Poker jargon

The large and growing jargon of poker includes many terms. This page contains brief definitions of the most common terms you may encounter in text or at play. If possible, a link to a more complete article on the topic is given. Though space is not an issue here, the list has been trimmed to primarily those poker-specific terms one might find in poker texts or in common use in casinos.

I

; ice

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: A cold deck.

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; idiot end, ignorant end

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: The bottom end of a straight.

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; immortal

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: Unbeatable; often said of a hand that a player knows cannot be beaten under the circumstances of play. See also "lock", "nuts".

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; implied odds

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: Similar to pot odds, but including future bets one can reasonably expect to win. I only had 3-to-1 pot odds for a 5-to-1 draw, but I knew if I made it I'd get two extra bets from Jim, so I called for the implied odds.

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; improve

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: To achieve a better hand than one currently holds by adding or exchanging cards as provided in the rules of the game being played. I didn't think Paula was bluffing, so I decided not to call unless I improved on the draw.

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; inside, inside straight

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: A draw to a straight with a single missing rank in the interior, for example, 8-9-J-Q, seeking a 10. Sometimes used to describe a one-end straight, which is mathematically equivalent. Also "belly buster", "gutshot". Compare "bobtail", "open-ender".

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; insurance

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: A "business" deal in which players agree to split or reduce a pot (roughly in proportion to the chances of each of them winning) with more cards to come rather than playing out the hand, or else a deal where one player makes a side bet against himself with a third party to hedge against a large loss. This is usually done when one player is all in.

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; in the bushes, in the weeds

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: A player sandbagging is said to be "in the bushes" during the time he is quietly checking and calling while others bet aggressively. He will eventually "decloak".

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; in the middle

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:# In a game with multiple blinds, an incoming player may sometimes be allowed to post the blinds "in the middle" (that is, out of their normal order) rather than having to wait for them to pass.

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:# A player being whipsawed is said to be "in the middle".

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; in the money

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: To place high enough in a tournament to get prize money.

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; in turn

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: A player, or an action, is said to be in turn if that player is expected to act next under the rules. Jerry said "check" while he was in turn, so he's not allowed to raise.

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; irregular declaration

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: An action taken by a player in turn that is not a straightforward declaration of intent, but that is reasonably interpreted as an action by other players, such as rapping the table to signify "check", or pointing a thumb up to signify "raise". House rules or dealer discretion may determine when such actions are meaningful and/or binding.

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; irregularity

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: Any of a number of abnormal conditions in play, such as unexpectedly exposed cards, that may call for corrective action. See irregularities.

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; isolation

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: To play aggressively in order to drive out all but one specific opponent who you believe to be weak. I reraised to isolate Diane because she's been playing junk all day.

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