Sots

Poker Lingo: Basic Poker Terms and Phrases You Need to Know

May 30, 2024

If you are trying to master playing poker in Philippine online casinos, you need to understand the poker language. This way, you will be able to play at the table with confidence and not be filled with so many question marks in your head. This article provides a basic list of poker terminology that can help you ease into the world of poker.

General Gameplay:

Blind: A forced bet made by two players before seeing any cards (Small Blind & Big Blind).
Call: To match the current highest bet.
Check: To decline to bet but not fold (only possible if no previous bets on the current round).
Fold: To discard your hand and forfeit the pot.
Pot: The total amount of money wagered in a hand.
Raise: To increase the current bet amount.
All-in: To bet all your remaining chips.

Hands:

Hand: The five cards you are dealt.
Pair: Two cards of the same rank (e.g., two Kings).
Two Pair: Two separate pairs in your hand.
Three of a Kind (Trips): Three cards of the same rank.
Straight: Five cards in numerical sequence (e.g., 5-6-7-8-9).
Flush: Five cards of the same suit (not in sequence).
Full House (Boat): Three of a kind and a pair.
Four of a Kind (Quads): Four cards of the same rank.
Straight Flush: Five cards in sequence of the same suit.
Royal Flush: The highest possible straight flush (10, J, Q, K, A in the same suit).

All About Pot:

Pot: This is the pile of chips that players bet in the middle of the table. The winner takes all the chips in the pot.
All In/Pot-Committed: You’ve bet so much money that you pretty much have to call any bet, because you don’t have many chips left. Folding wouldn’t make sense at this point.
Pot-Limit: In these games, the biggest bet you can make is the size of the entire pot.
Pot Odds: This is a way to decide if calling a bet is a good idea. Imagine the pot is like a reward, and your call is the price to enter. Pot odds tell you if the reward is worth the price. For example, if the pot has $100 and someone bets $10, the pot odds are 11:1 (because the pot will be $110). If you think your chance of winning is better than 11 out of 100 times, then calling is a good idea. This applies to drawing to a better hand too, if the odds of making your hand are good enough.

Other Important Terms:

Action: Betting or raising.
Ante: A small bet all players are required to make before a hand is dealt. An ante is similar to a blind, but everyone has to contribute before a hand commences. Antes give the pot a value right off the bat.
Flop: The first three community cards dealt face-up in games like Texas Hold’em.
Turn (Fourth Street): The fourth community card dealt face-up.
River (Fifth Street): The fifth and final community card dealt face-up.
Bluff: To bet on a weak hand to make your opponent fold.
Muck: The pile of discarded cards after the hand is complete.
Outs: The number of cards that could improve your hand to win.

Overall, this is not an exhaustive list of the poker terms, but this list provides a rather strong foundation for understanding the basic language of the game. As you play more, you’ll encounter additional terms, but with these core concepts down, you’ll be able to hold your own at the table!