Technical Terms
For convenience of reference we annex explanations of the few technical
terms used in Poker.
Age.--The eldest hand, i.e. the player to the left of the dealer.
Generally called the ante-man or "ante."
Ante.--The first stake in the game. It must be made before
the cards have been dealt, by the player on the left of the dealer.
It is the only compulsory stake, and for this reason the amount is fixed,
and is generally small. It must not exceed one half the limit.
The player to the left of the dealer is identified with his stake,
and is familiarly called ante.
Bluff.--To stake an unwarrantable sum on a weak hand for the purpose
of inducing the other players to relinquish their stakes rather than
continue betting. To pretend to have a good hand.
Blaze.--A hand consisting of five court cards (see p. 41).
Chips.--Counters. An American term, little used by English players.
To chip means to stake chips, to bet.
Call.--To call the preceding player is to stake an amount equal to
his stake (see p. 37).
Discard.--To throw away cards so as to receive others in exchange
for them (see p. 35).
Draw.--To receive cards from the dealer in exchange for an equal
number discarded.
Eldest Hand.--The player to the left of the dealer. See Ante.
Foul Hand.--A hand containing more or less than five cards.
Such hand must be relinquished, and the owner must retire from that game,
losing any sum he may have staked.
Go Better.--See Raise.
Go in.--To stake a sum equal to double the ante and any straddles or
raises which may have been added to it, in order to qualify for drawing
and playing for the pool.
Hand.--The five cards held by any player.
Jack-pot.--The game which follows an unopened game, i.e. which
follows a game in which every player had rejected his cards (see p. 40).
Joker.--An extra card, to which any value may be assigned by the
player holding it (see p. 41).
Kitty.--A portion of the stakes set aside in every game, either to defray
the expenses of the table, or as a reward for some specially good hand.
Limit.--The maximum amount by which stakes may be increased
at one time. The limit, which has a tendency to prevent wild and
unreasonable betting, is generally fixed before play begins.
Make Good.--To make good is really the same as to call, but a player
may make good his previous bet, i.e. may make it equal to that of
the previous player, and may afterwards raise.
No. 1.--The player to the left of ante--the next player is No. 2,
and so on round to the dealer.
Pass.--To give up the game. To throw the cards, face downwards,
on the table, and cease playing until the next deal. The player who
passes loses any sum he may have staked.
Pat.--A term used in reference to the hand originally dealt to each
player in a game. To play pat is to bet on the hand originally dealt,
without drawing. A pat hand is a hand of high value, which has been
dealt to the player, a hand which he cannot hope to improve by drawing.
Player.--This is not strictly a technical term, but the tyro should
note that the persons seated at the table are not necessarily all players.
One or more may retire from the game, and on doing so forfeit all their
interest, and cease to be players in that game. There are seldom more
than two or three players remaining at the end of a game.
Pool.--The whole of the stakes in a game.
Pot.--The pool.
Raise.--To raise the preceding player is to stake a sum in excess of
that staked by him.
Rise.--See Limit.
Say.--The option, which comes to each player in turn, of playing,
and therefore betting, or of passing, i.e. throwing down his cards
and resigning the game.
See.--To see or call your opponent is to make your stake equal
to his. If the stake be not then raised by succeeding players,
every hand must be exposed (see p. 37).
Show.--The exposure of a hand or hands at the end of the game.
Skip Straight or Skip Sequence.--A sequence of alternate cards--two,
four, six, eight, ten, for instance. This hand is sometimes introduced,
and takes precedence of triplets. It is beaten by an ordinary sequence.
Straddle.--To raise the ante. To double the initial stake made by
ante in every game before the cards are dealt. Straddling the ante
gives the straddler (or the last straddler, if there be more than one)
the advantage of the last say before the draw.
Straight.--A sequence, a series of five cards in regular order
(see p. 38).
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The Stakes
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Modifications
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