positive expectation for calling the bluff if the opponent believes the probability the player is bluffing is at least 33%.

Semi-bluff

In games with multiple betting rounds, to bluff on one round with an inferior or drawing hand that might improve in a later round is called a semi-bluff. A player making a semi-bluff can win the pot two different ways: by all opponents folding immediately or by catching a card to improve the player's hand. In some cases a player may be on a draw but with odds strong enough that he is favored to win the hand. In this case his bet is not classified as a semi-bluff even though his bet may force opponents to fold hands with better current strength.
For example, a player in a stud poker game with four spade-suited cards showing (but none among their downcards) on the penultimate round might raise, hoping that his opponents believe he already has a flush. If his bluff fails and he is called, he still might be dealt a spade on the final card and win the showdown (or he might be dealt another non-spade and try his bluff again, in which case it is a pure bluff on the final round rather than a semi-bluff).

Bluffing circumstances

Bluffing may be more effective in some circumstances than others. Bluffs have a higher expectation when the probability of being called decreases. Several game circumstances may decrease the probability of being called (and increase the profitability of the bluff):

Fewer opponents who must fold to the bluff.
The bluff provides less favorable pot odds to opponents for a call.
A scare card comes that increases the number of superior hands that the player may be perceived to have.
The player's betting pattern in the hand has been consistent with the superior hand they are representing with the bluff.
The opponent's betting pattern suggests the opponent may have a marginal hand that is vulnerable to a greater number of potential superior hands.
The opponent's betting pattern suggests the opponent may have a drawing hand and the bluff provides unfavorable pot odds to the opponent for chasing the draw.
Opponents are not irrationally committed to the pot (see sunk cost fallacy).
Opponents are sufficiently skilled and paying sufficient attention.

The opponent's current state of mind should be taken into consideration when bluffing. Under certain circumstances external pressures or events can significantly impact an opponent's decision making skills.

Optimal bluffing frequency

If a player bluffs too infrequently, observant opponents will recognize that the player is betting for value and will call with very strong hands or with drawing hands only when they are receiving favorable pot odds. If a player bluffs too frequently, observant opponents snap off his bluffs by calling or re-raising. Occasional bluffing disguises not just the hands a player is bluffing with, but also his legitimate hands that opponents may think he may be bluffing with. David Sklansky, in his book The Theory of Poker, states "Mathematically, the optimal bluffing strategy is to bluff in such a way that the chances against your bluffing are identical to the pot odds your opponent is getting."
Optimal bluffing also requires that the bluffs must be performed in such a manner that opponents cannot tell when a player is bluffing or not. To prevent bluffs from occurring in a predictable pattern, game theory suggests the use of a randomizing agent to determine whether to bluff. For example, a player might use the colors of his hidden cards, the second hand on his watch, or some other unpredictable mechanism to determine whether to bluff.
Example (Texas Hold'em)
Again, let us return to the examples in The Theory of Poker:

when I bet my $100, creating a $300 pot, my opponent was getting 3-to-1 odds from the pot. Therefore my optimum strategy was . . . [to make] the odds against my bluffing 3-to-1.

Since the dealer will always bet with (nut hands) in this situation, he should bluff with (his) "Weakest hands/bluffing range" 1/3 of the time in order to make the odds 3-to-1 against a bluff.
Ex: On the last betting round (river), Worm has been betting a "semi-bluff" drawing hand with: A♠ K♠ on the board:
10♠ 9♣ 2♠ 4♣ against Mike's A♣ 10♦ hand.
The river comes out:
2♣
The pot is currently 30 dollars, and Worm is contemplating a 30 dollar bluff on the river. If Worm does bluff in this situation, he is giving Mike 2-to-1 pot odds to call with his two pair (10's and 2's).
Important: In these hypothetical circumstances, Worm will have the nuts 50% of the time, and be on a busted draw 50% of the time. Worm will bet the nuts (100%) of the time, and bet with a bluffing hand (using mixed optimal strategies):

x = s / (1 + s)

Where s is equal to the percentage of the pot that Worm is bluff betting with and x is equal to the percentage of busted draws Worm should be bluffing with to bluff optimally.
Pot = 30 dollars. Bluff bet = 30 dollars.
s = 30(pot) / 30(bluff bet) = 1.
Worm should be bluffing with his busted draws:
x =

1 / (1 + s) = 50%

Where s = 1
Assuming 4 trials, Worm has the nuts 2 times, and has a busted draw 2 times. (EV = Expected Value)

Worm bets with the nuts (100% of the time)	Worm bets with the nuts (100% of the time)	Worm bets with a busted draw (50% of the time)	Worm checks with a busted draw (50% of the time)
Worm's EV = 60 dollars	Worm's EV = 60 dollars	Worm's EV = 30 dollars (if Mike folds) and -30 dollars (if Mike calls)	Worm's EV = 0 dollars (since he will neither win the pot, nor lose 30 dollars on a bluff)
Mike's EV = -30 dollars (because he would not have won the original pot, but lost to Worm's value bet on the end)	Mike's EV = -30 dollars (because he would not have won the original pot, but lost to Worm's value bet on the end)	Mike's EV = 60 dollars (if he calls, he'll win the whole pot, which includes Worm's 30 dollar bluff) and 0 dollars (if Mike folds, he can't win the money in the pot)	Mike's EV = 30 dollars (assuming Mike checks behind with the winning hand, he will win the 30 dollar pot)

Under the circumstances of this example: Worm will bet his nut hand 2 times, for every one time he bluffs against Mike's hand (assuming Mike's hand would lose to the nuts and beat a bluff). This means that (if he called all three bets) Mike would win 1 time, and lose two times, and would break even against 2-to-1 pot odds. This also means that Worm's odds against bluffing is also 2-to-1 (since he will value bet twice, and bluff once).
Say in this example, Worm decides to use the second hand of his watch to determine when to bluff (50% of the time). If the second hand of the watch is between 1 and 30 seconds, Worm will check his hand down (not bluff). If the second hand of the watch is between 31 and 60 seconds, Worm will bluff his hand. Worm looks down at his watch, and the second hand is at 45 seconds, so Worm decides to bluff. Mike folds his two pair saying, "the way you've been betting your hand, I don't think my two pair on the board will hold up against your hand." Worm takes the pot by using optimal bluffing frequencies.
Please note: This example is meant to illustrate how optimal bluffing frequencies work. Because it was an example, we assumed that Worm had the nuts 50% of the time, and a busted draw 50% of the time. In real game situations, this is not usually the case.
The purpose of optimal bluffing frequencies is to make the opponent (mathematically) indifferent between calling and folding. Optimal bluffing frequencies are based upon game theory and the Nash Equilibrium, and assist the player using these strategies to become unexploitable. By bluffing in optimal frequencies, you will typically end up breaking even on your bluffs (in other words, optimal bluffing frequencies are not meant to generate positive expected value from the bluffs alone). Rather, optimal bluffing frequencies allow you to gain more value from your "value bets," because your opponent is indifferent between calling or folding when you bet (regardless to whether it's a value bet or a bluff bet).

Bluffing in other games

Although bluffing is most often considered a poker term, similar tactics are useful in other games as well. In these situations, a player makes a play that shouldn't be profitable unless an opponent misjudges it as being made from a position capable of justifying it. Since a successful bluff requires deceiving one's opponent, it occurs only in games where the players conceal information from each other. In games like chess and backgammon where both players can see the same board, they should simply make the best legal move available. Examples include:

Contract Bridge: Psychic bids and falsecards are attempts to mislead the opponents about the distribution of the cards. A risk (common to all bluffing in partnership games) is that a bluff may also confuse the bluffer's partner. Psychic bids serve to make it harder for the opponents to find a good contract or to accurately place the key missing cards with a defender. Falsecarding (a tactic available in most trick taking card games) is playing a card that would naturally be played from a different hand distribution in hopes that an opponent will wrongly assume that the falsecarder made a natural play from a different hand and misplay a later trick on that assumption.
Stratego: Much of the strategy in Stratego revolves around identifying the ranks of the opposing pieces. Therefore depriving your opponent of this information is valuable. In particular, the "shoreline bluff" involves placing the flag in an unnecessarily vulnerable location in hopes that the opponent won't look for it there.
Spades: In late game situations, it is useful to bid a nil even if it cannot succeed. If the third seat bidder sees that making a natural bid would allow the fourth seat bidder to make an uncontestable bid for game, he may bid nil even when it has no chance of success. The last bidder then must choose whether to make his natural bid (and lose the game if the nil succeeds) or to respect the nil by making a riskier bid that allows his side to win even if the doomed nil is successful. If he chooses wrong and both teams miss their bids, the game continues.
Scrabble: Scrabble players will sometimes deliberately play a phony hoping the opponent doesn't challenge it. Bluffing in Scrabble is a bit different from the other examples. Although Scrabble players do conceal their tiles, they have little opportunity to make significant deductions about their opponent's tiles, and even less opportunity to spread disinformation about them. Bluffing by playing a phony is instead based on assuming players have imperfect knowledge of the acceptable word list.

