Poker terms for beginners

Poker players use a lot of shorthand. These terms cover the cards, betting actions and stages of a hand you will hear most often.

Hole cards

Your private cards, dealt face down. In Texas Hold’em, each player receives two. The beginner guides explain how those cards work with the board.

Community cards

The shared cards dealt face up in the middle of the table. Players use them with their private cards according to the rules of the game.

Pot

The chips or money wagered during a hand. The winner, or winners in a split pot, receive it.

Blinds

Forced bets made before the cards are dealt. In a standard Hold’em game, the small blind and big blind are posted by the two players to the left of the dealer button.

Flop, turn and river

The flop is the first three community cards. The turn is the fourth and the river is the fifth. Betting takes place between these stages.

Check, bet, call, raise and fold

Check: pass the action without betting when there is no bet to call. Bet: make the first wager in a round. Call: match a bet. Raise: increase it. Fold: give up your hand and your chance to win the pot.

All-in

Committing all your remaining chips. Other players may continue betting into a side pot that you are not eligible to win.

Showdown

When players still in the hand reveal their cards after the final betting round to determine the winner. Identical winning hands split the pot.

Pot odds

The relationship between the amount already in the pot and the cost of a call. They are one part of assessing whether to continue with a hand.

Bluff

A bet or raise intended to make an opponent fold a better hand. A bluff can fail if the opponent calls or raises.

Position

Your place in the order of action, relative to the dealer button. Acting later gives you more information about what the other players have done.