The History of Poker

The history of poker is still being debated today. The name of the game likely descended from the French poque, which descended from the German pochen ('to knock'). Yet it is not clear whether the origins of poker itself lie with the games bearing those names. It is commonly regarded as sharing ancestry with the Renaissance game of primero and the French brelan. The English game brag (earlier bragg) clearly descended from brelan and incorporated bluffing (though the concept was known in other games by that time). It is quite possible that all of these earlier games influenced the development of poker as it exists now.

French colonials imported the game to the new world when they arrived in Canada. Their beloved poque was the national card game of France and from the beginning of the 18th century, when a hardy group of French-Canadian settlers founded New Orleans, it spread from the state of Louisiana up the Mississippi river and then throughout the whole country.

In 1834, Jonathan H. Green made one of the earliest written references to poker when in his writing he mentions rules to the "cheating game," being played on Mississippi riverboats. The Cheating Game" quickly began to supplant the popular cardsharp game of 3-card monte on the gambling circuit. Gamers embraced the new game as it was perceived as a more challenging and 'honest' gamble than the notoriously rigged 3-card game. Green took more than a passing interest in the new game and took it upon himself to formally name and document the 'Cheating Game' in his book 'An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling': Poker was born.

During the Wild West period of United States history, a saloon with a Poker table could be found in just about every town from coast to coast. It was extremely popular during the Civil War when the soldiers of both armies played. European influence of poker ended when the joker was introduced as a wild card in 1875.

In just over two centuries, poker has never looked back. Since its humble beginning on the banks of the Mississippi, the popularity of this widely played game has grown in leaps and bounds to evolve numerous variations and sub-variations.
There have been three games that have, in turn, dominated the modern poker scene:

?5 Card Draw rose from relative obscurity during the American Civil War to the most popular game for almost a century.
Nevada made it a felony to run a betting game. However the Attorney General of California declared that draw poker was based upon skill and therefore the anti-gambling laws could not stop it. But stud poker was still deemed illegal as it was based solely on chance. With this decision, draw poker games developed and grew. This caused Nevada to reverse itself in 1931 and legalize casino gambling.

?7 Card Stud then took over the throne shortly before WWII and maintained its position for about 40 years with the help of the new and thriving Las Vegas casino industry.

?Texas Hold’em, christened the ‘cadillac of poker?rose to prominence in the 1970's when it was featured as the title game in the World Series of Poker. Today, Texas Hold’em is indisputably the most frequently played and most popular poker game in the world, played in casinos and on home game tables the world over.

Other variations such as Omaha, Stud Poker, Manila, Draw Poker and Razz are also popular, but nothing can compete with the thrill of No Limit Texas Hold’em.

No Limit Texas Hold’em played at The World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour have been captivating American television audiences to the point that there are now made for TV events such as the National Heads Up Poker Championship and the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions being filmed especially for TV and shown in prime time.

Poker looks like it is here to stay and it’s popularity has never been as widespread nor growing as quickly as it is right now. With the wealth of poker information available online, and the relative ease of logging on and playing with other poker players from around the world, there is no time like the present to join the poker craze.

The History of World Series of Poker

It’s hard to believe that when the World Series of Poker began back in 1970, there were fewer than 50 poker tables in the entire city of Las Vegas. There were only 70 poker tables in the whole state of Nevada. Binion’s Horseshoe, the host casino, did not even have a poker room. The contest that would come to decide poker’s first world champion was held inside an alcove about the size of an ordinary hotel room. Thirty or so gamblers shoehorned themselves around a few poker tables. They didn’t know it at the time, but they were making poker history.

Horseshoe Casino patriarch and poker icon Benny Binion is widely credited with dreaming up with the championship format. But laurels should probably go to two lesser-known men ?Tom Moore and Vic Vickrey. Moore, a Texan, was part-owner of the Holiday Casino in Reno. Vickrey was a gambling insider, a visionary man with grand ideas and big dreams. In 1969, Moore and Vickrey jointly invited several poker aficionados to Reno to attend the first (and what turned out to be only) Texas Gamblers Reunion. Among those who played in several high-stakes cash games spread over several days were Jimmy “The Greek?Snyder, Rudy “Minnesota Fats? Wanderone, and Benny Binion. A few notable poker players made trek as well, including Doyle Brunson, “Amarillo Slim?Preston, Johnny Moss, and Puggy Pearson. The seed that would eventually blossom into the World Series of Poker was planted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indeed, one must wonder if and how poker might be different today had Moore and Vickrey sustained their annual get-together. Instead, they passed on the opportunity to host a poker gathering the following year. What a fateful decision that turned out to be. Inspired by what he had seen in Reno a few months earlier, Binion pounced on what he envisioned as a golden opportunity.

That first World Series of Poker, with little more than a handful of players, attracted no public attention and little press coverage. No one outside of Las Vegas knew about the World Series of Poker ?or cared about the outcome. The inaugural world champion, Johnny Moss, did not even win a poker tournament. He was elected “best all-around player?in a vote by his peers after several days of high-stakes card playing.

Binion realized that improvements had to be made if the World Series of Poker was ever to gain the prestige the title suggested. The following year, the WSOP was played as a freeze-out. Seven poker players posted a $5,000 entry fee. Johnny Moss won the winner-take-all prize and, therefore, retained his title as world champion.

Poker has a long and storied history. But “Amarillo Slim?Preston’s upset victory in 1972 has to go down as one of the most significant moments in the history of the game. Although he was one of only twelve entries that year, he parlayed his personal triumph into a tidal wave of publicity that flooded the nation. Afterward, the talkative Texan became poker’s greatest living ambassador. He went on a publicity tour that brought attention and status to the WSOP for the first time. Over the next decade, Preston appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show eleven times. He was cast in movies. He wrote a best-selling book. With Preston as the willing matador waving a red cape to the media, the WSOP had caught the public’s fancy.

In 1973, CBS Sports televised the World Series for the first time. The images of poker’s fourth annual world championship are comical by modern standards. Wide polka-dotted lapels, lamb-chop sideburns, and burning cigars make the final table look more like a time capsule, in retrospect, than an exhibition of poker savvy. Nonetheless, Puggy Pearson won a well-deserved victory. The WSOP was also expanded to include four preliminary events ?Seven-card Stud, Razz, Deuce-to-seven Draw, and a lower buy-in No Limit Hold’em event. Pearson won two of those events as well. Indeed, 1973 was a very good year for Mr. Pearson.

After Johnny Moss won his third championship the following year, Doyle Brunson solidified his position as one of poker’s top players by winning back-toback titles. The next major change in format was instituted in 1978 when the Main Event’s prize money was divided up for the first time. The top five finishers all received a cash payout. It was also the first year a woman entered the WSOP. Barbara Freer became the first player to break the sex barrier, taking her place in what had been an all-male poker fraternity.

Hal Fowler’s stunning upset victory in the 1979 WSOP marked the first time an amateur player prevailed over the elite. Many longtime poker professionals were as shocked as they were embarrassed by the outcome. But Fowler’s win was a herald of things to come in future years. Following Fowler’s example, increasing numbers of aspiring amateurs ?including many players from overseas ?began making the annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas every April and May. Sadly, Fowler was never able to enjoy the fruits of his contribution to the WSOP legacy. He never played in the WSOP again and was mostly forgotten afterward.

Stu “The Kid?Ungar burst onto the poker scene with the full force of a firestorm. He was the perfect lightning rod to electrify what had largely been an eccentric enclave of leathery Texans who were used to winning championships and most of the money. Ungar won in 1980 and repeated as champion again in 1981. Being from New York and so different from his peers in so many ways, Ungar’s achievement was sure to generate even more publicity for gambling’s grandest event. NBC Sports dispatched a film crew to cover the ?1 WSOP, which introduced poker into millions of homes for the first time.

By 1982, the WSOP had expanded to eleven preliminary events. A Ladies World Championship was added to the poker menu, in addition to the $10,000 buy-in Main Event. In all, the thirteen events played that year awarded over $2.6 million in prize money to the top finishers.

During the early 1980s, Jack Binion had assumed most of the daily duties of running the casino from his father Benny. His protégé, tournament director Eric Drache, gave poker its next infusion when the concept of the satellite was born in 1983. Attentive to the fact that to expand further, the World Series would need ordinary, everyday poker players to fill the seats, satellites allowed aspiring champions an opportunity to come and compete against the best players in the world. The idea was pure genius ?and it worked.

Over the next few years, the WSOP continued to grow in both size and stature. By 1987, the minuscule Horseshoe Casino was barely big enough to play host to what had become a global gambling extravaganza. Fields for some tournaments were so big that a segment of the participants had to be tabled at adjacent casinos, including the Golden Nugget and Four Queens. When the Binion family purchased and eventually took over The Mint Casino next door, the Horseshoe finally opened a full-time poker room. Just when it seemed that Binion’s Horseshoe was the capital of the poker universe and Benny Binion was its king, the man who was largely responsible for starting it all died, on Christmas Day in 1989.

Benny Binion’s passing solidified son Jack’s role as the undisputed torch-bearer of the WSOP. He brought in two respected poker veterans to run things, Jim Albrecht and Jack McClelland. Over the next decade, they presided over the World Series ?each leaving his mark on the tournament in a distinct way, which included improvements to the structure, atmosphere, and public perception of the WSOP.

The Albrecht-McClelland duo were the ideal taskmasters to oversee a tournament that had become four weeks long and included twenty tournaments. The makeup of the WSOP continued to diversify as more women and international players joined the competition. Marking 1990 as the first year a non-American won the championship, Mansour Matloubi, an Iranian-born expatriot who resided in England, took the most prestigious prize in poker overseas for the first time.
The following year, the WSOP awarded its first million dollar cash prize. The Main Event also attracted over two hundred players for the first time. Within five years, three hundred players would enter the world championship.

Growing pains were a major concern once again in 1997. The Horseshoe’s poker room was expanded and included a temporary tournament area that blocked off valet parking and the main casino entrance for nearly six weeks. There wasn’t any other place to put the World Series. Poker players were, quite literally, taking up every bit of available bit space at the Horseshoe. That same year, the championship final table was played on a mammoth stage constructed on Fremont Street, beneath the new multi-million dollar electronic canopy overhead. Stu Ungar joined Johnny Moss as the only player to win three world championships. Sadly, he died without playing in another WSOP. With his passing, at least one record is likely to remain unbroken.

Oddly enough, poker’s next “sonic boom?coincided with the deteriorization and decline of the once-renowned Horseshoe. A split in the Binion family resulted in Jack’s exclusion from WSOP operations. Many top names boycotted the casino and the tournament between 1999 and 2002. Despite its noted history, some controversy was long overdue at the World Series of Poker; and a number of high-profile disputes, with both dealers and players, made headlines.

By 2003, critics were beginning to suggest that the WSOP’s best days were long gone. A new rival, the World Poker Tour, began to jostle for the affections of poker players, and the viewing public. During initial weeks of the 2003 World Series, fields were noticeably smaller; due in large measure to direct competition from the WPT.

Then, Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker and changed everything. That win shattered the old way of looking at the game and ushered in most of the changes that are in effect today. Moneymaker’s staggering victory certainly ranks as one of the most important, if not the most critical event, in the 38-year history of the World Series of Poker. Everything was right for the perfect storm. A likeable young man with whom millions of potential poker players could easily identify, enjoyed a dream come true. And, it was all seen by millions of viewers worldwide on ESPN.

Poker entered a new age following Moneymaker’s victory. Overnight, many professional poker players became celebrities ?and celebrities suddenly wanted to become poker players. Poker had captured the public’s imagination, and the World Series became the looking glass of a new wonderland.

The exploding amounts of prize money weren’t too bad either. Moneymaker won $2.5 million for his victory. The following year, another amateur player, Greg Raymer, won $5 million. The year after that, $7.5 million was the top prize. Indeed, the World Series seemed to have it all ?excitement, millions of dollars in prize money, prestige, and international fame. What it didn’t have was the right venue to accompany the growth.

