Terms Starting with S

Sailboats

The nickname Sailboats was given to the Hold'em hand 44, a reference to how the number 4 looks like the profile of a boat. (read more)

Sam 'Ace' Rothstein

Sam 'Ace' Rothstein is the character in the film Casino who portrays real-life sports handicapper and Las Vegas casino executive Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal. (read more)

Sample Size

Sample size is the concept that takes into account the volume of poker that has been played in trying to determine the significance of a set of results. (read more)

Sandbagging

Sandbagging refers to when a player makes a call with a very good hand to disguise its strength to keep the opponent betting. (read more)

Sandia Casino

Sandia Casino is one of the premier places to play poker in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It has evolved from a tent in the desert to a full-blown hotel and casino. (read more)

Satellite

A satellite is a low-cost method for players to enter poker tournaments. Satellites exist into brick and mortar tournaments as well as online poker tournaments. (read more)

Scare Card

A scare card is one that makes players involved in a hand feel as if they may no longer hold the best cards. Overcards and flush cards are scare cards. (read more)

Scoop

Scooping is the process of winning a pot in a poker game. A scoop more literally refers to winning both halves of the pot in a game of hi-lo split. (read more)

SCOOP

SCOOP stands for Spring Championship of Online Poker, the newest online poker championship series created by PokerStars in 2009 as a counterpart to the WCOOP. (read more)

Score

Score refers to a windfall in a poker tournament or any large amount of money or prizes that is obtained within a brief period of time. (read more)

Scott Montgomery

Scott Montgomery took fifth place in the 2008 World Series of Poker main event that concluded in November. He earned $3M for this. (read more)

Scotty Nguyen

Scotty Nguyen is one of the most accomplished tournament professionals in history with 5 WSOP bracelets and 1 WPT title equaling over $10,300,000. (read more)

Screen Name

A screen name is an online alias used by poker players to identify themselves at a poker site. (read more)

Second Pair

The term second pair means that a player has the second biggest pair possible given the board. (read more)

Selective Memory

A poker player has selective memory when he picks and chooses specific hands to remember in order to prove a point, ignoring all other hands which disprove it. (read more)

Semi-Bluff

A semi-bluff is when a player bets hard with a draw, making players believe that he may have a stronger hand, but still holding a draw. (read more)

Sesh

Oftentimes poker players will use the word sesh to abbreviate the word session or poker session. (read more)

Session

The term session refers to the duration of time a player begins and ends playing poker. (read more)

Set

A set is poker slang for three of a kind. It's also sometimes called trips. A set is a dominant poker hand and will be the winner in many cases. (read more)

Set Under Set

The term set under set refers to when two players show their hands in a Hold'em or Omaha game and one has a higher set than the other. (read more)

Setmine

Setmining refers to the act of playing a pocket pair with the singular intention of flopping a set or else planning to ditch the hand in most other instances. (read more)

Sexy

Sexy is a slang way of referring to a move in poker that is suave, slick, unconventional, cunning, or otherwise attractive and unique. (read more)

Shallow Tables

Shallow Tables were introduced in January of 2010 at Full Tilt Poker to give the shortstackers a place to play as they allow buyins ranging from 20 to 40 BBs. (read more)

Shannon Shorr

Shannon Shorr is a poker player from Tuscaloosa, Alabama whose first major win was at the 2006 Bellagio Cup . He has cashed for over $3M in poker tournaments. (read more)

Shark

A shark is an expert poker player. Sharks prey on amateur players, often called fish or newbies. Sharks exist in poker tournaments and cash games. (read more)

Sharks with Lasers

At one point in the chat box on Full Tilt Poker, grimstarr expressed that he wish sharks with lasers would go after stevesbets. It didn't happen. (read more)

Sharkscope

Sharkscope is a popular website for tracking results of online poker tournaments, particularly sit-and-gos on Pokerstars and Full Tilt. (read more)

Shaun Deeb

Shaun Deeb is well known for his ability to play an unheard-of volume of online poker tournaments. He won the yearly TLB on Pokerstars in 2007 and 2008. (read more)

Shawn Buchanan

Shawn Buchanan is a highly accomplished poker player from Vancouver, British Columbia who won the WPT Mandalay Bay Poker Championship in 2007. (read more)

Shill

A shill is a casino employee who plays on house money and helps to start and fill games. (read more)

Ship It

Ship it is an expression said by poker players after they have won a pot as a way of saying 'send the money in the pot my way.' (read more)

Shooting Stars

Shooting Stars is a poker tournament held each spring at the Bay 101 casino in San Jose, California. One unique aspect of the event is 'pro bounties.' (read more)

