1. Poker Terminology Raise
2. Holdem Poker Terminology
3. Full House Poker Slang
4. Basic Poker Terminology

A full house is a 5-card poker hand made up from three-of-a-kind and one-pair, for example KKKQQ. They are named using the following expression - “X’s full of Y’s” - where X is the three-of-a-kind component and Y is the pair component. As an example, KKKQQ is called “Kings full of Queens”. A style of game play in which a player only participates in premium hands. Tight Aggressive: A style of game play that combines both tight and aggressive styles. A tight-aggressive player will only play premium hands, but will bet heavily when involved in a hand. A 'full house' occurs when your hand makes three of a kind plus two of a kind of any other value. For instance - let's say that you are playing at your favorite online site and you are dealt pocket Nines. Action folds around to you on the button, and you decide to raise. The SB folds, while the BB calls. The term pocket pair is used in poker games such as Texas Hold’em where there are cards dealt to the players (hole cards) and cards dealt to the board (community cards). A pocket pair is when a player has a pair in their hole cards. Each one of the possible pairs has at least one nickname associated with it and many of them have several.

Aces Up/Over

Two pair, one of which is a pair of Aces.

Action

Betting activity.

Active Player

A player who is still in the pot.

All Blue, Green, Purple, etc.

Colorful names for a flush.

All-in

To bet all the money you have on the table.

American Airlines

A pair of Aces.

Ante

A small bet all players are required to make before a hand is dealt.

Baby

Any of the four non-aces needed for the lowest possible hand (2,3,4,5).

Back Door

Player makes a late hand that he wasn't originally drawing to.

Back Raise

A re-raise.

Back to Back

Two of the same cards in a row, i.e., two aces, two hearts etc.

Bad Beat

A usually unbeatable hand that is defeated by an even better hand.

Banker

The player who takes care of the game's chips and money matters.

Bankroll

Current total gambling funds available. Not to be confused with a player's stake in a particular game.

Barn

Short for a Full Barn which is slang for a Full House.

Belly Buster

An inside straight draw. Same as a Gutshot.

Bet

To put money into the pot in accordance with the rules of the game.

Bet for Value

Betting a completed or partial hand that, in the long run, is expected to win more than it loses.

Betting Round

All the bets to follow each time to bet.

Bicycle

The best possible low hand: A-2-3-4-5. Also called a Wheel.

Big Blind

An early forced bet, usually a raise of an earlier blind which would be called the Small Blind.

Big Bobtail

An open-ended 4-card straight flush.

Big Slick

In Texas Hold'em, hole cards of A-K, suited or not.

Blank

A card that does not add value to a hand (Bad Draw).

Blind

A forced bet to open the pot, usually in lieu of an ante.

Bluff

A bet or raise made with a poor hand to entice the competition to fold.

Board

The exposed cards in Hold'em and stud.

Boat

Short for a Full Boat which is slang for a Full House.

Bobtail Straight

Same as an Open End Straight. Four cards to a straight in denomination sequence.

BR

Short for bankroll.

Bring-in Bet

A small bet that is forced, by game rules, to start the betting procedure.

Broadway

An Ace high straight.

Bubble

The highest non-paying, or out of the money, position in a tournament, ie: fourth place in a tournament that pays first, second and third.

Bug

A wild card Joker.

Bullet[s]

Ace[s]. Bull(s) for short.

Bump

Slang for Raise.

Burn

To discard the top card of the deck prior to dealing.

Bust / Busted

For a player to lose all his/her money on the table.

Button

A distinctive token placed in front of the player sitting in the theoretical dealer's position, when a house dealer is used. The button rotates around the table so that every player has an opportunity to be the last to act.

Buy-in

The amount of money used to join a game.

Call

To put in to the pot the minimum amount of money necessary to continue playing.

Caller

One who makes a call bet.

Calling Station

An passive player that frequently just checks or calls most bets.

Cap

To cap the betting is to make the last permitted raise in a round.

Cards Speak

The final hand values are determined by the face upcards and not what the hand holder declares.