Poker tournament

2011-02-03T04:24:00.000-08:00

A poker tournament is a tournament where players compete by playing poker. It can feature as few as two players playing on a single table (called a "heads-up" tournament), and as many as tens of thousands of players playing on thousands of tables. The winner of the tournament is usually the person who wins every poker chip in the game and the others are awarded places based on the time of their elimination. To facilitate this, in most tournaments, blinds rise over the duration of the tournament. Unlike in a ring game (or cash game), a player's chips in a tournament cannot be cashed out for money and serve only to determine the player's placing.

Buy-ins and prizes

To enter a typical tournament, a player pays a fixed buy-in and at the start of play is given a certain quantity of tournament poker chips. Commercial venues may also charge a separate fee, or withhold a small portion of the buy-in, as the cost of running the event. Tournament chips have only notional value; they have no cash value, and only the tournament chips, not cash, may be used during play. Typically, the amount of each entrant's starting tournament chips is an integer multiple of the buy-in. Some tournaments offer the option of a re-buy or buy-back; this gives players the option of purchasing more chips. In some cases, re-buys are conditional (for example, offered only to players low on or out of chips) but in others they are available to all players (called add-ons). When a player has no chips remaining (and has exhausted or declined all re-buy options, if any are available) he or she is eliminated from the tournament.
In most tournaments, the number of players at each table is kept even by moving players, either by switching one player or (as the field shrinks) taking an entire table out of play and distributing its players amongst the remaining tables. A few tournaments, called shoot-outs, do not do this; instead, the last player (sometimes the last two or more players) at a table moves on to a second or third round, akin to a single-elimination tournament found in other games.
The prizes for winning are usually derived from the buy-ins, though outside funds may be entered as well. For example, some invitational tournaments do not have buy-ins and fund their prize pools with sponsorship revenue and/or gate receipts from spectators. (These tournaments are referred to as freerolls.) Play continues, in most tournaments, until all but one player is eliminated, though in some tournament situations, especially informal ones, players have the option of ending by consensus.
Players are ranked in reverse chronological order — the last person in the game earns 1st place, the second-to-last earns 2nd, and so on. This ranking of players by elimination is unique amongst games, and also precludes the possibility of a tie for first place, since one player alone must have all the chips to end the tournament. (Ties are possible for all other places, though they are rare since the sole tiebreaker is the number of chips one has at the start of the hand in which one is eliminated, and hence two people would need to start a hand with exactly the same number of chips and both be eliminated on that same hand in order to tie with each other.)
Sometimes tournaments end by mutual consensus of the remaining players. For example, in a ten-person, $5 game, there may be two players remaining with $29 and $21, respectively, worth of chips. Rather than risk losing their winning, as one of them would if the game were continued, these two players may be allowed to split the prize proportional to their in-game currency (or however they agree).
Certain tournaments, known as bounty tournaments, place a bounty on some or all of the players. If a player knocks an opponent out, the player earns the opponent’s bounty. Individual bounties or total bounties collected by the end of a tournament may be used to award prizes. Bounties usually work in combination with a regular prize pool, where a small portion of each player’s buy-in goes towards his or her bounty.
Other tournaments allow players to exchange some or all of their chips in the middle of a tournament for prize money, giving the chips cash value. Separate portions of each player’s buy-in go towards a prize pool and a “cash out” pool. The cash out rate is typically fixed, and a time when players may not cash out (such as the final table) is usually established. The remaining cash out pool is either paid out to the remaining field or added to the regular prize pool.
Prizes are awarded to the winning players in one of two ways:

Fixed: Each placing corresponds to a certain payoff. For example, a ten-person, $20 buy-in tournament might award $100 to the first-place player, $60 for second-place, $40 for third, and nothing for lower places.
Proportional: Payouts are determined according to a percentage-based scale. The percentages are determined based upon the number of participants and will increase payout positions as participation increases. As a rule, roughly one player in ten will 'cash', or make a high enough place to earn money. These scales are very top-heavy, with the top three players usually winning more than the rest of the paid players combined.

Tournaments can be open or invitational. The World Series of Poker, whose Main Event (a $10,000 buy-in no limit Texas Hold 'Em tournament) is considered the most prestigious of all poker tournaments, is open.
Multi-table tournaments involve many players playing simultaneously at dozens or even hundreds of tables. Satellite tournaments to high-profile, expensive poker tournaments are the means of entering a major event without posting a significant sum of cash. These have significantly smaller buy-ins, usually on the order of one-tenth to one-fiftieth the main tournament's buy-in, and can be held at various venues and, more recently, on the Internet. Top players in this event, in lieu of a cash prize, are awarded seats to the main tourney, with the number of places dependent on participation. Chris Moneymaker, who won the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event, was able to afford his seat by winning an Internet tournament with a $39 buy-in. Greg Raymer, 2004 World Series of Poker champion, acquired his seat via a $165 Internet tournament.
The opposite of a multi-table tournament is a single-table tournament, often abbreviated STT. A number of places (typically, nine or ten) are allocated at a single table, and as soon as the required number of players has appeared, chips are distributed and the game starts. This method of starting single-table tournaments has caused them to be referred to as sit-and-go (SNG) tournaments, because when the required number of players "sit," the tournament "goes." Sit-and-go tournaments of more than one table are becoming more common, however, especially in Internet poker. A single-table tournament effectively behaves the same as the final table of a multi-table tournament, except that the players all begin with the same number of chips, and the betting structure starts much lower than would likely be the case at a MTT final table. Almost invariably, fixed payoffs are used.
A tournament series may consist of either single-table or multi-table tournaments. In a tournament series, multiple tournaments are played in which prizes are awarded. However, a series leaderboard or standings system is often used and additional prizes, drawn from the individual tournament buy-ins, are awarded to those who perform best overall in the series. Major poker tournaments such as the World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker, use standings to determine a player of the year.

Playing format

The most common playing format for poker tournaments is the knockout (also known as "freezeout") format. All players still playing in a tournament constitute a dynamic pool. Whenever a player loses all his chips and gets eliminated, his table shrinks. To combat the constant shrinking of tables and avoid having tables play with varying numbers of players, players are moved between tables, with unnecessary tables getting closed as the tournament progresses. In the end, all remaining players are seated on just one table, known as the "final table". Most sit and go tournaments are knockouts.
In some tournaments, known as "rebuy tournaments", players have the ability to re-buy into the game in case they lost all their chips and avoid elimination for a specific period of time (usually ranging from one to two hours). After this so-called "rebuy period", the play resumes as in a standard knockout tournament and eliminated players do not have the option of returning to the game any more. Rebuy tournaments often allow players to rebuy even if they have not lost all their chips, in which case the rebuy amount is simply added to their stack. A player is not allowed to rebuy in-game if he has too many chips (usually the amount of the starting stack or half of it). At the end of the rebuy period remaining players are typically given the option to purchase an "add-on", an additional amount of chips, which is usually similar to the starting stack.
Another playing format is the "shootout" tournament. A shootout tournament divides play in rounds. In a standard shootout tournament, 2-10 players sit on each table and the table roster remains the same until everyone but one player is eliminated. The table winners progress to the final table where the tournament winner is determined. In a shootout tournament players are usually awarded places in tiers based on how many rounds they lasted and in which place they were eliminated. Shootouts can include multiple rounds (triple, quadruple or quintuple shootout) or feature several players from each table progressing (usually up to three). Shootouts are also a common format for large heads-up multi-table tournaments, although these may feature double or triple elimination instead of the standard single knockout method.

Betting format

Betting in tournaments can take one of three forms:

In a structured (fixed limit) betting system, bets and raises are restricted to specific amounts, though these amounts typically increase throughout the tournament. For example, for a seven-card stud tournament with the stakes at 10/20, raises would be $10 in the first three rounds of betting, and $20 in the latter rounds.
Semi-structured betting provides ranges for allowed raises. Usually, in this format, one may not raise less than a previous player has raised. For example, if one player raises $20, it would be illegal for another player to raise an additional $5. Pot limit is a semi-structured format in which raises cannot exceed the current size of the pot. Spread limit is a semi-structured format in which bets (and subsequent raises) must be between a minimum and maximum amount.
Unstructured betting, usually called no limit. While blinds, antes, or bring-ins are fixed, players are free to bet as much as they wish, even early in a round of betting. To bet all of one's chips (risking one's tournament life, in the event of losing the hand) is to go all-in. In no-limit tournaments, players will sometimes take this risk even early in the betting; for example, in some no-limit Texas Hold 'Em tournaments, it is not uncommon for players to bet "all-in" before the flop.