Shootout

A shootout tournament is a larger poker tournament comprised of many smaller, single-table tournaments in which only the winners advance to (read more)

Short Buyin

A short buyin is a buy-in that is less than the minimum or standard amount for a given game. In live poker games, this is often a one-time option. (read more)

Short Stack

A short stack is a position in poker such that a player's chip stack is often smaller than his opponents' are. Being short on chips necessitates pushing all in. (read more)

Shorthanded

Shorthanded games are usually between 3-handed and 5-handed, although the term can be applied to any game that is playing with fewer players than the maximum. (read more)

Shortstacker

A shortstacker is poker player that buys into a cash game at the minimum buyin. (read more)

Shot Taker

Shot takers are those who play in games that they are either under-rolled for, or in games that present a very long shot of winning. (read more)

Showdown

Showdown occurs when players remaining in a hand turn over their cards to see who wons. This can occur with two ore more players remaining. (read more)

Shrew

Shrew is an adjective to describe an annoying and nitty gambler. (read more)

Shuffle

To shuffle is to mix playing cards in such a way that the deck is ordered randomly. It is a necessary procedure before the dealing of the cards takes place. (read more)

Shuffle Up and Deal

'Shuffle up and deal' is the self-explanatory phrase uttered--usually by a tournament director--before a poker tournament begins. (read more)

Sick

Sick is a slang term often used in poker in a variety of contexts both good and bad but typically express a form of shock or amazement. (read more)

Side Pot

A side pot is one formed when two or more players continue betting in a hand while one player is all in. It's the opposite of the main pot. (read more)

SilverStar

SilverStar is the 2rd Level of the PokerStars VIP Club and awards a 50% FPP multiplier and access to VIP tournaments and special store items. (read more)

Single Click Deposit

The term Single Click Deposit refers to a deposit method that is a way to fund your Full Tilt Poker account nearly instantly with a preset deposit method. (read more)

Sit and Go

Sit and Gos - or SNGs - are single table tournaments that begin when a fixed number of players register and usually end within an hour. (read more)

Sit and Go Madness

Sit and Go Madness is an occasional promotion at Full Tilt Poker where players compete in a leader board for Sit and Go tournaments for a weekend. (read more)

Sit n Go Strategy

Sit n Go Strategy is considered the best beginners guide to strategy for these games and is written by professional SNG player Collin Moshman. (read more)

Skin

A skin is one of several facades for an online poker room. Players at the skins sit at the same tables and use the same software. (read more)

Sklansky Bucks

Sklansky Bucks refers to the equity in a poker hand as opposed to the amount of actual money won. It is a way of analyzing EV as opposed to results. (read more)

Sleeper

Sleeper straddles are defined in contrast to 'live' straddles and can be placed from any position at the table, only becoming 'live' if the action is folded. (read more)

Slowplay

Slow play means that a person acts weak when they actually hold a strong hand. It has nothing to do with softplaying or with slowrolling. (read more)

Slowroll

To slow roll an opponent means to act weak while holding the nuts, taking time to reveal the hand with the express purpose of tilting or insulting an opponent. (read more)

Small Blind

The small blind is the smaller of two forced bets meant to ensure action in every hand. This small bet is often half the size of the big blind. (read more)

SMD

SMD means 'suck my dick,' often used in poker situations when someone wants to express bitterness or antipathy related to the outcome of a poker hand. (read more)

Smooth

Smooth is a term used to describe drawing to a good hand in a low-oriented game like 2-7 or having a fairly strong low hand in a stud game. (read more)

Smooth Call

A form of slow playing, smooth calling means just calling a bet with a dominant hand instead of raising. It's meant to trap your opponents. (read more)

Snapcall

Snapcall is usually meant as a metaphorical indication that the situation at hand is such an obvious call that it can be done quickly without further thought. (read more)

SNG

The acronym SNG is used in poker circles for Sit and Go, typically played as a freezeout tournament that usually is played on one single table. (read more)

Snowmen

The term Snowmen is slang for a specific hand for a hand in Hold'em when someone is dealt pocket eights, otherwise 88. (read more)

Soft

Soft is an adjective used to describe a poker game that is filled with weak competition and bad players--the opposite of a 'tough lineup.' (read more)

Softplaying

Softplaying refers to a form of cheating that involves playing a poker hand in a less profitbale manner than normal, usually for the benefit of an opponent. (read more)

Soul Read

The poker term soul read is often used to describe a crazy play that someone makes, purportedly because of a read they had on their opponent. (read more)

Sounds Rigged

Instead of saying 'that's too bad' many poker players will use the term 'sounds rigged' instead. (read more)