Case Card

The fourth and last card of a particular rank to become available.

Change Gears

Changing your style of play.

Chase

To continue in a hand, often at poor odds against the competition.

Check

1. The word casino employees use for a 'chip'. 2. To bet zero, when it is legal to do so. Frequently a sign of only a fair hand.

Check Raise

To check initially, then raise a bet made later on in the same betting round.

Chip

A round token used in place of cash at a gaming table.

Come Hand

A hand that is not yet made, such as four cards to a flush.

Cold Call

When a player with nothing invested in the pot except an ante, calls a raise and a re-raise as his first bet.

Community Cards

Cards that are available for every player to use in making a hand. Usually dealt face up somewhere in the middle of the table.

Concealed Pair

Both of the pair cards are face down.

Court Card

A jack, queen or king.

Cowboy

A king.

Cut the Deck

To divide the deck, fairly evenly, into 2 stacks.

Crying Call

To complain when making a call. Sometimes a tactic to keep players in the hand.

Dark Bet

To bet without looking at your hand.

Dead Hand

A hand that has been fouled or has too many or too few cards.

Dead Man's Hand

Two pair, aces and eights. The hand Wild Bill Hickok was holding when he was shot to death.

Dealers's Choice

In home games, a rule that permits the dealer to name which poker game to be played that hand.

Deuce

A two.

Door Card

A player's first upcard in stud games.

Double Belly Buster

A two-way inside straight. ie:, 3-5-6-7-9. Also called a Double Gutshot.

Double Pop

When the second player re-raises a raise.

Down to the Green

When a player has gone all in.

Draw

To discard some number of cards and have dealt an equal number of replacements.

Drawing Dead

Drawing to a hand that can not possibly win.

Draw Out

To catch a card that improves your situation from a losing hand to a winning hand.

Early Position

Being one of the first players to act in a betting round.

Exposed Pair

An exposed pair, as opposed to a split pair or a hidden pair.

Face Card

A jack, queen or king.

Fill

To draw a card that makes a five-card hand (straight, flush, full house, straight flush).

Fill up

To fill a Full House.

Fish

A player who loses money. An old saying is 'If you can't spot the fish at the table, *you* are the fish.'

Flat Call

To call a bet. Emphasizes that the caller did not raise.

Flat Limit

A variant of fixed limit where all bets are the same amount.

Floorman

The casino representative in charge of the card room or a section of a card room.

Flop

In Hold'em, the first three community cards, dealt simultaneously.

Flush

A poker hand consisting of five cards all one suit.

Fold

To decline to call a bet, thus dropping out of a hand.

Forced Bet

In some stud games a player may be required to make a bet to start the action on the first card.

Four Flush

Four cards to a Flush.

Free Card

A card dealt after all players checked in a betting round.

Freeroll

Having a lock on part of a pot. A money tournament with no entry fee.

Freeze-Out

A table-stakes game that continues until a small number of players (possibly only one) has all the money.

Full Barn

Slang for Full House.

Full Boat

Slang for Full House.

Full House

A hand consisting of 3-of-a-kind and a pair.

Full Ring

A table with the maximum number of players.

Grifter

A cheat.

Gut Shot

A draw to an inside Straight, as in 2-3-4-6.

Head(s) Up

Playing a single opponent.

Help Card

One that improves one's hand.

High-Low Split

Forms of poker in which the pot is split between the best hand and best lowball hand.

Hole Cards

In stud and Hold'em, the face-down cards dealt to each player.

Hook

A Jack. Short for J-hook.

House Cut

Generic term for how the house profits from hosting the game.

Ignorant End

The lower end of a straight in a game that has community cards.

Implied Odds

A refinement to Pot Odds which includes money not yet, but expected to be in the pot.

Inside Straight

Four cards to a straight, where only one rank will complete the hand. ( 4-5-6-8.)

Jacks or Better

Draw poker in which a pair of jacks is the minimum hand permitted to start the action.

Jake

A Jack.

J Hook

A Jack.

Jam

A pot where several players are raising.

