Glossary of Poker Terms
Back to main poker terminology page
Terms starting with T
Table
The word "table" can be used to refer to community cards,
the poker table itself, or the players at the table as a
group.
When the case 9 hit the table, I checked.
The table was playing tight, so I was bluffing more than
usual.
This is a nice table, I especially like the cup holders.
Table Change
If you're playing at a public cardroom, and you'd like to
play at a table other than the one you're currently at, you
can ask the floor for a table change. Different card rooms
handle this differently, but typically you'll be moved as
soon as an opening develops, and a player from the seating
list will be moved into your seat.
Table Cop
A player who calls with the intention of keeping other
players honest (e.g., to snap off bluffs) is said to be
playing table cop. Also a player who makes an effort to
point out violations (significant and otherwise) of casino
rules (e.g., reminding other players to act in turn, which
is properly the responsibility of the dealer).
Table Stakes
Table stakes is simply the (nearly universal) rule that a
player may only wager money they have on the table at the
beginning of a hand. Usually it also implies that money may
not be removed from the table at any time (exceptions are
made for tipping), although money may be added to one's
stacks between hands. A player who goes all-in at a table
stakes game may not continue to bet, and is eligible only
for the main pot. Sometimes "table stakes" also implies
no-limit play.
To the best of my knowledge, Maryland is the only place
where most of the games are not table stakes, although the
Maryland rules seem to change fairly often.
Table Talk
Any discussion at the table of the hand currently underway,
especially by players not involved in the pot, and
especially any talk that might affect play. Depending on the
nature of the discussion, table talk is often considered
somewhere between rude and an act of war. The most common
example of table talk to be avoided is announcing what cards
you've folded. If the flop is 888 and you shout "Damn!" or
slam your fist into the table, you've done a disservice to
anyone at the table who thought they might like to represent
quads. See also coffeehousing.
Tell
A tell is any habit or behavior that gives other players
more information about your hand than they would have simply
from your play. For instance, you might unconsciously play
with your chips every time you bluff. Or you might notice
that another player blinks a lot whenever he has a strong
hand. Mike Caro's "The Body Language of Poker" describes a
large number of tells that can often be seen in
inexperienced (and experienced) players.
I picked up reliable tells on two players at the table, so
my evening was very profitable.
Texas Hold'em
Texas Hold'em (or just "hold'em") is a poker game in which
each player gets two pocket cards, while five community
cards are dealt face-up on the table. The strength of a
player's hand is the best hand that can be made with these
seven cards. There is a round of betting after the pocket
cards are dealt, after the first three community cards (the
flop), after the fourth, or turn card, and after the final,
or river card.
Three of a kind
Three cards of the same rank. Also called trips. For
example, if you hold 888AK, you have trip 8's.
Tight
Playing tight simply means playing fewer hands and folding
them earlier. In essence, tight with your cash. A tight
table is a table dominated by tight players. Tightness is
frequently described as a good thing, and especially at low
levels of play can be a big advantage over players who will
always pay you off. Tightness should not be confused with
passivity. Many good players recommend a tight aggressive
strategy.
He was playing so tight, when he finally played a hand we
all folded pre-flop.
Tilt
Good poker seems to require good discipline. However, even
good players are often tempted to do things they know are
bad ideas when they get frustrated, angry, or upset for any
reason. They go "on tilt." Sort of like a pinball machine,
except with pinball it only costs you a quarter. Typical
tilt play is much too loose and often very aggressive,
because a player on tilt wants very badly to win a pot, and
isn't rational enough to wait for cards that are worth
playing or situations that are worth attacking.
When he started raising every hand, I thought he was on
tilt, but it turned out he just had an incredible run of
good cards.
Time
If the house doesn't drop from the pot but instead collects
money from each player periodically, this is called a time
charge, or a seat charge, and you're said to be "paying
time" to play.
"Time" is also what you're supposed to say whenever you need
more than about a second to decide what to do.
To Go
An amount "to go" is the amount it takes to enter the pot.
In limit flop games, this is usually the amount of the big
blind, but if someone raises in a 5-10 game, they're making
it ten to go. In some pot-limit and no-limit games, an
initial call is more than the largest of the forced bets, so
the game might have blinds of $5 and $10 and be $20 to go.
Toke
A tip, usually a tip to the dealer after winning the pot.
Tips are usually between $.50 and $3, depending on the
limit, the size of the pot, and the generosity of the
player.
I toked the dealer an extra couple bucks because it was my
first straight flush in over a year.
Top Pair
If there are three cards of different ranks on the flop in
hold'em (or any flop game), and you pair the highest one,
you have top pair.
Even though the board was suited, I bet out when I flopped
top pair.
Tournament
The general idea behind poker tournaments is that a bunch of
poker players sit down with the same number of chips, and
eventually only one player has any chips left. In order to
ensure that the event will finish in reasonable time,
tournaments institute a schedule by which the blinds and/or
antes increase. Tournaments are usually played with chips
that have no value outside of the tournament. So a buy-in of
$30 might get you $500 in tournament chips to play with, but
you can't cash them out in the middle. The winner of a
tournament (the last player to bust out) as well as several
of the other top finishers are typically awarded prize money
according to some predetermined schedule.
Tournament details vary widely, but a typical arrangement
might include an initial buy-in, a re-buy period during
which a player who runs out of tournament chips may buy
more, and an opportunity to add on to one's stack after the
re-buys have ended. Other details about the structure can
vary widely.
See also shootout and freezeout.
Trips
Three of a kind.
Trap
Money is trapped in the pot if it faces the imminent danger
of becoming dead money. Typically you're trapped if after
putting some money in the pot you're faced with the
proposition of calling a raise in order to continue,
especially an uncomfortably large raise. A player is also
said to be trapped if caught calling (e.g. on a draw)
between two other players who keep raising and re-raising
each other.
Trey
Threes are sometimes called treys. So 33377 can be called
treys full of sevens.
Turn
The fourth of five community cards in flop games (e.g.
hold'em and omaha). Sometimes called fourth street.
Two Pair
A hand consisting of two cards of one rank, and two cards of
another rank (and an unpaired card). AA883 is two pair,
sometimes also called aces up. Wise guys often describe
their quads as two pair. "Let's see, I got a pair of tens
and... another pair of tens." Bad things happen to wise
guys.
Back to main poker terminology page |
