Poker Glossary - I

To improve in Poker, it isn't enough to be able to walk the walk... you must also be able to talk the talk. So, here are the first few basic poker terms that you should know:

Hand: refers to your starting hand, or the final set of cards that you hold at the end of a play

Flop: after a completed first round of betting, if more than one player remains, the dealer turns the first three cards (which can make or break a game and is critical to evaluating the worth of your hand), which are collectively called the flop; if the game continues, it is followed by the Turn and the River

Turn: the fourth card to be turned, if the game goes beyond the flop

River: the fifth and last card to be turned; sometimes a game-changer, from which derives the expression "saved in the river"

Fold: to discard one's hand, abandoning the current betting pot; it should not be in any way seen as a defeat or sign of weakness... a smart player knows when to follow through and when to fold

Muck: discarding your hand without revealing it, folding while maintaining strategic suspense


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