Glossary
Glossary "A"
Add-on
Some Tournaments allow players to buy additional chips at certain points, this is called an add-on. This is different from a re-buy because usually everyone still in the tournament is able to add-on. Add-ons usually mark the end of the re-buy period.
Advance Action
To help keep the pace of the games moving nicely, we have provided advance action capabilities. When you know what you will do next, you can use these to indicate your next action prior to the bet reaching you. These advance action options will always present the correct options for the context of the play. Using Advance Action buttons will help keep the pace of the game exciting.
All-in
When you run out of chips during a hand, but don't wish to fold, you are all-in. This means you have the potential to win a share of the pot up to and including your last contribution to that pot. You cannot share in any bets added beyond that point. These bets form a side-pot. The all-in is also used for situations where a player in a hand loses connection to the server.
Ante
A small forced bet that everyone at the table is required to pay before each hand. In games with an ante these bets constitute the initial pot.
Avatar
A term from computer gaming for an image or figure used to represent a person.
Away-from-table
In tournaments, you may not "sit out". Rather, you may be "away-from-table" which means your are dealt into every hand, posting blinds when your turn, and then folded when there is a raise before the flop, or a bet after the flop. When you are in a tournament and need to leave, time-out, or lose your connection, you are automatically marked as "away-from-table".
Glossary "B"
Bad Beat
To be a heavy favourite in a hand and lose to an opponent who was a severe underdog statistically speaking.
Bad Beat Jackpot
Setanta Poker takes some of the sting out of a Bad Beat by offering various jackpots. You can find out what qualifies as a Bad Beat Jackpot in different games by following the various links on the site.
Bankroll
The total amount of money that a player is willing, or able, to put at risk.
Bet
To bet is to put money into the pot with the intention of winning that pot.
Bet the Pot
This term is used in pot limit games. It means your bet matches the current amount in the pot. If, when your turn to bet, the pot was at €150, and you bet the pot, your bet is €150.
Big Blind
In games using a blind to put money in play, the big blind is generally equal to the lower amount of the stakes for that game. In a €5/€10 game, the big blind is €5. The big blind follows the small blind, which is put up by the first player to the left of the dealer.
Blind
This term refers to the required bets, called the small blind and the big blind used to put money into play. The blinds are mandatory bets and rotate around the table.
Bluff
To bluff is to give the impression that you have a hand stronger than the one that you actually possess. Bluffing is an integral part of any game of poker but it can be a dangerous tactic and something that should be approached with great caution.
Board
The community cards in Hold'em are collectively known as the board.
Bottom Pair
In Texas Hold’em, hitting bottom pair is where the lowest on the board matches one of your hole cards.
Bring-in
In ante games, the bring-in is a mandatory bet, normally half the lower stake value. The player with the lowest face-up card must either bet the lower stake, or the bring-in to start the hand.
Broadway
A five card straight of unsuited cards, Ace – King – Queen – Jack – Ten. Broadway is the highest possible straight.
Bubble
The last finishing position in a tournament before you enter the pay out structure meaning that you have missed the money or prizes by one place. In tournament poker the ‘Bubble’ is considered to be the worst place of all to finish.
Burn
In physical poker rooms, the top card of the deck is discarded prior to each round of dealing. The intent is to minimize the risk of cheating by knowing the next card. There is no possibility of this happening in our poker room; therefore we do not burn cards.
Button (Dealer Button)
A marker, usually disk-shaped, to indicate which player is the virtual dealer. The button is used in games where position relative to the dealer is important.
Buy-in
There is a minimum chip value required to sit at any given table. Normally the minimum is 10 times the higher stake for that game. For some special games, that value may be higher. The minimum value required to be seated is called the buy-in. The amount of money you sit down in a game with. All games have a minimum buy-in, typically 10 times the big blind.
Glossary "C"
Call
When a player matches the prior bet on the table, that action is termed the call.
Cap
The last permitted raise in a betting round is called the cap. We allow three raises beyond the initial bet in limit games. The third raise is the cap.
Cash Tables
Also known as Ring Games. This is where you will play for Real Money, no increase in the blind structure and no pre-determined time limit. Unlike a Tournament game, if you lose all of your chips or money on a cash table you can simply bring more to the table and continue to play.
Cheating
Cheating in any language is not acceptable and is defined in poker terms as being any behaviour outside the rules of the game which is defined to give an unfair advantage and to defraud poker sites and other poker players. Online cheating involves Collusion, Chip Dumping and Whipsawing. Anybody caught engaging in any of these activities is likely to be barred from the site.
Check
If there is no bet on the table and you do not wish to place a bet, that action is termed a check. You may only check when there are no pending bets.
