Poker Dictionary: Poker Words Beginning With C

Call

To match a bet.

If a player thinks their hand can win, they will most likely Call or raise.

Call Cold

To call both a bet and a raise.

To Call Cold gives the impression that you have a strong hand.

Calling Station

A loose player who often checks and calls, but seldom raises.

You can always count on a Calling Station to contribute to the pot without fighting you for it.

Cap

A cap is used in a limit game when betting the last amount allowed before the maximum number of raises is reached.

Once the Cap has been met, that is the end of the betting for that round.

Card Speak

The value of the final hand is determined by visible cards and not what the player states.

No matter what a player says about his or her hand, the Cards Speak for themselves.

Cash Out

To cash your chips and take your money.

Sometimes it is wise to Cash Out while you are ahead.

Catch

When a player is dealt the card that he or she needs to make a certain hand.

“I need to Catch an Ace in order to hit the straight.”

Center Pot

The main pot used to place all bets.

“If you've got a bet to make, place it in the Center Pot .”

Chat

A feature used in online poker where players are able to talk to each other through typing messages back and forth.

“You can Chat all you want, but we're here to play poker.”

Check

To bet nothing. A poker chip is also sometimes called a check.

If there is no previous bet made, a player can Check .

Check-Raise

To check in one round and raise in the next round of betting.

The Check-Raise is a tricky way to make opponents think that you don't have a good hand.

Chop

(1.) To split a pot because of a tie. This is also referred to as splitting the pot.

(2.) To play a game for a short time and cash out. This is also referred to as hit and run.

“He Chopped the pot, then Chopped the game.”

Clubs

One of the four card suits.

Clubs can sometimes be lucky; after all… they do look like clovers.

Coffee-housing

To discuss a hand currently being played with the hopes of misleading an opponent(s) about your hand.

“He was Coffee-housing all night, but I was able to catch his tells.”

Coin Toss

When two players go all in, and each have a good chance of winning.

“It was a complete Coin Toss , and it came down to the river to see who won.”

Cold Call

To call a bet and a raise at the same time.

“His illusion was shot down by his Cold Call .”

Collusion

When two players collaborate with the intent of cheating.

In the movie Rounders, Matt Damon and Edward Norton are caught in the act of Collusion .

Come Hand

A drawing hand.

Staying in a hand in hopes of getting a card you need is called a Come Hand .

Community Cards

The cards in the middle of the table that belong to each player in the hand. These cards lay face up.

“The Community Cards can be used by all the players, but they can only help one player win.”

Complete Hand

A hand that is defined by all of its cards – straight, flush, full house, or four of a kind.

A Complete Hand can only be called that if it has all of the necessary cards.

Connectors

Two or more pocket cards that connect by rank.

“The ten and Jack were the perfect Connectors to get me that 8 – Q straight.”

Counterfeit

When your made straight is duplicated by the board cards. In turn, it becomes less valuable because all players now share that hand.

“I had 4,5… 6,7,8 came on the flop, then 4,5 came on the turn and river making my hand Counterfeit .”

Crap Shot

A tournament with a minimal skill being played and lots of loose action.

“This game is a lot more tight than that Crap Shot I played in last night.”

Crack

To beat a good hand. This is sometimes referred to as “being cracked.”

“My straight was Cracked by his flush.”

Cripple or Crippled

To have most, or all, of the cards that one would want to have with the current board. For instance, if you have pocket queens, and the other two queens flop, you have “crippled the deck.”

If a player Cripples the Deck, he or she leaves no cards that can help anyone else beat them.

Crying Call

To complain about your cards as you make a call. A crying call is sometimes used when a player is trying to bluff about their cards.

“I could tell it was a Crying Call because of the way he whined, then quickly called my raise.”

Cut

To split the cards in half before dealing.

The deck is Cut to reduce the possibility of the dealer stacking the deck.

Cut-Off

The seat to the right of the dealer.

The Cut-Off is the second last player to act.