psychology
Upswing
An upswing is a period in which you win more than expected, or lose less than expected, over a number of hands. It is the opposite of a downswing.
Variance
Variance is the natural up-and-down movement of your results around the average you expect over time. Even a winning player has losing days, weeks and months, because the cards are random.
Victory Rip
A victory rip, also called a victory roll, is the act of spreading your hand face up in a triumphant way at the showdown in a draw game. The player shows his cards with a flourish to show that he has won.
Victory Roll
Victory roll is another name for victory rip: spreading your winning hand face up with a flourish at the showdown.
Walk the Table
To walk the table is to win the entire pot automatically with a certain card or hand, according to a special house rule. It is used in some home games.
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.
Weak
A weak player is one who folds too many hands. He gives up too easily and loses money by not calling or raising when he should.
Welcher
A welcher is a player who fails to pay a debt, especially a gambling debt. He loses a bet and does not pay.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Zuke
Zuke is a word for a toke, a tip given to a dealer. It is used mostly by dealers.