This is usually a sign of a strong hand. The player is pretending that he’s not excited about his cards – but he is.
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| loose | See loose/tight play. Compare to "tight", "aggressive", "passive". | U |
| overs | An option to increase the stakes in limit games. Players may elect to play or not play overs; those who choose to play display some sort of token. If, at the beginning of a betting round after the first, only overs players remain in the hand, bets of twice the present limit are allowed. Most often used in home games as a compromise between aggressive and meek players. | U |
| top pair | In community card poker games, top pair is a pair comprising a pocket card and the highest ranking card on the board. Compare second pair, bottom pair. | U |
| Anxiety | Anxiety typically occurs in people when they are confronted, or anticipating confrontation. Psychologists call this the "Fight or Flight" stimulus response, which links back to the days when we were cavemen/cavewomen. Physical changes happen including flexing of muscles, eye pupil dilation, palpitating heart rate, dry throat. In poker, when someone has a big hand they are typically ready for confrontation and can exhibit some of these characteristics. You may see the chest expanding abnormally, or you may notice the players voice become slightly higher as he makes a comment. Some of the top players in the game will stare at the vein on the top-side of your face for blood pressure changes. During a bluff, the player may demonstrate anxiety, but if he knows he will fold the hand if re-raised (non-confrontational end) may look quite comfortable. | U |
| string bet | A call with one motion and a later raise with another, or a reach for more chips without stating the intended amount. String bets are prohibited in public cardroom rules. Compare to "forward motion". A player can (and should) defend himself against string bet complaints by declaring his intention before moving any chips. Note that the "I call, and raise..." cliche is a string bet. | U |
| second pair | In community card poker games, a pair of cards of the second-top rank on the board. Compare bottom pair, top pair. | U |
| half bet rule | In some casinos, the rule that placing chips equal to or greater than half the normal bet amount beyond the amount required to call constitutes a commitment to raise the normal amount. For example, in a game with a $4 fixed limit, a player facing a $4 opening bet who places $6 in the pot is deemed to have raised, and must complete his bet to $8. Compare to "full bet rule". See Public cardroom rules (poker) and "all in" betting. | U |
| pocket cards | See "hole cards". | U |
| stakes | The definition of the amount one buys in for and can bet. For example, a "low stakes" game might be a $10 buy-in with a $1 maximum raise. | U |
| M-ratio | See M-ratio. | U |