The betting structure is one of the most defining elements of the game; even if other aspects are equivalent, a fixed-limit version and its no-limit counterpart are considered to be very different games, because the strategies and play styles are very different. For instance, it is much easier to bluff in a no-limit game, which allows aggressive betting, than in a fixed-limit game. No-limit games also vary widely according to the proclivities of the players; an informal, emergent, betting structure is developed by the players' personal strategies and personalities.
The stakes of each round, as well as blinds, bring-ins, and antes as appropriate per game, typically escalate according either to the time elapsed or the number of hands played.

Variants of poker

While some tournaments offer a mix of games, like H.O.R.S.E. events which combine Hold'em, Omaha, Razz, Stud and Stud Eight or Better and Dealer's Choice events, at which one may choose from a similar menu of games, most tournaments feature one form of stud or community card poker, such as seven-card stud, seven card high-low stud, Omaha Hold 'em or Texas Hold 'em. Both Omaha and Texas Hold'em tournaments are commonly offered in fixed-limit and pot limit, and no limit Texas hold 'em tournaments are very common (no-limit Omaha is almost nonexistent in tournament play).
Sit and gos are another specific type of poker tournament. Regular tournaments begin at a scheduled time, and however many players are registered for that tournament when the starting time approaches, is the number of players that make up that specific tournament. Sit and gos are formatted the same as regular tournaments, except they begin when a certain amount of players register for it. Standard sit and gos usually consist of 2,6,9,10,12,18,24,27,36,45,90,100 or 180 players. Sit and gos are formatted the same as regular tournaments; everyone buys-in to the sit and go for the same amount and every player starts with the same amount of chips. Each player in a sit and go plays until all of their chips are gone. As each player is knocked out, they receive money (or don't receive money) according to what place they finish. First place makes the most money, second is rewarded with a little less than first, and so on. Unlike cash games, standard sit and go tournaments increase the blinds and antes every 15 minutes or so in equal intervals. Some sit and gos, called winner-take-all, only reward first prize with money, which receives all of the money that the sit and go consisted of from all of the buy-ins from every player in it. Other sit and gos, usually only heads up (1-on-1) sit and gos, don't ever increase the blinds. The blinds stay the same throughout the entire sit and go, causing much more skillful play to be rewarded over the long run, as players aren't as forced to play mediocre hands because of big blinds and antes.

Tournament venues

Informal tournaments can be organized by a group of friends; for example, most colleges feature poker tournaments. Casinos and online gaming sites often offer daily tournaments.
However, these are not the only venues. Poker cruises offer tournaments at sea. Most 2005 and 2006 World Series of Poker events took place in the convention center at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas.

Major tournaments

The two largest and most well-known tournaments in the USA are the World Poker Tour championship event and the World Series of Poker, both held in Las Vegas. The World Series has traditionally been featured on ESPN. In the 1980s the Super Bowl of Poker was the second largest and most prestigious tournament.
The 2005 World Series of Poker was the first held outside of Binion's Horseshoe Casino, though the final few days of the main event were held in the legendary Benny's Bullpen. Later tournaments have been held at one of the Harrah's Entertainment properties; since 2005, the Rio has served as the venue.
The largest and most well-known tournament in Europe is the European Poker Tour, which was founded in 2004 by John Duthie and is now the largest poker tour in the world by both total players and prize pool. The WSOP Europe started in 2007 and has one stop, in London.
The largest and most well-known tournament in Asia is the Asia Pacific Poker Tour Macau event.
The largest and most well-known tournament in Latin America is the Latin American Poker Tour Argentina event.
The Crown Australian Poker Championship, also known as the Aussie Millions, is the largest tournament in the Pacific region.
In addition to these events, there are other major tournaments throughout the year. The World Poker Tour broadcasts a series of open tournaments throughout the U.S. and Caribbean with buy-ins from $5,000 to $25,000, as well as a European event with a €10,000 buy-in. Some of these events are stand alone tournaments like the Caribbean Poker Adventure, but most are held in conjunction with a tournament series being held at the host casino, like the Commerce Casino's LA Poker Classic, the Grand Sierra's World Poker Challenge and the Bicycle Casino's Legends of Poker. A North American Poker Tour was launched in 2010.
Atlantic City hosts The United States Poker Championship at the Trump Taj Mahal casino, which has been broadcast by ESPN in recent years.
The main live poker tournament in Africa is the All Africa Poker Tournament hosted by the Piggs Peak Casino in Piggs Peak, Swaziland.
The National Heads-Up Poker Championship is a tournament modeled similarly to the NCAA tournament for college basketball. 64 players compete in heads-up matches single elimination style to determine a winner. It is one of the most prestigious heads up poker tournaments and it is the first tournament produced by a television network.
The internet poker revolution has sparked online poker tournaments and series that have become larger than many live tournaments. The World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) and the Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) are two of the biggest online poker tournament series, with tournament prizes surpassing the million-dollar mark.

PokerStars Online Home Games

2011-01-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

Explore Online Home Games with PokerStars

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Your home Poker Club includes typical features:

Club Management Tools – appoint administrators, accept/remove members, customize your club lobby, set length of club seasons, and more.

Club Leaderboard – ranks players by points earned through tournament play

Player Statistics – view points earned, top finishes, knockouts for each club member

Game Management Tools – customize game parameters and schedule games

Save Favorite Game Setups – easy to replay your favorite customized game configurations

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POKERSTARS

2011-01-25T07:43:00.000-08:00

PokerStars is the largest online poker cardroom in the world. PokerStars' satellite tournaments produced the 2003 World Series of Poker champion, Chris Moneymaker, as well as the 2004 champion, Greg Raymer. Those two now act as spokespeople for the cardroom, as do 2005 champion Joe Hachem, 2008 champion Peter Eastgate, 2009 champion Joe Cada, also regular players on the site. PokerStars is the headline sponsor of the European Poker Tour (EPT), Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT), Australia & New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT), United Kingdom & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT), Italian Poker Tour (IPT), Czech-Slovak Poker Tour (CSPT), and North American Poker Tour (NAPT). PokerStars also sponsors the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), a stop on the European, Latin American and North American Poker Tours. In 2005, eGaming Review named PokerStars.com the "Best Poker Operator of the Year". PokerStars offers a downloadable poker client for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems, offering the same features to users of each client.

History

PokerStars launched its beta play money only site on September 11 2001, and later began real money wagering in December 12 2001. PokerStars was originally a Costa Rican company, Rational Enterprises, majority owned by the Scheinberg family of Israel. The company was subsequently moved to the Isle of Man, a British Crown dependency. The move was driven by the establishment of a 0% corporate tax rate and the removal of rules barring companies from accepting casino and poker bets from America.PokerStars holds its license with the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission, and is also licensed in Italy by the Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato (AAMS).
Since relocating, PokerStars has been the subject of financial media speculation regarding a possible initial public offering or merger with a publicly listed company. Analysts estimated its market value would have been approximately $2 billion (US) in 2004, which would have made the company one of the world's largest privately held gambling companies. Now, in 2009 and into 2010 PokerStars earns approximately $1.4 billion per year, and nets $1.34 million per day. PokerStars overtook PartyPoker as the world's largest online poker room at around the time the U.S. Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Many sites, including PartyPoker, immediately suspended business with U.S. gamblers, while others, including PokerStars, did not. Since then PokerStars has grown and has upwards of 300,000 players at their tables during the busiest hours, and it continues to grow at a steady pace. PokerStars only prohibits players from one US state, Washington.
On December 27, 2009, Pokerstars set the world record for the biggest online tournament. The tournament entry fee was $1, and the record number of people reached was 149,196.
The site dealt its 50 billionth hand on September 22, 2010 during the PokerStars 'F50' celebration. 'Milestone' hands were dealt every 1 million hands leading up to the 50 billionth hand dealt, in total awarding $952,239,50 with the 50 billionth hand alone awarding $56,114, the $26 pot and a $5,200 WCOOP Main Event ticket to the winner.

Games offered

PokerStars offers ten varieties of poker games: Texas hold 'em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo (8 or Better), Stud, Stud Hi/Lo (8 or Better), Razz, Five-card draw, Deuce to Seven Triple Draw, Deuce to Seven Single Draw and Badugi. HORSE, HOSE, Mixed Hold'em, Mixed Omaha Hi/Lo, Triple Stud and 8-Game, "mixed games" that rotate through several of the above, are also offered.Players can participate in real money games ranging from $.01/$.02 up to $1000/$2000. The home of the World Championship of Online Poker, the largest online poker tournament series in the world, PokerStars has over 20,000 players playing real money ring games daily, plus thousands more playing real money tournaments or free-play games. During peak operating times, this often adds up to over 300,000 players online simultaneously. PokerStars.com's play money players mix with those logging in from PokerStars.net, a free play-only site without real money games. In October 2008, PokerStars launched PokerStars.it, exclusively for Italian players, which will offer real money tournaments in Euro currency in addition to the usual play money games. PokerStars now offers some ring games and tournaments on its main PokerStars.com site in euro. In March 2010, the site began allowing users to keep their real-money accounts in pounds and Canadian dollars as well as U.S. dollars and euro.
The site's flagship weekly event is the Sunday Million, a weekly tournament with a guaranteed $1.5 million prize pool with a buy-in of $215. On July 8, 2007, PokerStars debuted a new weekly event, the $11 buy-in Sunday 1/4 Million, which regularly attracts around 25,000 to 30,000 players, making it the largest regularly-scheduled real-money poker tournament by number of entries. This total surpassed the previous record of 10,894 players who participated in the May 20, 2007 Sunday Million tournament.

