Every table has its own vocabulary. Here's a plain-English guide to the poker words you'll hear on a Night of Nuts, from the nuts themselves to going on tilt.
The Essentials
The Nuts
The best possible hand given the board. It literally cannot be beaten. Yes, it's where this whole night gets its name.
Action
Whose turn it is, or the betting and raising going on in a hand. A lively game is "full of action."
Board
The five community cards in the middle that everyone shares.
Hole Cards
Your two private cards, dealt face down. Also called your pocket cards.
Pot
All the chips wagered in a hand. The winner takes it.
Showdown
The reveal at the end of a hand, when the remaining players turn their cards face up to see who wins.
Kicker
A side card that breaks ties between two otherwise equal hands. Ace-King beats Ace-Queen on an ace because the king kicks.
Muck
The pile of dead and folded cards. To "muck" is to fold or toss your hand in.
Betting & Action
Blinds
Forced bets posted before the deal so there is always something to play for.
Check
Pass the action along without betting, when no bet is live.
Call
Match the current bet to stay in the hand.
Raise
Increase the current bet, forcing others to put in more or fold.
Check-raise
Check first, then raise after someone bets behind you. A classic trap.
All-in
Pushing every chip you have into the pot.
Limp
Just calling the big blind before the flop instead of raising.
C-bet
Continuation bet. A follow-up bet on the flop by whoever raised before it.
Bluff
Betting a weak hand to push better hands into folding.
Value bet
Betting a strong hand to get called by a worse one.
Pot-committed
Having so much already in the pot that folding no longer makes sense.
Cards & Draws
Draw
A hand that still needs help, like four to a flush waiting on a fifth.
Outs
The remaining cards that would complete your hand.
Overcard
A card higher than the board, or higher than your pair.
Set vs. Trips
Both are three of a kind. A "set" is made with a pocket pair; "trips" pairs one of your cards with the board.
Cooler
A hand where a big holding runs into an even bigger one and nobody could get away. Just bad luck.
Drawing dead
Chasing a draw that cannot win even if it comes in.
Runner-runner
Needing both the turn and the river to hit to make your hand.
Bad beat
Losing a hand you were a heavy favorite to win.
Position & Players
Position
Acting after your opponents. Seeing what they do first is a real edge.
The Button
The dealer spot, marked by the button. Acts last after the flop, the best seat at the table.
Under the Gun
First to act before the flop, immediately left of the big blind.
Villain / Hero
Poker shorthand when telling a hand story. The villain is your opponent; the hero is you.
Fish
A weaker player. Be gracious, everyone was one once.
Shark
A strong, patient player who feeds on weaker ones.
Nit
A very tight player who only puts chips in with the goods.
Tournament Talk
Freeze-out
A tournament with no rebuys. Bust and you are out.
Rebuy / Add-on
Buying more chips when the format allows it.
Bubble
The spot right before the money. The "bubble boy" busts one place short of a payout.
Heads-up
Down to the final two players, one on one.
Short stack / Big stack
Few chips or many, measured against the size of the blinds.
Chip leader
Whoever is sitting behind the biggest pile.
Bounty
A cash prize for knocking a particular player out.
Table Talk & Attitude
Tilt
Playing badly out of frustration, usually after a bad beat. Also called "steaming."
Slow roll
Dragging out the reveal of a winning hand to needle an opponent. Poor form.
Slow play
Underplaying a monster to trap opponents. Not the same as a slow roll.
Angle shooting
Sneaky moves that technically follow the rules but break their spirit. Frowned on here.
Suck out
Winning a hand after being well behind.
Grinder
A steady, disciplined player who wins slow and low-risk.
On the rail
Watching from the sidelines, out of the game.
The felt
The table surface. To "hit the felt" is to lose your stack.
