psychology
Prop Bet
A prop bet is a side bet between players that has nothing to do with the poker game itself. It can be about anything, such as who can eat the most food, or who can run a certain distance.
Proposing Bets
Proposing bets are side bets between players that are not related to the outcome of the hand. They are bets on something else, such as a card or an event.
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.
Punctuating
Punctuating is a cheater's technique of marking cards with a fingernail or a device. It is the same as pricking.
Punt
To punt is to lose chips through a reckless, self-inflicted play, such as an unnecessary bluff or a call that makes no sense. A punt is a big mistake and not just bad luck.
Put Down
To put down is to fold a hand. The word is the same as lay down.
Putting on the Heat
Putting on the heat means to pressure the other players by betting aggressively.
Quitting Time
Quitting time is an agreed time to end a poker game, also called a curfew. When the time comes, the game stops, often after the current hand or round.
Railbird
A railbird is a spectator who watches a poker game from the rail. Some railbirds are fans, and others are waiting for a seat or looking for a chance to play.
Raise Blind
To raise blind is to raise without looking at your cards. In some games, it is a bet made in the dark, before the cards are seen.
Read
A read is a specific conclusion about an opponent's hand or behavior, based on his actions, timing and mannerisms. 'Reading' is the skill of doing this.
Reading
Reading is the analysis of a player based on how he plays, his mannerisms and his tells. It is a skill that helps to guess his hand.
Reg
A reg is short for 'regular', a player who plays often at the same stakes and sites and is usually a solid, experienced winner. Online, the regulars are the strong players who make up the core of the player pool.
Reverse Tell
A reverse tell is an action that a player makes on purpose to give the opposite impression of his hand. For example, he acts strong when weak, or weak when strong, to mislead others.
Ribbon Clerk
A ribbon clerk is a small-time gambler. The expression is old slang for a player who plays for small stakes and is not a big spender.
Rock
A rock is a very tight and passive player who plays only the strongest hands and rarely bets without them. The word is also used for a tight player in general.
Rounders
Rounders are people who hustle for a living, usually by playing cards. It is also the name of a well-known poker film starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton.
Run
Run has several meanings in poker. It can mean a straight, a series of good results, or the remaining cards of a hand: a 'runout'. 'I was on a run' means that the player won many hands in a row.
Running Bad
Running bad is a period of bad luck or a losing streak. A player who is running bad loses many hands, often with strong hands that are beaten.
Running Good
Running good is a period of good luck or a winning streak. A player who is running good wins many pots and hits his draws.
Rush
A rush is a winning streak. A player who has won several big pots recently is said to be on a rush. It is the same as a heater.
Sandbagging
Sandbagging is holding back and just calling, even though you have a very good hand, usually to hide strength, to provoke bluffs or to check-raise. It is a form of slow playing.
Scare Card
A scare card is a community card that may have given an opponent a strong hand, and makes you afraid to keep betting. It is typically a card that completes a flush or a straight, or an overcard to the pairs on the board.
Session
A session is the period in which a poker game is held, or the time that you sit and play. For example, a session may last five hours.
Set a Trap
To set a trap is to play in a way that creates a false impression, which you can use to win in a later hand or later in the same hand. It is an act of deception.
Setup
A setup is a pair of suited decks, each with a different colored back, that replaces the decks in play. Card rooms use two decks to keep the game fast: one is shuffled while the other is dealt.
Shark
A shark is a highly skilled and experienced player, often a professional, who wins money from weaker players, called fish.
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.
Side Bet
A side bet is any bet made outside the pot. It is a bet between players that does not change the poker hand, or a bet on the side of the game.
Slow Play
A slow play is a way of playing a strong hand weakly, by checking or calling instead of betting or raising, to hide your strength and win more chips. It is the opposite of fast-playing.
Slow Roll
A slow roll is the act of delaying showing a winning hand at showdown, or pausing before a call with a very strong hand, to make the opponent think that he has won. It is considered very bad etiquette.
Small Ball
Small ball is a style of play in which a player keeps pots small, makes small bets and avoids big risks, relying on position and skill after the flop. It is usually applied in tournaments.