Team PokerStars

PokerStars sponsors several professional players including Bertrand Grospellier, John Duthie, Lee Nelson, Luca Pagano, Steve Paul-Ambrose, Liv Boeree, Vanessa Rousso, Victor Ramdin, Noah Boeken, Andre Akkari, Chad Brown, Martha Herrera, Grayson Physioc, Angel Guillen, Victoria Coren, William Thorson, Marcin Horecki, Ylon Schwartz, Dennis Phillips, Juan Carlos Alvarado, Johnny Lodden, Leo Fernandez, Maridu Mayrinck, Ivan Demidov, Juan Maceiras, Marcel Luske, Arnaud Mattern, as well as WSOP bracelet winners Barry Greenstein, Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, Humberto Brenes, Daniel Negreanu, Gavin Griffin, Dario Minieri, Alex Kravchenko, Alexandre Gomes, Katja Thater, Jason Mercier, Angel Guillen, Jude Ainsworth and 2008 WSOP champion Peter Eastgate as well as 2009 WSOP champion Joe Cada. Actor Jason Alexander; former Major League Baseball pitcher Orel Hershiser; author and part-time poker player Anthony Holden; hockey player Mats Sundin; WSOP bracelet winner Bill Chen, 1983 WSOP champion Tom McEvoy, Brazilian auto racer and race team owner Gualter Salles; and Darus Suharto, who made the final table of the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event alongside Eastgate, Demidov, Schwartz and Phillips, promote the site as "Friends of PokerStars". Also, PokerStars has a sport team, including French rugby union international Sébastien Chabal and former tennis champion Boris Becker.

Poker ethics

2011-01-05T07:19:00.000-08:00

It is often believed that in playing poker, all hats are off. Players are capable of doing what the other players are doing in order to win. This may sound a bit twisted but usually this is the only safe guiding principle to play poker with ethics.
Rule of thumb in poker ethics is don't cheat. That is the bottomline after all. In any social circle, cheating is unacceptable. In most casinos, cheating in a poker game could be led to a night or so in jail. It could also mean being banned from that particular casino. In a private party, cheating could also lead to banishment from that social circle or the anger of your good buddies.
Another questionable matter in playing is bluffing. Bluffing in poker is actually considered to be a part of the game. Poker wouldn't be half as interesting had bluffing not been invented. Bluffing occurs when a player bets on his hand to give the assumption that this player considers his hand to be the best during that round. It depends on the player as to how far he may bluff to win the pot.
As to how far one is allowed to bluff during the game is a case to case basis. In some circles, bluffing can go as far as the player announcing that he has a full house when indeed he actually has a pair. It can also be the likes of declaring an improvement in the hand because of the draw. However, to some players, these types of bluffing are unacceptable. Bluffing to them should just be limited to betting and not to the extent of saying things that are untrue.
Bluffing in some way is a means of deception. Rather it is a psychological warfare in poker. Just as announcing before a turn that the player intends to raise the bet when in reality he has no intention whatsoever. Although, this move doesn't really mean a penalty to that player, it can still be considered unethical.
In a similar matter, there comes the term betting blind. Betting blind is when a player bets without taking a look at his cards. The player announces that he is betting blind. There is nothing wrong with betting blind after all this is a risk the player is willingly taking. It becomes unethical when the player actually took a look at his cards and made it appear that he hasn't.
Lastly, partnerships or splitting pots in a poker game is definitely unethical. Poker is a game for individuals. It is a game where every man plays for himself. A wife and a husband may be playing at the same table but they are still going to be betting against each other. An agreement to split the pot instead of a showdown between two players is unethical.
Do unto others what you want others to do unto you. If you check instead of placing a bet in the hopes that someone else bets to set you up for a raise, expect other players to do that as well. Don't take it personally if someone bluffs their way into winning the pot against you. You would have done the same thing. Or you could have been doing it as well, only you were out bluffed.
Just like in any other activity, ethics in poker is subjective. One should be able to adapt to the other players in the game. What is ethical to one person may be unethical to another. With poker being a social past time, it is important to consider ethics in the game. It keeps the game friendly. After all, everyone is just there to have fun.

What is ethical at the poker table? Does anything go or are there limits?

Each poker room and table you sit at will have it’s own rules regarding the actual rules and regulations of the game. For example blind structure, minimum raises, determinations of verbal bets, etc.

However we are going to examine what is ethical in today’s game of poker. Now I realize this will be a controversial piece which may be agreed or disagreed with. However, poker is a game of psychology. And there are many types of psychologies working at the same time in order to achieve the ultimate goal. You may have sat across from a loud mouth once or twice, or someone who tries to intimidate you with insults. You may have been this person yourself. The main reason people do this is to upset other players routine to put them off their natural game.

"smellyplayers (stench/bad breath), loud players, insults, dunk players,exposed clevage, laughing, non-stop questions, non stop talking, music,slow to act, eating and even flatulence or burping..."

The truth is that while this may not be the most pleasant of behavior, we are not at the poker table to make friends. (Note: if you are playing to make friends, play low stakes games or organize a regular game amongst your mates)
Taking competitive advantage in a poker game can be crucial. But where do you draw the line? It is really up to you and how much you want to hold your own dignity at the poker table. Think about anyone who has done or is one of the following: smelly players (stench/bad breath), loud players, insults, dunk players, exposed clevage, laughing, non-stop questions, non stop talking, music, slow to act, eating and even flatulence or burping (yes, really!)

Did this annoy you? Were you distracted? Well, it may have worked in putting you off your game. Not every player purposefully employs these tactics, but many do and it is important to be aware of this, as the poker table is not real life. In many ways, it’s war or at the very least hand by hand combat. And in war, there is no prize for the runner-up, so anything goes.

SEVEN CARD STUD POKER

2011-01-05T01:39:00.000-08:00

Seven-card stud is a variant of stud poker. Until the recent increase in popularity of Texas hold 'em, seven-card stud was the most popular poker variant in home games across the United States, and in casinos in the eastern part of the country. Two to eight players is common, though eight may require special rules for the last cards dealt if no players fold. With experienced players who fold often, even playing with nine players is possible.
The descriptions below assume that you are familiar with the general game play of poker, and with hand values. They also make no assumptions about what poker betting structure is used. In casino play, it is common to use a small ante and bring-in. In home games, it is typical to use an ante only.
Seven-card stud is the "S" game in HORSE and similar mixed game formats.

Quick play overview

Play proceeds as follows ("player" refers only to those who have not folded and are still in the game), with betting rounds in-between.
Betting is clockwise, the player with the highest poker hand showing starts (e.g. 2-2 beats K-Q).
Virtually all casinos deal:

Two cards dealt face down to each player, one card dealt face up to each player
upcard to each player (Fourth Street)
upcard to each player (Fifth Street)
upcard to each player (Sixth Street)
downcard to each player (Seventh Street)
showdown

Mnemonic: Two-four-one (Two down, four up, one down.)
An increasingly popular variant called "Mississippi Stud" removes the betting round between fourth and fifth streets, making only four betting rounds. This game also deals the final card face up. This makes the game more closely resemble Texas Hold'em by having the same betting structure and same number of down and up cards.

In-depth play rules

The game begins with each player being dealt two cards face down and one card face up. If played with a bring-in, the player with the lowest-ranking upcard pays the bring-in, and betting proceeds after that in normal clockwise order. The bring-in is considered an open, so the next player in turn may not check. If two players have equally ranked low cards, suit may be used to break the tie and assign the bring-in (see high card by suit). If there is no bring-in, then the first betting round begins with the player showing the highest-ranking upcard, who may check. In this case, suit should not be used to break ties. If two players have the same high upcard, the one first in clockwise rotation from the dealer acts first.
After the first betting round, another upcard is dealt to each player (after a burn card, and starting at the dealer's left as will all subsequent rounds), followed by a second betting round beginning with the player whose upcards make the best poker hand. Since fewer than five cards are face up, this means no straights, flushes, or full houses will count for this purpose. On this and all subsequent betting rounds, the player whose face-up cards make the best poker hand will act first, and may check or bet up to the game's limit.
The second round is followed by a third upcard and betting round, a fourth upcard and betting round, and finally a downcard, a fifth betting round, and showdown if necessary. Seven-card stud can be summarized therefore as "two down, four up, one down". Upon showdown, each player makes the best five-card poker hand he can out of the seven cards he was dealt.
Note that seven cards to eight players plus four burn cards makes 60 cards, and there are only 52 in the deck. In most games this is not a problem because several players will have folded in early betting rounds. But there are certainly low-stakes home games where few if any players fold. If this is the case in your game, you may want to limit the game to seven players. If the deck does become exhausted during play, previously-dealt burn cards can be used when only a few cards are needed to complete the deal. If even those are not sufficient, then on the final round instead of dealing a downcard to each player, a single community card is dealt to the center of the table, and is shared by everyone (that is, each player treats it as his seventh card). Under no circumstances can any discarded card from a folded hand be "recycled" for later use. Unlike draw poker, where no cards are ever seen before showdown, stud poker players use the information they get from face-up cards to make strategic decisions, and so a player who sees a certain card folded is entitled to make decisions knowing that the card will never appear in another opponent's hand.

