Paint
Any of the face cards such as a King, Queen or Jack.
Passive
The term passive may apply to a player or a game and denotes that there is a lack of raising or betting, with most of the action involving checking and calling. For a further discussion of passive play, please read the Gentleman's Guide to Poker.
Pay Off
When a player calls a bet believing that they are behind in a hand, but are calling to see the other player's cards anyway.
Play the Board
To use all of the community cards in a flop game such as Holdem or Omaha to make the best five card hand. If no one has a better hand utilizing any of their hole cards then the pot will be split evenly between all the players in the hand.
Pocket Cards
The cards that are dealt face down to a player and remain unexposed for the rest of the hand until showdown.
Pocket
Your unique cards that only you can see.
Post
To put in a blind or forced bet either when first sitting down at a table or when in the blinds.
Pot
The total amount of chips that have been put into play during a hand and are eligible to be won. The pot continues to grow until the last cards are dealt and all the betting is finished at which time the pot is awarded to the winner or winners.
Pot Limit
A type of game limit in which a player may bet up to the total amount of money in the pot whenever it is their turn to act. For a further explanation of Pot Limit please see the Poker Rules section.
Pot Odds
The odds offered by the amount of money in the pot compared to the amount you must call to continue. Pot odds are extremely important for measuring whether it is profitable or not to continue playing a hand.
Price
The pot odds you are getting for a draw or call, which in turn dictate whether or not to continue competing for the pot.
Protect
- To protect one's cards so that they are not accidentally taken by the dealer and put into the muck or touched by another player's cards at which point they would automatically be ruled dead. Often players will place a chip or a marker of some kind on top of their cards which prevents this from happening.
- To call a raise out of the blinds with an average hand so as to "protect" or ensure that other players are not continually stealing your blinds.
- To bet out with a made hand in an attempt to "protect" your hand against drawing hands.