With unprecedented growth came many changes. Binion’s Horseshoe was sold off in 2004, and Harrah’s Entertainment acquired the rights to the World Series of Poker. Fittingly, the world’s largest gaming company was now in charge of poker’s biggest spectacle. The takeover could not have come at a better time. In 2005, the WSOP moved to the cavernous RIO All-Suites Casino and Hotel. More gaming space meant that more tournaments could be added to the schedule. “Build it and they will come?became the corporate mantra. And they did. Thousands of players flooded into Las Vegas in subsequent years, wildly exceeding even the most optimistic projections for turnout and prize money.
 

 

 

 

 

 

The World Series has also expanded its reach beyond Las Vegas, to nearly a dozen casinos spread throughout the United States. The newly-formed World Series of Poker Circuit allowed poker players nationwide the opportunity to participate in poker’s greatest tradition.

Big corporations also took notice. What was once an untouchable subculture largely rejected by potential advertisers and business partners has suddenly become a highly- desirable target demographic. Beer companies, auto makers, and other mainstream businesses are now eager to attach themselves to the success story that is the World Series of Poker. Incredibly, the next thing on the horizon for the World Series might be yet another boom. Jeffrey Pollack is the active Commissioner, a title long associated with the most successful pro sports leagues. Later this year, the World Series will be expanding into Europe. The World Series of Poker Circuit will also enter its fourth season. And in 2007, the World Series will offer 55 gold bracelet events; by any measure, the largest and most ambitious poker event ever held anywhere in the history of the world.
But some critics believe poker’s popularity may have peaked. Some people think the World Series of Poker can’t possibly get any bigger. A few words of advice: Based on its long and rich history, don’t bet against it.

Tournaments

A tournament is just like any normal poker game with some distinct differences.
?First, the goal is to win everyone's chips and the tournament does not stop until someone does so.
?You can win a LOT of money for a small initial buy-in. How much you ask? Well that depends on the tournament. It can be in the tens of thousands though. Once all players are registered, the pay off amounts are usually listed somewhere within the games.
?You don't win any money unless you "place" in the top prize positions. Each tournament will list out what positions get paid. This varies depending on the type of tournament and the number of players.
?Everyone starts with the same amount of chips. This is usually $1,000 to $1,500 in chips.
?The blinds in a tournament change. When playing at a normal poker game, the blinds are constant. No matter how long you play, the blinds stay the same. In tournaments, the blinds increase to force action which eliminates players until there is one lef.
?Tournaments have a buy-in and an entry fee. In a normal poker game, there are usually a minimum and maximum buy in amount.
The buy-in is the tournament prize pool, and the entryfee is the "casino" or "host" fee. For example, if you see a tournment with a $5.00 + $.50 buy in, $5.00 will go to the tournament prize pool and $.50 will go to the "casino" or online host hosting the tournament. The average fee the host takes is usually 10% of the prize pool fee.
?A tournament can be played on a single table or multiple tables at one time. You will only play on one table at a time, but if there are more than 10 players in the tournament they will be playing at the same time on other tables. You may even be moved at random to another table as more players lose all their chips.
?The great thing about tournaments? For a small buy-in, you can win a LOT of money, but you can only lose your initial buy-in. Try doing that in a normal poker game! Also, if you lose a big hand, you still have a chance to win your chips back. In a real poker game, when you lose chips, you lose real money immediately.

Types of Tournaments

Sit-N-Go Tournaments

A sit-n-go tournament is the type of tournament where you sit down at the table with a small number of players and play until one person has all the chips.
. These are ONE table tournaments.
. Usually the top 2 positions pay for 6 player tournaments and top 3 for 10 player.
. These are usually quick games lasting no longer than 30-45 minutes.
. They are a great way to test your skills and win decent money for as little as $1.00 + $1.0 buy in.

Freeroll Tournaments

These are a bit more complicated, but they're free, so it's worth trying them out and reading the different nuances about them.
. Freerolls are almost always multi table tournaments.
. Freerolls that do not require a coupon to play usually have between 500-2000 players.
. Of course they are free to enter, if you are lucky enough to register in time.
. Some freerolls require a coupon to play. Usually if the freeroll prize pool is about $500 or more. You win coupons by playing "raked" hands.
. These can be long games lasting 2-4 hours.
. Freerolls aren't the best place to test your skills as much as they test your luck. When people play in a FREE tournament, they tend to play recklessly, but it's free, so go out there and have some fun!
. Some freerolls pay out entries to bigger tournaments! More on that later.
. Freerolls are usually free to enter, meaning you do not have to pay any actual money to enter them
. Freerolls can require some type of coupon to enter.

Guaranteed Tournaments
These tournaments are usually multi table tournaments with a guaranteed prize pool.
. Prize pool is guaranteed to be a set minimum amount. Ex. $500 Guaranteed Tourney means the prize pool will be a minumum of $500.
. These tournaments vary in their buy-in structure, but can be as low as $1.00 + $10
. They usually have a minimum of 50 players in order for the tournament to start and a maximum of 1000 players
. The number of players depends on the number of entries
. These tournaments vary in amount of time due to the random number of entries
. Rebuys are usually not allowed
. These are usually the best tournaments to buy into. Why? Well the prize pool is guaranteed for one. If 50 people buy into a $2.00 + $.20 $500 guaranteed tournament, the prize pool entries will only add up to $100. The host will be responsible for the other $400 in the prize pool.
. With fewer players in the game, your chances are much better to win a bigger pay-off! Great for players of all levels for the lower buy-in amounts. Ex. a $500 guaranteed tournament pays $150 for first place which is a great pay-off for a $2.00 + $.20 entry fee.

Freezeout Tournaments

These are tournaments which do not allow re-buys or add-ons. Basically, you can only play with the chips you started with and are out of the tournament when you lose them all.

$$$ Tournaments (Unguaranteed)

If you see a tournament with a buy in amount only, this means the tournament prize pool is determined exclusively based on the number of entrants.

Re-buy / add-on Tournaments

A re-buy is an opportunity to buy additional chips. You are only allowed to buy the initial amount of chips you started the tournament with, which is around $1,000 - $1,500. This is only allowed when you've lost all your chips. Instead of being out of the tournament permanantly, you can "re-buy" and start again with your initial amount of chips.
A Add-on is the same as a rebuy, occurs while you still have chips. Add-ons will only bring you up to the maximum chip amount you started with. For example, if you started with $1,000 in chips, and were down to $200, and re-buys were allowed, you could pay the tournament entry fee again and be brought up to $1,000 in chips, but nothing more.
. The cost of the rebuy is the same amount you paid to start the tournament.
. Some tournaments allow you a single rebuy or multiple rebuys.
. The ability to rebuy during a tournament is usually limited by how long the tournament has been running. Usually re-buys are not allowed after an hour.
. Expect to see players playing recklessly though since they know they can buy additional chips later.
. Re-buy tournaments can have big pay offs as many players will take advantage of this option which adds more to the prize pool.

Satellite Tournaments

These types of tournaments don't pay any actual money. When you play in a satellite tournament, you are playing for an entry into a larger tournament.
. Satellites can be single or multi table tournaments
. Entry fees can be free, as small as $1.00 + $.10 or in the hundreds of dollars
. The top positions that win are given entries into a larger more expensive tournament.
. Satellites are a great way to spend a small amount of money to enter a tournament with a much larger prize pool and entry fee.

The Games

Texas Hold 'Em Poker

Texas Hold 'Em (or Texas Holdem) is the primary version of Poker played in many casinos, and it's the version seen on television shows like the Travel Channel's World Poker Tour and ESPN's World Series of Poker.

These are the basic rules for Texas Hold 'Em Poker.

The Shuffle, The Deal and The Blinds.

The dealer shuffles a standard 52-card deck.

(In casinos, the dealer never plays. A round disc -- known as a "dealer button" -- moves clockwise from player to player with each hand. The button marks which player would be the dealer if the deal were advanced from player to player as the game went along.)
 
Most Texas Hold 'Em Poker games start with the two players to the left of the dealer (the button) putting a predetermined amount of money into the pot before any cards are dealt, ensuring that there's something to play for on every hand.

This is called "posting the blinds." Most often, the "first blind" -- the player to the left of the dealer -- puts up half the minimum bet, and the "second blind" puts up the full minimum bet.

Each player is dealt two cards, face down. These are known as the "hole cards."

Betting Begins

A round of betting takes place, beginning with the player to the left of the two who posted the blinds. Players can call, raise, or fold when it's their turn to bet.

The Flop

After the first betting round, the dealer discards the top card of the deck. This is called burning the card and is done to ensure that no one accidentally saw the top card, and to help prevent cheating.

The dealer then flips the next three cards face up on the table. These cards are called the "flop."

NOTE: Eventually, a total of five community cards will be placed face up on the table. Players can use any combination of the community cards and their own two hole cards to form the best possible five-card Poker hand.

After the flop, another round of betting takes place, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer (the button). During this and all future rounds of betting, players can check, call, raise, or fold when it's their turn to bet.

Fourth Street

The dealer burns another card and plays one more face up onto the table. This, the fourth community card, is called the "turn" or "Fourth Street."

The player to the left of the dealer (the button) begins the third round of betting.

Fifth Street

The dealer burns another card before placing the final face-up card on the table. This card is called the "river" or "Fifth Street."

Final Betting and The Winner

Players can now use any combination of seven cards -- the five community cards and the two hole cards known only to them -- to form the best possible five-card Poker hand.

The fourth and final round of betting starts with the player to the left of the dealer (the button).

After the final betting round, all players who remain in the game reveal their hands. The player who made the initial bet or the player who made the last raise shows their hand first.

Basic Five Card Draw

This is five-card Draw Poker without any stipulations, except for designated wild cards. The dealer determines if there will be any wild cards at all. The dealer also determines how many draws there will be, as well as the maximum number of cards each player will be allowed to draw each time. "Two draws of two", for example, would mean that each player will have two opportunities to discard as many as two cards in exchange for two new ones from the deck.

Typically, a betting round precedes and ensues each draw, so there is always one more betting round than there are draws. Two draws, for example, would mean three betting rounds (deal, 1st betting round, 1st draw, 2nd betting round, 2nd draw, 3rd and final betting round, showdown).Straight Draw Poker means there are no wild cards.

