Online Poker Terms and Definitions

Rake – The amount the poker site takes every hand. Most sites don’t take more than $4 per pot.

Small / Big Blind – In each round the two players to the left of the dealer button must put in a blind, or ante. The small blind is half the big blind.

Buy-in – How much you can bring to the table. Also means how much it costs to enter a tournament.

Sit n Go – A Sit n Go is like a tournament, but with fewer players. It can range from 10 to 90 players.

Multi-Table – A tournament with up to 2000 players in the field.

Multi-Tabling – Playing more than one table at a time. Some players use more than two monitors to multi-table.

Lobby – Where you can access the tournaments and table listings.

Scanning – Using cheat software to see other players cards.

Going South – Player’s who win big, then leave the table quick. This is very common online. They may return to the table, but without the money they previously won.

Reload Bonus – Bonus money you receive for depositing. Reload bonuses are different from initial deposit bonus.

Deposit Bonus – Money given to you for the first time depositing at a poker room. This bonus is usually the largest you will get.

Raked Hands – Each time you play a hand, money is taken out of the pot. Each hand where money is taken out is considered a raked hand.   

Trapping – When a player has a big hand, but acts like they have a weak hand to induce betting from their opponent. They generally will re-raise, or go all-in after their opponent bets. 

Muck – When a player loses a hand, and throws it away face down to the dealer. 

Limp – When a player, usually out of position, calls the big blind hoping to see the flop without any raises being made. 

Rag Card – Name for a player’s low “kicker card”.   

Donkey / Fish – Players who take lots of chances when the odds of them winning is low. 

On-Tilt – Players who play aggressively or erratically after losing a big hand, or after losing continuous hands in a row. 

Nuts – The best possible hand at the time. The nuts can change after another card is dealt. 

Set / Trips – If you start the hand having two of the same cards, say two 5’s, and a 5 comes on board, you have a “set”.  If you start the hand having two different cards, say 7 8, and two 8’s come on board, you have “trips”.