List of Poker Terms & Definitions

Poker is a card game deeply woven into the fabric of entertainment, boasting a rich history and an ever-growing array of variations. To truly shine as a poker player in Rwanda, you need more than just a grasp of the rules; a solid understanding of its unique language is essential.

This guide serves as your comprehensive glossary of poker terms and definitions, designed to sharpen the skills of both newcomers to online poker in Rwanda and seasoned players alike. Whether you're navigating a casual online game or aiming for the top in a high-stakes tournament, mastering these terms means a more strategic and enjoyable poker experience.

Your Essential Rwanda Poker Terms Glossary

• Ante - A small, mandatory bet placed by every player before a hand begins. It's the initial stake every contender in Rwanda puts down.
• All-In - When a player wagers all their remaining chips. This is a bold move you might see in exciting online poker matches across Rwanda.
• Action - Refers to the betting and raising that happens during a hand. It's where the game gets interesting!
• Bluff - To bet or raise with a weak hand, hoping to make your opponents fold. A classic poker move you'll see often.
• Bad beat - When a player with a strong hand loses to a weaker hand due to sheer luck. It happens to the best of us!
• Bankroll - The total amount of money a player has dedicated for playing poker. Essential for responsible gaming in Rwanda.
• Bet - An amount of money wagered on a poker hand. The core of the game!
• Big blind - A mandatory bet made by the player two seats to the left of the dealer button in certain types of poker games.
• Blind - A forced bet placed at the start of each hand by one or two players, ensuring there's always action.
• Button - A marker indicating the dealer's position for the current hand. This rotates around the table.
• Call - To match a bet made by another player. Simply put, you're staying in the hand.
• Check - To pass the opportunity to bet when no bet has been made before you. You're essentially saying 'I'm okay for now'.
• Community cards - Cards shared by all players in games like Texas Hold'em. They're up for everyone to use.
• Check-raise - To first check and then raise an opponent's bet. It's a powerful tactic to catch opponents off guard.
• Draw - A hand where a player needs specific cards to complete a strong combination. Discarding and receiving new cards helps to improve the hand.
• Drop - To fold your hand and give up on the current round. Also known as 'folding'.
• Early position - The seats at the table closest to the dealer button, meaning you act early in betting rounds.
• Exposed card - A card that is accidentally revealed during dealing or play. It usually results in a redraw or is declared dead.
• Edge - A slight advantage a player holds over their opponents, often gained through skill or strategic play.
• Flop - The first three community cards dealt face-up in games like Texas Hold'em.
• Fold - To surrender your hand and withdraw from the current round, forfeiting any chips already bet. It's often the wisest decision when your hand is weak.
• Full House - A powerful hand consisting of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank (e.g., three Kings and two 7s).
• Flush - A poker hand consisting of five cards of the same suit.
• Gutshot - A straight draw in which a player needs one specific card in the middle of the sequence to complete the hand, such as holding 7-8 and needing a 9.
• Heads Up - A game in which only two players play against each other.
• Hole Cards - The cards that are dealt face down to each player at the beginning of each round
• Jackpot - A special bonus payout for hitting a rare hand, such as a royal flush.
• Jam - To go all-in one hand.
• Kicker - A card that is used to break a tie between two players who have the same hand ranking.
• Knockout tournament - A poker tournament format in which each player has a bounty on their head, and when they are eliminated, the player who eliminated them receives the bounty.
• Laydown - To fold a hand, especially a strong one, after facing a large bet or raise.
• Limit - A type of poker betting structure in which there is a fixed maximum bet size and a limited number of rises per betting round.
• Lowball - A type of poker game in which the lowest hand wins, such as a 2-7 Triple Draw.
• Main pot - The primary pot in a hand, which is created when one or more players go all-in and cannot match subsequent bets.
• Monster - A very strong hand, such as a full house or better.
• No-Limit - A type of poker betting structure in which there is no maximum bet size, and players can bet all of their chips at any time.
• Nuts - The best possible hand at any given point in the hand.
• Nut low - In high-low split games, the best possible low hand.
• Nine-handed - A poker game or table with nine players.
• Offsuit - Cards that are of different suits, such as a king of hearts and a queen of spades.
• Open-ended straight draw - A hand that needs one of two possible cards to make a straight, such as holding a 7-8 and needing either a 6 or a 9 to complete the straight.
• Out - A card that can improve a player's hand and potentially win the pot.
• Overlay - A poker tournament in which the total prize pool is greater than the combined buy-ins of all players.
• Overpair - A pocket pair that is higher than any of the community cards.
• Pot - the total amount of chips or money in play.
• Pocket cards - The two cards dealt face down to a player in a game of Texas Hold'em.
• Position - A player's place at the table relative to the dealer, which can impact the order of betting and the information available about other players' actions.
• Pot-limit - A type of poker betting structure in which the maximum bet size is the current size of the pot.
• Preflop - The period of play before the flop is dealt, when players have only their pocket cards and must decide whether to bet, call, or fold.
• Pair - Two cards of the same rank, such as two jacks or two sixes.
• Raise - increasing the current bet in order to stay in the game.
• River - the fifth and final community card dealt in Texas Hold'em and Omaha.
• Rebuy - In a tournament, the option to buy back into the game after being eliminated.
• Round of betting - One complete cycle of betting, usually starting with the player to the left of the dealer.
• Royal flush - The highest-ranking hand in poker, consisting of the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of a single suit.
• Showdown - The final phase of a hand where players turn over their cards to determine the winner.
• Small blind - The forced bet placed by the player to the left of the dealer in Texas Hold'em and Omaha.
• Split pot - A pot that is divided equally between two or more players because they have equivalent hands.
• Straddle - A voluntary bet made by the player to the left of the big blind before the cards are dealt, usually double the big blind.
• Straight - A poker hand consisting of five cards in sequence, such as 4-5-6-7-8.
• Trips - Three of a kind made with one hole card and two on the board in Texas Hold'em.
• Turn - The fourth community card in Texas Hold'em, dealt face up on the board after the flop.
• Table stakes - A betting rule where players can only bet on the chips they have on the table at the beginning of the hand, and cannot add more during the hand.
• Under the gun - The position of the player who must act first in the betting round, located to the left of the big blind in Texas Hold'em.
• Underdog - A hand or player that is not favored to win the pot.
• Upcard - A card dealt face-up in a game of stud poker.
• Value bet - A bet made with a strong hand to extract value from opponents who have weaker hands.
• Wheel - The lowest possible straight, consisting of A-2-3-4-5.

Conclusion

There are many terms and definitions to learn if you are a poker beginner. But without knowing them, you won't succeed at the poker table. Some of the most critical terms to be familiar with include "ante," "bet," "check," "raise," "fold," and "pot." Also, there are terms associated with particular types of poker, such as "flop" in Texas Hold'em and "lowball" in 2-7 Triple Draw.

"Position" is one of the most important terms in poker, which means a player's position at the table relative to the dealer. When it comes to betting and bluffing, understanding position is essential.