Joker

A 53rd card in the deck, distinct from the others, used as a wild card or as a Bug.

K-Boy

A King. Variation of Cowboy.

Kicker

1. A single high card usually held with a pair of another denomination in draw poker. 2. The highest side card that is not part of the basic final hand.

Lady

A Queen.

Late Position

For a particular betting round, a player who does not have to act until most of the other players have acted.

Lay Odds

To give favorable odds to an opponent.

Leak

To show one's hole cards (often unknowingly).

Lid

The top card of the deck.

Limit Poker

A poker game wherein the amount to be bet is fixed, or at most variable within a prescribed minimum and maximum.

Limp In

To call along as cheaply as possible.

Liner

A face card. (Because you can see a line when the card is face down and the lower right corner is lifted).

Live Card

In stud, a card that has not been exposed.

Live Blind

The last and largest blind bet may or may not be Live. If Live, the blind bettor has the option of 'raising' his own blind in the event the bet is called around to him.

Live One

The best kind of opponent, a poor player with a lot of money to lose and in a hurry to lose it.

Lock

A hand that cannot be beaten. Also called the NUT.

Loose

Playing more hands than the norm.

Lowball

Generic term for poker where the lowest hand wins.

Main Pot

The main pot, as related to one or more side pots, when there are one or more all-in player(s). The main pot is the one in which all active players participate.

Maniac

A player who bets, raises and reraises without much regard to the quality of his hand.

Marked Cards

Cards that have been (illegally) altered so that their value can be read from the back.

Mechanic

A cheat who can manipulate the cards to deal himself or another player agood hand.

Middle Position

Betting positions approximately halfway around the table from the first player to act.

Misdeal

A hand dealt incorrectly that must be re-dealt.

Mites and Lice

A hand consisting of two pair, threes over twos.

Muck

1. A collection of face-down cards near the dealer composed of discards and burn cards. 2. To throw one's cards into the muck, thus folding.

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

See Picture.

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.

Picture

Slang name for a face card.

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.

Sandbag

Playing a strong hand as if it were only a fair one.

Scoop

To win all of the pot in a split pot game.

See

To call a bet, as in: 'I'll see you'.

Semi-Bluff

To bluff with a come hand that figures to win if it hits.

Set

Trips or Quads. In Holdem, a pair in your hand with one (or two) on the board.

Shark

A good/crafty player often posing as a fish early in the game.

Shill

An employee of the gaming establishment whose primary purpose is just to play and help keep enough players at a table. A shill is staked to the game by the house as his compensation.

Short Call

Call a bet with not enough money on the table and start an all-in side pot.

Short-Stacked

Playing with a only a small amount of money.

Showdown

The point at the end of the hand where all active players reveal their cards and the pot is awarded to the winner(s).

Side Pot

When an active player runs out of money during the course of a hand, the remaining players participate in a second or Side Pot for the rest of the hand. Additional side pots are possible if several players run out of money at different points in a hand.

Slowplay

To play a hand unaggressively and risking as little as possible.

Small Blind

In games with two blinds the first blind is the Small Blind because it is usually one-half (or less) the amount of the big bland.

Snapped Off

To get a good hand beat.

Solid Player

A strong, all around player.

Split Openers

In draw poker, to discard one or more openers, usually to draw to a straight or flush.

Split Pair

A pair in Stud with one card up and the other down.

Split Pot

A pot that is split between two or more hands.

Spread

For a casino to offer a particular game.

Stack

The amount of money (the stack of chips) a player has on the table.

Stacked Deck

A deck that has been arranged to give one player a huge advantage.

Stake

The amount of a player's BUY-IN, or the amount of money they are willing to play with in a given session.

Stand Off

To call a raise. 'Opener raises, I stand off'.

Steal

To win the pot by bluffing.

Steal Position

The next to last or last position.

Steam

Playing wildly, calling and raising a lot.

Straddle

In Hold'em, a raise to the big blind before the deal.

Streets

Fourth Street, Fifth Street etc. In stud, the fourth card dealt to a player, the fifth card etc.

