Category: My news, views and fun facts

Learning to speak Texas Hold’em as well as you play it is all part of the fun and excitement of the world’s most popular poker game!
Some of the terms and slang used are self-explanatory, some humourous, others startlingly apt, but all very relevant to the game and your knowledge of it.
To help you along we have put together a comprehensive list of terms. Read them, memorise the ones you find worthy of repeat, and begin to speak Hold’em as well as you play it!
This covers the letter ‘S’. The remainder of the alphabet will be gradually introduced to allow meanings to soak in.
Have fun reading!

S is for:

Satellite:

• A satellite tournament is one that awards the winners entry into another, larger tournament

Scare Card:

• This is a card that has the potential of giving you or your opponent a winning hand

Scoop:

• Very nice to have! When a player wins both the high and the low pots in a split pot game

Semi-Bluff:

• When a player with a strong drawing hand makes a bet before completing their hand

Set:

• 3-of-a-kind with 2 of the cards being hole cards

Set-up:

3 different meanings:
• Cards used by the dealer
• When 2 players have no choice but to get it all in
• A pre-ordered deck that is used to cheat another player

Shark:

• Be aware if playing against a Shark, they are strong, experienced poker players

Shoot:

• This is to make 1 final call and by doing so agreeing to check on all remaining streets

Shootout:

• This is a tournament where a player has to defeat all players on their table before they can move on

Short Buy:

• When a player buys in for less than the minimum amount. In general, a player can short buy once while at the table and only after they have bought in at least once for a legitimate amount

Short Stack:

• Any player that does not have many chips left is on the short stack

Short Handed:

• This term is used on a table that only has a few players. Occurrences include cash games before others buy in and tournaments when there are only a few players left. Short handed games can have a huge effect on a player’s starting hand ranges

Showdown:

• Once the 5 community cards are dealt and all betting rounds over, if there is still more than 1 player left with cards, those involved will turn over their cards to establish who has the best hand and therefore wins the pot

Side Game:

• This is when a ring game runs concurrently with a tournament

Side Pot:

• In Texas Hold’em games when a pot has 3 or more players remaining with 1 of them all-in, a side pot will be created to enable the players who still have chips to continue betting until the showdown. It should be noted that the player who is ‘all-in’ can only win the initial pot and not the side pot

Sit and Go:

• This is a poker tournament style where the game commences once a certain number of players have entered. The majority of ‘sit and go’ tournaments are single table and consist of 9 or 10 players

Slow Play:

• This is when a player intentionally plays a very strong hand slowly in order to convince other players that their weaker hand is the best. Another term for Slow Play is “Sandbag”

Slow Roll:

• This will not win you any friends as it is frowned upon by poker players. It is when a player intentionally takes longer than necessary to show a winning hand in a showdown, or calls another large bet when holding a very strong hand

Small Blind:

• This is the smaller of the 2 forced bets that all players must place pre-flop. You are in the Small Blind Position when sitting directly to the left of the dealer

Splash the Pot:

• When a player tosses their chips into the pot and makes it difficult to see the amount of chips actually thrown

Split Pot:

• When 2 or more players have the same hand on showdown the pot is split between them

Split Two Pair:

• When a player pairs the rank of both of their hole cards

Spread:

• This is the table range between minimum and maximum bets

Spread-Limit:

• A betting structure which allows players to bet any amount between a set minimum and maximum figure

Squeeze:

• An aggressive play. It is seen when a player raises after an initial bet has been laid and others have already called the bet

Stack:

Two meanings:
• These are chips a player has in play on the table
• A stack of exactly 20 chips all of the same denomination

Steal:

• Taking a pot uncontested by making a modest, well-timed bet

Steam:

• To be avoided! This is when a player works themselves into a state of anger which induces Tilt

Stop and Go:

• An advanced poker play. It is when a player who has previously only checked and called suddenly takes the lead betting on a later street

Straddle:

• A bet from the player sitting to the left of the Big Blind (BB). It is usually double the amount of the BB bet. It also acts as a 3rd blind. The straddling player can then either check or re-raise once the action returns to them

Straight:

• 5 cards in sequential order. The ace can be used as a high or a low card

Straight Flush:

• A straight but with cards all of the same suit

Streets:

• The turn is known as 4th Street, the River as 5th Street. Together they are known as ‘Streets’

Suck-Out:

• Hitting a lucky card to beat a much better hand

Suited:

• A player is suited when holding 2 cards of the same suit

Suited Connectors:

• 2 cards of the same suit in sequential order. Example: A 10 and Jack of Clubs are suited connectors
That’s it for the letter S in our installment of “Texas Hold’em – The A-Z of Poker speak”. There is little doubt you will be familiar with some of the terms above, but hopefully you have added to your Texas Hold’em vocabulary with ones previously unheard of.

