Poker Card Terms

Blank (Texas Hold'Em)

A card on the board and doesn't apparently improve any of the players' hands.

Blind Stud

When all the cards are dealt face down in a game of stud poker.

Blocker (Texas Hold'Em)

This is when a player holds a card that is another player's out card, common in community card poker when there are consecutively ranked cards close to a straight.

Board

The board is the cards dealt face-up in either stud or community card poker.

Break

When a player discards cards that complete a hand in hopes of drawing a better one.

Bridge Order

This is the ordering of the card suits that goes spades-hearts-diamonds-clubs, and only matters when determining the bring in bettor or dealer in a stud game when there was a tie in the game prior.

Burn

To discard the top card of a deck face down and make it ineligible for play. The card is burned before cards are dealt or community cards are laid down prior to each round of betting.

Case Card

The last of a certain type of card in a deck, most often the last card of a certain rank.

Community Cards (Texas Hold'Em)

These are the cards dealt face up which are used by every player to make their hand. There are five cards in total; the flop which is 3 cards dealt all at the same time, the run card, and the river card. Also known as board cards.

Connector(s)

These refer to a starting hand that's dealt to an individual player in which the cards are consecutive in rank. In Texas Hold'Em this occurs with the pocket cards. Example; KQ or 98

Counterfeit (Texas Hold'Em)

This is when the community cards end up being duplicates of a player's hole or pocket cards thus making them a lot less valuable.

Door Card

The door card depends on the type of poker played. 1.) In Texas Hold'Em the door card is the first card of the flop. 2.) In stud poker it is the first of the face-up cards dealt 3.) In draw poker the door card is the card that's at the bottom of a player's hand sometimes visible.

Favorite

A hand that is favored to win statistically.

Fifth Street

This is another name for the fifth and final card dealt on the board of community cards. Also commonly called the River. It also refers to the fifth card dealt in stud poker.

Fill

To draw a hand which needs only one card to complete it and/or getting the last card to complete a hand.

Flop (Texas Hold'Em)

The flop is the first of the community cards dealt face up in a set of three.

Hit (Texas Hold'Em)

This is when the flop cards helps a player make a hand.

Hole Card

Also commonly called pocket card, is a card dealt face down and not shared as part of the community cards in community card poker.

Kicker

The kicker is a card not used to pair with other cards in a hand but is used to determine the winner when players have equal hands. The person with the kicker card of the highest rank wins.

Live Card

There are several meanings for live cards. 1). They are cards that are still available to be played with, meaning cards that are still in the deck that can make a hand. 2.) They are pocket or hole cards in Texas Hold'Em that are used to match cards on the board to make a hand. 3.) Also in Texas Hold'Em they are the cards that no one but you have to make a hand with.

Muck

The muck is the out of play cards of a deck that have been folded or burned. It can also refer to the act of folding or discarding cards without showing them at the end of a game with no show down.

Out(s)

These are cards still in the deck that can be drawn to make a winning hand. Calculating poker odds is a necessary skill for making decisions to raise, call or fold in a hand.

Overcard(s) (Texas Hold'Em)

An overcard is one which outranks all of the community cards.

Pocket (Texas Hold'Em)

Pocket cards are the two cards given face down to each player in community card poker. They are also called hole cards.

Rank

This refers to the strength of a card within a deck based on its numerical value.

Scare Card (Texas Hold'Em)

This is a card on the board that can turn a player's strong hand into a weak one. It is usually one that could most definitely help another player, such as four cards of the same suit, of which you have none, turning up in the community cards.

Suited (Texas Hold'Em)

In Texas Hold'Em this is when a player's two hole cards are of the same suit. In other poker games it means that your hand contains cards of the same suit.

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