String Bet

An unethical and often illegal means of raising whereby a player puts a call-size stack of chips into the pot and, after observing the reactions of the players, then goes back to his stack and puts out more.

Stuck

A significant amount of money lost.

Stud

Any of several poker games in which some of each players' cards are exposed.

Suicide King

King of Hearts. So named because in the drawing the king appears to be stabbing himself in the head.

Suited

Two or more cards all the same suit.

Table Charge

A fee paid for playing.

Table Stakes

A standard rule whereby during a hand players can only bet the money they have on the table.

Tap

In no-limit games, to wager all of one's money in one bet.

Tapped Out

Out of money.

Tell

Any personal mannerisms that reveal the quality of one's hand.

Three of a Kind

Three cards all the same rank.

Three Flush

Three cards of the same suit.

Tied On

When your hand is good enough to play it to the end.

Tight

A style of play that entails playing fewer hands than average.

Tight Player

A person who plays on the premium hands.

Toke

Gambling term for 'tip'. Comes from the term 'Token of appreciation'.

Top Pair

In flop games, having a hole card that matches the highest card on the board.

Top Two Pair

In flop games, having hole cards that make the highest possible two pair hand.

Trey

A three.

Trips

Three of a specific kind, as in 'Trip sixes'.

Turn

The fourth community card in Hold'em.

Two Flush

Two suited cards.

Underdog

Before all the cards are dealt, a hand that does not figure to be the winner.

Under the Gun

The position that has to act first in a round of betting.

Uphill

To chase or try to outdraw a better hand.

Value Bet

A small bet to get calls and increase the pot.

Walk

A pot won by the last blind when no one opens.

Wheel

A-2-3-4-5. The best possible low hand. Also called a 'Bicycle'.

Wild Card

A joker or standard card that, by player agreement and/or dealer's choice, can be used to represent any card desired.

Wired Pair

A pair in the hole. In 5-card stud, a door card that pairs the hole card.

This page describes the ranking of poker hands. This applies not only in the game of poker itself, but also in certain other card games such as Chinese Poker, Chicago, Poker Menteur and Pai Gow Poker.

• Low Poker Ranking: A-5, 2-7, A-6
• Hand probabilities and multiple decks - probability tables

Standard Poker Hand Ranking

There are 52 cards in the pack, and the ranking of the individual cards, from high to low, is ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. In standard poker - that is to say in the formal casino and tournament game played internationally and the home game as normally played in North America - there is no ranking between the suits for the purpose of comparing hands - so for example the king of hearts and the king of spades are equal. (Note however that suit ranking is sometimes used for other purposes such as allocating seats, deciding who bets first, and allocating the odd chip when splitting a pot that can't be equally divided. See ranking of suits for details.)

A poker hand consists of five cards. The categories of hand, from highest to lowest, are listed below. Any hand in a higher category beats any hand in a lower category (so for example any three of a kind beats any two pairs). Between hands in the same category the rank of the individual cards decides which is better, as described in more detail below.

In games where a player has more than five cards and selects five to form a poker hand, the remaining cards do not play any part in the ranking. Poker ranks are always based on five cards only, and if these cards are equal the hands are equal, irrespective of the ranks of any unused cards.

Poker Terminology Raise

Some readers may wonder why one would ever need to compare (say) two threes of a kind of equal rank. This obviously cannot arise in basic draw poker, but such comparisons are needed in poker games using shared (community) cards, such as Texas Hold'em, in poker games with wild cards, and in other card games using poker combinations.

1. Straight Flush

If there are no wild cards, this is the highest type of poker hand: five cards of the same suit in sequence - such as J-10-9-8-7. Between two straight flushes, the one containing the higher top card is higher. An ace can be counted as low, so 5-4-3-2-A is a straight flush, but its top card is the five, not the ace, so it is the lowest type of straight flush. The highest type of straight flush, A-K-Q-J-10 of a suit, is known as a Royal Flush. The cards in a straight flush cannot 'turn the corner': 4-3-2-A-K is not valid.

