Casino Lingo

The legends of the green felt are constantly with us, whether it be in print, or on the small or big screen. For the ordinary Joe playing in his favourite online casino, these myths serve to heighten his desire to earn a seat at the World Series of Poker for himself. Yet there is a huge difference between playing online and playing in a real tournament, not least regarding the language and mannerisms common to each of the pros. If a small fish is to succeed in the big pond, he must be aware of the nuances of the lingo, the most common of which are outlined below.

Ante

The ante is quite simply the amount that each player must pay in order to be included in the hand. This guarantees that, no matter how poor the community cards, there will always be winnings in the pot.

All-in

It is quite literally how it sounds – a player bets all his chips in an attempt to stay in the game. However, once a player goes “all-in” he will not win any amount from the other players over and above the amount he has bet. 

Blind

A blind is similar to an ante. It is a forced bet but made by only a few players on a rotating basis. Most common in Texas Hold ‘em, the first hand will see the player left of the dealer play a “big blind” (for example $2) and the player next to him will play a “small blind” of  half the amount – in our example it
would be $1. The next hand would see the responsibility of the blinds rotate around the table, ensuring that every player has a chance to contribute to the pot.

Fish

As casino poker relies on spotting “tells” (see below) from other players and by
assessment knowing who the dangerous players are and who are the “fish”. The fish is the inexperienced player who bets loosely and passively.

Flop

The “flop” is the first three community cards dealt in Texas Hold ‘em or Omaha poker, the community cards being the cards on the table which every player can use in their hand.

River

The “river” is the last community card dealt in Texas Hold ‘em and Omaha poker. The river is also known as “fifth street”

Tell 

Playing the game online it is nigh on impossible to “tell” what sort of hand an opponent holds. However, in the flesh there could be many that give away the strength of hands of the other players in the hand, be it an intake of breath, the scratching of the ear or a derisory snort. All this information is vital in your attempts to get one up on your opponents.