Sample deal

The sample deal below assumes that a game is being played by four players: Alice, who is dealing in the examples; Bob, who is sitting to her left; Carol to his left; and David to Carol's left.
All players ante 25¢. Alice deals each player two downcards and one upcard, beginning with Bob and ending with herself. Bob is dealt the 4♠, Carol the K♦, David the 4♦, and Alice the 9♣. Because they are playing with a $1 bring-in, David is required to start the betting with a $1 bring-in (his 4♦ is lower than Bob's 4♠ by suit). He had the option to open the betting for more, but he chose to bet only the required $1. The bring-in sets the current bet amount to $1, so Alice cannot check. She decides to call. Bob folds, indicating this by turning his upcard face down and discarding his cards. Carol raises to $3. David folds, and Alice calls.
Alice now deals a second face-up card to each remaining player: Carol is dealt the J♣, and Alice the K♥. Alice's two upcards make a poker hand of no pair, K-9-high, and Carol has K-J-high, so it is Carol's turn to bet. She checks, as does Alice, ending the betting round.
Another face up card is dealt: Carol gets the 10♥ and Alice gets the K♣. Alice now has a pair of kings showing, and Carol still has no pair, so Alice bets first. She bets $5, and Carol calls.
On the next round, Carol receives the 10♦, making her upcards K-J-10-10. Alice receives the 3♠. Alice's upcards are 9-K-K-3; the pair of kings is still higher than Carol's pair of tens, so she bets $5 and Carol calls.
Each player now receives a downcard. It is still Alice's turn to bet because the downcard did not change either hand. She checks, Carol bets $10, and Alice calls. That closes the last betting round, and both players remain, so there is a showdown.
Alice shows her cards: 9♥ 5♦ 9♣ K♥ K♣ 3♠ 5♠. The best five-card poker hand she can play is K-K-9-9-5, making two pair, kings and nines. Carol shows Q♠ 2♥ K♦ J♣ 10♥ 10♦ A♦. She can play A-K-Q-J-10, making an ace-high straight, and so Carol wins the pot.

OMAHA HOLDEM

2011-01-05T01:37:00.000-08:00

Omaha hold 'em (or Omaha holdem or simply Omaha) is a community card poker game similar to Texas hold 'em, where each player is dealt four cards and must make his best hand using exactly two of them, plus exactly three of the five community cards. The exact origin of the game is unknown, but casino executive Robert Turner first brought Omaha into a casino setting when he introduced the game to Bill Boyd, who offered it as a game at the Las Vegas Golden Nugget Casino (calling it "Nugget Hold'em"). Omaha uses one standard 52-card French deck.
Omaha hold 'em is the "O" game featured in H.O.R.S.E.

Explanation

In North American casinos, the term "Omaha" can refer to several poker games. The original game is also commonly known as "Omaha High". A high-low split version called "Omaha Hi-Lo", or sometimes "Omaha eight-or-better" or "Omaha/8", is also played.
In Europe, "Omaha" still typically refers to the high version of the game, usually played pot-limit. Pot-limit Omaha is often abbreviated as "PLO." Pot-limit and no-limit Omaha eight-or-better can be found in some casinos and online, though no-limit is rarer.
It is often said that Omaha is a game of "the nuts", i.e. the best possible high or low hand, because it frequently takes "the nuts" to win a showdown. It is also a game where between the cards in his hand and the community cards a player may have drawing possibilities to multiple different types of holdings. For example, a player may have both a draw to a flush and a full house using different combinations of cards. At times, even seasoned players may need additional time to figure what draws are possible for their hand.
The basic differences between Omaha and Texas hold 'em are these: first, each player is dealt four hole cards instead of two. The betting rounds and layout of community cards are identical. At showdown, each player's hand is the best five-card hand made from exactly three of the five cards on the board, plus exactly two of the player's own cards. Unlike Texas hold 'em, a player cannot play four or five of the cards on the board with fewer than two of his or her own, nor can a player use three or four hole cards to disguise a strong hand.
Some specific things to notice about Omaha hands are:

As in Texas hold 'em, three or more suited cards on the board makes a flush possible, but unlike that game a player always needs two of that suit in hand to play a flush. For example, with a board of K♠ 9♠ Q♠ Q♥ 5♠, a player with A♠ 2♥ 4♥ 5♣ cannot play a flush using the ace as would be possible in Texas hold 'em; the player must play two cards from in-hand and only three from the board (so instead, this player's best hand is two pair: Q♠ Q♥ 5♠ 5♣ A♠). A player with 2♠ 3♠ K♦ J♦ can play the spade flush.

Two pair on the board does not make a full house for anyone with a single matching card as it does in Texas hold 'em. For example, with a board of J♠ J♦ 9♦ 5♥ 9♣, a player with a hand of A♠ 2♠ J♥ K♦ cannot play a full house; the player can only use the A-J to play J♠ J♥ J♦ A♠ 9♣, since he/she must play three of the board cards. A player with 2♣ 5♣ 9♠ 10♠ can use his/her 9-5 to play the full house 9♠ 9♣ 9♦ 5♥ 5♣.

Likewise, with three of a kind on the board, a player must have a pair in hand to make a full house. For example, with a board of J♠ J♦ A♦ J♥ K♣, a player with A♠ 2♠ 3♥ K♦ does not have a full house, the player only has three jacks with an ace-king kicker, and will lose to a player with only a pair of deuces. This is probably the most frequently misread hand in Omaha. (Naturally, a person with the fourth jack in hand can make four jacks because any other card in hand can act as the fifth card, or "kicker".)

Omaha Hi-Lo/8 or Better Split

In high-low split, each player makes a separate five-card high hand and five-card ace-to-five low hand (eight-high or lower to qualify), and the pot is split between the high and low (which may be the same player). To qualify for low, a player must be able to play an 8-7-6-5-4 or lower (this is why it is called "eight-or-better", or simply "Omaha/8"). A few casinos play with a 9-low qualifier instead, but this is rare. Each player can play any two of his four hole cards to make his high hand, and any two of his four hole cards to make his low hand. If there is no qualifying low hand, the high hand wins (scoops) the whole pot. This game is usually played in the fixed limit version, although pot limit Omaha/8 is becoming more popular. A few low-stakes online tournaments feature no limit Omaha/8.
The brief explanation above belies the complexity of the game, so a number of examples will be useful here to clarify it. The table below shows a five-card board of community cards at the end of play, and then lists for each player the initial private four-card hand dealt to him or her, and the best five-card high hand and low hand each player can play on showdown:

Board: 2♠ 5♣ 10♥ 7♦ 8♣
Player	Hand	High	Low
Dan	A♠ 4♠ 5♥ K♣	5♥ 5♣ A♠ 10♥ 8♣	7♦ 5♣ 4♠ 2♠ A♠
Bryan	A♥ 3♥ 10♠ 10♣	10♠ 10♣ 10♥ 8♣ 7♦	7♦ 5♣ 3♥ 2♠ A♥
Chris	7♣ 9♣ J♠ Q♠	J♠ 10♥ 9♣ 8♣ 7♦	Cannot qualify
Derek	4♥ 6♥ K♠ K♦	8♣ 7♦ 6♥ 5♣ 4♥	7♦ 6♥ 5♣ 4♥ 2♠
Melodee	A♦ 3♦ 6♦ 9♥	10♥ 9♥ 8♣ 7♦ 6♦	7♦ 5♣ 3♦ 2♠ A♦

In the deal above, Chris wins the high-hand half of the pot with his J-high straight, and Bryan and Melodee split the low half (getting a quarter of the pot each) with 7-5-3-2-A.
Some specific things to notice about Omaha eight-or-better hands are:

In order for anyone to qualify low, there must be at least three cards of differing ranks 8 or below on the board. For example, a board of K-8-J-7-5 makes low possible (the best low hand would be A-2, followed by A-3, 2-3, etc.) A board of K-8-J-8-5, however, cannot make any qualifying low (the best low hand possible would be J-8-5-2-A, which doesn't qualify). Statistically, around 60% of the time a low hand is possible.