2. Four of a kind

Four cards of the same rank - such as four queens. The fifth card, known as the kicker, can be anything. This combination is sometimes known as 'quads', and in some parts of Europe it is called a 'poker', though this term for it is unknown in English. Between two fours of a kind, the one with the higher set of four cards is higher - so 3-3-3-3-A is beaten by 4-4-4-4-2. If two or more players have four of a kind of the same rank, the rank of the kicker decides. For example in Texas Hold'em with J-J-J-J-9 on the table (available to all players), a player holding K-7 beats a player holding Q-10 since the king beats the queen. If one player holds 8-2 and another holds 6-5 they split the pot, since the 9 kicker makes the best hand for both of them. If one player holds A-2 and another holds A-K they also split the pot because both have an ace kicker.

3. Full House

This combination, sometimes known as a boat, consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank - for example three sevens and two tens (colloquially known as 'sevens full of tens' or 'sevens on tens'). When comparing full houses, the rank of the three cards determines which is higher. For example 9-9-9-4-4 beats 8-8-8-A-A. If the threes of a kind are equal, the rank of the pairs decides.

4. Flush

Five cards of the same suit. When comparing two flushes, the highest card determines which is higher. If the highest cards are equal then the second highest card is compared; if those are equal too, then the third highest card, and so on. For example K-J-9-3-2 beats K-J-7-6-5 because the nine beats the seven.If all five cards are equal, the flushes are equal.

5. Straight

Five cards of mixed suits in sequence - for example Q-J-10-9-8. When comparing two sequences, the one with the higher ranking top card is better. Ace can count high or low in a straight, but not both at once, so A-K-Q-J-10 and 5-4-3-2-A are valid straights, but 2-A-K-Q-J is not. 5-4-3-2-A, known as a wheel, is the lowest kind of straight, the top card being the five.

6. Three of a Kind

Three cards of the same rank plus two unequal cards. This combination is also known as Triplets or Trips. When comparing two threes of a kind the rank of the three equal cards determines which is higher. If the sets of three are of equal rank, then the higher of the two remaining cards in each hand are compared, and if those are equal, the lower odd card is compared.So for example 5-5-5-3-2 beats 4-4-4-K-5, which beats 4-4-4-Q-9, which beats 4-4-4-Q-8.

7. Two Pairs

A pair consists of two cards of equal rank. In a hand with two pairs, the two pairs are of different ranks (otherwise you would have four of a kind), and there is an odd card to make the hand up to five cards. When comparing hands with two pairs, the hand with the highest pair wins, irrespective of the rank of the other cards - so J-J-2-2-4 beats 10-10-9-9-8 because the jacks beat the tens. If the higher pairs are equal, the lower pairs are compared, so that for example 8-8-6-6-3 beats 8-8-5-5-K. Finally, if both pairs are the same, the odd cards are compared, so Q-Q-5-5-8 beats Q-Q-5-5-4.

8. Pair

A hand with two cards of equal rank and three cards which are different from these and from each other. When comparing two such hands, the hand with the higher pair is better - so for example 6-6-4-3-2 beats 5-5-A-K-Q. If the pairs are equal, compare the highest ranking odd cards from each hand; if these are equal compare the second highest odd card, and if these are equal too compare the lowest odd cards. So J-J-A-9-3 beats J-J-A-8-7 because the 9 beats the 8.

9. Nothing

Five cards which do not form any of the combinations listed above. This combination is often called High Card and sometimes No Pair. The cards must all be of different ranks, not consecutive, and contain at least two different suits. When comparing two such hands, the one with the better highest card wins. If the highest cards are equal the second cards are compared; if they are equal too the third cards are compared, and so on. So A-J-9-5-3 beats A-10-9-6-4 because the jack beats the ten.

Hand Ranking in Low Poker

There are several poker variations in which the lowest hand wins: these are sometimes known as Lowball. There are also 'high-low' variants in which the pot is split between the highest and the lowest hand. A low hand with no combination is normally described by naming its highest card - for example 8-6-5-4-2 would be described as '8-down' or '8-low'.

