The poker world has become a subculture across the globe. In the United States alone, there are almost 60 million regular poker players. This subculture has been developed continuously since the year 1829 when it started in New Orleans. Just like with other subcultures, there have been several slangs attached to the game and more words are being derived everyday. If you’re new to playing poker, you need to learn as many words as you can before you get to the table. If you don’t, you’ll lose the game even before you start.

30 Popular Poker Slangs And What They Mean

1. What is the Big Blind Special?

If nobody raises a pre-flop during a game and the player on the big blind gets the big hand even with poor cards, they refer to it as the big band special. The player gets to see the flop for free and it is also called the blind special.

2. What is Action Card?

The action card, as the name implies, creates action. When it turns up, the players can make significant bets. At least two players involved will believe they have the upper hand in the game.

3. What are American Airlines?

This is the strongest starting hand in the game. It is also called pocket rockets or bullets. It is the slang that is used to refer to the pocket aces. Players who start with such strong cards tend to have an edge over other players in the beginning of the game.

4. What is 3Bet?

This is what happens when a player raises against the first person to raise on the table during the game.

5. What is Ajax?

Ajax refers to a starting hand with one jack and one aces. The word Ajax was derived from Ace-Jack. One word for each type of card.

6. What is Bonus Whoring?

This is an option players use to build their bankroll even when they don’t win much. All the player has to do is make a Bonus Whore deposit, clear out the bonus and withdraw the cash.

7. What is 6max?

This slang is used during a game when the number of players can’t exceed six on a single table. So, it’s an abbreviation of six maximums.

8. What is Ace High?

This term is used when the player has only a card with a high card of aces. It has its advantages and disadvantages.

9. Who are the Backers?

A backer is a person who supports others with the money they need to gamble on poker even when they are not playing. Anyone willing to take the risk can be a backer.

10. What is a Bee Stinger?

This term is used when an individual owes another player during the game. It can also be used when a player is ducked out or losing their hand.

11. What Does “All in the Flop Buddy” Mean?

This phrase was first used by Alfonse, a legendary New York poker player. This was what he used to say when people asked why he was using two cards preflop.

12. What is Avoidance?

When it comes to poker, avoidance means the same thing it does in the real world. It was introduced by Prahald Friedman during the World Series ESPN and Poker game and has been used ever since.

13. What Does Ante Off Mean?

This happens when someone is absent from the table and the antes make them broke.

14. What is Airball?

The word airball refers to when a poker player has missed their prospective outs in one hand.

15. What is the Backdoor?

This word is used in two ways; backdoor flushes and backdoor straights. When a player uses this backdoor arm, he or she has sucked out on the other players.

16. What Does 4Bet Mean?

4Bet is the word that is used when a player makes a re-raise raise against a 3Bet player.

17. What is Ammunition?

In the poker world, ammunition refers to chips. It is also called ammo just like in the real world.

18. What Does it Mean to Have a Blank Hand?

A card is said to be blank when it doesn’t hit any player in a hand. It also means that the player doesn’t have a solid stance yet.

19. What is a Bad Beat Story?

If a player enters a losing streak even when the stats are supposed to be in his favor and that hand continues to bring bad results, it is tagged a bad beat story.

20. What is Angle and Who Are the Angle Shooters?

Angle is the word that is used to refer to a maneuver during a game that gives a player a greater edge over other players. While there is no law against this move, some players consider it unethical. Anyone who has a habit of using an angle is called an angle shooter.

21. What is a Poker Arsenal?

Just like ammunition, this slang is combat-themed. It refers to everything that a player can use for a game at a given time. All the player’s cards, gears and moves make up the poker arsenal.

22. What Does it Mean to be Back Into a Hand?

A player is said to back into a hand when they set out to make one hand but draw out something else instead.

23. What Does Blowup Mean?

This word is used to refer to a psychological meltdown players use as tactics on other players to put them off the edge during a game.

24. What is a Boat/ Full Boat?

Full boat is used when there is a full house. It is among the highest ranking plays in poker.

25. What Does the Bottom End Mean?

A player is said to have the bottom end of a game when they get the worst version of the play. Things don’t look good after you get to the bottom end.

26. What Does Big Lick Mean in Poker?

Big lick refers to a band that is used in Hold’em, 69. It is a starting hand that has a 6 and a 9. It was initially used by poker players in Texas.

27. What is a Box in Poker?

In poker, the word box is used to refer to a table space that is occupied by the games dealer. The box is usually in the middle so everyone can see the dealer during the game. The chip trays are usually set up in the box.

28. What is a Poker Bounty?

Sometimes, players are assigned bounties and bounty hunters are sent after those players. Anyone who wins the bounty is awarded the prize from the pool.

29. What are BrokerStars?

When a player is running out of cash in their Pokerstars account, it is referred to as BrokerStarts. This word originated when Pokerstars was among the most popular recurring words in the poker world.

30. What is a Brown Trout?

This phrase was introduced by poker players who are members of the Two Plus Two Message (2p2) forums. These players usually identify themselves on poker tables with the word Brown Trout.

There are many other poker slangs used by players around the world but these thirty are among the most popular in the space.