Check Raise
To check on your turn and then when a player after you bets, to raise that bet. This is an aggressive move usually made by a player with a strong hand.
Chip Dumping
This is an illegal activity in poker which usually takes place in the early rounds of a Tournament. Two players acting in Collusion will arrange for one to pass their chips off to another so that player will have a better chance of reaching the pay out structure. Any winnings are usually split between the two colluding players. Chip Dumping is cheating and anyone doing this is liable to be barred from the site.
Client
The term for the software that you download to your computer, allowing you to interact with the poker room's servers.
Collusion
A form of cheating where two or more players attempt to gain an unfair advantage by sharing information. We do not tolerate cheating.
Community Cards
Face up cards on the table that are shared by all players are termed community cards. Texas Hold'em and Omaha always have community cards. In stud games, a community card is dealt in place of the last down card when too few cards remain in the deck for each player to receive a down card.
Crapshoot
A game where luck seems to be of more use than skill. Single and multi table speed and turbo games are often said to be crapshoots as players need to act quickly and with weaker hands than they might usually use to be avoid being blinded off.
Glossary "D"
Dead Blind
In a situation where you have missed your blinds and wish to re-enter the game before your turn to post the big blind. You must post both blinds and the small blind is termed a dead blind, meaning it does not count towards calling a bet.
Dead Hand
A hand no longer in the game.
Deal
To give out the cards for a hand. The person who does this is called the Dealer. To be dealt in is to be given cards during a hand. To be dealt out or dealt around is not to be given cards. A deal can also be an agreement whereby players split the prize money differently from the announced pay out structure.
Deck
A set of playing cards which in most games consist of fifty two cards.
Discard
In a draw game the card or cards that a player throws away and replaces with a new card or cards from the deck.
Door Card
The first face-up card dealt with the two down cards in 7 Card Stud games.
Down Cards
The face-down cards dealt to a player.
Drawing Dead
This describes the situation when a player is trying to draw a card to complete a hand when there is already a hand that will beat it, even if made.
Draw Game
Games where at some point you are allowed to discard some or all of your cards to be replaced from the deck.
Drawing Hand
An incomplete but potentially strong hand. This usually refers to a hand where you have four out of five cards to make a straight (straight draw) or flush (flush draw).
Drop
To drop your hand when you decide not to go further with your hand; to return your cards to the muck. Same as fold.
Glossary "E"
Early Position
The people in the first few betting places.
Entry Fee
An amount payable for all tournaments, with the exception of free rolls.
E-Wallet
A secure online payment processing service for use with online vendors.
Glossary "F"
Face Down
Dealt cards that are not visible to other players.
Face Up
Dealt cards that are visible to all players.
Fifth Street
The term for the fifth card in 7 Card Stud and the fifth board card in Hold'em.
Fish
Bad players who call too many bets and seem determined to see every hand through to its conclusion, often with little regard to the strength of their hand are considered to be fish. Most of the time a Fish will lose all of their money or chips and are easy prey for sharks at the table. Unfortunately from time to time you will suffer a Bad Beat by a Fish who gets lucky.
Fixed Limit
In Limit Poker any betting structure in which the amount of the bet on each particular round is pre-set.
Flop
A number of games such as Hold’em and Omaha are played with five community cards. The first three of these cards are dealt all at once which is called the flop. Games with a flop are sometimes called flop games.
Flush
Any 5 cards in one hand that are all the same suit.
Fold
To abandon your hand usually because someone else has made a larger bet than you are willing to call.
Forced Bet
A mandatory bet on the first round of play in a stud game such as Seven Card Stud.
Four of a Kind
A great hand. All 4 of one rank. For example 4 Tens.
Fourth Street
The term for the fourth card in 7 Card Stud and the fourth board card in Hold'em.
Free Play
At Setanta Poker we offer you the chance to play on any of our wide range of poker games for play chips. This allows you the chance to perfect your skills before entering the world of Real Money games.
Freeroll
This term applies to poker tournaments where the entry fee, the stakes, or both the entry fee and stakes are waived. In some non-freeroll tournaments, the house may guarantee a minimum prize pool.
Freezeout
This is the most common type of poker Tournament and is where players start with a set number of chips and there are no re-buys or add-ons allowed. Once a player loses all of their chips they are eliminated.
Full House
A hand in which you have a combination of one pair and three of a kind such as A-A-K-K-K. In the case of a tie the highest three of a kind wins.
Glossary "G"
Graphics
The term for the artwork used to present you with the images of a poker room, including the table, chairs, avatars, cards, and chips.
Glossary "H"
Hand
A set of cards used by a player during a single round. Another word for a single round of shuffling, dealing, and betting.
