Scare Card
A card that appears to help the opposition or a card that is higher than any of a player's hole cards. For instance, if there is a raise pre-flop and an Ace comes on the flop, this would be considered a scare card to anyone holding a weaker hand then a pair of Aces as it is easy to imagine a pre-flop raiser holding a strong hand with an Ace.
Second Pair
Making a pair using the second highest card on the flop and one of your hole cards. Often also referred to as middle pair.
Sell
To sell a hand is to play it in such a way that induces a call or a raise from your opponents as your hand is very strong. This may be done by making a small to medium size bet that is meant to convey to your opponents that your hand is weak or mediocre. The idea is to bet enough so that you get paid off properly, but not too much as your opponents may be scared off.
Semi-Bluff
A semi-bluff is a bluff with a hand that is probably not best at the moment but has the possibility to improve to a winning hand should an opponent call or re-raise. This provides a player with two ways to win the hand, as their opponents may fold to the semi-bluff bet, or the player's hand may improve on the subsequent rounds and be the best at showdown.
Set
A set is the same as three of a kind but specifically means that you have a pocket pair along with another card of the same rank on the board. A set is different from trips, in which a player uses one of their hole cards to make three of a kind with two cards of matching rank on the board.
Seven-Card Stud
A poker game that is a Stud variation in which each player is dealt seven cards with which to make their best five card hand. The first two cards are dealt face down, followed by four up cards and then a final down card. Unlike community card games like Holdem or Omaha, there are no common cards and each player plays their cards individually.
Short Stack
A player with a limited number of chips compared to other players at the table, whether in a cash game or a tournament. A short stack is considered in danger of being busted out, particularly in a tournament where the blinds increase over time.
Showdown
A showdown occurs after all the cards have been dealt and all action has been completed. Players then turn their cards over to determine who has the best hand and therefore wins the pot.
Side Pot
A side pot is created after one or more players are all-in during a hand and have no further chips or money with which to bet or call with. Any subsequent bets after the all-ins are now put into a second or side pot for the remaining players involved in the hand. The all-in players are only eligible to win the original pot and cannot win any part of the side pot.
Slow Play
A strong hand that is not raised or aggressively bet early in a hand so as to keep as many other players in the pot as possible in hopes of making the most amount of money as possible. Also know as "sand bagging."
Small Blind
The small blind is a mandatory live bet that is posted before the start of each hand. It is typically anywhere from one-quarter to one-half of the big bet amount for the table depending on what type of game and limit. The small blind is almost always followed by a big blind, and they occupy the first two positions to the left of the dealer and move correspondingly in front of the button as it moves around the table. For further information on game types and limits please visit our Game Rules.
Split Pot
If two or more players have the same hand then the pot they are competing for is split evenly between them. This may occur if all the players involved start off with similar holdings and end up holding equal hands in combination with the community cards, or if the best possible hand is made up of the five board cards and as such is used by all the players involved in the hand.
Split Two Pair
A hand in which a player's two hole cards are each paired by cards on the board.
Straddle
An extra blind voluntarily posted by the player to the immediate left of the big blind to stimulate the action. A straddle is typically twice the size of the big blind and is considered to be live, meaning that the player who posted the straddle may re-raise.
String Bet
A bet or raise in which a player places their chips into the pot in two separate physical motions without declaring that they are betting or raising. Typically, the dealer will rule this as a "string bet" and the player is only allowed to call in this situation and is not allowed to raise. A string bet is not allowed as a player may deliberately do this to gauge their opponent's reactions to the initial call, and then use that information to their advantage.
Structured Limit
A structured limit is one in which the betting stakes are pre-determined along with which betting round they may be used in. This is typical of Limit Holdem games in which players may only bet and raise in fixed amounts. In a $2/$4 Limit game for instance, players may only bet in increments of $2 for the first two rounds and $4 for the last two rounds.
Structured
Used to apply to a certain betting structure in flop games such as Holdem. The typical definition of a structured game is a fixed amount for bets and raises before the flop and on the flop, and then twice the amount on the turn and river.
Suited
A starting hand in Holdem where the pocket cards are of the same suit, or in Seven-Card Stud when a player's first three cards are of the same suit.
