List of Poker Terms & Definitions

Samuel Kiprop
Written bySamuel KipropWriter

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List of Poker Terms & Definitions

Your Ultimate Poker Glossary

Sasa, mambo? Whether you’re logging into an online poker table or joining a home game, knowing your poker terms inside out is shwari. Here’s a poker glossary packed with the lingo you need to stay on top of your game:

  • Ante – A small forced bet everyone throws in before the dealer shuffles.
  • All-In – Betting your entire stack of chips on one hand.
  • Action – All the betting, raising and calling that goes down during a hand.
  • Bad beat – When a monster hand gets crushed by an unlikely draw.
  • Bankroll – The KSh you set aside just for poker, often loaded via M-Pesa or Airtel Money (e.g. KSh 10,000).
  • Bet – Wagering chips or KSh on your hand.
  • Big blind – A forced bet made by the player to the left of the small blind in certain types of poker games.
  • Blind – A forced bet by one or two players before cards hit the table.
  • Bluff – Making a bet or raise with a weak hand to scare opponents into folding.
  • Board – The community cards everyone can use.
  • Button – That little disc showing who’s dealer this hand.
  • Call – Matching the current bet.
  • Check – Passing your turn to bet without folding.
  • Check-raise – Checking first, then raising when someone else bets.
  • Community cards – Shared cards on the board in Hold’em or Omaha.
  • Draw – Discarding and picking up new cards to improve your hand.
  • Drop – Folding your hand; achana na mimi.
  • Early position – Acting near the start of the betting round.
  • Edge – A small advantage you have over opponents.
  • Exposed card – A card accidentally shown during play.
  • Flop – The first three community cards dealt face-up, like in Texas Hold’em.
  • Fold – Giving up your hand and exiting the round.
  • Full house – Three of a kind plus a pair.
  • Flush – Five cards of the same suit.
  • Gutshot – A straight draw needing one specific middle card.
  • Heads Up – A showdown between just two players.
  • Hole cards – The face-down cards dealt to each player.
  • Jam – Going all-in in one move.
  • Jackpot – A bonus payout for a rare hand like a royal flush.
  • Kicker – A side card used to break ties.
  • Knockout tournament – Each player has a bounty; knock ‘em out to claim it.
  • Laydown – Folding a strong hand after a hefty bet.
  • Limit – Fixed bet sizes and capped raises per round.
  • Lowball – The lowest hand wins, e.g. 2-7 Triple Draw.
  • Main pot – The primary pot when one or more players are all-in.
  • Monster – A very strong hand (think full house or better).
  • No-Limit – Bet any amount (up to your stack) at any time.
  • Nuts – The best possible hand right now.
  • Nut low – The best low hand in high-low split games.
  • Nine-handed – A table with nine players.
  • Offsuit – Two cards of different suits.
  • Open-ended straight draw – Needing one of two cards to complete a straight.
  • Out – A card that can win you the pot.
  • Overlay – An overlay tournament where the prize pool tops the buy-ins.
  • Overpair – A pocket pair higher than any board card.
  • Pair – Two cards of the same rank.
  • Pocket cards – Your two private cards in Texas Hold’em.
  • Pot – All the KSh or chips wagered so far.
  • Pot-limit – You can bet up to the current pot size.
  • Position – Your seat relative to the dealer; huge for reads and poker strategies.
  • Preflop – The betting round before any community cards.
  • Raise – Increasing the bet you’re called to match.
  • Rebuy – Buying back into a tourney after you bust.
  • River – The fifth and last community card.
  • Round of betting – One full cycle of bets.
  • Royal flush – The top hand: A-K-Q-J-10 of one suit.
  • Showdown – Revealing cards to see who wins.
  • Small blind – The bet to the dealer’s left in Hold’em/Omaha.
  • Split pot – When two or more hands tie and share the pot.
  • Straddle – A voluntary double-big-blind bet before cards.
  • Straight – Five cards in sequence.
  • Trips – Three of a kind using one hole card and two on the board.
  • Turn – The fourth community card, dealt after the flop.
  • Table stakes – You can only bet chips on the table at hand start.
  • Under the gun – First to act preflop, right of the big blind.
  • Underdog – The hand or player not favoured to win.
  • Upcard – A face-up card in stud games.
  • Value bet – Betting with a strong hand to extract max value.
  • Wheel – The lowest straight, A-2-3-4-5.

Level Up Your Poker Game

Ready to put these poker terms and poker strategies to work in your next online poker session? Poker is fully legal and regulated in Kenya by the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB), so you can play with peace of mind. Manage your bankroll with M-Pesa or Airtel Money—starting at around KSh 10,000 is a solid move—stay aware of position, bluff smart, and never go full jam without a plan. For help with responsible play, call 0800 722 200 or visit Responsible Gaming KE. When you compare sites on CasinoRank, you’re getting a fair shot at finding the best tables, bonuses and security features. Achana na mimi—keep learning, keep practising, and you’ll be flipping aces like a pro in no time!

18+ | Play responsibly – Responsible Gaming KE

About the author
Samuel Kiprop
Samuel Kiprop
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Born in Nairobi, Samuel Kiprop expertly marries the world of online casinos with the pulse of Kenyan life. Fusing urban flair with cultural wisdom, he's a name to know in East African digital gaming.

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More posts by Samuel Kiprop

What's the meaning of poker lingo?

Poker lingo refers to the special words and phrases used when playing poker. Think of it as the "slang" of the game. Players use these terms to talk about the cards, the stakes (bets), other players, and how they plan to win.

What does "straddle" mean in simple poker terms?

In poker, a straddle is like an optional extra bet. The player sitting to the left of the big blind can make this bet before any cards are dealt. Usually, a straddle is twice the size of the big blind. This can shake things up because the straddler gets to act last before the flop (the first three community cards are revealed).

What's the poker definition of "equity?"

Equity in poker is essentially your share of the pot based on your chances of winning. It's the percentage of the pot you can expect to win in the long run, considering your hand and the cards that are still to come. Think of it like calculating your chances of winning a bet based on the cards you have and what's left to come - a bit like predicting the outcome of a football match based on team form.

What does ICM mean in poker?

ICM, or Independent Chip Model, is a way to figure out how much your chips are actually worth in a poker tournament. It takes into account the prize pool and the number of players still in the game. Using ICM can help you decide the best way to play, based on how many chips you have and where you are in the tournament. It helps players decide if they should hold their chips or risk them to win more.

What are the 10 types of poker hands?

The 10 types of poker hands, from best to worst, are: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card. Knowing these rankings is key to playing poker well!

What are the simple terms of poker?

Some simple poker terms to get you started are: Fold (to give up your hand), Call (to match a bet), Raise (to increase the bet), Check (to pass if no one has bet), and Pot (the total amount of money being bet).

What are the 4 moves in poker?

While there are more than four, some fundamental moves in poker include: Betting (putting money into the pot), Raising (increasing the current bet), Calling (matching the current bet), and Folding (giving up your hand and any money you've already put in).

What do people say while playing poker?

You'll hear things like "I'm all in!" (betting all your chips), "Call," "Raise you," and sometimes even some bluffing talk to try and trick other players! But be respectful, keep it friendly, and don't be a sore loser – or winner!

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