Poker Terms

Action:
It’s a players turn to act.  The dealer will say “Your action, sir,” if a participant does not realize that it’s their turn.

Ante:
A small portion of a bet put down by each player to build the pot at the start of every poker hand.

Burn:
This describes the procedure of issuing the top card from the deck, face down.  This is performed between each betting round prior to dealing the next community playing card(s).  This acts as protection against a player recognizing or glimpsing the next card to be used on the board.

Complete Hand:
A full five card hand for instance a full house, flush, straight or straight flush.

House:
The establishment that runs the poker game

Inside Straight:
A hand having four playing cards needed to complete a straight except one in the centre.

Kicker:
A playing card in a player’s hand that is made use of as a tiebreaker whenever two competitors have hands that are of identical value.

Muck:
The pile of cards either burned or folded in front of the dealer.

Open-ended straight:
A hand of four sequential playing cards that needs an additional card at either end to complete a straight.

Pocket:
The playing cards in your possession that only you can observe.

Protect:
The act of keeping your poker hand by placing a chip on them so that it’s not fouled by a discarded hand or inadvertently mucked by the dealer.

Quads:
Four of the same ranking.

Rank:
The numerical worth given to a card (not the suit).

Tell:
A sign or tip-off that a player accidentally reveals concerning their poker hand.

Toke:
A small quantity of cash given by the winner of the pot to the dealer.

Trips:
Three of a kind.

Variance:
The changes in a players bankroll, when the changes in your bankroll are large your variance is greater.