Poker/Video Poker Lingo

Action: Chance to act. If a turn isn’t taken by the player, the dealer will say “Your action, sir.”

Ante: To seed the pot at the beginning, a small portion of a bet must be contributed by each player at the start of a poker hand.

Burn: A term that describes the top card of the deck being discarded face down by the dealer. Between each betting round, this is done by the dealer before handing out the community card(s). This is a security precaution against players being able to recognize or glimpse at the next card that is used.

Complete Hand: The five cards that make up a hand – a straight, flush, full house, four of a kind or straight flush.

House: The establishment running the game.

Inside Straight: Four cards in a hand required for a straight except the one in the middle that completes it.

Kicker: A single unpaired card used in determining the better of two near-equivalent hands.

Muck: The pile of folded and burned cards collecting in front of the dealer.

Open-ended straight: When a hand has four of the five cards necessary for a straight in consecutive order with either hand open for the last card.

Pocket: Your unique hand that no one else is allowed to see.

Protect: Keep your hand or place a chip on your cards. This prevents your hand from being fouled by a discarded hand, or accidentally mucked by the dealer.

Quads: Four of a kind.

Rank: Worth of the card determined by the number assigned.

Tell: A clue or hint that a player unknowingly gives about the strength of his/her hand, his next action.

Toke: When the winner of the pot gives the dealer a small amount of money. This tip is often the sole source of a dealer’s income.

Trips: Three of a kind.

Variance: The amount of high and low swings your bankroll goes through. A higher variance will mean higher swings.