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- sandbag
- See slow play.
- satellite
- A tournament in which the prize is a free entrance to another (larger) tournament.
- scare card
- A card dealt face up (either to a player in a game such as stud or to the board in a community card game) that could create a strong hand for someone. The Jack of spades on the turn was a scare card because it put both flush and straight possibilities on the board.
- scoop
- In high-low split games, to win both the high and the low halves of the pot.
- second pair
- In community card poker games, a pair of cards of the second-top rank on the board. Second pair is a middle pair, but not necessarily vice-versa. Compare bottom pair, top pair.
- sell
- In spread limit poker, to sell a hand is to bet less than the maximum with a strong hand, in the hope that more of your opponents will call the bet.
- semi-bluff
- When a player bluffs on one round of betting with an inferior or drawing hand that might improve in a later round. See main article: semi-bluff.
- set
- Three of a kind, esp. the situation where two of the cards are concealed in the player's hole cards. Compare to "trips".
- set-up
- A deck that has been ordered, usually King to Ace by suit (spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds). In casinos, it is customary to use a set-up deck when introducing a new deck to the table. The set-up is spread face up for the players to demonstrate that all of the cards are present before the first shuffle. Also called to "spade the deck".
- sevens rule
- A rule in many A-5 lowball games that requires a player with a seven-low or better after the draw to bet, rather than check or check-raise. In some venues a violator loses any future interest in the pot; in others he forfeits his interest entirely.
- shark
- A professional player. See also card sharp.
- shoe
- A slanted container used to hold the cards yet to be dealt, usually used by casinos or in professional poker tournaments.
- shill
- See main article: shill. Compare to "proposition player".
- shootout
- A poker tournament format where the last remaining player of a table goes on to play the remaining players of other tables. Each table plays independently of the others; that is, there is no balancing as players are eliminated. This format is particularly common in European televised poker programs, including Late Night Poker.
- short buy
- In no-limit poker, to buy in to a game for considerably less money than the stated maximum buyin, or less than other players at the table have in play.
- short stack
- A stack of chips that is relatively small for the stakes being played. Compare with "deep stack", "big stack".
- shorthanded
- A poker game that is played with around six players or fewer, as opposed to a full ring game, which is usually nine or ten players. A tournament where all tables are shorthanded at all times is called a short table tournament.
- showdown
- When if more than one player remains after the last betting round, remaining players expose and compare their hands to determine the winner or winners. See main article: showdown.
- side game
- A ring game running concurrently with a tournament made up of players who have either been eliminated or opted not to play the tournament.
- side pot
- A separate pot created to deal with the situation of one player going "all in". See Betting (poker).
- sit and go
- A poker tournament with no scheduled starting time that starts whenever the necessary players have put up their money. Single-table sit-and-goes, with nine or ten players, are the norm, but multi-table games are common as well. Also called sit n' gos and a variety of other similar spellings.
- slow play
- See main article: slow play.
- slow roll
- To delay or avoid showing one's hand at showdown, forcing other players to expose their hands first. When done while holding a good hand likely to be the winner, it is considered poor etiquette, because it often gives other players "false hope" that their hands might win before the slow-roller's is exposed.
- small blind
- See main article: blinds.
- smooth call
- See "flat call".
- snow
- To play a worthless hand misleadingly in draw poker in order to bluff.
- The worthless hand in question.
- soft-play
- To intentionally go easy on a player (e.g. not betting or raising against him when you usually would). Soft play is expressly prohibited in most card rooms, and may result in penalties ranging from forced sit-outs to forfeiture of stakes or winnings.
- soft break
- Exchanging a large bill or chip into both chips and cash, when a player buys in. The cash is returned to the player and thus not in play.
- splash the pot
- To throw one's chips in the pot in a disorderly fashion. Not typically allowed, because the dealer can't tell how much has been bet.
- split
- See main article: split and high-low split.
- split two pair
- In community card poker, a two pair hand, with each pair made of one of your hole cards, and one community card.
- spread
- The range between a table's minimum and maximum bets.
- spread-limit
- A form of limit poker where the bets and raises can be between a minimum and maximum value. The spread may change between rounds.
- squeeze play
- A bluff reraise in no limit hold'em with less-than-premium cards, after another player or players have already called the original raise. The goal is to bluff everyone out of the hand and steal the bets. This play is most effective when a loose aggressive player opens the pot and is called by one or more passive / weak players. Assuming a standard raise of 3BBs, and only one caller, then the minimum bluff squeezing stack is generally accepted as being at least 18 BBs (this increases the more cold callers there are in the pot).
- stack
- The total chips and currency that a player has in play at a given moment.
- A collection of 20 poker chips of the same denomination, usually arranged in an orderly column.
- 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.
- staking
Staking is the act of one person putting up cash for a poker player to play with in hopes that the player wins. Any profits are split on a predetermined percentage between the backer and the player. A backed player is often known as a "horse". The player will then use the money to play in a tournament or ring game. Compare with "bankroll".
- stand pat
- In draw poker, playing the original hand using no draws, either as a bluff or in the belief it is the best hand.
- starting hand
- See main article: starting hand.
- steal
- See main article: steal.
- steam
- A state of anger, mental confusion, or frustration in which a player adopts a less than optimal strategy, usually resulting in poor play and poor performance. Compare to 'tilt'.
- stop and go
- Stop and go or stop 'n' go is when a player bets into another player who has previously raised or otherwise shown aggression. Example: On the flop, Bill bets into Tom, Tom raises, and Bill just calls. On the turn, Bill bets into Tom again. Bill has just pulled a stop 'n' go play.
- Another version of the "stop and go" is in tournament poker when a player raises pre-flop with the intention of going all in after the flop regardless of the cards that fall. This is typically done when the blinds are high and every chip becomes vital.
- straddle bet
- See main article: straddle bets.
- straight
- Poker hand: see main article: straight.
- When used with an amount, indicates that the speaker is referring to the total bet, versus the amount being raised. Alice bets twenty. Bob raises to fifty straight. Meaning he called twenty and raised thirty. Also "altogether" or "all day".
- straight flush
- See main article: straight flush.
- strategy card
- A wallet sized card that is commonly used to help with poker strategies in online and casino games.
- street
- A street is another term for a dealt card or betting round, e.g. as in first street, second street, third street (flop), fourth street (turn), fifth street (river)
- 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.
- structured
- A structured betting system is one where the spread of the bets may change from round to round.
- stud
- A variant of poker. See main article: stud poker.
- A card dealt face up in Stud poker.
- subscription poker
- Subscription poker is a form of online poker wherein users pay a monthly fee to become eligible to play in real-money tournaments.
- suck out
- A situation when a hand heavily favored to win loses to an inferior hand after all the cards are dealt. The winning hand is said to have "sucked out". Compare to "bad beat".
- suited
- Having the same suit. See card suits.
- suited connectors
- See main article: suited connectors.
- super satellite
- A multi-table poker tournament in which the prize is a free entrance to a satellite tournament or a tournament in which all the top finishers gain entrance to a larger tournament.
Read more about this topic: Glossary Of Poker Terms