Poker Glossary K – Z
Kicker: The highest unpaired card in a players hand. The card is used to determine the better of two otherwise equivalent or almost equivalent hands.
Laydown: To reluctantly fold a very strong hand when you suspect your opponent’s hand is dominant
Limp: To enter a pot by calling instead of raising, allowing the player in the big blind position to see the flop without having to place additional chips to the pot.
Offsuit: Texas Hold’Em hole cards that are of two different suits
Out: A card required to create a winning poker hand
Overcall: Calling a bet after it has already been called by another opponent
Overcard: A hole card which is of a higher ranking then any of the current community cards
Overpair: A pocket pair which is of a higher ranking than any of the current community cards
Passive Play: A weak poker playing style, where players check and call often, but seldom raise themselves
Pay Off: To call a bet because of the pot odds, even though you expect to lose the hand at showdown
Ragged: A flop that does not look as if it contain cards which would help improve anyone’s hand
Rainbow: Usually refers to a flop that does not contain more than more card of any particular suit
River: The fifth community card, placed face-up on the board
Royal cards: Cards with faces on them – the Jack, Queen and King
Short Stack: A chip stack that is relatively small compared to the poker table stakes and the chip stacks of opponents
Side Pot: A separate pot where further bets are placed after a player has moved “All-In”
Slowplay: A form of deception used in poker, where a player does not bet aggressively with a strong hand in order to trap opponents into betting with inferior hands
Split Pot: A pot which is divided equally among players that hold equivalent hands
Steal/Buy: A form of bluffing, where a player raises pre-flop – usually in late position – without a strong poker hand with the intention of taking the blinds uncontested
Suited: Cards of the same suit, often referring to hole cards
Turn: The fourth community card, placed face-up on the board
Value Bet: To bet with a strong hand, with the hope of being called
Walk: A pot where the entire table folds, allowing the big blind to take the small blind uncontested
Weak Ace: Pocket cards consisting of an ace with a low kicker, i.e. Ah 3c