There’s lots more to come:

Do keep a close eye out as we build this extensive compendium on the A-Z of Hold’em jargon. It will add to your knowledge of common terms as well as the more obscure ones. What is more, you will be able to impart your knowledge to friends as well as foes!
Our final article covers the letters ‘T-Z’ and includes the reasons you should take a break if heading towards the ‘Tilt’, what a ‘Wet Board’ is, and why a ‘Wheel’ is certainly not the worst hand to have!

Learning to speak Texas Hold’em as well as you play it is all part of the fun and excitement of the world’s most popular poker game!
Some of the terms and slang used are self-explanatory, some humourous, others startlingly apt, but all very relevant to the game and your knowledge of it.
To help you along we have put together a comprehensive list of terms. Read them, memorise the ones you find worthy of repeat, and begin to speak Hold’em as well as you play it!
This covers the letter R. The remainder of the alphabet will be gradually introduced to allow meanings to soak in.
Have fun reading!

R is for:

Rabbit Hunt:

• This is to see what would have come on later streets once the hand has finished

Rack:

• These are the trays used to carry chips. It is typical for a rack to hold 5 rows of 20 chips each

Rags:

• These are cards which do not have any value and offer a low chance of winning any hand

Rail/Railbird:

• The rail is the edge of a poker table which is usually raised and padded. A railbird is a fan or spectators watching the game’s action

Rainbow:

• These are community cards, all of different suits. They can occur either on the flop or the turn

Raise:

• When a player makes a raise, they are betting more and in addition to another player’s bet

Rake:

• Cash games at a casino or online will take a cut from each hand to make money. The rake depends upon such things as the location and generally has a cap to ensure not too much money is deducted from large pots. Sometimes called the “Vig” or “Viggorish”

Rake Back:

• Some online operators will return a certain amount of the ‘Rake’ taken from players either as part of a promotional campaign or a ‘player’s club’ reward scheme

Range:

• The possible hands of an opponent

Re-Buy:

This has 2 meanings and is also known as Reload:
1. Some tournaments allow players to re-enter once they have busted out. This is done through a re-buy
2. In cash games if a player has below a certain amount of chip they can re-buy additional chips

Re-deal:

• If a hand is misdealt then a re-deal is carried out

Re-draw:

• Making one hand but then having a draw for a better one

Represent:

• This is when a player plays their hand as if it was a specific hand. Regardless of whether that is what they are holding or not

Reverse Implied Odds:

• This is an estimate of the amount a player could lose if they hit the draw but their hand is still worse than an opponent’s

Reverse Tell:

• When a player intentionally tries to deceive their opponent by acting in a way which suggests a common tell, but it is actually the opposite. Also known as a “false” tell

Ring Game:

• This is an alternative name for a cash game where real money is gambled on each hand. In ring games players may come and go as they please and can re-buy in the event they run out of money

River:

• The 5th and final community card which is dealt face-up on the board. It is also known as 5th street

Rock:

• Classed as a very tight player. They rarely play anything but the best of hands

ROI:

• While this is a standard financial term and means “Return On Investment” it is used to work out how much a player is making. To calculate ROI simply divide your profit by your expenses and then multiply by 100. This will give you your ROI percentage

Royal Flush:

• Yes please! This is the best possible hand in poker. It is when a player has a straight from 10 to Ace all of the same suit

Rounder:

• This term refers to a player who plays poker for a living. The term originated from players who ‘made the rounds’ by visiting all the high stakes games they could find

Runner:

• In general, this refers to the turn and river when a player catches cards on both to beat another hand. It is possible to make a ‘runner flush’ when getting Hearts on the turn and on the river

Running Good/Running Bad:

• Indicates a stretch of good/bad luck with the cards

Rush:

• What you want! This is a prolonged winning streak. Also referred to as a “Heater”
That’s it for the letter R in our installment of “Texas Hold’em – The A-Z of Poker speak”. There is little doubt you will be familiar with some of the terms above, but hopefully you have added to your Texas Hold’em vocabulary with ones previously unheard of.

There’s lots more to come:

Do keep a close eye out as we build this extensive compendium on the A-Z of Hold’em jargon. It will add to your knowledge of common terms as well as the more obscure ones. What is more, you will be able to impart your knowledge to friends as well as foes!
Our next article continues with the letter ‘S’ and includes why a ‘Scare Card’ can be good or bad, why you should be wary of the ‘Sharks’ out there, and the reason to take a break if the ‘Steam’ comes over you!

