One Big Poker Nut » Poker Vocabulary

Basic Poker Terms: The Straight

admin — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:01:31 +0000

In poker, a straight is a sequential set of five cards in more than one suit. An example of a straight would be a hand like the following: K♣ Q♠ J♠ 10♥ 9♥

A straight is more powerful than three of a kind (or trips) and less powerful than a flush. When two straights are competing, the strongest straight is the one with the highest valued card. In the case of competing straights, with equal high cards, suits are not used as the tie-breaker. Rather, they have equal value.

Basic Poker Terms: Trips

admin — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 11:55:14 +0000

Trips is shorthand for three of a kind. For example, if you have three Queens, then you have trips.

In poker, trips is more powerful than two pair, and less powerful than a straight. Higher valued trips are more poweful than lower value trips. In other words, three Kings beats three Queens.

Poker Terms: Toke

admin — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 11:51:50 +0000

A toke is basically a tip that a poker player gives to the dealer after winning the pot. Just as restaurant waitresses make the majority of their income via tips, professional poker dealers often make most of their money via the toke.

However, tokes are not mandatory and are normally only given in professional contexts.

Basic Poker Terms: The Tell

admin — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 18:13:41 +0000

A tell is a behavior, sound or motion that gives away information about a player’s hand.

In poker, the best players learn to read the motions and behaviors of other players and to make educated guesses about the strength of his opponent’s current hand or his upcoming strategy.

Great players are not only able to read tells but also to fake tells to throw off his or her opponent.

Basic Poker Terms: All-In

admin — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 18:09:06 +0000

In poker, to go all-in is to basically place all of your remaining chips into a bet. If the bet goes higher during the hand, then a side pot is often created by the other players which the player who has gone all-in cannot win.

Going all-in is a common last-ditch strategy to push the bet up and force other players out of the hand.

Basic Poker Terms: Ante

admin — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 18:04:52 +0000

In poker, the word ante is used to describe the amount that each poker player must contribute to seed the pot at the beginning of each hand.

An ante is not required, but it is common, depending on the type of poker you are playing.