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Whatever you might have heard to the contrary, poker is a gravely sombre business meant to be taken very seriously by all who partake. However, poker is also very much a game and therefore gets roped into the same stable as other fun pursuits.

With ever growing numbers of new players from around the world being switched on to poker every day, its no wonder so many players are at first confused and bewildered by this array of strange terms and phrases that characterise this immortal form of entertainment, or serious business as you prefer.

To help those who are fumbling through this maze of oddities and double talk, we’ve put together a short list that explains some of the more common terms used in the every day game. The origins of many of these terms remains unknown, most likely having been coined during the game’s infancy in the bar rooms and gambling saloons of a forgotten era. Of course, you don’t need to know these terms at all. Indeed, you can play your way through a poker tournament without saying more than a handful of words to anyone, except maybe the dealer. But it helps enormously when you can decipher what other players are mumbling under their breaths as some tend to do without realising and thereby giving their strategy away.

Knowing these terms may not earn you the respect of your peers as a serious poker player as being a consistent winner will do, but it will certainly help you to keep up with the Joneses by knowing what is going down between your opponents and every little piece of leverage is worth its weight in gold. So here are some of the favourite terms demystified.

Bad Beat: This is where a heavily favoured hand is beaten by a barely average one when its owner picks up the one card that transforms it into a winner. This happens surprisingly often in poker and is cause for much raised blood pressure and fits of frustration!

Bubble: This is the point in a game that no poker player likes to find themselves in. It’s where only one player has to bust out before the others all win some loot. Its like forgetting to buy a lottery ticket only to find out the next day that your regular numbers came up.

Crying Call: This is a call that you feel you must make even though you are expecting to lose because the pot odds are so good.

Dolly Parton: This is a 5 through 9 straight, as in “9 to 5”…

Fish: A novice or poor player who is easily relieved of his money. Generally, the good players will try not to upset the poor players in case they leave and take their money with them. Hence the associated phrase “Don’t tap on the aquarium”

Flop: The first 3 community cards dealt together and face up   

Gypsy In: Slightly derogatory term meaning to call or limp in. Similar to “Honky In”

Hole: Another name for your pocket cards

Pocket Rockets: Holding two Aces as your pocket cards

Throwing a Party: This is a term given to a bunch of amateurish players who are increasing the size of an already substantial pot by making frivolous bets

The poker world is a constantly changing animal, with new players coming into the game all the time. They bring with them ever more imaginative terms that sometimes stick and before long become part of the game. Here are a few of these newer examples of poker jargon that are grabbing the imagination of players everywhere.

Donkey: Another term for a fish, or a sucker or even a tourist. It describes an amateur or poor player who is readily relieved of his bankroll by more experienced players. It can also be used to denote really stupid play by a player who should know better, as in the phrase,” I just played that last hand like a complete donkey!” 

Frenzy: Following some bad luck or playing like a donkey, this is a volatile state of mind similar to on-tilt. It defines reckless betting, often signalling the competition’s end for the player.

Felt: This is another way of saying to really bust someone, as in “I had to felt him for that last bad beat”. It’s a cool, descriptive term which evokes the image of a player with nothing left but the table felt to look at.

We hope you liked that short list of catchy poker jargon and what it all means. New terms are continually creeping into the vocabulary of players while others lose their zing, so be sure to keep abreast of things and you won’t go far wrong.