Image by to Neil Stoddart
Credits to Neil Stoddart and PokerStars

The greatest marketers in the world know they have to treat different people differently.
How do you do that if you are PokerStars?
There is a man in a suit sitting on the crapper playing a Spin & Go, a grandmother in her seventies sits by the kitchen table, bacon & egg pie baking in the oven as she competes in a play money cash game, and the grinder sits behind cartons of used Pot Noodles multi-tabling 12-tables.
Different people.
Different reasons for playing.
The marketer needs to find the common thread that unites them all: emotion. People want what you make to change how they feel. The thing you create is merely a vehicle that drives you to the doorstep of belonging, joy, tension and a change in status. The PokerStars Player’s No-Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) is that vehicle.
For the past 12-months, PokerStars has created a compelling storyline that has resonated with the poker community so loudly, brightly, and snugly that 719 people paid $25,000 to compete in a poker tournament. Include the 320 people that PokerStars gave a seat for nothing (at the cost of $9.6m), then you have a record 1,039 player field for a $25,000 event. The largest ever held in the history of our game.
For one crazy week in January, PokerStars made it possible for the media to ask the valet at the Atlantis if he was playing. Suddenly, everyone was potentially a high stakes poker player. It’s proof positive that if you invest time and effort in a long term marketing strategy, and deliver what you promise, then your customers will find a way to play.
Have they delivered?
Yes.
The feeling on the ground as Bruce Buffer grabbed the microphone and battered it like a rock star on Day 1 was incredible. The energy was incredible. It felt like being on the floor of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event for the very first time.

Image by Neil Stoddart
Credits to Neil Stoddart and PokerStars

Tension.
Anticipation.
Status.
It had everything.
Two days in, and there are 207 players left. The prizepool of $26,455,500 is the 18th largest ever, and the most significant outside of the WSOP Main Event and Big One for One Drop.
181 players receive a minimum of $25,450.
Players who make the final table pick up $509,000.
The top six finishers earn a minimum of a million dollars.
The winner emerges with $5,100,000.

Credits to Neil Stoddart and PokerStars
Credits to Neil Stoddart and PokerStars

Here are those payouts.
Final Table Payouts
1. $5,100,000*
2. $2,974,000
3. $2,168,000
4. $1,657,000
5. $1,304,000
6. $1,012,000
7. $746,000
8. $509,000
*Includes $1m added by PokerStars
Here are the top 10 chip counts.
Top 10 Chip Counts
1. Farid Jattin – 921,000
2. Mustapha Kanit – 888,000
3. Griffin Benger – 885,000
4. Julien Martini – 832,000
5. Athanasios Polychronopoulos – 797,000
6. Samuel Tsehai – 750,000
7. Martins Adeniya – 748,000
8. Marc Perrault – 725,000
9. Ramin Hajiyev – 720,000
10. Alexandre De Zutter – 700,000
And that’s how you treat different people differently.
You make them all feel the same.

Learning to speak Texas Hold’em as well as you play it is all part of the fun and excitement of the world’s most popular poker game!
Some of the terms and slang used are self-explanatory, some humourous, others startlingly apt, but all very relevant to the game and your knowledge of it.
To help you along we have put together a comprehensive list of terms. Read them, memorise the ones you find worthy of repeat, and begin to speak Hold’em as well as you play it!
This covers the letters P-Q. The remainder of the alphabet will be gradually introduced to allow meanings to soak in.
Have fun reading!

P is for:

Pair:

• A fairly obvious starter! 2 cards of the same rank

Paints:

• Picture or Face cards: Jacks, Queens, Kings

Pass:

• When a player folds

Pay Off:

• When a player calls on the final round. This is regardless of whether they think they may or may not have the best hand

Play Back:

• When a player raises or re-raises another players ‘play’

Play the Board:

• When playing Hold’em, any player whose hole cards are worse than the hand all cards on the board show, means that player will use the 5 community cards as their hand

Pocket Cards:

• The 2 face-down cards a player is dealt that belong solely to them

Pocket Pair:

• This donates a player holding a pair as their 2-hole cards

Pocket Rockets:

• When you are dealt a pair of aces as hole cards. Chances are slim! The odds for getting dealt this hand are 220:1

Position:

• A player’s position as to where they are sitting in relation to the dealer button. As the button moves you will be classed as being in an early, middle or late position. There are also individual names for certain positions such as: Small Blind (SB), Big Blind (BB), Under the Gun (UTG), Hijack, Cutoff and Dealer

Post:

• Placing your chips in the pot is ‘posting a play’. A player must post the Blinds

Pot:

• Make it yours! The pot is the amount of money made up of bets and calls that sits in the middle of the table

Pot Committed:

• In general, if there is a huge pot compared to a players remaining stack then they are ‘pot committed’ to that hand and can’t fold

