F

1. (n) face card. 2. The front of a card, that is, the side that shows its rank and suit, as opposed to the back. Also called front. 3. (v) Turn face up, as one's card.

(n phrase) Any jack, queen, or king. Also called court card, paint, picture, picture card, redskin.

(n phrase) An irregularity in one or more cards, such as misprinted or flawed cards or other unintentional markings, which could permit observant players to identify some (or, rarely, all) of the cards from the back. Also see honest reader, imperfect deck.

1. (n phrase) A cheating maneuver in which the deck appears to be cut, but the stacked portion remains unchanged at the top. 2. (v phrase) Give the deck such a cut.

(n) A hand that was opened without having opening requirements. For example, in jacks or better, the opener must have already in his hand at least a pair of jacks. Someone in next-to-last position in an unopened pot might have four cards to a straight flush and dearly like to open the pot. If he does, he is said to have false openers. Usually the opener of a pot has to show openers. If he cannot prove he had openers, the player cannot win the pot.

1. (n phrase) An appearance of shuffling the cards by a cheat, but without actually changing their order (from a presumably set-up arrangement), by pulling one half of the pack through the other half, and then replacing the deck to its original position. 2. (v phrase) Give the deck such a shuffle.

(n phrase) A pot with a lot of players, sometimes as many as all at the table. Also community pot.

1. (v) Mix the cards; shuffle the deck. 2. Spread the cards face up on the table in an overlapping fashion. 3. Spread the cards in one's hand in such a way that just the edge of each can be seen; usually done by holding the whole deck so it ends up looking like a fan. 4. (n) The semicircular spread deck as sometimes held by a magician when asking you to "pick a card, any card."

(n) The ranch. When a player goes all in, someone may say, "He's betting the farm."

(adv) Usually part of the phrase fast action, fast game, fast player, or play fast.

(n phrase) The state of a fast game. Also see pace.

(n phrase) One with a lot of action (definition 1), that is, with lots of betting, raising, and reraising from most of the players.

(n phrase) See pace.

(n phrase) 1. A quick look at one's cards, done by an angle shooter in such a way as to elude detection (usually with the intention of then claiming to be betting blind). 2. A quick look by a thief at part of the deck. See peek (definition 3).

(n phrase) An aggressive player, one who bets at almost every opportunity. In a no-limit game, one who bets large at almost every opportunity, often on risky propositions. One who bets and raises frequently, in an attempt to drive out timid or conservative players. Also see play fast.

(n phrase) false shuffle.

(adj) 1. Winning. 2. Having money, usually as a result of having had a recent windfall, often in the form of a large win. Also, flush.

(v) 1. Put more chips in the pot; also sweeten. 2. Give one's chips to a particular player; usually followed by up. "I don't know why I keep giving him action; all I do is fatten him up all the time."

(n) 1. The hand that has the best chance of winning. In a stud or hold 'em-type game, this is said of a given hand before the last round is dealt or fifth street of the flop; in a draw game, this is said before the draw. Opposite of dog (definition 2). 2. The player who has the best chance of winning a particular hand (or just of winning in a particular session or in a tournament).

(v) Throw money off to someone. "You've been feeding him all day. How about throwing off some chips this way?"

(v phrase) forced-move game.

(v phrase) 1. feed the pot. 2. Call any bet. 3. ante (definition 4).

(v phrase) Bet or call foolishly, or knowing that one is taking the worst of it. Also, feed the kitty.

(n) In a no-limit game, a small bet made to see if anyone will raise or to determine who will just call.

(n phrase) feeler.

(n) The cloth surface covering a card table. By extension, bet down to the felt means to bet all one's chips, and down to the felt means broke. Also, green.

(n phrase) hitchhiker (definition 3).

(n phrase) hitchhiker (definition 3).

(n; imitative) A 5, referring to the card or to a bet of that amount. When a 5 turns up on the board in hold 'em, you may hear the dealer or the table clown say, "Fever in the north and the doctor went south."

(n phrase) 15-way straight.

(n phrase) In the 52-card deck, four to an open-ended straight flush, so that any of 15 cards makes it a straight or better. For example, 3 4 5 6 can be made into a straight by drawing a deuce or 7, a flush by drawing any diamond, or a straight flush by the 2 or 7, of which there are 15 altogether.

(n phrase) 1. In seven-card stud, the fifth card dealt to each player. Following this card is the third round of betting. 2. In hold 'em-type games, the fifth (and final) card of the board (definition 2). Following this card is the fourth round of betting.

(adj phrase) Pertaining to fifth street. He made a fifth-street bet.

(n phrase) The 54 cards, generally used only in home games, consisting of all the cards of the 53-card deck, plus a second joker.