Draw Poker Games

Draw Poker games are any games where players get at least one opportunity to discard a certain number of cards from their hand in exchange for new cards from the deck. It gives each player the chance to get rid of cards that are doing nothing to help their overall hand and hope for something better. The draw of cards also allows the possibility for other players to guess what kind of hand that player has. A player who draws one card, for example, is probably trying to complete a flush or straight, as opposed to a poker player who draws three cards who is probably only holding a pair, but one can only guess.
Drawing:
The dealer determines how many cards players will be allowed to draw from the deck, and how many opportunities players will have to draw cards from the deck. "Two draws of two cards", for example, means that players will have two opportunities throughout the course of the game to draw as many as two new cards from the deck each time. "One of three, one of one" would mean that on the first draw, each player can draw as many as three new cards from the deck, and on the second draw, as many as one new card. When determining draws of cards, the dealer must make sure that there will be enough cards in the deck should each player choose to exercise their maximum allowed number of cards on each draw.
Wild cards:
The sky is the limit with Draw Poker games. The dealer can designate that any card of his or her choice (before looking at his or her hand, of course) is wild. "Twos and Threes are wild", for example. A player dealt a Two or a Three can make that card any of the 52 cards in the deck he or she chooses. The point to bear in mind is that the more wild cards there are, the better a hand will need to be in order to have a fighting chance in the game. 'Deuces Wild' will produce some fairly modest hands, whereas 'Acey Deucey One-Eyed Jacks, and the Man with the Battleaxe' (count 'em, that's 11 wild cards in total, out of a deck of 52 cards), or worse yet 'Pregnant Threes' (TWELVE wild cards altogether) will produce some very competitive hands where, most likely, nothing less than a four of a kind will cut it. In Roll Your Own, each poker player chooses which card in his or her hand will be wild. In Kings and Little Ones, Kings and the smallest card in each player's hand is wild.
Betting:
Typical poker Draw games involve at least two betting rounds, one before and one after each draw. Two draws would involve three rounds of betting, one before the first draw, one between draws, and one after the second draw. There is always one more betting round than there are draws. Because the dealer can call any stipulation he or she likes, some tables play Draw games with only one betting round, after the draw. However, betting rounds are what keep players "honest" and make sure they are paying their dues in order to stay in the game...you can rarely bluff or scare somebody out of a game with one betting round only.
Pay for Your Draw:
This is a feature that can be added to any Draw poker game. It helps increase the pot and tends to keep hands lower, which is especially helpful in draw games that include wild cards. When the dealer calls this feature, he or she also calls the price of each card drawn. If, for example, the price of each drawn card is a quarter, and a player decides to draw 3 cards at the appropriate point in the game, then that player would have to throw 75 cents into the pot. A maximum draw can still be called by the dealer, but players must now pay for each card that they wish to draw from the deck.
Roll 'Em:
When this feature is added to a Draw poker game, the game is played as normal up until the showdown. At that point, each player lays their hand face-down before them. On the count of three, each player reveals one card of their hand. The highest card showing opens a betting round. On the count of three again, each player reveals a second card from their hand. Best hand showing opens a betting round. This continues for a third and a fourth card, after which the best hand showing opens the fourth and final betting round. In essence, this adds a Stud element to the Draw game. As this adds four betting rounds to the game, it is best used in poker games that do not have enough betting rounds, such as Pass the Trash. One variation of Roll 'Em is that less than the entire hand is rolled off; for example, the dealer may specify that each player only roll off 3 of the 5 cards in their hand. Yet another variation is Seven Card Draw, where each player rolls off five of their seven cards; the cards that they roll off need not necessarily be ones that they use in their five card hand at the showdown.

Stud Poker Games

The basic concept of Stud Poker games is that each player has a certain number of cards face-down and a certain number face-up. The face-down cards (or "cards in the hole") are cards that only each player can see. The face-up cards, however, are the ones that all players at the table can see in each other player's hand. In typical seven-card stud, each player by the end of the game has three cards face-down that nobody can see, and four cards face-up that the whole table to see. In typical five-card stud, each player has one card face-down and four cards face-up by the end of the game.
Typical Stud:
Stud poker games are normally played with either five or seven cards. In typical Seven Card Stud, as mentioned above, the cards in each player's hand end up being two face-down, four face-up, and one face-down. In typical Five Card Stud, the cards in each player's hand end up being one face-down, and four face-up. Of course, variations are endless.
Wild Cards:
It is rare that the dealer calls a wild card flat-out. "Kings are wild", for example, would mean that if a player is dealt a King face-up, everybody can see it and be discouraged by it. Stipulations are almost always involved. For example, "Kings are wild if you get one dealt face-down" or otherwise said, "Kings are wild in the hole". Common exceptions are Kings and Little Ones and Follow the Queen. Other stipulations could involve a player's lowest card dealt face-down is wild, in which case if a player's lowest card in the hole is a Three, and he also has a Three among his face-up cards, both Threes are wild. Again, it is best when a player's wild cards require that they be face-down. That way, nobody knows who has a wild card in their hand until all is said and done.
High / Low:
This is very common in Stud poker games. At the end of a High/Low game, the pot is split between the player with the best hand at the table and the player with the worst hand. This is a feature that can be added to just about any Stud poker games, in addition to a game's other rules. It encourages more players to stay in the game longer, although the pot gets split two ways. Players also have the option of calling "pig", that is presenting two different five card hands with their seven cards to attempt to win both High and Low. A player calling "pig" must have both the High and the Low or wins nothing; if, for example, a player wins the Low, but not the High, then that player wins nothing and the next best Low hand wins that half of the pot. The player who calls "pig" and wins both wins the entire pot.
Lowball:
The lowest hand at the table wins the pot. Depending on the House Rule where you're playing, the perfect low hand varies. Some tables play that Straights and Flushes count against you (with the logic that a Straight or a Flush is a good regular poker hand, and therefore, a bad Lowball hand), other tables play that Aces cannot be low, while still other tables play that Straights and Flushes do not count against you, and Aces can be low. This would need to be established before the deal, either by the dealer or prevalent House Rule. If Straights do not count against you, then the perfect low would be a A-2-3-4-5. If Straights do count against you and Aces can be low, then the perfect low would be an A-2-3-4-6. If Straights do count against you and Aces cannot be low, then you're playing a game called Kansas City Lowball, and the perfect low would be a 2-3-4-5-7. It is found that the most common form of Lowball involves the A-2-3-4-6 as the best low hand.
New York Stud:
This variation, which can be added to any Stud poker games, adds the stipulation that an outside straight beats a pair. An outside straight being four of a player's cards in numerical sequence, or four cards to a straight, this stipulation adds a new rank to the what-beats-what table. The outside straight beats a Pair, but loses to Two Pair. If, through the course of the game, a player has the outside straight showing face-up, that player bets over one who only has a pair showing.
Canadian Stud:
This variation plays just like New York Stud, on top of which a fourflush beats an outside straight. A fourflush being four of a player's cards of the same suit, or four cards to a flush, this stipulation adds two new ranks to the what-beats-what table. The outside straight beats a Pair, the fourflush beats an outside straight, but Two Pair beats a fourflush. A player with a fourflush showing bets over a player with an outside straight showing, who bets over a player with a Pair showing. Note: four cards to a Straight Flush is no better than a fourflush; in fact, it is nothing more than a fourflush.
Spanish Stud:
This variation can also be added to any Stud game. To play Spanish poker, all of the Twos, Threes, Fours, Fives, and Sixes are removed from the deck. This is a total of 20 cards removed, leaving 32 cards that are played. Spanish five-card stud poker could be played at six people, but Spanish seven-card stud poker could be played by no more than four players, if only one deck is used.
Bet or Drop:
This variation can also be added to any Stud game. The stipulation that it adds is that the player who opens the betting round by having the best hand showing, must open with at least the table's minimum bet or fold. The option to 'check' or 'pass' is removed, as that player is required to open with at least a minimum bet. Typically, the dealer will announce a slight increase in the table's minimum bet for purposes of this variation.
Cold Hands:
Also called Showdown, a less popular variation where ante is significantly higher, as there are no betting rounds. All cards are dealt face-up in sequence. The best hand wins. Typically used, on top of winning a set pot, to determine the first dealer of the night, or as a final quick game.
Basic Seven Card Stud:
The dealer begins by dealing two cards face down to each player, and one card dealt face up to each player. The player with the highest card showing opens the first betting round. Following this betting round, another card is dealt face-up to each player, followed by a betting round, followed by a third card face-up, followed by a betting round, followed by a fourth card face-up, followed by a betting round, followed by the last card dealt face-down, concluded by the final betting round.
The player that opens each betting round is the player that has the best hand showing out of the cards face-up. If, for example, every player is dealt face-up mismatched cards, except for one player who has a pair showing, then that player opens the betting round.

In the end, each player takes the five cards out of seven that make up the best hand. For example, if a player is dealt the following hand: K, Q, 2, K, 4, 2, K

the best combination of five cards in this player's hand are the 3 Kings and the pair of 2's. This player has a Full House, Kings over 2's.

Variations

Kankakee:
Played as regular Seven Card Stud, except that the first card dealt face up to each player (after each player already has two cards dealt face down), and all matching cards, are wild in that player's hand.

High Chicago or Low Chicago:
Either of these two versions can be played in any stud high game. In High Chicago, or sometimes simply called Chicago, the player with the highest spade face down (referred to as in the hole) receives half the pot. In Low Chicago, the player with the lowest spade in the hole receives half of the pot, with the A♠ being the lowest. If the player with the highest hand also has the highest/lowest spade in the hole, then that player receives the entire pot - having won both sides of the bet.
Follow the Queen:
This 7-card stud game uses a wild-card designated as whichever card is immediately dealt (exposed, or face-up) after any queen previously dealt (exposed). In the event that the final card dealt (exposed) is itself a queen, then all queens are wild. If no queens are dealt (exposed), then there are no wilds for that hand. Betting is the same as in normal 7-card stud games.
Billabong (and Shanghai):
Just as Oxford stud is a mixed stud/community card version of Texas hold 'em, Billabong is a mixed version of Manila. Each player is dealt two downcards and one upcard. Low upcard starts the betting with a Bring-in if you are playing with one, otherwise high card starts the betting. Next, two community cards are dealt, followed by a second betting round, beginning with the player with the best exposed partial poker hand (counting the community cards, as in Oxford stud). Then a third community card is dealt, followed by a third betting round. Finally a fourth community card is dealt, followed by a fourth betting round and showdown. Each player plays the best five-card hand he can make from the three in his hand plus the four on the board in any combination.

Shanghai is the same game with an extra hole card, but no more than two hole cards play. That is, the game begins with each player being dealt three downcards and one upcard; each player must discard one of his hole cards at some point during the game as determined ahead of time. The most common variation is to discard immediately as in Pineapple; the second most common is to discard just before showdown as in Tahoe.

Kuhn poker

Kuhn poker is a simplified form of poker developed by Dr. Harold W. Kuhn, it is a zero sum two player game. The deck includes only three playing cards, for example a King, Queen, and Jack. One card is dealt to each player, then the first player must bet or pass then the second player may bet or pass. If any player chooses to bet the opposing player must bet as well ("call") in order to stay in the round. After both players pass or bet the player with the highest card wins the pot. Kuhn demonstrated that there are many game theoretic optimal strategies for the first player in this game, but only one for the second player, and that played optimally the first player should expect to lose at a rate of −1/18 per hand.
In more conventional poker terms:
?Each player antes 1
?Each player is dealt one of the three cards, and the third is put aside unseen
?Player One can check or raise 1
o If Player One checks then Player Two can check or raise 1
 If Player Two checks there is a showdown for the pot of 2
 If Player Two raises then Player One can fold or call
 If Player One folds then Player Two takes the pot of 3
 If Player One calls there is a showdown for the pot of 4
o If Player One raises then Player Two can fold or call
 If Player Two folds then Player One takes the pot of 3
 If Player Two calls there is a showdown for the pot of 4

Omaha

This is played the same as Texas Hold 'Em, with two exceptions.
One, that each player is dealt four cards at the beginning of the game instead of two.
Two, when making one's best five card hand, each player must use exactly three of the five community cards and two of their four hole cards.

The game can be played as per Texas Hold 'Em rules (with blinds) or as per Home Hold 'Em rules (with antes).
Another home variation is to allow players to use whatever combination of community cards and the hole cards that they want to make their five card hand.

Manila (Seven-Up Poker)

Manila is played with a stripped deck in which all cards below the rank of 7 are removed leaving just 32 cards. Each player is dealt two hole cards. The five community cards are dealt one at a time and each is followed by a round of betting. At the showdown, unlike Texas Hold'em and more like Omaha, each player makes their best poker hand from both of their hole cards and exactly three of the five community cards.

Because of the stripped deck, a flush beats a full house. Also, an ace may not be played low for a straight (that is, the hand A-7-8-9-10 is not counted as a straight).

Variations

Common variations involve dealing three cards to each poker player, one of which can either be discarded at some point (like Pineapple Poker), or else held to the end, but maintaining the requirement that each player uses exactly two of their own cards with exactly three of the community cards. Three-card variants are sometimes played with 6s restored to the deck, making it 36 cards.