It first sight it might be assumed that in low poker the hands rank in the reverse order to their ranking in normal (high) poker, but this is not quite the case. There are several different ways to rank low hands, depending on how aces are treated and whether straights and flushes are counted.

Ace to Five

This seems to be the most popular system. Straights and flushes do not count, and Aces are always low. The best hand is therefore 5-4-3-2-A, even if the cards are all in one suit. Then comes 6-4-3-2-A, 6-5-3-2-A, 6-5-4-2-A, 6-5-4-3-A, 6-5-4-3-2, 7-4-3-2-A and so on. Note that when comparing hands, the highest card is compared first, just as in standard poker. So for example 6-5-4-3-2 is better than 7-4-3-2-A because the 6 is lower than the 7. The best hand containing a pair is A-A-4-3-2. This version is sometimes called 'California Lowball'.

When this form of low poker is played as part of a high-low split variant, there is sometimes a condition that a hand must be 'eight or better' to qualify to win the low part of the pot. In this case a hand must consist of five unequal cards, all 8 or lower, to qualify for low. The worst such hand is 8-7-6-5-4.

Deuce to Seven

The hands rank in almost the same order as in standard poker, with straights and flushes counting and the lowest hand wins. The difference from normal poker is that Aces are always high , so that A-2-3-4-5 is not a straight, but ranks between K-Q-J-10-8 and A-6-4-3-2. The best hand in this form is 7-5-4-3-2 in mixed suits, hence the name 'deuce to seven'. The next best is 7-6-4-3-2, then 7-6-5-3-2, 7-6-5-4-2, 8-5-4-3-2, 8-6-4-3-2, 8-6-5-3-2, 8-6-5-4-2, 8-6-5-4-3, 8-7-4-3-2, etc. The highest card is always compared first, so for example 8-6-5-4-3 is better than 8-7-4-3-2 even though the latter contains a 2, because the 6 is lower than the 7. The best hand containing a pair is 2-2-5-4-3, but this would be beaten by A-K-Q-J-9 - the worst 'high card' hand. This version is sometimes called 'Kansas City Lowball'.

Ace to Six

Many home poker players play that straights and flushes count, but that aces can be counted as low. In this version 5-4-3-2-A is a bad hand because it is a straight, so the best low hand is 6-4-3-2-A. There are a couple of issues around the treatment of aces in this variant.

• First, what about A-K-Q-J-10? Since aces are low, this should not count as a straight. It is a king-down, and is lower and therefore better than K-Q-J-10-2.
• Second, a pair of aces is the lowest and therefore the best pair, beating a pair of twos.

It is likely that some players would disagree with both the above rulings, preferring to count A-K-Q-J-10 as a straight and in some cases considering A-A to be the highest pair rather than the lowest. It would be wise to check that you agree on these details before playing ace-to-six low poker with unfamiliar opponents.

Selecting from more than five cards

Note that in games where more than five cards are available, the player is free to select whichever cards make the lowest hand. For example a player in Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better whose cards are 10-8-6-6-3-2-A can omit the 10 and one of the 6's to create a qualifying hand for low.

Poker Hand Ranking with Wild Cards

A wild card card that can be used to substitute for a card that the holder needs to make up a hand. In some variants one or more jokers are added to the pack to act as wild cards. In others, one or more cards of the 52-card pack may be designated as wild - for example all the twos ('deuces wild') or the jacks of hearts and spades ('one-eyed jacks wild', since these are the only two jacks shown in profile in Anglo-American decks).

The most usual rule is that a wild card can be used either

1. to represent any card not already present in the hand, or
2. to make the special combination of 'five of a kind'.

This approach is not entirely consistent, since five of a kind - five cards of equal rank - must necessarily include one duplicate card, since there are only four suits. The only practical effect of the rule against duplicates is to prevent the formation of a 'double ace flush'. So for example in the hand A-9-8-5-joker, the joker counts as a K, not a second ace, and this hand is therefore beaten by A-K-10-4-3, the 10 beating the 9.