(n phrase) The 53 cards with which some forms of poker, usually draw poker and lowball, are played, consisting of four suits (clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades), each with 13 ranks, A or ace, 2 or deuce, 3 or trey, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, T or 10, J or jack, Q or queen, K or king, plus the joker.

(n phrase) The 52 cards from which poker is usually played, consisting of four suits (clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades), each with 13 ranks (A or ace, 2 or deuce, 3 or trey, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, T or 10, J or jack, Q or queen, K or king).

(n) face card.

(n; imitative) full house.

(n phrase; imitative) full house.

(v) 1. Make a full house. 2. Make any specified hand. "I've got three aces. I call." "No good; I filled the flush." Sometimes fill in.

(v phrase) fill (definition 2). "I filled in the flush."

(v phrase) Make a full house. "I've got a flush. I call." "No good; I filled up."

(n; imitative) full house.

(n) $5.

(n phrase) In a tournament involving multiple tables, as players are eliminated, tables are combined; when only enough players remain to form one full table, that is the final table. Making it to the final table sometimes guarantees a prize. (See in the money.) Also see freeze-out tournament, playoffs, rebuy tournament, and shootout tournament.

(n) See on the cuff.

(n phrase) A poker game in which players play on credit.

(n phrase) In hold 'em, 8-5 as one's first two cards.

(n) $5.

(v) Bet. When an aggressive player bets a large amount in a no-limit game, he may say, "Fire!" (He may not.)

(n phrase) A method of determining, at the start of a game, who will be the first dealer. Someone, the house dealer in a casino game or one of the players in a home game, starts dealing cards one at a time face up to each player, and the player who receives the first ace becomes the dealer.

(n phrase) The first position to the left of the house dealer in a poker game or at a blackjack table. In poker, also called age.

(n phrase) In a cardroom, having a break immediately upon arriving at work, at the start of the shift, so that the employee (usually a dealer) will not be allowed to have early out, that is leave early. First break is often given to a dealer who shows up a bit late for work.

(n phrase) Same as first ace, except with a jack being the significant card.

(n) live one. A very loose player, usually implying one who loses regularly.

(n) Jack (the card). Sometimes a 7. It comes from the literal resemblance of either a 7 or J to a fishhook. Also hook.

(n) Affectionate RGPer term for a fish.

(adj) Like a fish, that is, live (definition 3).

See five of a kind.

(n phrase) 1. dimestore (definition 2). 2. A wild-card game with 10s and 5s wild.

(n phrase) 1. draw poker (definition 1). 2. high draw poker, often called just draw.

(n phrase) little squeeze.

(n phrase) A poker game, stud poker with one card dealt face down followed by four cards dealt face up, with betting commencing on the second card and continuing with each round of cards.

(n phrase) A three-blind traveling blind game, in which the dealer puts up $5, the player to his left (called the middle blind) $5, and the next player (called the big blind) $10, with the minimum bet (or bring-in) usually being $20, sometimes $10.

(n phrase) Similar to the two-minute rule.

(n phrase) 1. The best hand in high draw poker played with the 53-card deck, four aces plus the joker. 2. In any wild-card game, some combination of cards all of the same rank plus one or more wild cards. For example, in deuces wild, three 7s and two 2s would be five of a kind, five 7s. Similarly, four deuces plus an 8 would constitute five 8s.

(n phrase) A full house consisting of three 5s and another pair.

(n phrase) 1. 5s up. 2. 5s over.

(n phrase) A 5 (the card).

(n phrase) two pair, the higher of which are 5s.

(n phrase) five-way straight.

(n phrase) In the 53-card deck, four cards to an inside straight, so that any of five cards makes it a straight. For example, 3-4-6-7 of mixed suits can be made into a straight by drawing any 5 or the joker, of which there are five altogether.

(v) stack the deck.

(n phrase) stacked deck.

(n phrase) 1. Poker in which all bets are made in specified increments, that is, the size of each betting increment does not increase on any round of betting. See limit poker. Sometimes called flat limit. Compare also with single limit, double limit, and no limit. 2. Sometimes this phrase refers to betting with maximums determined by the mutual consent of the players.

1. (v) Inadvertently expose one of your hole cards in a stud or community card game, or any of your cards in a draw game. 2. (n) The act of so doing. "I caught a flash of the joker in his hand."

(adj) 1. Crooked. "This joint is as flat as a pancake." That is, it is full of thieves. 2. In lowball, taking no cards; often said by a house dealer when announcing the draws: "One, one, two, and flat."

