Big Slick vs. Pocket Rockets
by Luckbox
Someone stopped by today looking for "how to sound like you know poker." Well, Up For Poker aims to please.
When it comes to sounding like you've been to a final table at the World Series of Poker, it's all about the slang.
Here's just a small Poker dictionary you should overuse at the Hold 'Em poker table if you want to sound like a pro (feel free to add more in the comments):
All-In: Putting all of your remaining chips in the pot. Ex. Randy regretted going all-in when CJ held the nuts.
Back Door: This describes a hand in which the final two cads (the turn and the river) fill either a straight or a flush. Ex. We both went all-in with a pair of jacks, but when the third and fourth heart hit the board, it filled his backdoor flush and I went home crying.
Bad Beat: This describes a hand in which a statistically superior hand loses to an inferior hand. Ex. It was a bad beat when my pocket aces lost to 7-2 offsuit. I went home crying.
Big Slick: Having an Ace and a King as your hole cards. Ex. When I looked down at Big Slick in my pocket, I had to go all-in.
Bottom Pair: When one of you hole cards matches the lowest card on the board. Ex. I don't usually bet the bottom pair, but the other guy had bluffed a lot.
Bullets: A pair of Aces in the hole. See also: Rockets
Button: The seat directly to the right of the dealer. This player will act last in each betting round after the first. Ex. I would not have played a pair of 4's except that I was sitting on the button.
Catch: Often goes along with "bad beat" when a player with only a few outs catches one of those cards to win the hand. When a player tells you, "Nice catch," what they really want to say is, "You lucky bastard."
Cowboys: A pair of Kings in the hole. Ex. My Cowboys were gold when another King came on the flop.
Fish: A bad player. Remember, if you're not sure which player at the table is the fish, you may be it.
Flop: The first three cards that come on to the table in Hold 'Em. Ex. When three hearts came on the flop, I was worried my Cowboys wouldn't hold up.
Gutshot: An inside straight draw, when a player can only fill their straight with one card. Ex. If I lose to another gutshot, I'm taking my chips and going home.
Hole: Your first two cards in Hold 'Em. Ex. I love getting Big Slick in the hole.
Kicker: The highest unpaired card in your hand. Ex. We both had a pair of Aces, but my King kicker won me the pot.
Muck: Throwing your hand into the pile without showing them. Ex. When I showed the nut flush, he just mucked his cards knowing he had lost.
Nut(s): The best possible hand. Ex. When I flopped the nut straight, I was just hoping no flush draw or pair hit the board on the turn or the river.
Pocket: The two cards dealt face down. Ex. When I looked down at two sevens I hoped this pocket pair would finally win me a pot.
Rainbow: When the three or four cards on the board are all of a different suit. Ex. My straight looked a lot better considering the flop was a rainbow.
River: The last of five community cards.
Rockets: A pair of Aces in the hole.
Set: Three of a kind when two of the cards are in your hand. Ex. I finally flopped a set when a 4 hit the board to go with my pocket pair.
Slowplay: To underplay a very strong hand as to induce more people to bet. Ex. I slowplayed my pocket rockets only to lose to a flush draw.
Tilt: When a player begins betting indiscriminately after a particularly bad loss. Ex. After that bad beat, he went all-in and I figured he was on tilt.
Top Pair: When a card in your hand matches the highest card on the board.
Turn: The fourth of five community cards. Ex. When a club came on the turn, I had the nuts.