Five of a Kind

When playing with wild cards, five of a kind becomes the highest type of hand, beating a royal flush. Between fives of a kind, the higher beats the lower, five aces being highest of all.

The Bug

Some games, especially five card draw, are often played with a bug. This is a joker added to the pack which acts as a limited wild card. It can either be used as an ace, or to complete a straight or a flush. Thus the highest hand is five aces (A-A-A-A-joker), but other fives of a kind are impossible - for example 6-6-6-6-joker would count as four sixes with an ace kicker and a straight flush would beat this hand. Also a hand like 8-8-5-5-joker counts as two pairs with the joker representing an ace, not as a full house.

Wild Cards in Low Poker

In Low Poker, a wild card can be used to represent a card of a rank not already present in the player's hand. It is then sometimes known as a 'fitter'. For example 6-5-4-2-joker would count as a pair of sixes in normal poker with the joker wild, but in ace-to-five low poker the joker could be used as an ace, and in deuce-to-seven low poker it could be used as a seven to complete a low hand.

Lowest Card Wild

Some home poker variants are played with the player's lowest card (or lowest concealed card) wild. In this case the rule applies to the lowest ranked card held at the time of the showdown, using the normal order ace (high) to two (low). Aces cannot be counted as low to make them wild.

Double Ace Flush

Some people play with the house rule that a wild card can represent any card, including a duplicate of a card already held. It then becomes possible to have a flush containing two or more aces. Flushes with more than one ace are not allowed unless specifically agreed as a house rule.

Natural versus Wild

Some play with the house rule that a natural hand beats an equal hand in which one or more of the cards are represented by wild cards. This can be extended to specify that a hand with more wild cards beats an otherwise equal hand with fewer wild cards. This must be agreed in advance: in the absence of any agreement, wild cards are as good as the natural cards they represent.

Incomplete Hands

In some poker variants, such as No Peek, it is necessary to compare hands that have fewer than five cards. With fewer than five cards, you cannot have a straight, flush or full house. You can make a four of a kind or two pairs with only four cards, triplets with three cards, a pair with two cards and a 'high card' hand with just one card.

The process of comparing first the combination and then the kickers in descending order is the same as when comparing five-card hands. In hands with unequal numbers of cards any kicker that is present in the hand beats a missing kicker. So for example 8-8-K beats 8-8-6-2 because the king beats the 6, but 8-8-6-2 beats 8-8-6 because a 2 is better than a missing fourth card. Similarly a 10 by itself beats 9-5, which beats 9-3-2, which beats 9-3, which beats a 9 by itself.

Ranking of suits

In standard poker there is no ranking of suits for the purpose of comparing hands. If two hands are identical apart from the suits of the cards then they count as equal. In standard poker, if there are two highest equal hands in a showdown, the pot is split between them. Standard poker rules do, however, specify a hierarchy of suits: spades (highest), hearts, diamonds, clubs (lowest) (as in Contract Bridge), which is used to break ties for special purposes such as:

• drawing cards to allocate players to seats or tables;
• deciding who bets first in stud poker according to the highest or lowest upcard;
• allocating a chip that is left over when a pot cannot be shared exactly between two or more players.

I have, however, heard from several home poker players who play by house rules that use this same ranking of suits to break ties between otherwise equal hands. For some reason, players most often think of this as a way to break ties between royal flushes, which would be most relevant in a game with many wild cards, where such hands might become commonplace. However, if you want to introduce a suit ranking it is important also to agree how it will apply to other, lower types of hand. If one player A has 8-8-J-9-3 and player B has 8-8-J-9-3, who will win? Does player A win by having the highest card within the pair of eights, or does player B win because her highest single card, the jack, is in a higher suit? What about K-Q-7-6-2 against K-Q-7-6-2 ? So far as I know there is no universally accepted answer to these questions: this is non-standard poker, and your house rules are whatever you agree that they are. Three different rules that I have come across, when hands are equal apart from suit are:

1. Compare the suit of the highest card in the hand.
2. Compare the suit of the highest paired card - for example if two people have J-J-7-7-K the highest jack wins.
3. Compare the suit of the highest unpaired card - for example if two people have K-K-7-5-4 compare the 7's.