1. (v phrase) Only or just call a prior bet, that is, without raising. "He flat called" means that all he did was call (and implies that he should have raised). 2. (n phrase) The action of flat calling. "That game was so tight, that when I raised before the draw I just got a flat call from a guy with a pat straight." Also, smooth call.

(n phrase) fixed limit.

(n phrase) flat shop.

(n phrase) A crooked gaming establishment. Also bust-out joint. Opposite of right joint.

(n phrase) flat shop.

(n) Turn a formerly honest cardroom into a flat shop.

(n) Mexican stud.

(n) 1. The premises around the tables, usually with reference to the employees working there; usually preceded by on the. "Who's on the floor?" means "Who's running the shift?" 2. floorperson. "We need a decision. Call the floor."

(n) The employee who seats players, brings new decks, keeps order, settles disputes, and sometimes sells chips to players.

(n) A floorman of unspecified sex.

1. (n) In hold 'em-style games, the three community cards turned face up after the first round of betting. 2. (v) To turn those community cards up, especially with respect to how those cards affect a particular player. For example, if you start with a pair in the hole, and the flop includes one of your card, you are said to have flopped a set.

(v phrase) See set.

(n phrase) Hold 'em-style game. That is, a game with a flop.

1. (n) Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence. The hand ranks above a straight and below a full house. A flush is often specified by its top one or two cards. For example, A K 9 4 2 is called an ace-king flush. Five cards of the same suit in sequence constitutes a hand known as a straight flush. Also see double-ace flush. 2. (adj) fat (definition 2).

(v) Drawing to a flush. "I knew you had a straight. I was flushing, but I missed."

(n) flush (definition (1).

(n) flush (definition 1).

(n phrase) In hold 'em, A-J as one's down cards. Also (and from whose advertising slogan it comes), Ajax.

(v phrase) Perform a false cut.

1. (v) Withdraw from further participation in the current pot. 2. (n) The act of folding.

(v phrase) Fold before it is one's turn, an action that is not according to the rules in serious (that is, cardroom) games.

(n phrase) A wild-card stud game, played only in private or home games, in which all queens and those of the same rank as a card dealt face up immediately after a queen shows are wild.

(n phrase) See rabbit.

(n) Poor hand. "I got a hand like a foot."

(n) A wild-card game with 6s and 3s wild. The game is similar to baseball.

(v) raise.

(n phrase) A mandatory bet on the first round of play in a stud game. For example, in seven-card stud, the lowest card dealt on the first round might have to make a forced bet, usually of a smaller amount than the normal betting limit. In a $2-$4 game, the lowest card might have to bet 50 cents. Subsequent bettors may either call, or raise by $2 (sometimes only to $2, that is, a raise of $1.50). In most home games, the forced bet is made by the highest exposed card in high games, and by the lowest exposed card in low games. If two cards of the same rank appear, the one closest to the left of the dealer must make the forced bet. In cardrooms, bridge order (or reverse bridge order) is sometimes used.

(n phrase) A mandatory, as opposed to optional, blind, that is, a bet that must be put into a pot before the cards are dealt, usually for the purpose of stimulating action. Traveling blinds (see traveling blind), winner blinds (see winner blind), and requiring players to blind at least once in a specified period of time or per round are examples of forced blinds.

(n phrase) The second game of its type at a specific limit in a public cardroom that acts as a feeder to the main game, according to rules that vary from cardroom to cardroom. As seats become available in the main game, players in the forced-move game must move to the main game. The reason to have forced-move games is to make sure that the main game is always full, as opposed to the balanced-game (see balanced games) situation in which two tables might both have vacancies, and yet no one is permitted to change games. Also called must-move game.

(n phrase) A mandatory, as opposed to optional, blind, which is put in to the left of a forced under-the-gun blind (see forced blind). Also see traveling blind.

(n; imitative) 4s full.

(v phrase) hit the brief.

(n) Three 3s. (A bunch of trees.)

(n phrase) See motion).

(n) Elderly poker player, often implying one who is tight or a rock.

1. (adj) Unplayable because of some collision or conflict with the house rules. "If cards touch an unprotected hand, that hand is foul." 2. (v) To make a hand foul. "If you pick up the deck without discarding and then try to draw to your hand, you'll foul the hand."

(n phrase) A hand that has become foul. In a draw game, six cards after the draw is usually considered a foul hand. Also dead hand, irregular hand. See dead (definition 3).

(n) In five-card stud, the first card dealt to a player. In seven-card stud, the first two cards dealt to a player.

(n phrase) 1. Four cards to a flush. Sometimes called a bobtail flush or Arkansas flush. 2. A nonstandard hand, four cards to a flush, that ranks higher than a four-card straight and lower than two pair.

