Texas Hold'em Terms

  • Ante

    An ante is a forced bet in which all players put an equal amount of money or chips into the pot before the deal begins. Often this is either a single unit (a one-value or the smallest value in play) or some other small amount; a proportion such as a half or a quarter of the minimum bet is also common. An ante paid by every player ensures that a player who folds every round will lose money (though slowly), thus providing all players with an incentive, however small, to play the hand rather than toss it in when the opening bet reaches them.

  • Big Blind

    Bet placed by the second player to the dealer's left. The big blind must be double the small blind; the small blind is the first bet placed by the player to the dealer's immediate left.

  • Burn

    The dealer places the top card of the deck face down on the table so that the card is not played. Burning is done to keep things honest: it's possible that a player might see the top card in the deck during dealing, so that card is essentially discarded.

  • Button

    Designates the dealer for each hand. The button passes one to the left after every hand. Small Blind is paid by the person seated immediately to the Button's left, Big Blind is paid by the person to the left of the Small Blind.

  • Call

    Match a bet.

  • Check

    If a bet has not been made before you, or if you are first to act, you have the option to "check", or not bet. If you check, the betting option passes to the player on your left. If that player (or any other player after you) bets, you still have the option to call, raise, go all in, or fold.

  • Community Cards

    Five cards dealt by the dealer that all players can use as part of their final poker hand. Community cards are dealt during The Flop (three cards dealt face up after the first round of betting), Fourth Street, and River (after the second and third rounds of betting, respectively).

  • Flop

    The first three of five community cards that the dealer deals, face up, after the first round of betting. Players use community cards as part of their final poker hand.

  • Fold

    When a player suspects he/she is beat based on his/her hole cards and community cards, he/she can throw in his cards, which ends the hand for that player. Everything the player has bet stays on the table.

  • Fourth Street/Turn

    The fourth of five community cards that the dealer deals after the second round of betting. Players will use a minimum of three of the five community cards in their final poker hand.

  • Hole

    The two cards dealt down to each player at the beginning of a hand.

  • Raise

    Increase a bet. When a player raises, all players, including those who have already placed their bets, must match the rasied bet to to stay in the game.

  • River

    The last of five community cards that the dealer deals after the third round of betting.

  • Small Blind

    The first bet placed by the player to the dealer's immediate left. The next player to the left must double the small blind.