Poker Terms Every Player Needs To Know
Just as with any other popular game or sport, online poker has a lot of jargon and terminology associated with it. Beginners reading poker blogs could be forgiven for thinking they’re reading something written in another language. This short glossary will shed some light on a few of the more common terms.
Ante – A small bet made by each player at the start of the hand.
Bubble: The point where only one more player needs to bust before the others are “in the money”.
Call: To put an amount of money into the pot that is equal to the most recent bet or phrase. Some people say “see” instead.
Fish: A poor or inexperienced player.
Hit: This refers to getting a card that helps your hand – e.g “getting a hit on the river” means that the river card was a card that helps you.
Muck: A card that is folded or burned is put on the “muck” pile. A player who has a losing hand may in some cases muck their hand without showing it.
Off Suit: Two cards that are not the same suit – e.g. King of Hearts and Ace of Spades.
Satellite: A poker tournament that does not itself offer a cash prize – instead it offers a seat in a more prestigious tournament.
Suited: If two cards are of the same suit, they are considered to be Suited.
Kicker: The kicker is an unpaired card used to determine the winner out of two otherwise equal hands.
Under the Gun: The player who acts first on a betting round. The person one to the left of the big blind is said to be “under the gun” before the flop.