Online Poker has exploded as a result of more poker on TV. Through the televising of the World Poker Tour and World Poker Series, everyone seems to want to get online for a piece of the action. Anyone can be playing online poker within minutes of setting up an account with one of the growing numbers of poker sites
Knowing the basic poker rules and poker online strategy is vital but it is also important to know how to talk the talk. There is nothing that will mark you out as a learner quicker than asking what NH means in the chatbox. So, check out the basics below to look like a pro.
Here is a quick summary of terms you need to know and online abbreviations for playing best online poker.
Typing in the chatbox at an online poker room
NH – short for Nice Hand
NB – Nice Bet / Nice Bluff or Nice Buy
NP – Nice Play
BB – Bad Beat
PP – Pocket Pair
GG – Good Game (well played) or Good God (how did you play that junk)
TY – Thankyou
Some other terms to know
All-In – When a player bets all his chips in on a hand. No-Limit Hold’em is the most popular and probably most skilled and exciting variation of Texas Hold’em when a player can go all-in on any hand. In Limit games, the bets and raises are fixed.
Bad Beat – A Bad Beat is when a player with a much stronger hand loses to a player with a much weaker hand who gets a lucky card or two when statistically he shouldn’t have. Generally, when a player with a strong hand makes a big bet early and gets called by a weaker hand only to get outdrawn on the river.
Blind – In Texas Hold’em, the blinds are compulsory bets made by the two people sitting to the left of the dealer. The first person to the left of the dealer is the small blind and the second is the big blind.
Check – When a player decides to not bet, he checks. This gives the possibility of a free card to all the players.
Heads Up – When there are only two players left playing a hand, they are playing heads up.
The Nuts – Statistically the best hand you can hold with the cards on the table.
Offsuit – Cards of different suits ie “I got dealt 72 off” (suit)
Pocket Pair – When you get dealt a pair in your hand.
Rake – The small percentage of pot over a certain amount that the poker room takes for hosting the game.
Short Stack – A player with the least amount of chips at the table.
Tell – A tell refers to players’ action which gives an indication to the other players of the strength of their hand.
The chat box in poker can be a useful tool for gathering information but beware that players will be trying to do the same as you or trying to feed you false info.
Above all do not get sucked into poker games online chat if you are easily tilted or can’t concentrate on your game. You want to be in control of not being controlled.
Happy playing!
Read more:
Survive in Your First Online Poker Tournaments
5 Tips for Running Bad in Online Poker