Razz
Razz is played like 7-card stud. The twist is that in Razz, the worst hand wins. Each player is dealt two hole cards and one upcard; the dealer then gives each active player three more upcards, and then a final downcard. Each player ends up with seven cards, four face up and three face down. At the showdown, the player holding the best low hand using only five of his seven cards wins the pot. Aces are always low, and flushes and straights have no effect on the value of a hand. The best possible hand is A-2-3-4-5 (wheel).

Guts Poker Games

Every Guts poker game falls under the same guidelines: after the cards are dealt, players decide if they are "in" or "out" of the game. Those players that call "out" have no further stakes in the hand. They are out of the game for now, letting those players that called "in" continue playing. Of those players who called "in", the one who has the best hand collects the pot. All other players who called "in" and did not have the best hand at the table must match the amount of money in the pot. Now, there is an equal or greater amount of money in the pot, even after the round has ended.

So, the cards are picked up, shuffled, and the same game is dealt again, with players again deciding if they will go "in" or "out". This continues until only one player goes in...that player wins the pot and the game is over. Doing the math, if three people call "in", the amount of money in the pot will double...one person will win the money, while the other two match the pot. Guts games are characterized by this calling of "in" or "out" as well as the growing size of the pot, and the game being played and played until only one person calls "in" and wins. Note that, for this reason, Guts games are typically more expensive to play.

Caps:
Guts poker games are the one type of game where the term "small stakes" is thrown out the window. People will often assume that $10-$30 will suffice for a night of playing Home poker, but a good game of Jacks and Piss will see the pot rise higher than a week's pay. For this reason, some people play with caps. Caps limit how big the pot can get and how much money a player can lose in one hand. For example, the dealer who calls the Guts game may determine that there is a five dollar cap on the game. What this means is that if the pot ever reaches more than five dollars, a player who wins it only claims five dollars of it, and a poker player who loses only pays five dollars.

A cap means that no player can win or lose more than that amount of money. If, for example, there is six dollars in the pot and three players go in. The one of the three who wins, who would normally collect all six dollars, will collect only five of the six dollars in the pot. The two of the three who lose, who would normally pay all six dollars, will pay only five dollars into the pot. The advantage to this is that players do not lose their shirt, they only lose as much as the cap. The first disadvantage to this is that a lone player who goes "in" on a six dollar pot only claims five of it, and the game is redealt for the new one dollar pot (which goes against the Guts principle that when a single player goes "in", the game is over).

This leads into the second disadvantage, which is that the game is played a lot longer, because a ten dollar pot, for example, will require at least two wins to clear it out, even if a single player goes "in" each time. The third disadvantage is that caps are supposed to be to players' benefit, whereas it normally encourages them to call "in" more, knowing they can lose no more than the pot's cap. I personally do not like caps. If a pot exceeds players' expectations, it is because of bad calls and bad luck, two things that are supposed to contribute to a bigger pot in Guts games.

The Kitty:
This is a blind hand dealt face-down and not revealed to the table until the hand is over. If the particular guts poker games involves five cards being dealt to each player, then a five-card kitty is dealt as well, kept near the dealer, and only turned up at the end of the round. The purpose of the kitty is that those players who go "in" must not only beat the other players who have gone "in" but they must also beat the kitty's hand. It is the extra hand that belongs to the pot that nobody sees until the end of the round. The feature that this adds to the guts game is that if the kitty has the best hand at the table, everybody who went "in" loses and matches the pot. Now, the guts game ends when only one person goes "in"...and beats the kitty. The kitty does not get a draw but it is not rare to see the kitty beat everybody at the guts poker table. The main advantage of the kitty is to eliminate the dealer advantage. If everybody before the dealer calls "out", that dealer would normally win the game by default, calling "in" and having no other hands to beat. Now, that dealer would have to beat the kitty's hand in order to collect the pot. Otherwise, the pot is claimed by nobody and that dealer matches the pot. I favour kitties, especially in Guts games that involve a draw.

Coin Declare:
One way of calling "in" or "out" is by simply going in sequence after the dealer, starting with the player to the dealer's left and ending with the dealer himself. The disadvantage to this is that a player's decision is based on who called "in" or "out" before him, as opposed to all players declaring "in" or "out" at the same time. The coin declare is a method whereby all players declare at the same time. All players hide both hands and a chip (or coin) under the table, bringing up one closed hand over the table. If the poker player wants to go "in", then he has placed the chip in this hand to be dropped on the table. If the player wants to go "out", he has kept the chip in the hand that is not raised over the table. At the count of three, all players open their hands over the table. Those who drop the chip have declared themselves "in", the rest are "out". The purpose of this is so players cannot see who before them has called "in" or "out", instead all players are declaring their status at the same time, no turning back.

It's all Guts:
A Guts theme can be added to just about any Poker game, especially Draw games. The dealer simply states that the game (Snowmen and Hockey Sticks, for example) requires before the draw that each player declare "in" or "out". Those that are "out" are out of the game until it is redealt. Those that are "in" are allowed a draw (the betting round is optional) and of them, the one with the best hand collects the pot, the rest match it. When a Guts game involves a draw, the dealer must determine, when players match the pot, if they match the amount that it is there after there has been betting or the amount that was in there at the time they declared "in". For example, do players matching the pot of a Draw Guts game that starts at five dollars but sees an extra dollar of betting among those players who called "in" match the five dollar pot or the increased six dollar pot?

Everybody Ante:
This variation, which can be added to any Guts game, holds that with each new round of the game, every player re-antes into the pot. Under normal rules, the pot will only increase in size when at least three players go in (the first collects the pot, the second matches the pot, and the third doubles the size of the pot). In Everybody Ante however, the pot increases at least by the size of every players' antes with each round. This variation is used primarily in Guts games that tend to end quickly, and require being spiced up. In addition, the dealer may also determine that the winner of the last round is not required to re-ante, but all other players must.

Community Poker

Community games involve a certain number of cards dealt face-down to each player, as well as a certain number of cards laid out in the center of the table. These cards are flipped over as the game progresses, with betting rounds in between the flipping of cards. Players put together their best five card hand by combining some or all of the cards dealt to them with some of the community cards that have been dealt in the center of the table.

The purpose of these community cards is that they are "shared" amongst the players. Two players, for example, may make use of the same community cards in order to complete their hands. The one big difference between one Community game and the next is the format in which community cards are laid out on the table. The more common Community games involve the community cards being laid out in a line, a cross, or a circle, although the variations are endless.

As cards are flipped over either one at a time or several at a time, it is normally at the dealer's discretion which cards get flipped, as he is the one doing the flipping. I have heard it said that the only thing that distinguishes one Community game from the next is the geometric shape that the cards are laid out in. For this reason, stipulations are usually needed to spice up a Community game.

The Line:
This format of community cards is more common in the Hold 'Em games, played by big-shot casino- and big money tournament-goers. It simply involves a line of cards flipped either one at a time or a few at a time and used in conjunction with the cards dealt to a player to make the best five card hand. Another common line game is Cinncinati, which involves no more than 3 cards dealt to each player and a line of 4 cards in the center of the table, flipped one at a time. Players use these seven cards to make their best five card hand (more of a beginner's game than anything else, I decided not even to give it its own section on this page).

The Cross:
This format of community cards involves rows of cards that intersect at some point, the most popular being Iron Cross. This typically involves a card that acts as the cross-point between rows of cards, this card being part of each row. There is normally a stipulation regarding that one card. It can be wild. Or, as some play, the player who is dealt the highest card of the same suit as the cross-point card wins half the pot. In other words, if the cross-point card is the Two of Hearts, then the player who is dealt the highest Heart gets half the pot, the other half going to the player with the best hand at the table. For this reason, it is normally good form that the dealer flip that center card last. If it is wild or if the highest of its suit gets half the pot, the game is far more exciting when it is the last card flipped.

The Circle:
This format is not as common. It involves a loop of cards, again either flipped over one at a time or several at a time by the dealer. The stipulation, as in Merry Go Round, is normally that cards in the loop used by players must be adjacent to each other. That is, if a player uses three cards from the circle of cards in conjunction with his hand, those three cards must be side-by-side on the circle.

Betting:
The prominent feature of Community games are the rounds of betting that ensue the flipping of each card. At most small stakes tables, the general rule is that for every card flipped face-up by the dealer, there is a round of betting. One way that betting rounds can work is with the player to the left of the dealer, called the 'sucker', opening each of these betting rounds, as there are no cards showing a la Stud games.

However, with games like H-Bomb that involve alot of betting rounds, another way is to have the opening of the betting round shift around the table in clockwise order for each card flipped. In other words, the first betting round is opened by the player to the dealer's left...the second betting round, opened by the player sitting 2 seats to the left of the dealer, the third round, by the player 3 seats to the left of the dealer, etc. I favour the latter method, as it does not put the pressure on one player to open each of several betting rounds.

High / Low:
Alot of people enjoy adding this element to a Community game. As in Stud games, High/Low involves the pot being split in two at the end of the game, half of it going to the player with the best hand, the other half going to the player with the worst hand. This feature keeps more players in the game longer, although the pot does get split in half.

Roll 'Em:
The dealer may also decide to add more betting rounds to the game by requiring players to "roll" their cards in the hole. After all of the community cards have been flipped and on the dealer's count of three, each player flips over a face-down card of their choice. Best card showing opens a betting round, after which each player flips over a second card. A betting round is again opened by the best hand showing. This continues until each player only has one card remaining face-down. Final betting round, and then showdown.


Casino Poker Games

Alot of home poker players also go to a land-based casino to gamble. For the most part, it ends up being that once-a-month experience where somebody is willing to put up quite a bit more at a casino on a wider variety of casino games than one would at the Home Poker table. Every now and then, such a home poker player will call a casino-played game, adapting it to the home poker table.

Calling a 'casino game' at the Home Poker table poses only one problem, but one that is assumed by the dealer who calls the game. That dealer, most of the time, will need to put himself or herself up as the House, meaning players are no longer playing against each other in these games, but rather all playing against the dealer. The dealer is playing against each player individually and at the end of the hand, either paying each player's bet or collecting that player's bet.

Take the classic Blackjack, for example. The dealer who calls Blackjack will deal everybody a hand, himself included. That dealer then plays his hand against each individual player's hand. Players are no longer bluffing in the hopes of being that single player who collects the pot, but are rather up against the dealer, the House. There isn't even the comraderie of teaming together against the dealer. Instead, each player is concerned with nothing more than the hand dealt to them and the one the dealer dealt to himself or herself.

There are no standard variations or features with casino games, each one is unique and played differently. The beauty of converting it from a casino-business game to a Home Poker game is that the dealer will specify what the rules are and how it differs from the game played in the casino. The dealer may choose to play the game exactly as it is played in the casino, or with so many variations, that it truly resembles a Home Poker game. The sad part, and what is considered blasphemy by some, is that alot of these are not even poker games. Some of them, like Blackjack, do not even play with a poker theme. But, as mentioned in the Non-Poker Games section, sometimes the only criteria is that the game involve money and a deck of cards.

Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker is a game for the casinos, adapted from some old Chinese dominoes game. In other words, if you ask twenty people how to play Pai Gow Poker at the Home Poker table, you won't get the same answer twice. What follows are different ways that Pai Gow can be played at a home game.

The dealer must first designate the stakes. On each play, the dealer will either pay a player for his hand, collect from the player, or there will be a push. At a nickle- or quarter-table, the stakes usually involve bets of up to $2...there are no betting rounds so the amount bet is the only amount of money that a player stands to win or lose. However, the dealer must also bear in mind that every player may bet maximum and win. A dealer who calls a $2 maximum with 5 players stands to win or lose up to $10, while individual players stand to win or lose up to $2.

