Texas Hold’em, as a globally popular poker game, tests not only players’ luck but also demands wisdom and strategy. When learning Texas Hold’em, mastering some basic terminology is the first step to getting started. These terms not only help players better understand the game rules but also enhance their ability to respond effectively during actual play. Whether you’re a newcomer just starting with poker or an experienced player, understanding these fundamental terms will make your gaming experience smoother. This article introduces common beginner-level Texas Hold’em terms to help you quickly get started and enjoy the game.
Action/Bet/Speak (Action): A player’s action. In Texas Hold’em, there are seven types of actions (bet, call, fold, check, raise, re-raise, all-in):
Bet: The first action of placing chips into the pot. Call: Matching the current bet amount. Fold: Withdrawing from the hand.
Check: Pass the decision to the next player when no one has bet. Raise: Increase the current bet amount.
Re-raise: To raise again after someone else has raised.
All-in: To wager all of one’s chips at once.
Check-Raise: When a player first checks during a betting round and then raises after someone else has raised.
Button: This is a marker that players take turns holding in a clockwise rotation. The betting order for each round is determined by the position of the button.
Blinds: These are bets placed before the cards are dealt, ensuring that every winning hand earns some chips. The player immediately to the left of the “Dealer” button posts the small blind, typically equal to half the minimum bet. The player to the left of the small blind posts the big blind, which equals the full minimum bet amount.
Community cards: The five face-up cards on the table.
Flop: The first three community cards. Turn: The fourth community card. River: The fifth community card.
Hole cards: The two cards each player receives at the start of a hand.
Kicker: Refers to the remaining hole card after one of the hole cards pairs with a community card to form a pair or three of a kind. If players hold the same pair or three of a kind, the player with the higher kicker wins. For example, if two players hold AK and AQ respectively, and the community cards are A3567, both players have top pair Aces. However, the K kicker in AK beats the Q kicker, resulting in AK winning.
Limit: The amount of the big blind. This represents the minimum betting limit for a hand and indicates the size of the game.
Pot: The total amount of chips wagered by all players in a hand, representing the prize pool for that round. Showdown: When no players fold after the final betting round, all remaining players must reveal their hands.
Let’s see who’s got the better hand.
Side Pot: When several big stacks are competing and a small stack goes all-in, a side pot is formed. This side pot contains all the chips already committed from the small stack’s effective stack up to that point. If the small stack that went all-in wins the hand, they can only win the chips in the side pot and cannot win the additional chips added by the other big stacks after the small stack went all-in. For example, in a confrontation between two players each holding 100 chips, if a player with 20 chips goes all-in, a 60-chip side pot is created. The remaining 160 chips from the larger stacks do not enter the side pot but instead go into the main pot. If the smaller stack wins, they only take the 60-chip side pot.
Chop: When players have equally strong hands at showdown, the pot is split evenly.
Limit or Fixed Limit: This game rule restricts players to betting a predetermined amount per round.
Pot Limit: This game rule restricts players to betting no more than the amount already in the pot during each betting round.
No-Limit: Refers to games with no betting restrictions. This book focuses on No-Limit Texas Hold’em. Blinds: Compulsory bets placed by the two players to the dealer’s left or by new entrants.
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Big Blind: Refers to the mandatory bet placed by the second player clockwise from the dealer. New players joining the table are also typically required to make this mandatory bet.
Small Blind: Refers to the mandatory bet placed by the first player to the left of the dealer, typically half the minimum bet.
Offsuit: Abbreviated as o, refers to any combination of two or more cards of different suits. For example, ATo is an offsuit combination of an Ace and a Ten.
Spade (symbol), abbreviated as s. For example, ATs refers to an Ace and a 10 of spades. Other combinations follow the same pattern.
Clubs, abbreviated as C. Hearts, abbreviated as H.
Diamond, abbreviated as D.
Hidden Set: When holding a pocket pair (i.e., your hole cards are a pair) and hitting a set on the flop, it’s called a hidden set. For example, holding 22 and hitting A82 on the flop results in a hidden set of 2s.
Overpair (Trips): When the community cards form a pair and we hold a card of the same rank to make a set, it’s called an overpair. For example, if the flop is A-8-8 and we hold 7-8, it’s an overpair of 8s.
Equity: The probability of winning. For example, preflop AA vs. 22 has 82.2% equity, so we often say AA has 82.2% equity in this situation.
Rainbow: Refers to the three community cards on the flop being of different suits, resembling a rainbow.
Outs: We’re currently behind, but there are still many possible cards that could turn the tables in our favor. For example, on an A-7-8 board, if our opponent holds A-K and we have 5-6, there are eight outs—four 4s and four 9s—that could give us the lead. In this situation, we say we have eight outs.
Float: Calling on the flop with the intention of stealing the pot on the turn if your opponent shows weakness. For example, on a flop of 5-6-7, you hold A-K. Your opponent bets, and you call because you know they’ll check and fold on the turn if they’re unpaired. You float the bet to steal the pot on the turn if they show weakness.
Good game: Typically said after a tournament.
Good Hand: Typically refers to an opponent holding an unexpected hand.
Good Play: Typically refers to a situation where one player wins a large pot with a marginal advantage, or successfully hides a strong hand to bluff the opponent into a significant loss.
Nice Hand: Often used by the loser to express admiration for the winner’s hand, or by onlookers to marvel at the winner’s excellent cards.
Very Nice Hand: A hand so good it’s unexpected. For example, everyone thought he had three of a kind, but it turned out to be four of a kind.