Low hands often tie, and high straights occasionally tie as well, as do, even more rarely, full houses. It is possible to win as little as a 14th of a pot (though this is extraordinarily rare). Winning a quarter of the pot is quite common, and is called "getting quartered." One dangerous aspect of playing for the low pot is the concept of 'counterfeiting'. To illustrate, if a player has, for example, 2-3 and two other cards in his hand and the flop is A-6-7, that player has flopped the 'nut low'. However, if either a 2 or a 3 hit the board on the turn or the river, the hand is 'counterfeited' and the nut low hand is lost (the player still has a much weaker low hand however, with 3-4, 3-5 and 4-5 making better lows). This is why there is significant extra value in possessing the 'protected' nut low. To illustrate this, if the player has 2-3-4 in his hand his low is protected, i.e. if a 2 or 3 hits the board he still has the lowest possible hand. To lose the nut low in this case either a 2 and a 3, a 2 and a 4, or a 3 and a 4 would have to hit the board on the turn and the river (giving the nut low to a player holding 4-5, 3-5 and 2-5, respectively), an unlikely possibility. For similar reasons it is significantly better to possess the protected nut low draw over the low draw. For example, this could be having A-2-3 with a flop of 7-8-9; any low card below 7 on the turn or river gives the player the best low.

When four or five low cards appear on the board, it can become very difficult to read the low hands properly. For example with a board of 2♦ 6♥ A♣ 5♣ 8♠, the hand 2♥ 4♠ 5♠ K♦ is playing a 6-5-4-2-A (either his 2-4 with the board's A-5-6, or his 4-5 with the board's A-2-6--either way makes the same hand). In this situation he is often said to be playing his "live" 4, that is, his 4, plus some other low card that matches the board but still makes a low because the one on the board isn't needed. A player with 3♠ 5♠ 10♥ J♦ is playing a "live" 3, for a low of 6-5-3-2-A, which makes a better low. However, a player with 3♣ 7♦ Q♦ Q♠ can only play 7-5-3-2-A low; even though he has a "live" 3, he must play two low cards from his hand, and so he must play his 7-3, and cannot make a 6-high low hand.

Starting hands with three or four cards of one rank are very bad. In fact, the worst possible hand in the game is 2♠ 2♣ 2♥ 2♦. Since the only possible combination of two cards from this hand is 2-2, it is impossible to make low. As no deuce remains to appear on the board, it will be impossible to make three deuces or deuces full, and anyone with any matching card to the board will make a higher pair. Likewise, starting with four cards of one suit makes it less likely that you will be able to make a flush. Starting with four different suits yields no chance for a flush, and starting with four disconnected cards reduces straight possibilities. Computer analysis of the best starting hands has proven that the best starting hand for Omaha is A-A-K-K with both Ks suited to the As. For the Hi-Lo variation, the most valuable starting holding is A-2 (suited), A-3 (suited).

Hands to avoid tend to contain mainly middle ranked cards, which are of little use for any low splits and which tend to generate lower pairs and sets, weaker flushes and lower straights and can be very expensive. Four of a kind is the worst possible starting hand in omaha, in contrast to most other poker games, where it is exceptionally strong.

Low hand ranks from best to worst: 5-4-3-2-A ('the wheel'), 6-4-3-2-A, 6-5-3-2-A, 6-5-4-2-A, ... , 8-7-6-5-4. Low hands can thus be read as numbers between 54,321 and 87,654 (with the exception of any number that has a pair, i.e. 54,322). The lowest number that any player can make is the best possible low hand in play. See also ace-to-five low.

Pot-limit Omaha

Pot-limit Omaha (shortened to PLO) is popular in Europe, online, and in high-stakes "mixed games" played in some American casinos. It is more often played high only, but can also be played high-low. Even more so than Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, PLO is a game of drawing, if you are drawing, to the nut hand. Second best flushes and straights can be, and frequently are, beaten. Furthermore, because of the exponential growth of the pot size in pot-limit play, seeing one of these hands to the end can be very expensive and carry immense reverse implied odds.

Redraws

A great hand to have in PLO is the nuts with a redraw. For example, if the board is Q♠ J♠ 10♥, and you have A♠ K♣ Q♣ Q♥, then not only do you have the current nuts (your ace-king), but you also have a redraw with the two queens in your hand because if the board pairs, you will make queens full, or four queens. If your hand is A♠ K♠ Q♣ Q♥ , your hand is even better because you have flush and royal flush redraws as well. In fact, with the Q♠ J♠ 10♥ board, A♠ K♠ Q♣ Q♥ is approximately an 80-20 money favorite over a random hand containing ace-king (see freerolling). Even a pair of queens with any two spades is better than 55-45 against a random ace-king hand. Flopped nut straights, flushes and even sets can often be a double-edged sword in pot-limit Omaha.

Variations

Sometimes the high-low split game is played with a 9 or a 7 -high qualifier instead of 8-high. It can also be played with five cards dealt to each player instead of four. In that case, the same rules for making a hand apply: exactly two from the player's hand, and exactly three from the board.
In the game of "Courchevel", popular in Europe, instead of betting on the initial four cards and then flopping three community cards for the second round, the first community card is dealt before the first betting round, so that each player has four private cards and the single community card on his first bet. Then two more community cards are dealt, and play proceeds exactly as in Omaha.
Pot Limit Omaha high can also be played with more than four hole cards, the most common variety being six card Omaha which can be found in many casinos across the UK.

History

Omaha Hold'em gets its name from two types of games.
In the original Omaha poker game, players were only dealt two hole cards and had to use both to make a hand combined with community cards. This version of Omaha is defined in the glossary of "Super System" (under Omaha) as being interchangeable with "Tight Holdem". Across all the variations of the game, the requirement of using exactly two hole cards is the only consistent rule. The "Omaha" part of the name represents this aspect of the game.
"Hold'em" refers to a game using community cards that are shared by all players. This is opposed to Draw games where each player only has hole cards, and Stud games where each player has their own visible cards.

Poker Hands Ranking

2011-01-05T01:28:00.000-08:00

Poker Hands Ranking

Royal Straight flush
Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace of the same suit.

Straight Flush
Straight with all five cards in the same suit.

Four of a kind is next highest. It consists of the four cards of any one rank together with any fifth card; for example

constitute four Aces.

A full house ranks next; it consists of any three of one kind and any pair of another kind, such as

It is referred to by the three-of-a-kind it contains; the example shown would be "aces full."

A flush, ranking next; it consists of any five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence, as

referred to as a "King high flush."

A straight consists of any five cards of two or more suits in sequence of rank, with the ace ranking either high or low in the sequence.

One does not need to have an ace to have a straight, of course: any five cards in a row will do. A straight ranks next under a flush.

Three of a kind are any three cards of the same rank plus two other cards which do not constitute a pair and do not include the fourth card of the same rank;

would be referred to as "three Kings." Or “trip Kings.”

Two pair, which ranks next under three of a kind, consists of two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, and any fifth card which is neither of those ranks; it is referred to by the higher of the two pairs. Thus,

would be "Kings up."

One pair - any two cards of the same rank, together with three other cards which do not combine with the other two to form any of the higher-ranking hands above:

is a pair of nines.

High card - when the cards contain no cards of the same rank or the same suit or combine to make a sequential run to form any of the higher-ranking hands above:

the highest card value is used, in this case the highest card would be the Ace. When two or more players are relying on a high card to win a hand, the Ace of any suit is in variably considered to be the highest card.

TEXAS HOLDEM

2011-01-05T00:08:00.000-08:00

Texas hold 'em (also known as hold'em or holdem) is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three ("the flop") then two additional single cards ("the turn" and "the river"), with players having the option to check, bet, raise or fold after each deal, i.e. betting may occur prior to the flop, "on the flop", "on the turn", and "on the river".
Texas Hold 'em is the "H" game featured in H.O.R.S.E and in H.O.S.E.

Objective

In Texas hold 'em, as in all variants of poker, individuals compete for an amount of money or chips contributed by the players themselves (called the pot). Because the cards are dealt randomly and outside the control of the players, each player attempts to control the amount of money in the pot based either on the hand he is holding, or on his prediction as to what his opponents may be holding.
The game is divided into a series of hands or deals; at the conclusion of each hand, the pot is typically awarded to one player (an exception in which the pot is divided between more than one is discussed below). A hand may end at the showdown, in which case the remaining players compare their hands and the highest hand is awarded the pot; that highest hand is usually held by only one player, but can be held by more in the case of a tie. The other possibility for the conclusion of a hand is when all but one player have folded and have thereby abandoned any claim to the pot, in which case the pot is awarded to the player who has not folded.
The objective of winning players is not to win every individual hand, but rather to make mathematically and psychologically correct decisions regarding when and how much to bet, raise, call or fold. By making such decisions, winning poker players can maximize their expected gain on each round of betting, thereby increasing their long-term winnings.

