beginner
In The Money (ITM)
In the money means that a player finishes in a tournament high enough to win a prize. The point at which the first payout is guaranteed is when the bubble bursts, and all remaining players are in the money.
Index
An index is the number or letter printed on the corner of a card. A cheater can also add an index, which is a mark on the edge of a card.
Inside Straight
An inside straight is a hand that needs one specific card to complete a straight, because the missing card is in the middle. It is also called a gutshot or a belly buster.
Inside Straight Draw
An inside straight draw, also called a gutshot or belly buster, is a draw to a straight in which only one rank completes the hand. It has only four outs.
Iron Duke
An iron duke is an unbeatable hand. It is also called an ironclad hand.
J‑Boy
J-Boy is slang for a jack. The J stands for jack, and 'boy' is used as a nickname for the face cards.
Jack Benny
Jack Benny is a nickname for a starting hand of nine and three, 9-3. It refers to the comedian Jack Benny, who joked that he was always 39 years old.
Jackson Five
Jackson Five is a nickname for a starting hand of jack and five. The name refers to the music group The Jackson 5.
Jake
Jake is slang for a jack, the card between the ten and the queen.
Jesse James
Jesse James is a nickname for a starting hand of four and five, 4-5. The name comes from the outlaw Jesse James, who was reportedly killed by a .45.
Jinx
A jinx is a curse of bad luck. Players say a person or an action jinxes a result when they believe it brings misfortune.
Jog
A jog is an unevenly stacked deck used by a cheater to mark where his partner should cut. The card sticks out a little so the cut can be made at that place. It is also called a step.
John
John is slang for a jack. A pair of johns is a pair of jacks.
John Juanda
John Juanda is a nickname for a pair of jacks, J-J. The name refers to the professional player John Juanda.
Joker
A joker is a card that works as a wild card in some games. It can stand for any card its holder wants, or only for certain cards, depending on the rules.
Jonah
A Jonah is an unlucky player, one who seems to bring bad luck to himself or to the game. The word is used mostly as a joke.
Katie or Katy
Katie or Katy is a nickname for a starting hand of king and ten, K-T. The name comes from the sound of the letters K and T.
Kibitzer
A kibitzer is a spectator who watches a game and comments on it, usually without being asked.
Kicker
A kicker is the side card in your hand that is not part of the made hand, but is used to break ties between hands of the same rank. For example, with ace-king against ace-queen on an ace-high board, the king kicker wins.
King Crab
King Crab is a nickname for a starting hand of king and three, K-3. The name comes from the shape of the three, which looks like a crab on its side.
Knave
Knave is an old name for the jack. In some card games the jack is called the knave.
Knock
A knock is the same as a check: a player decides not to bet and passes the action to the next player. It can be done only if no one has bet in the current round.
Kojack
Kojack is a nickname for king-jack, K-J, of any suits. It is the same as Kojak.
Kojak
Kojak is a nickname for a hand with king and jack, K-J. It is named after the TV detective.
Komodo Dragoned
Komodo dragoned means that a player's hand is defeated because an opponent completes a straight or flush on the river. It is a slang term for a bad beat.
Ladies
Ladies is a nickname for a pair of queens. It comes from the queens being the 'ladies' of the deck. The phrase is used for pocket queens, as in 'I looked down at ladies'.
Late Position
Late position means the last seats to act in a betting round, usually the button and the cutoff. These positions are advantageous, since the players see how the others act first.
Leader
The leader is the player with the most chips in a tournament or at a table. He can apply pressure to the others with his big stack.
Legitimate Hand
A legitimate hand is a hand that is strong enough to have a good chance of winning the pot. The term separates real, playable holdings from bluffs and weak hands.
Lid
A lid is the top card of the deck, the card that is about to be dealt or burned next.
Limit
Limit is a betting structure in which the size of bets and raises is fixed. In a limit game, a player cannot bet any amount; he must bet the set size. It is the opposite of no-limit.
Limit Poker
Limit poker is poker in which the size of every bet and raise is fixed. Players can only bet the set amount for the round, not any amount they choose. It is also called fixed-limit poker.