rules
Limit Stakes
Limit stakes are a betting structure in which the largest bet and raise on each round is fixed in advance. Stakes such as $2/$4 describe the bet size on the early and late streets.
Little Blind
The little blind is the first and smallest blind bet, also called the small blind. It is posted by the player left of the button.
Live Blind
A live blind is a blind or dark bet that gives the player the option to raise, even if nobody else raises. It is also known as the option.
Live Hand
A live hand is a hand that is still eligible to win the pot. It has the correct number of cards and has not been mucked or ruled dead.
Lowball
Lowball is a form of poker in which the lowest hand wins the pot. Variants include ace-to-five lowball and deuce-to-seven lowball, which rank hands differently.
Main Pot
The main pot is the first pot, which all players have contributed to before any side pots are created because a player went all in.
Match the Stack
Match the stack is a room rule that allows a player in a cash game to add chips to equal the largest stack at the table. It lets players keep up with a big stack that has grown during the game.
Minimum Buy-In
The minimum buy-in is the least amount that you can start a game with. Cash games and tournaments have a minimum.
Misdeal
A misdeal is a deal that is invalid because of a mistake, so the cards are collected, shuffled and dealt again. It can happen when two or more cards are exposed or when the dealer makes a mistake in the order of dealing.
Missed Blind
A missed blind is a forced blind bet that a player did not post because he was away from the table when it was his turn. Many rooms require him to pay it before he can play again.
Mississippi Straddle
The Mississippi straddle is a type of straddle made by the player on the button, instead of the player under the gun. The straddler acts last before the flop, and then the action starts after him.
MTT
MTT stands for multi-table tournament, a poker tournament with many tables. Players are moved to fill empty seats when others are eliminated, until only the final table remains.
Muck
To muck is to fold your hand by throwing it into the discard pile. The pile itself is called the muck. A player can also muck his hand at showdown without showing it if he knows he has lost.
Multi-Table Tournament
A multi-table tournament is a tournament with more than one table. As players are knocked out, tables are broken down and players are moved until only one table remains. It is often shortened to MTT.
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.
Natural
A natural is a hand without wild cards. In games with wild cards, a natural hand beats an equal hand that uses wild cards.
New Guinea Stud
New Guinea stud is a form of seven-card stud that starts with four down cards, followed by turning up or rolling any two of them. It is a home-game variant.
New York Stud
New York stud is a form of five-card stud in which a four flush beats a pair. It is a home-game variant with a changed ranking of hands.
No Limit Hold’em Table St
In no-limit hold'em table stakes, any player can bet any or all of his chips at any time. He cannot bet money that is not on the table.
No‑Limit
No-limit is a betting structure in which a player may bet any amount of chips he has at any time, up to his whole stack. It is the most popular form of Texas Hold'em.
Omaha
Omaha is a poker game similar to Hold'em in which each player gets four hole cards and must use exactly two of them with exactly three of the five community cards. The most popular forms are pot-limit Omaha and Omaha hi-lo.
One-Chip-Behind
One-chip-behind means betting or raising almost your entire stack while keeping one chip unbet. Unless you have declared all-in, that chip remains available for a later decision.
One‑Chip Rule
The one-chip rule says that a player who puts a single chip in the pot, when facing a bet, is making a call and not a raise, unless he says 'raise' first. It applies even if the chip is of a higher value than the call.
Open Card
An open card is a card dealt face up. In stud and some other games, open cards are seen by all players.
Open Game
An open game is a game in which anyone can play. It is not restricted to a private group.
Open Poker
Open poker means poker games in which some of the cards are dealt face up, such as seven-card stud. It is the opposite of closed poker, in which all cards are hidden.
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.
Open‑Handed
Open-handed describes games in which a part of each player's hand is exposed, such as stud. It is the opposite of closed games.
Opener Button
An opener button is a button used to show who opened the pot in a draw game. It marks the player who made the first bet.
Openers
Openers are the cards that a player holds to qualify to open the pot in a game such as jacks or better. For example, if you have a pair of kings to open, the kings are your openers.
Option
The option is the right of the big blind, or a straddler, to check or raise when nobody has raised before the action returns to him. It is the last chance to act before the flop.
Orbit
An orbit is one full rotation of the dealer button around the table. In a nine-handed game, an orbit is nine hands.