History

Although little is known about the invention of Texas hold 'em, the Texas State Legislature officially recognizes Robstown, Texas, United States as the game's birthplace, dating the game to the early 1900s.
After its invention and spread throughout Texas, hold 'em was introduced to Las Vegas in 1967 by a group of Texan gamblers and card players, including Crandell Addington, Roscoe Weiser, Doyle Brunson, and Amarillo Slim. Addington said the first time he saw the game was in 1959. "They didn't call it Texas hold 'em at the time, they just called it hold 'em.… I thought then that if it were to catch on, it would become the game. Draw poker, you bet only twice; hold 'em, you bet four times. That meant you could play strategically. This was more of a thinking man's game."
For several years the Golden Nugget Casino in Downtown Las Vegas was the only casino in Las Vegas to offer the game. At that time, the Golden Nugget's poker room was "truly a 'sawdust joint,' with…oiled sawdust covering the floors." Because of its location and decor, this poker room did not receive many rich drop-in clients, and as a result, professional players sought a more prominent location. In 1969, the Las Vegas professionals were invited to play Texas hold 'em at the entrance of the now-demolished Dunes Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. This prominent location, and the relative inexperience of poker players with Texas hold 'em, resulted in a very remunerative game for professional players.
After a disappointing attempt to establish a "Gambling Fraternity Convention," Tom Moore added the first ever poker tournament to the Second Annual Gambling Fraternity Convention held in 1969. This tournament featured several games including Texas hold 'em. In 1970, Benny and Jack Binion acquired the rights to this convention, renamed it the World Series of Poker, and moved it to their casino, Binion's Horseshoe, in Las Vegas. After its first year, a journalist, Tom Thackrey, suggested that the main event of this tournament should be no-limit Texas hold 'em. The Binions agreed and ever since no-limit Texas hold 'em has been played as the main event. Interest in the Main Event continued to grow steadily over the next two decades. After receiving only eight entrants in 1972, the numbers grew to over one hundred entrants in 1982, and over two hundred in 1991.
During this time, Doyle Brunson's revolutionary poker strategy guide, Super/System, was first published.Despite being self-published and priced at $100 in 1978, the book revolutionized the way poker was played. It was one of the first books to discuss Texas hold 'em, and is today cited as one of the most important books on this game. In 1983, Al Alvarez published The Biggest Game in Town, a book detailing a 1981 World Series of Poker event. The first book of its kind, it described the world of professional poker players and the World Series of Poker. Alvarez's book is credited with beginning the genre of poker literature and with bringing Texas hold 'em (and poker generally) to a wider audience.
Interest in hold 'em outside of Nevada began to grow in the 1980s as well. Although California had legal card rooms offering draw poker, Texas hold 'em was prohibited under a statute that made illegal the (now unheard of) game "stud-horse". But in 1988 Texas hold 'em was declared legally distinct from stud-horse in Tibbetts v. Van De Kamp, 271 Cal. Rptr. 792 (1990). Almost immediately card rooms across the state offered Texas hold 'em. (It is often presumed that this decision ruled that hold 'em was a game of skill, but the distinction between skill and chance has never entered into California jurisprudence regarding poker.) After a trip to Las Vegas, bookmakers Terry Rogers and Liam Flood introduced the game to European card players in the early 1980s.

Popularity

Texas Hold 'Em is one of the most popular forms of poker. Texas Hold 'em's popularity surged in the 2000s due to exposure on television, the Internet and popular literature. During this time hold 'em replaced seven-card stud as the most common game in U.S. casinos. The no-limit betting form is used in the widely televised main event of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and the World Poker Tour (WPT).
Hold 'em's simplicity and popularity have inspired a wide variety of strategy books which provide recommendations for proper play. Most of these books recommend a strategy that involves playing relatively few hands but betting and raising often with the hands one plays. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, Texas hold 'em experienced a surge in popularity worldwide. Many observers attribute this growth to the synergy of five factors: the invention of online poker, the game's appearance in film and on television, the 2004–05 NHL lockout, the appearance of television commercials advertising online cardrooms, and the 2003 World Series of Poker championship victory by online qualifier Chris Moneymaker.

Literature

Twenty years after the publication of Alvarez's groundbreaking book, James McManus published a semi-autobiographical book, Positively Fifth Street (2003), which simultaneously describes the trial surrounding the murder of Ted Binion and McManus' own entry into the 2000 World Series of Poker.McManus, a poker amateur, finished 5th in the No-Limit Texas Hold 'em main event, winning over $200,000. In the book McManus discusses events surrounding the World Series, the trial of Sandy Murphy and Rick Tabish, poker strategy, and some history of poker and the world series.
Michael Craig's 2005 book The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King details a series of high stakes Texas hold 'em one-on-one games between Texas banker Andy Beal and a rotating group of poker professionals. As of 2006, these games were the highest stakes ever played, reaching $100,000–$200,000 fixed limit.

Online poker

The ability to play cheaply and anonymously online has been credited as a cause of the increase in popularity of Texas hold 'em. Online poker sites both allow people to try out games and also provide an avenue for entry into large tournaments (like the World Series of Poker) via smaller tournaments known as satellites. The 2003 and 2004 winners of the World Series No Limit Holdem Main Event qualified by playing in these tournaments.
Although online poker grew from its inception in 1998 until 2003, Moneymaker's win and the appearance of televisions advertisements in 2003 contributed to a tripling of industry revenues in 2004.

Rules

In 2010 the National Poker Association changed the direction of play. Instead of the normal left of the dealer play it is now to the right of the dealer

The descriptions below assume a familiarity with the general game play of poker, and with poker hands. For a general introduction to these topics, see poker, poker hands, poker probability, and poker jargon.

Betting structures

See the article on betting for a detailed explanation of betting in these variations of hold 'em.

A standard hold 'em game showing the position of the blinds relative to the dealer button

Hold 'em is normally played using small and big blind bets – forced bets by two players. Antes (forced contributions by all players) may be used in addition to blinds, particularly in later stages of tournament play. A dealer button is used to represent the player in the dealer position; the dealer button rotates clockwise after each hand, changing the position of the dealer and blinds. The small blind is posted by the player to the left of the dealer and is usually equal to half of the big blind. The big blind, posted by the player to the left of the small blind, is equal to the minimum bet. In tournament poker, the blind/ante structure periodically increases as the tournament progresses. (In some cases, the small blind is some other fraction of a small bet, e.g. $10 is a common small blind when the big blind is $15, and still other tables may use two equal blinds. The double-blind structure described above is a commonly used and more recent adoption.)
When only two players remain, special 'head-to-head' or 'heads up' rules are enforced and the blinds are posted differently. In this case, the person with the dealer button posts the small blind, while his/her opponent places the big blind. The dealer acts first before the flop. After the flop, the dealer acts last and continues to do so for the remainder of the hand.
The three most common variations of hold 'em are limit hold 'em, no-limit hold 'em and pot-limit hold 'em. Limit hold 'em has historically been the most popular form of hold 'em found in casino live action games in the United States. In limit hold 'em, bets and raises during the first two rounds of betting (pre-flop and flop) must be equal to the big blind; this amount is called the small bet. In the next two rounds of betting (turn and river), bets and raises must be equal to twice the big blind; this amount is called the big bet. No-limit hold 'em is the form most commonly found in televised tournament poker and is the game played in the main event of the World Series of Poker. In no-limit hold 'em, players may bet or raise any amount over the minimum raise up to all of the chips the player has at the table (called an all-in bet). The minimum raise is equal to the size of the previous bet or raise. If someone wishes to re-raise, they must raise at least the amount of the previous raise. For example, if the big blind is $2 and there is a raise of $6 to a total of $8, a re-raise must be at least $6 more for a total of $14. If a raise or re-raise is all-in and does not equal the size of the previous raise, the initial raiser cannot re-raise again. This only matters of course if there was a call before the re-raise. In pot-limit hold 'em, the maximum raise is the current size of the pot (including the amount needed to call).
Most casinos that offer hold 'em also allow the player to the left of the big blind to post an optional live straddle, usually double the amount of the big blind, which then acts as the big blind. No-limit games may also allow multiple re-straddles, in any amount that would be a legal raise.

Play of the hand

Each player is dealt two private cards in hold 'em. They are dealt first.

Play begins with each player being dealt two cards face down, with the player in the small blind receiving the first card and the player in the button seat receiving the last card dealt. (As in most poker games, the deck is a standard 52-card deck containing no jokers.) These cards are the player's hole or pocket cards. These are the only cards each player will receive individually, and they will only (possibly) be revealed at the showdown, making Texas hold 'em a closed poker game.
The hand begins with a "pre-flop" betting round, beginning with the player to the left of the big blind (or the player to the left of the dealer, if no blinds are used) and continuing clockwise. A round of betting continues until every player has folded, put in all of their chips, or matched the amount put in by all other active players. See betting for a detailed account. Note that the blinds are considered "live" in the pre-flop betting round, meaning that they contribute to the amount that the blind player must contribute. If all players call around to the player in the big blind position, that player may either check or raise.
After the pre-flop betting round, assuming there remain at least two players taking part in the hand, the dealer deals a flop, three face-up community cards. The flop is followed by a second betting round. This and all subsequent betting rounds begin with the player to the dealer's left and continue clockwise.
After the flop betting round ends, a single community card (called the turn or fourth street) is dealt, followed by a third betting round. A final single community card (called the river or fifth street) is then dealt, followed by a fourth betting round and the showdown, if necessary.
In all casinos, the dealer will burn a card before the flop, turn, and river. Because of this burn, players who are betting cannot see the back of the next community card to come. This is done for historical/traditional reasons, to avoid any possibility of a player knowing in advance the next card to be dealt due to it being marked.

