intermediate
Waving
Waving is a form of cheating in which the cheater bends or crimps cards so that the wavy card can be recognized in an opponent's hand or in the deck. It marks the cards without writing on them.
Welcher
A welcher is a player who fails to pay a debt, especially a gambling debt. He loses a bet and does not pay.
Went to Showdown (WTSD)
Went to showdown, written WTSD, is a statistic that shows how often a player sees the showdown after seeing the flop. It reveals whether he plays hands to the end or folds a lot.
Whale
A whale is a rich, weak player who gambles with large amounts of money and loses a lot. Other players are happy to see a whale at the table, since he plays loose and loses big pots.
Whangedoodle
A whangedoodle is a round of jackpots played after a big hand, such as four of a kind. It is a special round in some home games.
Whipsaw
To whipsaw is to bet and raise aggressively on both sides of a player who is calling, so that he is caught between two raisers. The squeezed player is in the middle and has to fold or call twice.
Whiskey Poker
Whiskey poker is a draw poker game that uses widow cards: an extra hand that can be exchanged for the cards in a player's hand. A player may take the widow instead of his own cards.
Wild Game
A wild game is a game that uses wild cards, or a game that is very spirited and fast-paced, with a lot of action. The meaning depends on the context.
Wild Widow
A wild widow is a card that is turned face up and used as a wild card in every player's hand. All cards of the same rank are also wild, so the game changes on each deal.
Window Dressing
Window dressing is the act of purposely flashing a card from your closed hand, so that others can see it. A player does it to give a false impression of his hand.
Won Money at Showdown (W$SD)
Won money at showdown, written W$SD, is a statistic that shows how often a player wins the pot when he goes to showdown. A value above 50 percent means that he usually wins when he gets there.
Won When Saw Flop (WWSF)
Won when saw flop, written WWSF, is a statistic that shows how often a player wins the pot after seeing the flop. It combines hands won at showdown and hands won without a showdown.
Work the Broads
To work the broads is slang for cheating at cards, particularly at three-card monte. The 'broads' are the cards.
Working the Telegraph
Working the telegraph is a way of cheating by sending prearranged signals about your hand to a partner, for example with finger positions or code words hidden in normal conversation.
World Poker Tour (WPT)
The World Poker Tour, or WPT, is a series of poker tournaments held at casinos and card rooms around the world and online. Its events crown champions and are known for their large buy-ins.
World Series of Poker (WSOP)
The World Series of Poker, WSOP, is the best-known series of poker tournaments. Its main event is a no-limit hold'em tournament with a $10,000 buy-in, and the winner is considered the world champion.
Worst Likely Hand
The worst likely hand is the weakest holding that you might reasonably put another player on. You use it to see how bad your opponent's hand could be.
Worst of It
The worst of it means fighting the odds: being in a situation where your wager has an unfavorable return. The opposite is the best of it. People say 'take the worst of it' or 'have the worst of it'.
Wrap
A wrap is a straight draw in Omaha that has nine or more outs, made from two board cards and three or four of your hole cards. It can have up to 20 outs, which makes it much stronger than an open-ended draw in Hold'em.
Wraparound
A wraparound is an Omaha hand in which three of your four hole cards are consecutive and combine with two cards of the flop to make five connected cards, so that many cards on the turn and river complete a straight.
Z-Game
A Z-game is the lowest-stake game in a card room, as opposed to an A-game, which is the best or highest game. It is the smallest game available.
Zombie
A zombie is a player with no tells: he has a poker face, shows no emotion and gives no sign of his hand. It is hard to read him.
Zoom Poker
Zoom poker is a form of online cash game in which, as soon as you fold, you are moved to a new table with a new hand. There is no waiting for the others, so you play many more hands per hour. It is also called fast-fold poker.
Zuke
Zuke is a word for a toke, a tip given to a dealer. It is used mostly by dealers.