Heads Up
Play between only two players. Setanta Poker offers special heads-up tables.
Head to Head
A game where only two players may participate.
High Card
The card with the highest rank.
High/Low
A variation of a game where the pot is split between the best hand and the worst hand. The worst hand is comprised of the 5 lowest cards. Most poker rooms, including this one, consider 5, 4, 3, 2, A (the wheel) as the lowest possible hand, despite it also being a straight.
Hold'em
Also called Texas Hold'em. One of the most popular poker games. Each player gets 2 down cards and can use 3,5, or 5 of the community cards.
Hole Cards
The down cards in a player's hand.
Glossary "I"
In
A term for being an active player; one who has not folded.
Inside Straight
The term applied when a player has 4 of 5 cards needed for a straight with the missing card being inside the sequence rather than at either end, and gets the missing card. For example, a player holding 3, 4, 5, 7 needs a 6 to complete the straight. Getting that 6 is termed "making the inside straight."
Glossary "J"
Jackpot
A bonus opportunity to win under specific circumstances set by the poker room.
Juice
The juice is what is charged by the House to play at a table.
Glossary "K"
Kicker
The term for the card used to break ties between two of a kind or between Two Pair.
Glossary "L"
Live Blind
A blind that counts towards any bet you call or raise.
Glossary "M"
Main Pot
When a player goes all-in in a table stakes game, that player is only eligible to win the main pot. This is the pot consisting of those bets that they were able to match. Additional bets placed in a side pot are contested among the remaining players.
Muck
The pile of discarded cards, or the act of putting cards in this pile (thus taking them out of play). You don’t have to show your cards when you muck them.
Multi-Table Tournament
A tournament where players at more than one table compete, starting with equal numbers of chips, until one player has won all the chips. Prize payouts are a function of the number of entrants, and are posted on the tournaments page. Multi-table tournaments have a posted start time, and require registration in advance.
Glossary "N"
No Limit
A variation of the betting rules in which each bet is unlimited up to the number of chips a player has on the table (NL).
Nuts
The best possible hand at any given point in the game.
Glossary "O"
Off Suit
Where the cards you are playing are not of the same suit. This could be two hole cards of the Ace of Hearts and the King of Spades.
Omaha
A game in which each player receives 4 face-down cards and shares 5 community cards. The winning hand must use exactly 2 down cards and 3 community cards. This game also has a High/Low variant.
Omaha High/Low
This game allows players to compete for a pot split between the highest and the lowest hands using 2 down cards and 3 community cards. A player may use different sets of cards to make up the best high and the best low hands.
On the button
This term means you are in the dealer position in Texas Hold'em and Omaha games. The dealer position is marked by a "button" with a "D" in the centre.
One on One
See head to head.
Option
This term refers to the option given the big blind player the option of raising before the flop.
Overcard
A hole card that is higher than all the community cards on the board.
Glossary "P"
Pair
Also called two of a kind. This is a hand where the player's best hand is made up of 2 cards of the same rank.
Pass
Can be used in place of either pass or fold depending on the context.
Play Chips
The chips used for play money games. Play chips have no monetary value.
Playing the Board
Using all the community cards in Hold'em as your best hand.
Pocket Cards
The term for the two down cards at the start of the hand.
Position
The player’s location relative to the Dealer.
Post
Put up a blind (Small or Big Blind). If you miss playing the blind in a particular round the house dealer asks if you want to post, which means put in as many chips that are in the blind that you missed. When the action gets to you, you have already called one bet and if the pot has not been raised then you do not have to put any more chips into the pot. You may raise in turn of course.
Pot
The chips available to win in any given hand.
Pot Committed
On many occasions a player will have put so much money into the pot during a round of betting that they will feel committed to staying in until the end and are unlikely to fold their cards regardless of the fact that they may strongly suspect that they are going to lose. This player is said to be pot committed.
Pot Limit
A variation on betting where each player may bet up to the current amount in the pot (PL).
Glossary "Q"
Quads
Four of a Kind.
Glossary "R"
Rake
The amount of money, in chips, taken by the house as the service fee.
Raise
The act of increasing the amount bet by a prior bettor.
Rank
The value of a card. The rank of the 2 of Spades is 2. The rank of the Queen of Hearts is Queen. Rank value increases from 2 through 10, followed in order by Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. In High/Low games, the Ace may be used both for its high rank and as the lowest rank card.
Re-buy
To get more chips during a game but not during a hand that you are in. This applies to real money and tournament play.
Reducing
The act of removing chips from a table and returning immediately with fewer chips. Reducing is considered poor etiquette, and is not permitted in our poker room.
Registration
We ask you to select a screen name to serve as your poker room identity, a password, and to provide a location and email address to create an account. This is your registration.
