Mixed Game Poker Glossary

Core mixed-game terms

These terms show up across many mixed games, especially in dealer’s choice, mixed rotations, and split-pot formats.

Action

The betting decision currently on a player: check, bet, call, raise, or fold.

Ante

A small forced bet posted before the hand begins. Antes are common in stud games and many mixed-game tournament formats.

Bring-in

A forced bet in stud games. In Seven Card Stud and Stud 8, the lowest exposed card usually brings it in. In Razz, the highest exposed card usually brings it in.

Cap

A maximum betting limit in a hand or a pot-limit cap structure. Some mixed games use cap formats to keep big-bet variants from playing too deep.

Dealer’s choice

A format where players choose from an approved list of games when it is their turn to pick. The exact rules should be clear before the hand starts.

Fixed-limit

A betting structure with set bet sizes. Many classic mixed games are played fixed-limit.

Mixed game

A poker format where the game changes during the session, either by rotation, by hand, by orbit, or by dealer’s choice.

Orbit

One full round around the table. Some mixed games change variants after each orbit.

Pot-limit

A betting structure where the maximum bet or raise is based on the current size of the pot.

Rotation

The order in which games are played in a mixed-game format.

Split-pot terms

Split-pot terms are some of the most important words in mixed games because many expensive mistakes come from misunderstanding which part of the pot you are actually playing for.

8-or-better

A low qualifier requiring five unpaired cards ranked eight or lower. Omaha 8, Big O, and Stud 8 use 8-or-better low rules.

Chopping

Splitting the pot, usually because different players win different halves or tie for the same part of the pot.

Counterfeit

When a board card duplicates a low card you were using, weakening or ruining your low. This is especially common in Omaha 8 and Big O.

Freeroll

A spot where you are already in strong shape for one side of the pot while still drawing live to win the other side.

High half

The half of a split pot awarded to the best high poker hand.

Low half

The half of a split pot awarded to the best qualifying low hand.

Qualifier

A requirement a hand must meet to win a side of the pot. Examples include 8-or-better low in Omaha 8 and high qualifiers like 66+ or 99+ in Archie.

Quartered

When you tie for one half of the pot and receive only a quarter of the whole pot. This often happens when multiple players share the same low.

Scoop

Winning the entire pot. In split-pot games, scooping is the goal.

One-way hand

A hand that can realistically win only one side of a split pot. One-way hands can be playable, but they get expensive when opponents are live both ways.

Draw and lowball terms

Draw and lowball games use a lot of language around hand smoothness, draw counts, and whether the lowest or highest cards matter.

A-5 lowball

A lowball system where aces are low, straights and flushes do not count against you, and A-2-3-4-5 is the best hand.

2-7 lowball

A lowball system where aces are high, and straights and flushes count against you. The best hand is 7-5-4-3-2 with no flush.

Badugi

A four-card lowball hand with four different suits and no pairs. Any four-card Badugi beats any three-card Badugi.

Brick

A bad card that does not help your hand. In Razz or lowball, a high card or paired card is often called a brick.

Draw count

The number of cards a player draws. Draw counts are major information in draw games.

Drawing live

Having realistic cards left in the deck that can improve your hand to a winner.

Drawing dead

Continuing in a hand when no card can make your hand win the side of the pot you are chasing.

Pat

Drawing zero cards. A pat hand may be strong, marginal, or a bluff depending on the game and action.

Rough

A low hand with high supporting cards. For example, 8-7-6-5-A is a rough eight.

Smooth

A low hand with lower supporting cards. For example, 8-4-3-2-A is a smoother eight than 8-7-6-5-A.

Snow

A bluff in a draw game where a player stands pat and represents a made hand.

Wheel

A-2-3-4-5. In A-5 games and Razz, the wheel is the best low. In 2-7 games, it is not a good low because aces are high and straights count against you.

Stud terms

Stud games are visual games. Upcards, street order, folded boards, and live cards matter every hand.

Board

In stud games, a player’s visible upcards are often called that player’s board.

Dead card

A card that has already been exposed and is no longer available to be drawn or dealt later in the hand.

Door card

The first exposed card dealt on third street in a stud game.

Downcard

A face-down card in a stud hand.

Fifth street

The fifth card dealt to each remaining player in a stud game. This is often where the larger bet size begins.

Live card

A card that has not been exposed and may still be available. Live-card tracking is one of the most important stud skills.

Rolled up

Three of a kind on third street in Seven Card Stud or Stud 8.

Split pair

A pair where one card is hidden and one card is showing.

Street

A betting round in stud games. Stud hands run from third street through seventh street.

Upcard

A face-up card in a stud hand. Upcards are public information and should remain visible in the order they were dealt.

Flop-game terms

Omaha-style games use community cards, but exact card usage is often the most important beginner rule.

Board card

A shared community card used by all players in flop games.

Community cards

Cards dealt face up in the center of the table. Omaha 8 and Big O use community cards.

Exactly two

In Omaha-style games, you must use exactly two cards from your hand and exactly three cards from the board.

High-only hand

A hand that can win high but has little or no chance to win low in a split-pot flop game.

Low board

A board with enough low cards to make an 8-or-better low possible.

Nut low

The best possible low hand given the board. Chasing non-nut lows in split-pot games can be expensive.

Game-name glossary

These are short definitions of the main games covered on this site.