NICKEL - Five dollars, usually represented by a red casino check.
NO-LIMIT POKER - A game where there is no maximum bet; a player can wager any amount (perhaps above some minimum) up to whatever money is on the table in front of him.
NUT - The best possible hand or the best possible of a given class. The "nut flush" is the highest possible flush.
NUT PLAYER - A very tight player who plays only the best hands.
OFFSUIT - Not of the same suit.
ON THE COME - A situation where the player does not yet have a complete hand.
ON TILT - Playing worse (usually, more aggressively) than usual because a player has become emotionally upset.
OPEN - Take the first bet in a hand, especially in draw poker.
OPEN-ENDED STRAIGHT - Four cards to a straight in denomination sequence (5,6,7,8).
OPENER - The player who starts the betting, usually in draw poker.
OPENERS - Cards in a hand that qualify a player to open the betting.
OPEN-HANDED - A category of games characterized by a part of each player's hand being exposed.
OPEN PAIR - An exposed pair.
OUT - A card that will improve your hand, often substantially.
OVERCALL - To call a bet after one or more players already called.
OVERPAIR - In Hold'em, a pair in the hole that is larger than any community card on the board.
PAINT - A face card.
PAIR - Two cards of the same rank.
PASS - Opposite of bet. To check, if checked to. To fold, if bet to.
PAT HAND - Holding or being dealt a complete hand.
PAY OFF - Calling a bet with little expectation of winning, unless the opponent is bluffing.
PAY STATION - A player who rarely folds, thus who frequently calls better hands and loses.
PICKED OFF - To get called when you are bluffing.
PIGEON - An easy player.
POCKET - Starting hole cards in stud and Hold'em.
POCKET ROCKETS - A pair of aces in the hole.
POSITION - One's location in the betting sequence, relative to the players still in the hand.
POT - The total amount of money bet so far in a hand.
POT LIMIT - A game where the maximum bet is determined by the size of the pot at the time.
POT ODDS - The amount of money in the pot divided by the amount of money you must bet in order to call.
PREMIUM HANDS - The best possible hands.
PROPOSITION PLAYER /PROP - An employee of the gaming establishment whose primary purpose is just to play and help keep enough players at a table. The prop player does not participate in wins or losses.
PUCK - A token denoting the dealer position. See Button.
PUPPY FEET/ PUPS - Club flush or just the suit of Clubs.
QUADS - Four of a kind.
QUALIFIER - A minimum standard that a hand must meet in order to win. Usually applied to the lowball side of a high-low split pot.
QUARTERED - To divide half a pot between two tying hands in split pot games.
RAGS - Board cards that are small to medium, not suited and not in sequence.
RAIL - A barrier dividing the card playing area from a public area.
RAILBIRD - A spectator behind the rail.
RAINBOW - Small groups of cards with no two in the same suit.
RAISE - To wager more than the minimum required to call, forcing other players to put in more money as well.
RAISER - One who raises.
RAKE - The usually small percentage of money taken from each pot and given to the house in return for hosting the game.
RAT-HOLE - To take money or chips off the table during play.
READ - To determine whether an opponent has a good, medium or bad hand by observing his personal behavior. REPRESENT - Implying, by one's betting style, that one has a particular hand.
RERAISE - To raise after an opponent has raised.
RIBBON CLERK - A small time gambler.
RING GAME - A standard game where players can come and go as they choose.
RIVER - The last card dealt in a hand of stud or Hold'em.
Rock - A very tight, solid poker player
ROLLED UP - In seven-card stud, being dealt three of a kind in the first three cards.
ROYAL FLUSH - An ace-high straight flush, the best possible hand in regular poker.
RUNNER-RUNNER - A hand made using both of the last two cards dealt.
RUSH - A winning streak.