(n phrase) In lowball, having lots of one-card draws, but not making them.

(n phrase) 1. Four cards to a straight. Sometimes called a bobtail straight. Also see double-ended straight, open-ended straight, two-way hand, two-way straight. 2. A nonstandard hand, four cards to a straight, that ranks higher than one pair and lower than a four-card flush.

(n phrase) A deck in which each suit is given a different color, as opposed to the traditional decks in which hearts and diamonds are red and spades and clubs black. Many claim such a color scheme makes it harder to misread suits. In the four-color deck promoted by Mike Caro (the Mad Genius of Poker), spades are black, hearts are red, diamonds are blue, and clubs are green.

(n phrase) four-card flush.

(n phrase) A cheater. Probably comes from one who tries to bluff when holding only a four-flush, or who cheats by showing four cards to a flush and tries to claim the pot without showing the fifth.

(n phrase) A poker hand, four of the same rank, as four aces or four deuces. Ranks above a full house and below a straight flush. Also called quads.

(n) four of a kind.

(n phrase) A full house consisting of three 4s and another pair.

(n phrase) 1. 4s up. 2. 4s full.

(n phrase) A 4 (the card).

(n phrase) four-card straight.

(n phrase) two pair, the higher of which are 4s.

(n phrase) 1. In seven-card stud, the fourth card dealt to each player. Following this card is the second round of betting. 2. In hold 'em-type games, the fourth card of the flop. Following this card is the third round of betting. This card is more commonly called the turn card.

(adj phrase) Pertaining to fourth street. He made a fourth-street bet.

(n phrase) four-card straight.

(n phrase) In the 52-card deck, four to a straight, so that any of four cards makes it a straight. For example, 3-4-6-7 of mixed suits can be made into a straight by drawing any five, of which there are four altogether. Also called inside straight.

(n) The joker or a wild card.

(n phrase) An extremely lucky draw, usually greatly defying probability, and often in such a way as to defeat a hand that has considerably the best of it. If, in lowball, you draw three cards and make a 6 or better, that constitutes a freak draw. If, in draw poker, you draw three cards to two cards of the same suit and make a flush, that, too, constitutes a freak draw. Sometimes called Gardena miracle.

(n phrase) A nonstandard poker hand, as a blaze, skip straight, big dog, little tiger, and so on.

(n phrase) In stud poker or hold 'em, the situation in which there is no bet on a particular round, so players get extra cards without having had to risk additional money. In hold 'em, for example, you are on the button with A Q. The flop is 2 7 J, giving you four to the nut flush. An early player bets, and there are a few calls. You raise, and all call. No matter the turn card, the other players may check to you. If another spade doesn't come, you can check also, thus saving a bet at the higher limit, and allowing you to see the river card for "free."

(n phrase) In draw poker or lowball, a player has looked at the first four of his cards, and the remaining one, which he presumably has not seen, is the free look. (I say "presumably" because some players seem to have a free look every hand, and yet they always look at the first four dealt them in order.) You might in lowball hear a player say, "I've got a free look, and I'm gonna raise it." That gives others the impression that the player has raised without seeing the fifth card, but hardly anyone ever believes that.

(n phrase) free look. "How come the free peek is always in the last position?"

(n phrase) 1. In stud poker or hold 'em, a betting round in which no one bets, which permits the active players to receive (or see) a free card. By extension to draw, this would be the situation in a double-limit blind game with a gypsy (permitting players to open for a bet equal to the size of the blind) in which players opened for the minimum and the blind gets to draw without putting any extra money in the pot. 2. In pass-and-back-in draw poker, an opening round in which no one opens, thus allowing every player to draw without having to make a bet.

1. (n phrase) In hold 'em, the situation in which one player can win the entire pot when guaranteed half the pot because he is currently tied with another player. For example, you have A J and your opponent has A J. The flop is J 5 T. You are tied with the other player, each having a pair of jacks with the same kickers. You have a free roll (also, you are free rolling), since you can win the whole pot and he can't. If any card but a heart comes in the next two cards, you split the pot with the other player, but with any heart, you win the whole pot. 2. free-roll tournament. 3. (v phrase) To be in the situation described in definition 1.

(v phrase) See free roll (definition 1).

(n phrase) A tournament with no buy-in, usually with prize money put up by the house. Generally players must qualify to play in such a tournament by playing a specified number of hours during a set period of time, such as 10 hours in a week or 40 hours in a month. Sometimes entries to a free-roll tournament are also awarded to players holding certain hands, such as aces full or better, or the winners of preliminary tournaments, or to those who enter one or more other tournaments.

(v) stand pat in draw poker, that is, decline on the draw to replace any cards.