The showdown

If a player bets and all other players fold, then the remaining player is awarded the pot and is not required to show his hole cards. If two or more players remain after the final betting round, a showdown occurs. On the showdown, each player plays the best poker hand they can make from the seven cards comprising his two hole cards and the five community cards. A player may use both of his own two hole cards, only one, or none at all, to form his final five-card hand. If the five community cards form the player's best hand, then the player is said to be playing the board and can only hope to split the pot, since each other player can also use the same five cards to construct the same hand.
If the best hand is shared by more than one player, then the pot is split equally among them, with any extra chips going to the first players after the button in clockwise order. It is common for players to have closely-valued, but not identically ranked hands. Nevertheless, one must be careful in determining the best hand; if the hand involves fewer than five cards, (such as two pair or three of a kind), then kickers are used to settle ties (see the second example below). Note that the card's numerical rank is of sole importance; suit values are irrelevant in Hold'em. The last player to bet is the first player to show their hand.

Misdeal

If the first or second card dealt is exposed, then this is considered a misdeal. The dealer then retrieves the card, reshuffles the deck, and again cuts the cards. However, if any other hole card is exposed due to a dealer error, the deal continues as usual. After completing the deal, the dealer replaces the exposed card with the top card on the deck, and the exposed card is then used as the burn card. If more than one hole card is exposed, a misdeal is declared by the dealer and the hand is dealt again from the beginning.

Strategy

Most poker authors recommend a tight-aggressive approach to playing Texas hold 'em. This strategy involves playing relatively few hands (tight), but betting and raising often with those that one does play (aggressive). Although this strategy is often recommended, some professional players successfully employ other strategies as well.
Almost all authors agree that where a player sits in the order of play (known as position) is an important element of Texas hold 'em strategy, particularly in no-limit hold'em. Players who act later have more information than players who act earlier. As a result, players typically play fewer hands from early positions than later positions.
Because of the game's level of complexity, it has received some attention from academics. One attempt to develop a quantitative model of a Texas hold'em tournament as an isolated complex system has had some success, although the full consequences for optimal strategies remain to be explored. In addition, groups at the University of Alberta and Carnegie Mellon University are developing poker playing programs utilizing techniques in game theory and artificial intelligence.

Starting hands

A pair of aces is statistically the best hand to be dealt in Texas Hold'em Poker

Because there are only two cards dealt to each player, it is easy to characterize all of the starting hands. There are 52 × 51 ÷ 2 = 1,326 distinct possible combinations of two cards from a standard 52-card deck. Because no suit is more powerful than another, many of these can be equated for the analysis of starting-hand strategy. For example, although "J♥ J♣" and "J♦ J♠" are distinct combinations of cards, they are of equal value as starting hands.
Viewed this way there are only 169 different hole-card combinations. Thirteen of those hands would be pairs, from 2 through ace. There are 78 ways to have two cards of different rank (12 possible hands containing an ace, 11 possible hands containing a king and no ace, 10 possible hands containing a queen and no ace or king, etc.). Hole cards can both be used in a flush if they are suited, but pairs are never suited, so there would be 13 possible pairs, 78 possible suited non-pairs, and 78 possible unsuited non-pairs, for a total of 169 possible hands. Suited starting cards are stronger than unsuited hands, although the magnitude of this strength in different games is debated.
Because of this limited number of starting hands, most strategy guides involve a detailed discussion of each of these 169 starting hands. This separates hold 'em from other poker games where the number of starting card combinations forces strategy guides to group hands into broad categories. Another result of this small number is the proliferation of colloquial names for individual hands.

Strategic differences in betting structures

Texas Hold'em is commonly played both as a "cash" or "ring" game and as a tournament game. Strategy for these different forms can vary.

Cash games

Prior to the invention of poker tournaments, all poker games were played with real money where players bet actual currency (or chips which represented currency). Games which feature wagering actual money on individual hands are still very common and are referred to as "cash games" or "ring games".
The no-limit and fixed-limit cash game versions of hold 'em are strategically very different. Doyle Brunson claims that "the games are so different that there are not many players who rank with the best in both types of hold 'em. Many no-limit players have difficulty gearing down for limit, while limit players often lack the courage and 'feel' necessary to excel at no-limit." Because the size of bets is restricted in limit games, the ability to bluff is somewhat curtailed. Since one is not (usually) risking all of one's chips in limit poker, players are sometimes advised to take more chances.
Lower stakes games also exhibit different properties than higher stakes games. Small stakes games often involve more players in each hand and can vary from extremely passive (little raising and betting) to extremely aggressive (many raises). The difference of small stakes games have resulted in several books dedicated to only those games.

Tournaments

Texas hold 'em is often associated with poker tournaments largely because it is played as the main event in many of the famous tournaments, including the World Series of Poker's Main Event, and is the most common tournament overall. Traditionally, a poker tournament is played with chips that represent a player's stake in the tournament. Standard play allows all entrants to "buy-in" for a fixed amount and all players begin with an equal value of chips. Play proceeds until one player has accumulated all the chips in play or a deal is made among the remaining players to "chop" the remaining prize pool. The money pool is redistributed to the players in relation to the place they finished in the tournament. Only a small percentage of the players receive any money, with the majority receiving nothing. "The percentages are not standardized, but common rules of thumb call for one table" (usually nine players) "to get paid for each 100 entrants," according to poker author Andrew N. S. Glazer, in his book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Poker. A good rule of thumb is that close to 10% of players will be paid in a tournament. As a result the strategy in poker tournaments can be very different from a cash game.
Proper strategy in tournaments can vary widely depending on the amount of chips one has, the stage of the tournament, the amount of chips others have, and the playing styles of one's opponents. Although some authors still recommend a tight playing style, others recommend looser play (playing more hands) in tournaments than one would otherwise play in cash games. In tournaments the blinds and antes increase regularly, and can become much larger near the end of the tournament. This can force players to play hands that they would not normally play when the blinds were small, which can warrant both more loose and more aggressive play.

Evaluating your hand

One of the most important things in Texas hold'em is knowing how to evaluate your hand. The strategy of playing each hand can be very different according to the strength of your hand, for example on a strong hand a player might want to try to appear weak in order not to scare off other players with weaker hands and on a weak hand a player might try to bluff other players into folding. There are several ways to evaluate your hand strength, two of the most common are counting outs and using calculators.

Counting outs - the reasoning behind this method is in counting cards that are still in the deck which in combination with the cards in your hand will give you a combination with very high chances of winning.

Those cards are called "outs" and your hand strength can be measured by how many outs are still in the deck (if there are many outs then the probability to get one of them is high and therefore you have a strong hand). The following chart determines the probability of hitting outs (bettering the player's hand) based on how many cards are left in the deck and the draw type. Note that a higher number of outs directly corresponds to a high win percentage.

Outs	One Card %	Two Card %	One Card Odds	Two Card Odds	Draw Type
1	2%	4%	46	23	Backdoor Straight or Flush (Requires two cards)
2	4%	8%	22	12	Pocket Pair to Set
3	7%	13%	14	7	One Overcard
4	9%	17%	10	5	Inside Straight / Two Pair to Full House
5	11%	20%	8	4	One Pair to Two Pair or Set
6	13%	24%	6.7	3.2	No Pair to Pair / Two Overcards
7	15%	28%	5.6	2.6	Set to Full House or Quads
8	17%	32%	4.7	2.2	Open Straight
9	19%	35%	4.1	1.9	Flush
10	22%	38%	3.6	1.6	Inside Straight & Two Overcards
11	24%	42%	3.2	1.4	Open Straight & One Overcard
12	26%	45%	2.8	1.2	Flush & Inside Straight / Flush & One Overcard
13	28%	48%	2.5	1.1
14	30%	51%	2.3	0.95
15	33%	54%	2.1	0.85	Flush & Open Straight / Flush & Two Overcards
16	34%	57%	1.9	0.75
17	37%	60%	1.7	0.66

Two Times Rule and Four Times Rule: Multiplying the number of outs by two or four gives a reasonable approximation to the One Card % or Two Card %, respectively, in the above table.
Calculators: calculators are poker tools that calculate the odds of your hand (combined with the cards on the table if there are any) to win the game. Calculators provide precise odds but they can't be used in live games and mostly used on Internet poker games.