The dealer deals seven cards to each player, including himself or herself. At the same time, players and the dealer make two hands out of these seven cards, one hand of five cards and one hand of two cards. The five card hand will be played out as a regular poker hand under the table of what beats what. The two-card hand is played out as a Two-Card Guts hand, consisting of either a high card or a pair.

The only stipulation regarding the division of these seven cards is that the five card hand must be better than the two card hand. In other words, if the two card hand consists of a pair, then the five card hand must consist of at least a pair of the same value (a hand cannot, for example, be divided into a pair of Aces in the two card hand and five mismatched cards in the five card hand).

Play begins with each player placing their two-card hands face-up. The dealer then exposes his two-card hand. Every two-card hand that is beat by the dealer is turned face-down. Each player then exposes their five card hand, followed by the dealer exposing his. Each player's five card hand that does not beat the dealer's is flipped face-down.

That's the game. For every player that has both of his hands flipped face-up, the dealer pays even money to the bet that player made. For every player that has both of his hands flipped face-down, the dealer collects that player's bet. For every player that has one hand flipped up and one flipped down, it is a push...the player takes his bet back, not losing anything but not winning any of the dealer's money. In other words, beating the dealer on both hands collects; losing to the dealer on both hands pays; winning one and losing the other is a push.

Variations

What is described above is the closest to the Pai Gow that is played in casinos. However, it can make for an unexciting home game. Players who are unsure of the game or their hands will make small bets and in the end, not win or lose a great deal.

- Variation: Same betting concept, except determining the win or loss comes down to the five card hand. Players make their bets after dividing their seven cards and then expose their two card hands. The players whose two cards hands are not as good as the dealer's are automatically out, their bets collected by the dealer. Those players remaining for the showdown of five card hands may add to their bets if they wish. Then, all players and the dealer expose their five card hands. Those players with better five card hands than the dealer are paid even money (including the amount that they bumped up their bet, if they chose to). Those without pay their bet to the dealer.

Red Dog

Red Dog is how In-Between is played in the casinos. The dealer puts himself up as the House, but deals himself no cards.
Each player places a bet, and is dealt two cards face-up. Starting with the player to the left of the dealer, the player decides whether or not he will add money to his original bet based on his first two cards. Extra wager can be added to the original bet up to the total of the original bet (i.e. an original bet of fifty cents can have up to fifty cents added to it).

Following this decision, if the player's two cards match, then the dealer deals the player a third card. If that third card is also a match, the player is paid 11:1, eleven times their bet. If that third card does not match, then it is a push (no win, no loss). If the player's two cards are consecutive, then it is an automatic push. If the player's two cards neither match nor are consecutive, the dealer announces 'the spread' before the player adds anything to his original bet. The spread represents the amount of numbers that fall between the player's two cards (i.e. if the players two cards are a five and a nine, then it is a 3-card spread, as only Six, Seven, and Eight fall between those two cards).

Players then choose how much they wish to add to their original bet. The player is then dealt a third card.
If the player's third card falls between the first two cards, he is paid by the dealer based on the following pay-off table:
1-card spread
pays 5:1
2-card spread
pays 4:1
3-card spread
pays 3:1
all other spreads
pays even money, 1:1
If the player's third card matches either of the first two or does not fall in between the first two numerically, that player's bet is collected by the dealer.
In the game of In-Between, a player whose third card matches either one of his first cards has 'hit the post' and must pay double his bet. No such rule exists in Red Dog. A player whose third card matches either of this first two cards simply loses his bet, no more, no less.

Caribbean Stud Poker

Before any cards are dealt, each player places a bet in front of them. This can range from the table's minimum bet to its maximum bet, but based on the rules of the game, the dealer may decide to alter the stakes somewhat. The dealer then deals five cards to each player, including himself. However, one of the cards that the dealer deals into his own hand must be face-up (hence, Caribbean STUD), whereas all of the players' cards are dealt face-down.

Players then determine if they will stay in the game or not, somewhat Guts-style. This happens, starting to the left of the dealer and moving in sequence around the table. Players indicate that they will stay in the game by adding an equal sum of money to their original bet. If their original bet was for 50 cents, then to stay in the game, they must add an additional 50 cents to that original bet. Those that call out, that do not double-up their original bet, are out of the game, their original bets collected by the dealer, acting as the House.

Once each player has determined whether they are in or out, the dealer flips over the other four cards of his hand, revealing his hand to the table. If the dealer's hand is not at least as good as an Ace-King, that is, if the dealer's hand does not consist of at least a pair, then all remaining bets at the table are paid even money and the hand is over. If the dealer's hand is at least as good as an Ace-King, that is, consisting of a pair of Twos or higher, then the dealer compares his hand with each player's hand at the table. If the dealer's hand beats a player's hand, then the dealer collects that player's bet (both the original bet and the double-up bet). If the dealer's hand loses to a player's hand, then the dealer pays even money to that player's bet. As well, the player may be awarded an extra sum of money by the House based on their hand:
1 Pair
Even Money; the player is paid the same amount that was bet
2 Pairs
2 to 1; paid double what was bet
3 Of A Kind
3 to 1; paid triple what was bet
Straight
4 to 1; paid quadruple what was bet
Flush
5 to 1; paid five times what was bet
Full House
7 to 1; paid seven times what was bet
4 Of A Kind
20 to 1; paid twenty times what was bet
Straight Flush
50 to 1; paid fifty times what was bet
Royal Flush
100 to 1; paid one hundred times what was bet

Variations

- The Stakes: Like any other casino game, this one will come down to stakes. The dealer will determine these stakes, bearing in mind how much he stands to lose. If the stakes are not high enough, the game will probably not go over well. If the stakes are too high, the dealer may have to pull out his wallet. Take the Royal Flush, for example. If a player makes a 50 cent bet and beats the dealer's hand with a Royal Flush, the pay-off would be 50 dollars. Sounds like a little much for Small Stakes Poker? It is. However, there are no wild cards in this game, and I have never seen a natural Royal Flush. What's more, the odds of a Royal Flush being dealt are worse than 1 in 100. So, the dealer needs to make a calculated decision, stick with it, or not play this game. What I have found fair is using the table's minimum to maximum bets as standards. At a quarter-table, players can bet one or two quarters. At a knickle-table, players can bet any 5 cent denomination from 5 cents to 50 cents.
- The Pay-offs: The dealer will probably need to jot down the pay-off table for the players to see. It is at this point that the dealer may choose to adjust it based on the table above. The table above, as I understand it, is the standard casino pay-off table for Caribbean Stud. The Small Stakes Poker dealer may prefer different pay-offs, based on the fact that it's a Small Stakes game (a 100:1 pay-off is unheard of in a Small Stakes Poker game).

Non-standard poker hand

Non-standard poker hands are hands which are not recognized by official poker rules but are created by house rules. Non-standard hands usually appear in games using wild cards or bugs. Other terms for nonstandard hands are special hands or freak hands. Because the hands are defined by house rules, the composition and ranking of these hands is subject to variation. Any player participating in a game with non-standard hands should be sure to determine the exact rules of the game before play begins.

The usual hierarchy of poker hands from highest to lowest runs as follows (standard poker hands are in italics):
?Five of a kind: Five cards of the same rank, only possible using one or more wild cards or multiple decks. In some games, such as Double Joker Poker, this can rank below a Royal Flush but above a Straight Flush.
?Skeet flush: The same cards as a skeet and all in the same suit.
?Straight flush: The highest straight flush, A-K-Q-J-10 suited, is also called a royal flush.
?Four of a kind: Between two equal sets of four of a kind (possible in wild card and community card poker games), the kicker determines the winner.
?Big bobtail: A four card straight flush (four cards of the same suit in consecutive order).
?Full house
?Flush: When wild cards are used, a wild card contained in a flush is considered to be of the highest rank not already present in the hand. For example, in the hand (Wild) 10♥ 8♥ 5♥ 4♥, the wild card plays as the A♥, but in the hand A♣ K♣ (Wild) 9♣ 6♣, it plays as the Q♣. A variation is the double-ace flush rule, in which a wild card in a flush always plays as an ace, even if one is already present. In such a game, the hand A♠ (Wild) 9♠ 5♠ 2♠ would defeat A♦ K♦ Q♦ 10♦ 8♦ (the wild card playing as an imaginary second A♠), whereas by the standard rules it would lose (because even with the wild card playing as a K♠, the latter hand's Q♦ outranks the former's 9♠).
?Big cat: See cats and dogs below.
?Little cat: See cats and dogs below.
?Big dog: See cats and dogs below.
?Little dog: See cats and dogs below.
?Straight: When wild cards are used, the wild card becomes whichever rank is necessary to complete the straight. If two different ranks would complete a straight, it becomes the higher. For example, in the hand J♦ 10♠ 9♣ (Wild) 7♠, the wild card plays as an 8 (of any suit; it doesn't matter). In the hand (Wild) 6♥ 5♦ 4♥ 3♦, it plays as a 7 (even though a 2 would also make a straight).
?Wrap-around straight: Also called round-the-corner straight. Consecutive cards including an ace which counts as both the high and low card. (Example Q-K-A-2-3).
?Skip straight: Also called alternate straight, Dutch straight, skipper, or kangaroo straight. Cards are in consecutive order, skipping every other card. (Example 3-5-7-9-J).
?Five and dime: All cards are fives, sixes, sevens, eights, nines, or tens with no pair.
?Skeet: Also called pelter or bracket. A hand with a deuce; a three or a four; a five; a six, a seven, or an eight; and a nine.
?Three of a kind
?Little bobtail: A three card straight flush (three cards of the same suit in consecutive order).
?Flash: One card of each suit plus a joker.
?Blaze: Also called blazer. All cards are jacks, queens, or kings.
?Two pair
?Russ: Five cards of the same color.
?Bobtail flush: Also called four flush. Four cards of the same suit.
?Flush house: Three cards of one suit and two cards of another.
?Bobtail straight: Also called four straight. Four cards in consecutive order.
?One pair
?High card
Some poker games are played with a deck that has been stripped of certain cards, usually low-ranking ones. For example, the Australian game of Manila uses a 32-card deck in which all cards below the rank of 7 are removed, and Mexican stud removes the 8s, 9s, and 10s. In both of these games, a flush ranks above a full house, because having fewer cards of each suit available makes full houses more common.
Cats and dogs
"Cats" (or "tigers") and "dogs" are types of no-pair hands defined by their highest and lowest cards. The remaining three cards are kickers. Dogs and cats rank above straights and below flushes. Usually, when cats and dogs are played, they are the only unconventional hands allowed.
?Little dog: Seven high, two low (for example, 7-6-4-3-2). It ranks just above a straight, and below a flush or any other cat or dog.
?Big dog: Ace high, nine low (for example, A-K-J-10-9). Ranks above a straight or little dog, and below a flush or cat.
?Little cat (or little tiger): Eight high, three low. Ranks above a straight or any dog, but below a flush or big cat.
?Big cat (or big tiger): King high, eight low. It ranks just below a flush, and above a straight or any other cat or dog.
Some play that dog or cat flushes beat a straight flush, under the reasoning that a plain dog or cat beats a plain straight. This makes the big cat flush the highest hand in the game.
Kilters
A Kilter, also called Kelter, is a generic term for a number of different non-standard hands. Depending on house rules, a Kilter may be a Skeet, a Little Cat, a Skip Straight, or some variation of one of these hands.

Bug (poker)

The Joker is commonly used as a bug.
A bug in poker is a limited form of wild card. One or both jokers are often added to the deck and played as bugs. The bug is played as an ace unless it can be used as missing card to complete a straight or flush.
For example, the hand K-K-Joker-5-2 is just a pair of kings (with an ace kicker), but any four same-suit cards with a bug make a flush, and a hand such as 7-Joker-5-4-3 makes a straight.
In draw poker, when a bug is in play, this makes the highest possible hand, A♥ A♦ A♣ A♠ Joker, a five of a kind of aces, rather than a royal flush, and also increases the odds of improving a hand when drawing to three of a kind with an ace kicker

Poker Hands

Winning Poker Hands, Texas Hold'em Poker Hand Ranks

When playing poker, sometimes the most frustrating part of the game is figuring out which hand outranks another at the poker table. Poker.com has placed the ranking of poker hands in a easy to read layout that is suitable for printing so that you are never wondering who is the winner of any poker hand at the table. We have included an illustrated example of each hand. The list is in order from strongest to weakest.Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Royal Flush:
Five card sequence from 10 to the Ace in the same suit (10,J,Q,K,A).
 

