POKER TERMINOLOGY

Same as bottom end, or idiot end, meaning the lowest of several possible straights available in a community Poker game. For example:

You Hold: 7(D) 8(C)

The Flop comes: 9(S)10(D)J(S)

Your 7-J Straight is the Ignorant End.

In Poker when two players have equal hands, and these hands are not composed of all 5 cards, the highest remaining card that is not used to make the hand is called a Kicker. The Kicker acts as a tie-breaker between otherwise equal hands. For Example:

You Hold: A(C) K(H)
Your opponent holds: A(H) 9(S)

The flop comes: A(D) 7(S) 7(C)
The turn comes: 4(C)
The River comes: 3(S)

You and your opponent both hold 2 pair- As and 7s, however if you look at the 5-card hand you each hold:

Yours: A(C) A(D) 7(S) 7(C) K(H)
Opponents: A(H) A (D) 7(S) 7(C) 9(S)

In this situation, your K Kicker would break the tie and cause you to win the hand.

HOWEVER, this only applies to the 5 card hand in play; using the same example as above, if you held a 2(H) instead of your K, and your opponent held a 3(C) instead of his 9, the pot would be split as your kicker would not play; Your 5 card hands would become:

Yours: A(C) A(D) 7(S) 7(C) 4(C)
Opponents: A(H) A (D) 7(S) 7(C) 4(C)

In this situation you have equal 5 card hands, and the Kicker doesn’t play, so the pot would be split.

In a round of betting, those players that are last and nearly last to act are considered to be in late position.

A player who simply calls a bet instead of raising. Usually refers to first betting round in Texas Hold’em where a player simply calls the Big Blind.

A player who often plays marginal/questionable hands is said to be Loose. Most successful loose players depend on their post flop play to force an opponent into folding.

To conceal and discard one’s hand. For example, if you were in the last betting round and all bets have been called, and a player displays an obviously winning hand, you could Muck your hand, and forfeit the hand without displaying your cards. Another example of a Muck would be if you made a large raise on an opponent and they fold the hand, you could Muck yours and not display the cards you were playing.

No limit is a betting structure where players may bet as much as they wish in any round of betting, as there are no limits on pot or bet sizes.

Refers to the best possible hand at any point during the game. For example in Texas Hold’em:

You Hold: 10(H) J(H)

The Flop comes: 8(H) 9(H) Q(H)

You have a straight flush and are said to have the Nuts.