Although the order spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs may seem natural to Bridge players and English speakers, other suit orders are common, especially in some European countries. Up to now, I have come across:

• spades (high), hearts, clubs, diamonds (low)
• spades (high), diamonds, clubs, hearts (low)
• hearts (high), spades, diamonds, clubs (low) (in Greece and in Turkey)
• hearts (high), diamonds, spades, clubs (low) (in Austria and in Sweden)
• hearts (high), diamonds, clubs, spades (low) (in Italy)
• diamonds (high), spades, hearts, clubs (low) (in Brazil)
• diamonds (high), hearts, spades, clubs (low) (in Brazil)
• clubs (high), spades, hearts, diamonds (low) (in Germany)

As with all house rules, it would be wise to make sure you have a common understanding before starting to play, especially when the group contains people with whom you have not played before.

Stripped Decks

In some places, especially in continental Europe, poker is sometimes played with a deck of less than 52 cards, the low cards being omitted. Italian Poker is an example. As the pack is reduced, a Flush becomes more difficult to make, and for this reason a Flush is sometimes ranked above a Full House in such games. In a stripped deck game, the ace is considered to be adjacent to the lowest card present in the deck, so for example when using a 36-card deck with 6's low, A-6-7-8-9 is a low straight.

Holdem Poker Terminology

Playing poker with fewer than 52 cards is not a new idea. In the first half of the 19th century, the earliest form of poker was played with just 20 cards - the ace, king, queen, jack and ten of each suit - with five cards dealt to each of four players. The only hand types recognised were, in descending order, four of a kind, full house, three of a kind, two pairs, one pair, no pair.

No Unbeatable Hand

Full House Poker Slang

In standard poker a Royal Flush (A-K-Q-J-10 of one suit) cannot be beaten. Even if you introduce suit ranking, the Royal Flush in the highest suit is unbeatable. In some regions, it is considered unsatisfactory to have any hand that is guaranteed to be unbeaten - there should always be a risk. There are several solutions to this.

In Italy this is achieved by the rule 'La minima batte la massima, la massima batte la media e la media batte la minima' ('the minimum beats the maximum, the maximum beats the medium and the medium beats the minimum'). A minimum straight flush is the lowest that can be made with the deck in use. Normally they play with a stripped deck so for example with 40 cards the minimum straight flush would be A-5-6-7-8 of a suit. A maximum straight flush is 10-J-Q-K-A of a suit. All other straight flushes are medium. If two players have medium straight flushes then the one with higher ranked cards wins as usual. Also as usual a maximum straight flush beats a medium one, and a medium straight flush beats a minimum one. But if a minimum straight flush comes up against a maximum straight flush, the minimum beats the maximum. In the very rare case where three players hold a straight flush, one minimum, one medium and one maximum, the pot is split between them. See for example Italian Poker.

In Greece, where hearts is the highest suit, A-K-Q-J-10 is called an Imperial Flush, and it is beaten only by four of a kind of the lowest rank in the deck - for example 6-6-6-6 if playing with 36 cards. Again, in very rare cases there could also be a hand in the showdown that beats the four of a kind but is lower than the Imperial Flush, in which case the pot would be split.

Hand probabilities and multiple decks

The ranking order of poker hands corresponds to their probability of occurring in straight poker, where five cards are dealt from a 52-card deck, with no wild cards and no opportunity to use extra cards to improve a hand. The rarer a hand the higher it ranks.

This is neither an essential nor an original feature of poker, and it ceases to be true when wild cards are introduced. In fact, with a large number of wild cards, it is almost inevitable that the higher hand types will be the commoner, not rarer, since wild cards will be used to help make the most valuable type of hand from the available cards.

Basic Poker Terminology

Mark Brader has provided probability tables showing the frequency of each poker hand type when five cards are dealt from a 52-card deck, and also showing how these probabilities would change if multiple decks were used.