(n) freeze-out.

(v phrase) Bet in such a way as to prevent another player getting into a pot. "They bet so much that they froze me out of the biggest pot of the night."

(n) A game in which players start with a specified amount and then can buy no further chips, with the game continuing until one player has all the chips. This is a common tournament structure. Also written freezeout.

(n phrase) 1. A tournament in which players start with a specified amount and then can buy no further chips; once they lose their chips, they are out, as opposed to a rebuy tournament. The tournament continues until one player has all the chips. As players are eliminated, they may receive prizes based on the order of their elimination. For example, the final remaining player may win 50% of the prize pool, the next-to-last 25%, the third 10%, and so on. Also called no-rebuy tournament. Compare with shootout tournament. 2. A tournament as described in definition 1 in which the last remaining player wins all the money.

(n phrase) A private or home poker game in which the social aspect is more important than winning money, usually accomplished by permitting only relatively small bets. This is opposed to a cutthroat game or a club or casino game. Sometimes called social game.

(n phrase) San Jose to Gilroy.

(n phrase) A straight (definition 1), sometimes shortened to here to there; itself shortened from from here to there without a pair.

1. (adv) Ahead (of the game, that is, winning); always preceded by in. "How ya doin'?" "I'm in front." 2. Being in a position such that you act after another player. If you are sitting to the left of a player, you might say, "I'm in front of him." 3. (n) face (definition 2).

(n phrase) A cheating maneuver that enables the dealer to see the face of the top card on the deck, accomplished by squeezing the deck between thumb and little finger in such a way as to bow the top card slightly so that its underside corner can be surreptitiously viewed. This move is made prior to dealing seconds.

1. (n) full house. "I've got a full." 2. (adj) Having a full house. "I've got a flush; whadda you have? "I'm full."

(n phrase) 1. In a limit game, a bet as large as the current limit. For example, in a $10-$20 game, in the $10 round or rounds, $10 is a full bet, and anything less is not. Cardrooms have different interpretations as to whether anything less than a full bet can be raised or whether a player is even permitted to bet less, and if an all-in player bets less, whether succeeding players can call that amount or must themselves put in a full bet. 2. In a no-limit, pot-limit, or spread-limit game, a bet as large as the minimum for the table, with similar discussion as the preceding. 3. In a no-limit, pot-limit, or spread-limit game, a bet as large as the preceding bet. For example, if Emilie bets $50 and John can call only $30 of that, he would be said not to have a full bet. In this sense, the term short is often used. For definitions 1 and 2, also see half a bet, legal raise.

(n phrase) full house. Also called a boat.

(n phrase) A buy-in equivalent to at least the minimum requirement for the particular game. Compare with short buy.

(n phrase) An honest deck, that is, one containing all the cards. From this came the phrase playing with a full deck, which originally meant playing honestly, but was later expanded to mean rationally, and usually used in the negative as not playing with a full deck, that is, crazy or crazily.

(n phrase) full house.

(n phrase) A poker hand, consisting of three of one rank plus two of another. Ranks above a flush and below four of a kind. Often identified by the three of a kind. Three kings and two 3s is a full house, often known as kings full, and sometimes more specifically as kings full of 3s.

(adj phrase) Describing the constitution of the pair in a full house, as three kings and two threes could be called kings full of 3s.

(adj phrase) Having a full house, with reference to the three of a kind, as three kings and any pair could be called full on kings.

(n phrase) full deck.

(n phrase) A table whose every seat is occupied. The term is usually used only in cardrooms.

(n phrase) See value.

(n phrase) In Omaha, a situation in which the four downcards consist of two sets of consecutive cards, two gaps, and two more consecutive cards, which combine with the flop such that any card in your hand duplicated on the board on the turn or river gives you a straight, in addition to any card one lower than your lower consecutive cards or one higher than the higher consecutive cards. For example, your downcards are 10-9-6-5, and the flop is 7-8-K. You can make a straight with any of 20 cards, any 10, 9, 6, or 5, three each of which remain, or any J or 4, of which four of each remain. Other wraps includewraparound and inside wrap.

(v) 1. Perform a cheating maneuver in which the cards are mixed by an overhand shuffle (from hand to hand, instead of the standard cardroom procedure of riffling) in such a way as to maintain their original order. 2. In draw poker, shuffle through one's five cards repeatedly by holding them face down and sliding one card at a time from top to bottom. Also called milk the cards.

(v phrase) Mix the cards by repeatedly drawing two simultaneously from top and bottom of the deck, sometimes done with a new deck prior to shuffling.

Entire contents copyright (©) 2003, Michael Wiesenberg.