Speed Limit

The term Speed Limit is a nickname given to the starting hand of 55 in Hold'em, a reference to the speed limit on highways. (read more)

Speed Poker

Speed poker is a style of poker tournament that is rarely played. The main difference is that players have less time to act and make decisions (read more)

Spew

When poker players say spew, they are indicating that they feel like a certain play was not good and was spewing chips (or money). (read more)

Spewtard

A spewtard is a bad poker player that throws chips away recklessly. (read more)

Spite Call

Spite calls are made in thin or marginal situations in poker in an attempt to 'spite' the person whose bet you are calling. (read more)

Splash the Pot

To splash the pot is to haphazardly throw chips towards the main pot when you bet instead of stacking them in front of you for action. (read more)

Split Pair

Split pair is a seven card stud term that indicates one of the hidden downcards matches the exposed card on third street to make a pair. (read more)

Split Pot

A split pot occurs when two players hold the exact same hand in poker. The pot is chopped equally between them and then play continues with the next hand. (read more)

Sports Stars Challenge

The Sports Stars Challenge on PartyPoker is a promotion that allows a player on the site to win their way to a live poker tournament featuring big name sports h (read more)

Spot

Spot can mean one of two things--the weak spot in a poker game or an advantage given by one opponent to another in order to level a perceived skill edge. (read more)

Spread

Spread is a term used to denote the fact that a particular type of poker game is being offered. It is also part of the shuffling procedure. (read more)

Spread Limit

Spread limit refers to an infrequently played version of poker that can be accurately thought of as a hybrid between limit and big bet poker. (read more)

Spring Cash Dash

The Spring Cash Dash was a promotion held in April of 2009 at Titan Poker for ring game players which are put into a leader board on a point system. (read more)

Squeeze

Squeeze, or a 'Squeeze Play' involves re-raising after an open-raise and a call. In his books, Dan Harrington has described squeezing in depth. (read more)

SSNL

SSNL is an acronym popular on poker forums on the internet meaning 'Small Stakes No Limit'. (read more)

Stable

An equine metaphor, 'stable' refers to a collection of stakehorses backed for poker tournaments by one backer or backing partnership. (read more)

Stack

The word 'stack' can mean two things in poker--as a noun, the physical block of chips a player holds; as a verb, the action of taking an opponent's chips. (read more)

Stack-Off

Stacking off is a term that means going allin on a poker hand. It may indicate that the player going allin does not have a quality hand. (read more)

Stakehorse

Horse is the figurative term for a player who is backed. It is derived from the same notion that someone might have a financial interest in a racing horse. (read more)

Stand Up

When an online poker player selects Stand Up, it allows them to leave their seat without closing the table window. (read more)

Standard

Standard is a curt way for poker players to indicate that a certain decision is easy and not worthy of too much thought or attention. (read more)

Steal

The term steal referrers to the action of a player raising with position for the sole purpose of winning the blinds and/or antes. (read more)

Steam

Steaming is often a byproduct of tilt, a style of playing poker characterized by frustration, over-aggressive tendencies and a lack of rationality. (read more)

Steamraise

Steamraise refers to a raise made when a player is 'steaming' and on tilt. It is a leak in a player's game if he plays differently when steaming. (read more)

Steel Wheel

Steel Wheel is the lowest possible straight flush, using cards ace through five. It is most commonly seen in HiLo Split Games. (read more)

Step

The word step refers to a specialized tournament that leads to another tournament in a specific series that ends in a large prize. (read more)

Steve Albini

Steve Albini is a legendary record producer as well as being a fairly serious seven-card stud player. He is based out of Chicago. (read more)

Steve Gross

Steve Gross is an online professional poker player who won the FTOPS XI Event 10 and is a PocketFives Triple Crown Winner. (read more)

Steve Sung

Steve Sung is a Korean-born poker player who now lives in Southern California. He is a highly accomplished young tournament player. (read more)

Steve Zolotow

Steve Zolotow is a live poker professional who has won 2 WSOP bracelets and is known for being a poker theorist. (read more)

Stevebets

Steven Jacobs is better known as stevebets and is a member of Team PokerStars Online. (read more)

Steven Begleiter

Steven Begleiter is an Investment Firm Manager who finished 6th in the 2009 WSOP. (read more)

STFU

STFU is an acronym that stands for 'shut the fuck up,' a curt, agressive and self-explanatory way of telling someone to be quiet. (read more)

Sticky

A sticky player is one that is usually passive who floats a lot of boards and never folds if he or she catches any part of the board. (read more)

Stop and Go

A stop and go in poker is when a player calls a raise out of position and then bets when the next card is dealt. The stop-and-go is an advanced poker strategy. (read more)

