Glossary of terms used on this site dealing with poker
Other glossaries available here
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Aces Over |
1) Pairs, one of which is aces. 2) A full house with aces over any pair. |
| Aces Up |
A hand that contains two pairs, one of which is Aces. |
| Acey-Deucey |
1) Two pairs, aces and deuces. 2) In hold 'em, A-2 as one's first two cards. 3) A non-poker game, usually played in home games, but also found rarely in casinos, in which players bet that a third card in succession will fall in rank between the first two, which are dealt face up before the bet. Sometimes called Red Dog. |
| Acey-Uppy |
Pairs, one of which is aces. |
| Act |
An intentional tell intended to give false information about a hand. |
| Action |
Checking/Betting/Raising. A game in which players are playing a lot of pots is considered an "action" game. |
| Action Button |
A bet that must be posted, in a seven-card stud high-low game, by the winner of a scoop pot above a certain size, signifying a full bet (a blind raise, in other words), rather than just a call of the original forced bet. Any player who acts before the action button can only call the bring-in. The holder of the action button essentially raises blind, and then, when it gets back to those who have only so far called the opening bet, they can either call or raise. |
| Action Only |
In many card rooms, with respect to an all-in bet, only a full bet is considered a legitimate wager, in terms of whether this constitutes a raise that can be re-raised. Anything less than a full bet is considered to be action only, that is, other players can call such a bet but not raise it. |
| Active Player |
Any player who is still in the hand. |
| Add-on |
A purchase of more chips (optional) at the end of the re-buy period in a tournament. |
| Advantage |
Same as edge (An advantage over an opponent, either specific or subjective). |
| Advantage Player |
A thief or cheater, that is, someone who wins by taking an advantage. |
| Advantage Tool |
A cheating device, as a marked card or a mechanical device for hiding one or more cards, as, for example, a holdout machine. |
| Advertise |
To make a bluff with the deliberate intention of being exposed as a loose player. Advertising usually means showing down a mediocre hand, to give the impression that you play overly loose or that you play a generally weak game. The idea is that other players will then give you more action when you make a legitimate hand. Since people are bad at revising first impressions, this potentially beneficial effect can be long-lasting. Typical advertising plays in hold'em might be to show down top pair with a weak kicker (e.g., K2), middle pair, or a gut shot draw that missed. These hands have marginal intrinsic value, but playing them early in a session might pay off later. Of course, it's best to advertise if you actually want to be called down more often, e.g., at an especially tight table. At a table full of calling stations, it might be unnecessary or even harmful. Advertising can also mean anything you do at the poker table to manipulate how other players assess you. |
| After-Hours Game |
A private game, played after a card room closes for the night, often held in a motel or hotel room, and sometimes crooked. |