Straight Flush:
Any five card sequence in the same suit. (eg. 8,9,10,J,Q and A, 2,3,4,5 of same suit). All the cards are of the same suit, and all are consecutive. Ranking between straights is determined by the value of the high end of the straight.
 

Four of a Kind: All four cards of the same index (eg. J,J,J,J).
 

Full House:
Three of a kind combined with a pair (eg. A,A,A,5,5). Ties on a full house are broken by the three of a kind, as you cannot have two equal sets of three of a kind in any single deck.
 

Flush:
Any five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence. Don't be tricked into thinking that all five cards are the same color. The high card determines the winner if two or more people have a flush.
 

Straight:
Five cards in sequence, but not in the same suit. A straight cannot wrap, meaning it is not a straight if you have a Queen, King, Ace, Two, Three. The higher straight wins if two or more people have a straight. In case of straights that tie, the pot is split.

Three of a Kind:
Three cards of the same value. The highest set of three cards wins.
 

Two Pair:
Two seperate pairs (eg. 4,4,Q,Q). As usual the pair with the higher value is used to determine the winner of a tie.
 

Pair:
One pair of two equal value cards constitutes a pair.
 

High Card:
If no one has any of the above winning hands, the tie is determined by the highest value card in the hand. If the highest cards are a tie then the tie is broken by the second highest card. Suits are not used to break ties.

Poker Glossary Index

ABC Player An ABC player is a player who is very predictable. This player generally reads a poker book or two and follows them to the word. They always play hands the same way and are generally pretty tight. These types of players are often winners at lower stakes and loose games but are easily crushed by advanced players.

Ace High A poker hand with no ranked cards (pair, flush, etc) but with an Ace as the high card. This hand beats all other unranked hands.

Ace in the Hole Term used in a stud game, when one has an ace as one of their downcards.

Ace Out Winning by bluffing or with an ace high hand.

Aces and Spaces When you have an ace and low kicker in the hole and you make your pair of aces on the board, but your kicker doesn't pair. "The river left me with aces and spaces.."

Aces Full A full house with three aces and any pair. Also known as acey-uppy.

Aces Over A hand with pairs, one of which is aces or a full house with a three of aces over any other pair.

Acey-Duecy Two pairs; one of aces, once of deuces

Acey-Uppy A hand with pairs, one of which is aces. Also know as aces full.

Action Betting, raising, and/or calling. A poker game with "a lot of action" is a game a lot of money is in play.

Add-on In a live game, to buy more chips before you have busted. In tournament play, a single re-buy for which all players are eligible regardless of their stack size. This is usually allowed only once, at the end of the re-buy period.

Advertise To advertise is to represent a method of play. For example, you play tight and only call when you have great cards, then show them. Next time you can call with rubbish (bluff) and players think you have another strong hand.

Aggressive "Agressive Play" usually means a lot of betting and raising.

Ajax The holdem starting hand Ace-Jack (AJ). Also known as Blackjack and "The (Aussie) Jewel".

Alexander The king of clubs. Probably derived from Alexander the Great.

Alligator Blood A poker player who plays fearlessly when short-stacked and wins. A player who plays for a long time short-stacked, winning just enough to keep them in the game.

All In In no-limit texas holdem, a player may declare himself "all in" and bet all of his chips into the pot.

All Red Having a heart or a diamond flush.

American Airlines The holdem starting hand Ace-Ace (AA). Also known as Rockets, Pocket Rockets.

Ammo, Ammunition Chips in play.

Angling This is characterized as any acting out of turn. It is considered angling when any player folds or bets out of turn. A player who uses constant angling is known as an "angle shooter". Angling is used to make opponents bet or fold differently to that if they didn't know what the anglers play was. For example, if the angler signals to bet before his turn, other players to the angler's right react by not betting or perhaps even folding. When the round reaches the angler, the angler announces that he or she is not interested in betting after all, or winning a hand due to the opponents fold.

Ante A small amount of chips placed into the pot before each hand. This acts as a "tax" for playing hands and is usually used in Stud games, whereas Hold'em games usually have blinds.

Apple A big game, often the biggest game in a particular club.

Aquarium An aquarium is a poker room or game that has a lot of fish in it.

Argine The queen of clubs. May be an anagram of Regina (queen in Latin), or a corruption of Argea.

Assault Rifle In Omaha, hole cards that are A-K-4-7 of any suit.

Bad Beat A bad beat is a loss in which the losing player had the better odds on the winning player earlier in the hand. In general, the term is used when all the chips go in the pot when the losing player had odds. To take a bad beat means to be on the losing end of a bad beat; to lay a bad beat means to be on the winning end of a bad beat.

Back Door Flush A three-card flush that requires suited cards on the turn and the river to complete.

Beer Hand Generally a 2-7 offsuit, although some consider the 2-7 suited to be a beer hand as well. Considered the worst stating hand in hold em.

Belly Buster An inside straight draw, synonym of gutshot. Also known as a Gutshot.

Bet To put chips into the pot. Other players must either Call your bet, Raise you, or Fold.

Big Blind The larger of the two forced preflop bets. The player to the left of the small blind posts the big blind, the blinds ensure there is always money in the pot and "action" on every hand.

Big Slick The holdem starting hand Ace-King (AK).

Bird on a Stick The holdem starting hand Seven-Two (72).

Blackjack The holdem starting hand Ace-Jack (AJ).

Blank A card that is very unlikely to help, or scare, anyone.

Brick A card that does not help any players hand.

Brick and Mortar A card room with a physical location (e.g. at a Casino) as opposed to virtual.

Blinds In holdem, these are the forced bets that take the place of an ante. The player on the left of the dealer (or dealer button) must pay the small blind and the person after him must pay the big blind.

Bluff To bluff is to make a bet, when you know you have nothing. When you have no hand you hope that you are not called by your opponents. The aim of a bluff is to "buy" a pot because everyone else folds.

Board Cards The cards in the middle of the table that are shared by everyone. "There were two Aces on the board"

Boat A Full House. Also known as a full boat or simply full house.

Bottom Pair When you make a pair on the flop with the lowest card on the board and one of your hole cards. The other cards on the board are referred to as "over cards" and may give another player the "middle pair" or "top pair". The bottom pair is sometimes called "Third Pair".

Break A break is when you bet your strong hand very forcefully to win the pot. Most often your opponent will need to go all-in.

Broken If a player consistently loses over a night and loses a lot of his/her money, that player may be considered 'broken.'

Broadway Broadway is a straight from ten to ace. This is the best possible straight.

Buckets The holdem starting hand 44. A pocket pair of fours.

Bullets The holdem starting hand AA. Pocket Aces. Also known as Rockets or American Airlines.

Burn When the dealer discards the next card prior to dealing the flop, turn and river. The card that is placed down is termed the 'burned/burnt card'.

Button As opposed to your home game, in casinos and big tournaments, they have a dedicated dealer and instead use a small plastic disc called the "dealer button" to indicate who is effectively the dealer. After the flop, the dealer is the last person to act in a round of betting. Being "on the button" is a good position as you are the last person to decide to call, raise or fold.

Call To bet an amount only equal to the previous bet. You must at least "call" other players bets to stay in the hand or you can raise, otherwise you must fold your hand. If no one before you makes a bet, you can also just "check" the hand and stay in the game until another player raises.

Calling Station A calling station is a player who calls a lot. They do not consider other players hands, they just stay in to see if their hand will win, often drawing long odds to make a real hand. They do not bluff much and are generally not aggressive, they just call a lot.

Candy Canes The holdem starting hand Seven-Seven (77). Pocket sevens.

Canine The holdem starting hand King-Nine (K9), sometimes referred to as "The Dog"

Cap In limit poker the cap is the maximum amount of raises allowed in each betting round. A common cap seen in online poker games is 4 bets per round (one bet and three raises).

Case The case card is the last card available of a particular rank in the deck. For example, if my hole cards are pocket fives and the board is AK5 and another five comes out on the turn, that final card (making a four of a kind using all available fives in the deck) is considered the case five.

Chase To call in the hopes of hitting a draw. This word often describes someone who will call even with bad odds. For example, someone who "chases" a card to make a straight or flush draw.

Check In a betting round, if there are no previous bets or raises on a hand, players can "check" the hand and continue to play without wagering any more money. You must "call" to stay in the hand if someone raises. You can signify a check by tapping the table twice, and/or saying "check".

Check-Raise Quite possibly one of the scariest plays in poker. A player "checks" the hand, to see what his opponents play will be, but has every intention of re-raising if his opponent raises him. This is a technique used to get more money into the pot and an effective play in a limit game.

Cold Call A cold call is a call against a pot that has already been bet and raised. For example, preflop, you are in late position, two players have already raised the blinds and you call the two bets. It is a cold move because the other two players already believe they have very good hands, your call basically says you believe your hand is just as good.

Cold Cards A player who is receiving cold cards is usually an experienced player who is having bad luck due to a long running string of bad cards.

Collusion Collusion is a form of cheating. Players will work in a team to try to gain an advantage over the other players. They will somehow signal to each other what their cards are. They will then use this information to gain an unfair advantage. Collusion is illegal. It is sometimes hard for brick and mortar cardrooms to detect colluders, but online poker rooms can track potential colluders because they can review hand histories.

Color Up During a poker tournament or cash game, the house may elect to remove the smaller denomination chips from play. Usually a "color up" will result in removing those big stacks of chips from players and replacing them with a smaller quantity of higher denomination chips.

Community Cards The 5 cards that are dealt on to the table that the "community" of players can use to make their best five (5) card hand. Sometimes known as the "board cards".

Computer Hand The holdem starting hand Queen-Seven (Q7). A starting hand that on average is the median of all other hands.

Connectors Connectors (connected) are hole cards are consecutive, like TJ, 56, 89. "Suited Connectors" are consecutive hole cards that share the same suit. JQ of spades, 78 diamonds.

Counterfeit Sometimes a card will come on the board that will destroy your hand because it makes a previously valuable card in your hand communal property. For example, suppose you hold A8 in a game of Holdem Poker. The board is 4567. You hold a straight to the 9! However, if the final card on the river comes a 8, your hand is counterfeited, because everyone has a eight high straight or a player with a 9 can beat you.

Cowboys The holdem starting hand King-King (KK).

Crabs The holdem starting hand Three-Three (33).

Cutoff Seat The seat to the right of the dealer, the second-best position to be on the table.

Dead Man's Hand The holdem starting hand Ace-Eight (A8) and making two pair on the board AA88. Legendary lawman and gambler Wild Bill Hickok was shot dead while holding this hand.

Dead Money An novice player who has virtually no shot at winning a tournament. Their chips are said to be "dead money".

Deadwood The muck, discards.

Decloak To raise after having sandbagged for a time (making it clear that you were, in fact, sandbagging).

Dime Gambling slang for $1,000. "He went over the top of me with a 2 dime bet"

Dollar Gambling slang for $100. "He raised five dollars (five hundred dollars)"

Dolly Parton The holdem starting hand Nine-Five (95). Named after the movie she starred in, Nine to Five (1980)

Dominated In holdem poker, a hand that is similar to another hand but has a lower kicker, is a "dominated" hand. If you hold K8 and your opponent had KQ, your hand is dominated buy the higher kicker. You need to draw the 8 because the K won't make your hand better against your opponent. Your hand can also be dominated if your hand has far less outs than your opponent.

