live‑poker
Alcohol
Alcohol is a player's announcement that they will pay only the minimum needed to stay in the hand.
B&M
B&M is short for brick and mortar: a physical cardroom with live players, as opposed to online poker.
Brick-and-Mortar
Brick-and-mortar describes a poker room in a physical location, as opposed to online poker.
Brush
A brush is a poker room employee who handles seating, chips and lists of waiting players.
Cardroom
A cardroom is a venue, or part of one, where poker is played.
Casino Poker
Casino poker is public poker played in gambling casinos.
Coffeehousing
Coffeehousing is talking about a hand you are in, to mislead or manipulate other players.
Comp Program
A comp program rewards poker players with cash incentives, points or other benefits for loyalty.
Ethics or Etiquette
Ethics or etiquette means the understandings and courtesies whose violation does not count as cheating.
Floorman
A floorman is a casino or poker room employee who oversees the games, enforces the rules and resolves disputes. Players call him over when there is a dispute.
Gallery
The gallery is the nonplaying spectators who watch a game.
Hollywood
To Hollywood is to act or talk in an exaggerated way to encourage a specific reaction from an opponent. It is often used for deceptive acting, such as pretending to have a hard decision.
House Rules
House rules are the specific rules set by the person or place that hosts the game. They differ from one poker room or home game to another.
Kibitzer
A kibitzer is a spectator who watches a game and comments on it, usually without being asked.
List
A list is the ordered roster of players who are waiting for a game. Players put their names on it when no seat is free.
Must-Move
Must-move is a rule in some card rooms: to protect the main game, the players of a second game must move into the first game when seats open there.
Nucleus Players
Nucleus players are the dependable, regular players who keep a game going. A card room relies on them to fill the tables.
Open Seat
An open seat is a seat at a poker table that is unoccupied and available for a new player to join the game.
Out Button
An out button is a disc placed in front of a player who wants to sit out a hand or several hands but keep his seat in the game. It shows that he is away.
Playover Box
A playover box is a clear plastic box used to cover and protect the chips of an absent player when someone plays over that seat. It keeps the absent player's chips safe and visible.
Poker Face
A poker face is an expression that hides a player's thoughts and does not reveal anything about the cards he holds. It is a basic skill that stops opponents from gaining information.
Poker room
A poker room is a dedicated space in a casino or an online site where players can play different types of poker games.
Prop
A prop, short for proposition bet, is a side bet that players make about outcomes that are independent of the actual outcome of the game.
Proposition Player/Prop
A proposition player, or prop, is an employee of a gaming room whose main job is to play and help keep enough players at a table. He does not share in the wins or losses.
Public Poker
Public poker is poker played in casinos or public card clubs, where the pots are cut for profit. The house takes a rake or time charge.
Quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of players needed to start a poker game. If there are too few players, the game does not begin.
Seating List
A seating list is a waiting list for a table. A player puts his name on it if there are no free seats at the game that he wants to play.
Shills
Shills are paid props who help start and maintain poker games. They play with the house's money or are paid by the house to keep the game going.
Table
The table is the surface on which poker is played. It is where the players sit, and where the cards, chips and community cards are placed.
Table Charge
A table charge is a fee that players pay for playing at a table. It is a charge for the use of the table, in place of or in addition to the rake.
Tell
A tell is a change in a player's behavior that gives information about his hand. It may be a movement, a word or the speed of a decision. Players watch for tells to guess what an opponent holds.
Time collection
A time collection is a fee for renting a seat, paid in advance. It is a charge for playing, instead of a percentage from the pot.