Poker Dictionary M-P
This is the poker dictionary. We have divided the terms for more convenient browsing and less scrolling through the poker terms.
Maniac
A player who does a lot of hyper-aggressive raising, betting, and bluffing. A
true maniac is not a good player, but is simply doing a lot of gambling.
However, a player who occasionally acts like a maniac and confuses his opponents
is quite dangerous.
Muck
The pile of folded and burned cards in front of the dealer. Example: "His hand
hit the muck so the dealer ruled it folded even though the guy wanted to get his
cards back." Also used as a verb - "He didn't have any outs so he mucked his
hand."
No-Limit
A version of poker in which a player may bet any amount of chips (up to the
number in front of him) whenever it is his turn to act. It is a very different
game than limit poker. The best treatise on no-limit poker is in Doyle Brunson's
Super/System.
Nuts
The best possible hand given the board. If the board is Ks-Jd-Ts-4s-2h, then
As-Xs is the nuts. You will occasionally hear the term applied to the best
possible hand of a certain category, even though it isn't the overall nuts. For
the above example, somebody with Ah-Qc in the above hand might say they had the
"nut straight".
Offsuit
A hold'em starting hand in which the two cards are of different suits.
One-Gap
A hold'em starting hand in which the two cards are two apart in rank. Examples:
J9s, 64.
Outrun
To beat. Example: "Susie outran my set when her flush card hit on the river."
Out
A card that will make your hand win. Normally heard in the plural. Example: "Any
spade will make my flush, so I have nine outs."
Overcall
To call a bet after one or more others players have already called.
Overcard
A card higher than any card on the board. For instance, if you have AQ and the
flop comes J-7-3, you don't have a pair, but you have two overcards.
Overpair
A pocket pair higher than any card on the flop. If you have QQ and the flop
comes J-8-3, you have an overpair.
Pay Off
To call a bet where the bettor is representing a hand that you can't beat, but
the pot is sufficiently large to justify a call anyway. Example: "He played it
exactly like he made the flush, but I had top set so I paid him off."
Play the Board
To show down a hand in hold'em when your cards don't make a hand any better than
is shown on the board. For instance, if you have 22, and the board is 4-4-9-9-A
(no flush possible), then you must "play the board" - the best possible hand you
can make doesn't use any of your cards. Note that if you play the board, the
best you can do is to split the pot with all remaining players.
Pocket
Your unique cards that only you can see. For instance, "He had pocket sixes" (a
pair of sixes), or "I had ace-king in the pocket."
Post
To put in a blind bet, generally required when you first sit down in a cardroom
game. You may also be required to post a blind if you change seats at the table
in a way that moves you away from the blinds.
Pot Limit
A version of poker in which a player may bet up to the amount of money in the
pot whenever it is his turn to act. Like no-limit, this is a very different game
from limit poker.
Pot Odds
The amount of money in the pot compared to the amount you must put in the pot to
continue playing. For example, suppose there is $60 in the pot. Somebody bets
$6, so the pot now contains $66. It costs you $6 to call, so your pot odds are
11:1. If your chance of having the best hand is at least one out of twelve, you
should call. Pot odds also apply to draws. For instance, suppose you have a draw
to the nut flush with one card left to come. In this case, you are about a 4:1
underdog to make your flush. If it costs you $8 to call the bet, then there must
be about $32 in the pot (including the most recent bet) to make your call
correct.
Price
The pot odds you are getting for a draw or call. Example: "The pot was laying me
a high enough price, so I stayed in with my gutshot straight draw.
Protect
(1) To keep your hand or a chip on your cards. This prevents them from being
fouled by a discarded hand, or accidentally mucked by the dealer.
(2) To invest more money in a pot so blind money that you've already put in
isn't "wasted." Example: "He'll always protect his blinds, no matter how bad his
cards are."
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