Stop Loss

A stop loss is when a player set a particular limit to the amount they will lose in a session and if they hit that limit will immediately quit playing. (read more)

Stox Poker

Stox Poker is a popular coaching website that offers videos in a vast library in exchange for a monthly subscription fee. (read more)

Straddle

A live straddle occurs when the player under the gun bets twice the big blind before any cards are dealt. All players must call this raise to play. (read more)

Straight

Straights are stronger than three-of-a-kind and weaker than flushes in the ranking of poker hands. (read more)

Straight Flush

Straight flushes consist of five consecutive cards of the same suit., It is the highest ranking hand in most forms of poker. (read more)

Street

Street is the term used to describe a round of action in a poker game, such as the flop, turn and river in games that use community cards. (read more)

String Bet

A player makes a string bet when he places chips in front of him to bet, but then reaches back for more chips. String betting is not allowed in poker. (read more)

Strip Poker

Strip poker is a game played with the purpose of getting your opponent(s) naked. (read more)

Strong

Strong usually indicates a powerful hand in a poker game, an innovative play during a poker hand, or a mighty force related to poker, like the rake. (read more)

Structure

Structures refer to the format for a poker tournament. The primary aspects of a tournament structure are time levels, blind jumps and starting chips. (read more)

STT

STT stands for 'single table tournament' and is a type of Sit-n-Go. Most commonly a six, nine or ten handed tournament. (read more)

Stu Ungar

Stu Ungar died at the age of 45 after a rocky but illustrious career in poker. He was known for his aptitude in the card games gin rummy and poker. (read more)

Stuck

Stuck is a common poker colloqialism to describe being at a deficit over any time-frame or to be in the midst a losing gambling session. (read more)

Stud

Stud is a classic form of poker in which opponents are dealt three downcards and four upcards and must make the best five card hand. (read more)

Suckout

A suckout is when a statistical underdog in a hand draws out in order to win, thus overcoming the odds against him. Also called sucking out. (read more)

Suggestion Bet

A suggestion bet is a completely transparent bet that is made with the purpose of telling your opponents what hole cards you have. (read more)

Suicide King

A Suicide King is the nickname for the King of Hearts which is depicted with a knife going through his own head. (read more)

Suited

Two cards are suited when they are of the same suit. Suited connectors are two cards of the same suit in sequential order. (read more)

Suited Deck

A suited deck is one that has been organized by suit and rank. One is customary when a new game starts at a casino. (read more)

Suited Gappers

Suited Gappers are two cards that share the same suit but have a single gap in denomination between them, such as 7s 9s. (read more)

Sunday Lunch

The Sunday Lunch tournament is a big money event aimed at players in Australia and New Zealand. (read more)

Sunday Million

The Sunday Million is the largest weekly tournament in online poker. PokerStars hosts the event every Sunday, and it routinely draws a feild of 8,000 or more. (read more)

Sunday Warm-Up

The Sunday Warm-Up is a weekly online poker tournament on PokerStars that begins at 12:45 EST and usually pays around $100K to first place. (read more)

Super Satellite

Super Satellites are a mult-table tournament (MTT) form of satellite poker, usually giving away several seats to the target tournament as opposed to one. (read more)

Super System

Super System: A Course in Power Poker is a book compiled by Doyle Brunson, consisting of contributions by various poker players on different forms of poker. (read more)

Supernova

Supernova is the 5th Level of the PokerStars VIP Club and awards a 3.5x FPP multiplier and access to VIP tournaments and special store items. (read more)

Supernova Elite

The Supernova Elite level is the highest level of the PokerStars VIP Club and is worth over $114,000 in cash bonuses and promotions. (read more)

Superuser

Superusers are online players who are capable of seeing all the hole cards at a table. The discovery of superusers created a major scandal in online poker, (read more)

Surviving the Game

Surviving the Game is a major motion picture released in 1994 about bumhunters and bumhunting. It is about actually hunting bums, not in the poker sense. (read more)

Sustainable Rate

The phrase 'sustainable rate' refers to the ability (or inability) of a player to maintain the current win-rate over a long period of time. (read more)

Sweat

Sweat can refer to a couple of things in poker--mostly it describes the act of watching poker action as an interested party. (read more)

Swings

Swings are the short term wins and losses that are intrinsic to the gambling experience. In poker, swings are also sometimes referred to as 'variance.' (read more)

Swongs

Swongs are one thing, but... This famous lilholdem954 quote arose from an instant message chat with Peter #1PEN Neff. (read more)

Synchronized Breaks

When playing in more than one multi-table tournament simultaneously, synchronized breaks allow a player to take a break at all the tournaments at one time. (read more)