Down Cards Another name for your two hole cards in holdem poker.

Doyle Brunson The holdem starting hand Ten-Two (T2). Doyle Brunson won the WSOP two years in a row with a ten and a two.

Draw To draw for a card (Verb: draw, drawing) means hoping to improve your hand with the community cards. For example, your hole cards are 89 and the flop is JT3, you have an open ended straight draw, meaning you need to draw a 7 or Q on the turn/river card to complete your straight.

Drawing Dead Drawing to a hand that will lose even if you make your draw. If you have a straight draw but your opponent already has a flush, you are "drawing dead".

Drawout When you get beaten by someone who makes their draw and you lose the hand. You may have had better cards going into the play, but you get "out drawn" by an opponent. Often refered to as a "bad beat".

Ducks The holdem starting hand Two-Two (22). Otherwise known as "dueces".

Eagles The cards of the fifth suit in a sixty-two card deck.

Early bet A small bet made after the first card in stud or the first two cards in draw.

Early Position Being one of the first players to act in a betting round.

Edge The player to the dealer’s immediate left.

Edge Odds The relative advantage or disadvantage of a player compared to all other players.

Edge Shot A bet made from an advantageous position.

Eldest Hand The player immediately to the dealer's left. Bbecause they received the first card during the initial deal their hand is considered the oldest. Also called age or edge.

End Bet The last bet of a betting round.

End Bets Last round bets.

End Stippers Cards that are tapered or damaged along the ends for the purposes of cheating.

Entry Fee An amount payable for all tournaments, with the exception of free rolls. The entry fee can be anywhere from a few cents to thousands of dollars.

Equity Your "rightful" share of a pot. If the pot contains $100, and you have a 1 in 4 chance of winning it, you have $25 equity in the pot.

Even Money When a player makes a wager with the hopes that they will earn the amount that was initially wagered.

Expectation Your typical win rate for a particular game, ignoring variance. That is, how much you expect to win (or lose) per hour or per hand over a specific time period. For example in 100 hours play you have won $437, then your expectation is $4.35/hr.

Expected Value, EV In probability theory, the overall expected payoff of a particular event, calculated by multiplying the probability of each possible outcome by the payoff from each. For example, if there are two possible outcomes from an event (say, flipping a coin), one of which pays $2 and the other of which pays nothing, your EV for the event is $1 (in the long run, if this event happened many times, you would average $1 per event). In poker, one generally associates an EV with a particular action. One's EV from calling a bet, for example, is the sum of all possible outcomes from calling the bet multiplied by the probability of each. Note that since a bet costs money to make, the payoff of some outcomes--and therefore the EV itself--may be negative.

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.

Exposed Pair As opposed to a spilt pair or a hidden pair.

Family Pot When more than three players are contending for a pot, the pot is often considered a family pot.

Fifth Street The fifth dealt community card, more commonly known as the "river" card.

Fish A fish is an novice or bad player, who often loses a lot of money.

Fixed-Limit Basically another way of saying "limit poker", there are set bets. Poker with set betting limits. In a $5-$10 fixed-limit poker game all bets and raises preflop and on the flop are $5 each, and the bets and raises after the turn and river cards are $10 each.

FL Abbreviation for Fixed Limit.

Flop The first three face up community cards in Holdem poker. First three board cards.

Flush A poker hand with 5 cards of the same suit.

Fold A player must "fold" or forfeit his hand if he/she does not want to match the current bet in the pot. A player should fold his/her cards when they think they can not win the hand. When folding against only 1 other player (or in a heads up game) you can choose to "show" your cards or "muck" the hand, which means to discard without revealing what cards you had.

Four Flush When four cards to a flush appear on the board, giving every player with just 1 card of the particular suit to make the flush. Particularly annoying when you flop a flush but are holding generally "weak" kickers. The board then "four flushes" on the turn and gives others holding a higher card of that suit a chance to beat you.

Four of a Kind Four of a kind is a poker hand with four cards of the same rank. For example, 9999K. A four of a kind is only beaten by a straight flush or royal flush.

Fourth Street The fourth dealt community card, more commonly known as the "turn" card.

Freeroll A Freeroll is an online poker tournament where the entry fee, the stakes, or both the entry fee and stakes are waived. Often online poker sites offer free entry but give real money prizes.

Freezeout A winner-take-all tournament with no re-buys. That is, a game in which play continues until one player has all the chips.

Full Boat Another name for a full house, a poker hand consisting three-of-a-kind and another pair.

Full House A poker hand consisting of a three-of-a-kind and a pair. Also known as "boat" or "full boat".

Grinder A semi-professional player who makes a living out of playing poker.

Gutshot An inside straight draw. An example of a gutshot straight draw (also known as belly buster straight draw) is to have 4578, in an attempt to draw a 6.

Gypsy To enter the pot cheaply by just calling the blind rather than raising.

Hammer To bet and raise aggressively.

High Card In any round of poker no player makes a ranking hand (pairs or better) then the person with the highest card "High Card" wins. If two players have the same high card, then their second highest card is taken as the winning kicker, and so on. If the players have the exact same 5 card rank hand, then the pot is split.

High Society Gambler slang for $10,000.00 in chips. Mike McDermott buys "3 stacks of high society" at Teddy KGB's place in the film Rounders.

Hilton Sisters The holdem starting hand Queen-Queen (QQ). Also called "The Ladies".

Hole Cards The cards dealt to each player face down at the beginning of each hand.

Hooks The holdem starting hand Jack-Jack (JJ).

Ice A cold deck.

Idiot End The idiot end straight refers to drawing to the bottom end of a straight. For example, if there is an open-ended straight on the board 789T and you have a 6, it is likely that someone has a Jack and will crush you.

Immortal An unbeatable hand.

Implied Odds The same as pot odds except it takes into account making bets in the future. Thus, you may call a bet at the flop, but have implied odds of making bigger bets on later rounds if you hit your draw. So, if you have AK of diamonds and the flop comes two diamonds, your implied odds are what you have to call at the flop compared to how large the pot will be at the end of the hand.

Inside, Inside Straight A draw to a straight with a single missing rank in the interior, for example, 8-9-J-Q, seeking a 10. Sometimes used to describe a one-end straight, which is mathematically equivalent.

In The Bushes, In The Weeds A player sandbagging is said to be in the bushes during the time he is quietly checking and calling while others bet aggressively.

In The Money To place high enough in a tournament to get prize money.

Isolation To play aggressively in order to drive out all but one specific opponent who you believe to be weak.

Jack Up To raise.

Jackson Five The holdem starting hand Jack-Five (J5). Jacks and Five.

Jacquese The texas holdem starting hand of Jack-Queen (JQ).

Jagging A cheater's technique to mark cards with his fingernail or a device.

Jam A pot where several players are raising.

Jonah An unlucky player.

Kamikaze A player who is on tilt so badly that they literally throw away their money with no regard or go all in with a rubbish or semi-strong hand.

Key Card A card that gives a player a big draw or makes a player's hand.

Kicker A kicker is a player's highest card that is used to break ties in poker hands. For example, if two players make a pair of Aces, one is holding AK and the other AJ, then the player with the K is the winner. If the players had A3 and A2, and the board was A8J5K then the two players tie with the pair of Aces, but split the pot because the best 5 card hand is made up of AAKJ8 and their kicker cards are too low. Kickers are also used to determine which player wins a flush or straight, if two players have a flush, the player with the highest of the suited cards is the winner. If the flush is made up of all over cards, then the players suited kickers do not count, and the pot is split.

Kojak The hold'em starting hand King-Jack (KJ).

Kokomo The hold'em starting hand King-King (KK).

Komodo Dragoned When a player's hand is defeated because of an opponent completing a straight or flush on the river.

Ladies The holdem starting hand Queen-Queen (QQ).

Lady Refering to a Queen. A pair of queens (QQ) is often referred to as ladies.

Let Slide To not call another player one thinks is probably bluffing.

Lid The top card of the deck.

Limit Poker Poker with set betting limits. In a $5-$10 limit poker game all bets and raises preflop and on the flop are $5 each, and the bets and raises after the turn and river cards are $10 each.

Limp, Limp In A player "limps in" if he does not bet or raise, and only calls the big blind.

Limp Raise To make a small raise preflop. Usually used when you have a very strong hand like AA and wish to provoke a re-raise.

Little Slick The holdem starting hand Ace-Queen (AQ).

Lock A hand that cannot lose.

Longhand This refers to a poker game with seven or more people. The odds of high cards being played are increased due to the amount of cards out on the table.

Loose Someone who plays a lot of hands.ng station.

Luck Out To outdraw and beat a good hand.

Maniac Nickname for a player who is very loose and/or plays aggressively. This type of player plays a lot of hands, raises frequently, and often bluffs.

Maverick The name of a Queen and Jack in the pocket, suited or otherwise.

Mechanic A cheater who uses sleight-of-hand to arrange the deck or deal benefit himself or a partner.

Mid-Life Crisis The holdem starting hand Four-Four (44). Pocket Fours.

Middle Pair A pair made with one of your pocket cards where there are under and over cards on the board. You may be holding AT and the flop comes KT7. You have the "middle pair" of tens.

Middle Position Somewhere between the early and late positions on a round of betting (the fifth, sixth and seventh seats to the left of the button).

Minimum Buy-In The least amount you can start a game with.

Mites and Lice A hand consisting of two pair; threes and twos.

Muck The muck (noun) is the area on the table where all of the dead cards are placed once folded or burnt. To muck (verb) is to discard you hand in a showdown but not show your hand once you discover the other hand has beaten you.

Near Nuts Almost the best hand possible, but may be only a couple of hands, or very unlikely hands that could beat you. For example, if you have KK, and the board is K6693, you have the near nuts, because someone else may make a full house or four-of-a-kind sixes.

Nickel Gambler slang for $500.

NL Abbreviation to indicated a No-Limit game.

No Limit A betting structure in which there is no maximum bet. Players may bet as much as they want at any time, at any time they can declare themselves "all in" and put all of their chips into the pot.

Nursing To play conservatively because one is losing and has little money left.

Nuts The nuts is an unbeatable hand, there is no other hand that could win.

Offsuit A holdem starting hand with two cards of different suits. These hands are weaker than suited hands because there are less "outs" in the hand, as the chance of a flush is significantly decreased.

Oldsmobile The holdem starting hand Nine-Eight (98).

Online Poker Playing poker over the internet. People play online poker for fun or for real money. Online poker allows players all over the world to compete against each other. The internet gives poker players a no-borders game any time of the day or night.

On The Button Being the last player to act in a betting round.

Outs Cards that can improve your hand. If you have a 4 cards of a flush draw, then there are 9 other cards left in the deck that can give you the flush (13 out of 52 total) so you have a total of 9 "outs" to complete your hand.

Outdraw When a player beats another player by drawing a superior hand.

Overbet the Pot In a no limit game if a player bets more than the total pot, they have "overbet the pot".

Overpair An overpair is a pocket pair that is higher than any card on the board. For example, if you hold pocket kings and the flop is Q97, you hold an overpair.

On the Come When a bet is made "on the come" generally is weak hand that will be very strong if completed. Generally betting or calling (possibly against pot odds) to make a big hand, usually a flush or straight draw.

One-Way Straight Or One-End. A four-card straight open only on one end, such as jack, queen, king, ace.

Open at Both Ends A four-card sequence that can be made a straight by two different value cards. Also Open Ended Straight Draw.

Open Ended Straight Draw Four cards to a straight, example 4567, drawing to either end of the straight, in this example a 3 or an 8. You have twice the chance of completing your straight with an open-ended straight draw than a inside straight where you are aiming to hit just 1 inside card.

Paint, Paint Cards

Picture cards or face cards (Jack, Queen and King). .