River
The fifth and final community card. This card is also known as 5th street.
Round
This refers to the dealing of a set of cards and associated betting. For example, the dealing of the river and the bets that follow are a round.
Royal Flush
The best possible high hand. This is a straight flush from 10 through to Ace of the same suit.
Glossary "S"
Satellite
This is a mini Tournament which gives you a chance to win your way into a more expensive Tournament. Satellites provide an excellent way for players to have a chance of trying to win a major prize for a relatively small buy in.
Screen Name
The identity you select by which you are known in the poker room. We only allow one player to use a screen name so please understand if the one you have selected is already taken.
Server
The computer or set of computers, providing a service to client computers. In this case the service is the poker room.
Showdown
After the final bet, when all players show their hands or muck, is known as the showdown.
Side Pot
This is a pot created when a player goes all-in and has no more chips to bet while other players want to continue betting against each other. The all-in player has no stake in this pot only the one that he/she has bet in. That means there are some situations when the holder of a worse hand loses the main pot but wins even more in the side pot.
Single Table Tournament
A poker table at which you may buy-in to a seat. All buy-in money goes to the prize pool. The prize pool is returned to the top finishers per the payout table on the tournaments page. A fee is normally required to play at this table. Players are staked to equal numbers of chips and play one player has won all the chips. Single table tournaments begin as soon as the table has filled.
Sit Out
We permit you to hold your seat at a table while not participating in some hands. Under most conditions, we limit the time you may sit out to a small number of hands. In blind games, you may be asked to post the equivalent of the blind if you return to your seat prior to the blind reaching you. To sit out you click a check box on the table screen. To return, you unclick the "sit out" check box.
Small Blind
In Hold'em and Omaha, this is the mandatory bet required of the player to the left of the dealer.
Split Pot
If two or more hands are tied at the Showdown then the pot is split equally between those winning hands.
Stack
The amount of money you have in front of you on the poker table (ie. stack of chips). A stack can also refer to a particular number of chips.
Stakes
See buy-in.
Steal the Pot
To win a pot by bluffing.
Straight
A hand in which the player has five cards in rank order. Suit does not matter. For example, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen.
Straight Flush
A straight all of the same suit.
Stud
The generic term for poker games where players receive the first card(s) down followed by some up cards where those up cards are exclusively for the use of that player. There may be a further down card as in 7 Card Stud.
Suit
One of Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, or Spades (in rank order).
Suited Connectors
Two or more suited cards of consecutive rank such as 7 – 8 which are usually played in the hope of making a straight.
Glossary "T"
Table Stakes
The value of the chips with which a player sits down at a table. Also a term for no-limit poker.
Texas Hold'em
The poker game where each player gets two down cards followed by five community cards face-up.
Third Street
The nickname for the third card in any game of Stud.
Three of a kind
A hand consisting three cards of the same rank.
Tilt
Most long term players will experience ‘going on tilt’ at some time in their poker career. Tilt is defined as playing recklessly or emotionally usually after suffering bad luck or a bad beat. When a player goes on tilt they lose their discipline and invariably quickly lose their money or chips. Another classic example of tilt is seeking revenge on a player who they have lost to by means of a bad beat.
Tournament Buy-In
The cost to enter a tournament. All buy-in money is returned to the players via the prize pool.
Tournament Entry-Fee
A small fee the house charges to enter a tournament.
Trips
A nickname for three of a kind.
Turn
The nickname for the fourth community card in Hold'em and Omaha. This card is also known as 4th street.
Two Pair
A hand in which the player has two pairs of cards.
Glossary "U"
Under the Gun
If you are to the left of the Big Blind in a game of Texas Hold’em or Omaha, then you are said to be Under the Gun. You will be the first to act in the first round of betting.
Under-raise
This occurs when a player raises a prior bet but has to go all-in to do so. If the player under-raising … going all-in to raise … has less than ½ of the expected raise for that betting round, the betting round is locked. The term locked here means that any player who has already acted in the round (checked, called, or raised) may no longer raise. They may only call or fold. However, players who have yet to act (betting has not reached them yet) may raise the expected raise for that betting round, after calling. If the under-raise is ½ or more than the expected raise, the lock rule does not apply.
Up Card
A card dealt face up, so that all players may see it.
Glossary "W"
Wheel
A nickname for the best low hand, 5, 4, 3, 2, A.
Whipsawing
This is two players in collusion who are aware of the content of each others hand. They will sometimes trap another player by raising and re-raising each other when one of them holds a particularly strong hand. The unsuspecting player caught in the middle will find themselves having to call more and more bets to stay in the action unaware that the other two colluding players are well aware of the strength.
