Poker Hand Terms

Backdoor Runner

In draw or community card poker this is when a player hits on the last two draws to complete a hand.

Bad Beat

This is when the favored hand is beaten by the underdog, usually on a very lucky draw when most players with the weaker hand would have already folded.

Bottom End

The lowest of several possible straight hands, more common to see it in community card poker.

Bottom Pair (Texas Hold'Em)

This is a pair made using the lowest ranked card on the board of community cards.

Catch Perfect

Like a runner-runner, this is when a player gets the only two cards on the draw that can complete their hand.

Complete Hand

A complete hand is one that uses all five cards, like a straight or a flush.

Crack

The term used when a player beats a big hand that was almost certain to win.

Cripple the Deck (Texas Hold'Em)

This refers to a hand which is almost impossible for anyone to beat on the draw. For instance if a player creates a full house on the flop it will cripple the deck.

Dominated Hand

This is a hand that most likely going to lose to another hand.

Favorite

A hand that is favored to win statistically.

Fill

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

Flush

A hand with five cards of the same suit.

Foul Hand

A hand that is a dead hand and found to be ineligible for play. There can be a number of reasons for why a hand would be ruled fouled, including have the wrong number of cards or having your cards mix with the muck.

Gap Hand (Texas Hold'Em)

This is when a player is dealt pocket cards in which the cards are not consecutive in rank. Other common terms are one-gap and two-gap depending on the ranking of the cards.

Gutshot Straight (Texas Hold'Em)

Unlike an open-ended straight draw, a gutshot straight is one in which a player needs a single card to fill a spot in the inside of the straight not at one of the ends. Also known as an inside straight draw.

Hand

The set of five cards a player uses to play poker.

Made Hand

A made hand is one in which a player doesn't need to draw to make a hand, they already have one. It is good enough to not need improvement to win.

Nuts (Texas Hold'Em)

These are the best possible hands that can be created based on the cards on the board. They are also refered to as nut hands, second-nut hand, ect.

Offsuit

Offsuit is when a hand is not of the same suit. In Texas Hold'Em is specifically refers to getting pocket cards that aren't of the same suit.

Open-ended Straight Draw

Is when one of two cards can give you a straight, being either the highest or lowest ranked card in the straight when a player already has a sequence of four. Also called an up-and-down straight or outside straight draw.

Overpair (Texas Hold'Em)

This is a pair of hole or pocket cards which outrank all of the community cards.

Pat (Texas Hold'Em)

A pat in Texas Hold'Em is when a hand that is made on the flop using the two hole cards and the three community cards of the flop. In draw poker it is when a hand is made off the original five or seven cards dealt.

Play the Board (Texas Hold'Em)

When a player's best possible hand is comprised of the cards on the board and not their hole cards going into a show down the player is playing the board. Doing so the best a player can do is split the pot.

Pocket Pair (Texas Hold'Em)

This is a pair made using two pocket or hole cards.

Quads

Another term for four of a kind.

Rainbow (Texas Hold'Em)

A hand with three or four different suits. In Texas Hold'Em it refers to when three different suits show up in the flop.

Second Pair (Texas Hold'Em)

A second pair is a pair made with the second to highest ranked card on the board in community card poker.

Set (Texas Hold'Em)

A set is three of a kind which is made using both of a player's hole cards and a third community card.

Split Two Pair (Texas Hold'Em)

This is when a player makes two pairs using one hole card and one community card for each pair.

Straight

A poker hand in which the cards are in consecutive rank order.

Straight Flush

This is a straight poker hand with all the cards in the same suit.

Top Pair (Texas Hold'Em)

This refers to having a pair in which a player's hole card matches the highest card on the board.

Top Set (Texas Hold'Em)

When a player makes a trip, or three of a kind using either one or two hole cards which match the highest card(s) on the board.

Top Two (Texas Hold'Em)

Top Two is used to describe two pairs in which the player's two hole cards match the two highest cards on the board.

Top and Bottom (Texas Hold'Em)

This is when a player makes two of a kind using both hole cards which pair with the highest and lowest board cards.

Trips

A trip is three of a kind. In Texas Hold'Em it refers to making three of a kind using one hole card and 2 from the board.

Wake up

This refers to starting a game of poker with a strong hand, and usually when there has already been betting action.

Wheel

A wheel is a straight with low ranking cards, such as a 2-3-4-5-6 straight or one in which the Ace is low.

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