Pair A pair is two cards of the same rank. In holdem poker, if you held A9 and the board cards were 5AJ you would have a pair of Aces. If you had the pair in your hole cards, it is called a "pocket pair".

Pass To fold.

Passive Someone who does not bet and raise a lot.

Picked Off To get called when you are bluffing.

Picture Cards Face cards (Jack, Queen and King).

Pigeon An easy player.

Pips The spots or marks on the face of a card.

PL Abbreviation for Pot-Limit.

Play Money Playing for fun or fake money. Usually online poker sites have free games with play money. This allows players to practice without wagering real dollars. Most online casinos and online poker rooms have "play money" games.

Playing the Board In holdem if the five board cards make up a better hand than the players hands. For example a flush with 5 higher ranked cards than the players hole cards, then the player is said to be "playing the board".

PLO Abbreviation for Pot Limit Omaha.

Pocket Pair In holdem if you are dealt two hole cards of the same rank.

Pocket Rockets The holdem starting hand Ace-Ace (AA).

Poker Hand A group of five cards which are ranked according to the hand rankings.

Position Your seating position at the poker table is referred to as "position". While your physical seat stays the same, your "position" changes with each hand. The dealer (player with the dealer button) has the best position because he/she acts last in the betting round, therefore the dealer can see all other players actions before deciding whether how to play the hand. Preflop the person to the left of the big blind, or after the flop the small blind are the worst positions as the player has to act first and does not get any chance to read the other players from their bets before putting money into the pot. This position is sometime called "under the gun".

Pot Committed When you have put so much money into a pot it is not worth folding to another small raise, even if you think you may have been beaten.

Pot Limit A betting structure in which the maximum size bet is the size of the pot plus the amount you would bet if you reraised.

Pot Odds This is the odds you are getting when you are drawing, without considering future bets. Basically, if you are drawing to hit your hand, you want to make sure there is enough money in the pot to justify drawing. The way you do this is you calculate your expected value of hitting your hand, which is called pot odds.

The simple mathematical formula for pot odds is:

(pot + bet) * (chance of hitting) >= bet

For example, say you have a flush draw of diamonds. You are fairly certain you will win if you hit the flush but will lose otherwise. Thus, there are 9 other diamonds out there (13 - your two, - two on board), so you have a roughly 20% chance of hitting a flush on the next card. If the pot is 90, and the bet is 10, you have odds with your flush draw.

(90 +10) *.20= 20
18>10, so you should call

However, lets say the pot is 10, you're at the turn (one card left) and your opponent bets 40. So the pot is 50 (including his bet) and the bet is 40 to you.

(50 + 40) *.20= 18
18 < 40, so you should fold.

For more help with pot odds, feel free to use our pot odds calculator: http://simulator.pokertips.org/odds.php


Also see out article on Calculating Pot Odds

Preflop The stage of a holdem game when you have two cards in your hand and there are no cards on the board yet.

Prop Prop is short for proposition player. A prop player is paid to play poker. The player plays hands with his own money but has each hand subsidized; receive a payment for playing a certain amount of hands or are paid an wage per hour to play. A lot of online poker rooms use propositional players to keep their games active.

Puppy Feet, Pups A club flush or just a suit of clubs.

Quartered To divide half a pot between two tying hands in split pot games. This is Applicable to Omaha Hi-Lo Poker.

Quads Four of a kind. Holding a set of four cards of the same rank.

Qualifier In High-Low games, it is a requirement the Low hand must meet to win the pot.

Quint A straight flush.

Quint Major A royal straight flush.

Quorum The minimum number of players needed to start a poker game.

Rabbit Hunt When you win a poker hand, your opponent sometimes wants to know if they would have beat you if they stayed in the hand. When your opponent is "rabbit hunting" they ask the dealer to deal the flop, turn or river cards to see what would have come out. Rabbit hunting is frowned upon when playing poker and banned from most tournaments.

Rags Useless cards or cards that don't improve your hand.

Rainbow This describes a flop of all different suits, reducing the chance of a flush.

Raise To make a bet larger than the previous bet, thus forcing the original bettor to call the difference or fold.

Rake This is the fee the poker rooms charge players. It is usually a percentage of the pot. For example, online poker rooms take up to 10% as a fee for hosting the game. However, brick and mortar casinos will charge players an hourly rate instead of raking hands.

Rank The number or letter on the card. Ace is the highest rank and 2 is the lowest. An Ace can also be used as a one (1) when creating a straight. Ranks are abbreviated as follows: A - Ace, K - King, Q - Queen, J - Jack, T - Ten, 9 - Nine, 8 - Eight, 7 - Seven, 6 - Six, 5 - Five, 4 - Four, 3 - Three, 2 - Two.

River The fifth and last community board card, after the turn. Also called fifth street.

Rock This is a nickname for a type of player who will fold a lot. These types of players generally break even. They fold most of their losers, but will not aggressively bet their winners and will thus not make much money. They are also easily bullied out of pots.

Rockets The holdem starting hand Ace-Ace (AA).

Rounder A rounder is a semi-pro or professional player who makes a living or a significant amount of their income from playing poker.

Route 66 The holdem starting hand Six-Six (66).

Royal Flush The poker hand consisting of AKQJT of the same suit. The royal flush is the highest ranking poker hand possible, the Ace high straight flush.

Runner/Running (or "Runner Runner") A hand that is completed by catching both required cards on the turn and river. "I was all-in with top two pair, and my opponent caught a running flush".

Sailboats The holdem starting hand Four-Four (44). Pocket Fours.

Sandbagging Sandbagging is another term for slow-play. To check or bet weakly when you have a strong hand.

Satellite A mini-tournament to gain an entry into a larger tournament.

Sausage A player who plays with no sense. Example (all in with a 2,9)

Sell Similar to the slow play or sandbagging, betting a very strong hand fairly lightly in order to induce a call.

Semi-Bluff A semi-bluff is when a player makes a bet with a hand that is currently weak but has the potential to become a very strong hand. A common example is when someone has a flush draw and makes a bet into the pot. The bettor hopes that the other players will fold, and he wil win the pot right there. However, even if the other players do not fold, he still has a good chance at improving and winning the pot anyway.

Set Three of a kind where a player has a pocket pair and gets a third with the community cards. Also see Trips.

Shark A shark is a good player and typically wins. A shark generally "eats" fish, the weaker amatuer players.

Shill A shill player is a who is paid by the house and plays with the house money.

Shorthand This refers to a poker game with six or fewer people.

Short Stack A number of chips that is not very many compared to the other players at the table. If you have $10 in front of you, and everybody else at the table has over $100, you are playing on a short stack.

Shoot-out A tournament with no rebuys. When you lose all your chips, you're out. More usually called a freezeout or, in the case of a single table, a sit-and-go.

Sidepot In a multi-way pot, a sidepot is created for other players if one player goes all-in. These other players bets and raises will go to the sidepot, and only the players that participated in the sidepot are eligible to win it.

Slowplay Slowplaying is a great poker play, basically the opposite of bluffing. It means to check or bet weakly on a strong hand. The point of the slowplay is so your opponent can get a better hand but you know that your hand can not be beaten (the nuts). The purpose is to get more money into the pot by "bluffing" that you have nothing.

Small Blind The smaller of the two forced bets preflop. The player to the left of the dealer posts the small blind.

Snowmen The holdem starting hand Eight-Eight (88).

Speed Limit The holdem starting hand Five-Five (55).

Splash Throwing your chips into the pot is called "Splashing the pot" and is considered bad etiquette in poker.

Split The holdem starting hand of Seven-Ten (7T). Named after a ten pin bowling term "the dreaded 7-10 split" the pins on opposite sides of the pin deck.

Stack An adjective describing chips. For example, "He has a massive stack".

Steamrolling Re-raising to make a player(s) call two bets instead of one.

Steel The Blinds Win just the blinds by bluffing; get the blinds to fold, usually by opening in late position, and thus win the blinds.

Stone Cold Nuts The best holding possible in a hand of poker that will win the entire pot (as opposed to possibly winning only half or some fraction). Such an example would be holding a suited ace and making a flush with it on an unpaired board in holdem. This is in contrast to holding an ace high straight, which even though it may not possibly be beaten, could end up in a tie with another one.

Straight A poker hand consisting of 5 cards in order of rank. For example, 45678.

Straight Flush A poker hand consisting of 5 cards of the same suit and in order. A straight flush is a straight and a flush.

String Bet In a live game, someone does a string bet if they act like they are going to call but then make a raise. For example, it is standard etiquette that putting the requisite chips for a call into the pot just means a call. If one wants to raise, he or she needs to announce raise before placing chips into the pot. They cannot say "I call your bet" ... but then raise you; They must say "I raise." String bets confuse players as to whether the player is calling or raising, so they are not allowed.

Stub The portion of the deck which has not been dealt.

Suckout It means someone hit a draw against you to win the hand.

Suicide King King of Hearts. So named because in the drawing the king appears to be stabbing himself in the head.

Suit Spades, hearts, diamonds, or clubs. In holdem poker, no suit outranks another. A flush is the only hand that used suits.

Suited Refers to a holdem starting hand with two cards of the same suit. Suited hands are slightly better than unsuited hands because there is a chance of a flush.

Sunset Strip The holdem starting hand Seven-Seven (77).

Table Stakes All poker games are played table stakes. This means one can only bet what one has in front of him on the table on any given hand. Players cannot reach into their pockets and add to their bets. If a player runs out of chips in front of him in the middle of a hand, he or she is considered all in.

Tap In a no limit game, if you tap your opponent you are making a bet equal to all of his chips.

Tapping the Aquarium To tell an amateur player what he/she is doing wrong.

Three of a Kind A poker hand consisting of three cards of the same rank.

Three Wise Men Three of a kind, with three kings.

Tight Someone who does not play many hands.

Tilt Any player can go "on tilt". Often when someone loses a big hand or has a good hand cracked (bad beat) it causes them to tilt. Tilt is when you play recklessly or emotionally based on previous hands, most often losses.

Trap A slow-play that will entice your opponent to bet and stay in the pot, all the while you know you have an unbeatable hand.

Trepasso The holdem starting hand Ace-Jack (AJ).

Trips Three of a kind. Usually where the player has one of the cards in their hand and two on the board (eg a player has 8,3 and the flop is 8,8,4). Also see Set.

Turn This is the fourth board card that comes out in holdem, the card after the flop.

Two Pair Two pair is a poker hand consisting of two pairs.

Under the Gun The position to the left of the big blind which acts first before board cards are dealt.

Underpair An underpair is a pocket pair that is smaller than any card on the board.

Underplay To make a small bet in the hope of drawing other players into the pot.

Upcard Any card that is dealt face up.

Uphill To chase or try to outdraw a better hand.

Valet A Jack.

Village People Four of a kind Queens.

Walk A pot won by the last blind when no one opens.

Walking Sticks The holdem starting hand Seven-Seven (77).

Wash To Shuffle.

Wayne Gretzky The holdem starting hand Nine-Nine (99).

Wheel A wheel is the poker hand A2345, the lowest possible straight.

Whipsaw To bet and raise aggressively on both sides of a calling player.

Wired Pair A pair in your starting hand. Pocket Pair.

Wooden Hand A hand that cannot improve or that cannot possibly win. Comes from deadwood, a term for the discards.

Woolworths The holdem starting hand of Five-Ten (5T). Derived from the once-common nickname for Woolworth's retail outlets: "five-and-ten cent stores"uts.

WPT World Poker Tour

WSOP World Series of Poker

Yard $100; a $100 bill.

Yeast To raise.

Younger Hand An archaic term for any player to the left of the eldest hand.

Youngest Hand An archaic term for the player immediately to the right of the dealer.

Z-Game The lowest stake game in the house.

Zilch, Zip A hand consisting of no valuable or worthwhile cards; nothing.

Zombie A poker player with no tells; a player with an excellent poker face.