Pot Odds:

• Amount of money in the pot at any time compared to how much a player needs to call in order to stay in that hand. Pot odds should be used to make decision during a game. Example: $200 in the pot and the bet you need to call is $20 – The pot odds are 10:1. This means that if your hand should win 1 in 10 times or more – make the call

Pre-Flop:

• Refers to before the 1st 3 community cards being dealt as well as during the 1st round of betting

Prize Fund/Prize Money:

• This is calculated on the number of tournament entrants and is multiplied by the entry stake to give the total amount in the prize fund

Protect:

• When a player makes a bet in order to get others to fold. Meaning their hand has better odds of a win against fewer other opponents

Push:

This has two meanings:
1. When the dealer pushes the chips to the winning player at the end of a hand
2. When dealers rotate to other tables

Q is for:

Quads:

• 4 of a kind

Qualifier/Qualifying Low:

• A hand needs to be eligible for half of the pot in High-Low games

Quarter:

This has 2 meanings:
1. It can be a $25 chip, or a $2,500 bet, dependent upon the game stakes
2. In High-Low games when a player wins a quarter of the pot. It occurs when a player has the same low hand as another player. In this case they only win 50% of the low half of the pot
That’s it for the letters P-Q in our installment of “Texas Hold’em – The A-Z of Poker speak”. There is little doubt you will be familiar with some of the terms above, but hopefully you have added to your Texas Hold’em vocabulary with ones previously unheard of.

There’s lots more to come:

Do keep a close eye out as we build this extensive compendium on the A-Z of Hold’em jargon. It will add to your knowledge of common terms as well as the more obscure ones. What is more, you will be able to impart your knowledge to friends as well as foes!
Our next article continues with the letter ‘R‘ and includes the reasons why ‘Rags’ are not what you want, a ‘Royal Flush’ is definitely what you do want and the ‘Rabbit Hunt’ is interesting to see!

Once upon a time, on a cloud overlooking The Rhine, a choir of angels dusted their hands with flour and began needing the dough that would create the best poker players on the planet.
Fedor Holz.
Steffen Sontheimer.
Dominik Nitsche.
Manig Loeser.
Koray Aldemir.
Julian Thomas.
Rainer Kempe.
Stefan Schillhabel.
I could keep going, but I need to get this over and done with before my fingers snap in this cold.
Where was I?
Ah yes, angels and dough.
When these majestic creatures landed on earth, they remained as one. Add a hint of Vorsprung Durch Technik, and you have a movement designed to dominate poker.
Some things change.
Some things don’t.
The $300,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl V was not a happy stomping ground for the German crew with the seven ITM spots all devoid of a flag containing black, red and yellow.
German Flag
After the event, the gang scattered like autumn leaves. Some went to feed the ducks, others had dirty sheets to change, and some stayed in Las Vegas hoping to find better luck – like Manig Loeser.
The former Triton Poker Series Champion topped a 1,250-entrant $400 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack event at The Venetian. Loeser picked up $74,323 for the win after beating the Network Marketing God, Eric Worre, in heads-up action.

Monster Stack Final Table Results

1. Manig Loeser – $74,323
2. Eric Worre – $46,063
3. Chris Banks – $33,500
4. Satish Surapaneni – $25,586
5. Eric Baldwin – $19,263
6. Sevak Papelian – $14,656
7. Dominic Guarnieri – $11,306
8. Eidan Azuly – $8,794
The win was Loeser’s sixth of his career, and the second in December, after winning a 42-entrant $25,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event at The World Poker Tour (WPT) Five Diamond World Poker Classic for $321,300.
Here’s a reminder of final positions in that one.
$25k Final Table Results
1. Manig Loeser – $321,300
2. Elio Fox – $308,700
3. Jake Schindler – $168,000
4. Dan Smith – $105,000
5. Cary Katz – $84,000
6. Nick Petrangelo – $63,000

Rainer Kempe Wins GPI Germany Player of the Year

Loeser earned $3,059,305 in 2018, slightly down on the $3,902,718 made in his High Roller breakout year of 2017, and his performances netted him a third-place finish in the incredibly competitive German Global Poker Index (GPI) Player of the Year (PoY) race.
Two people finished ahead of Loeser.
Dominik Nitsche took second.
Rainer Kempe took the lot.

GPI Germany PoY Top 10

1. Rainer Kempe – 3,172.45
2. Dominik Nitsche – 3,147.22
3. Manig Loeser – 3,071.59
4. Jan Eric-Schwippert – 2,991.08
5. Robert Heidorn – 2,349.20
6. Koray Aldemir – 2,238.83
7. Marvin Rettenmaier – 2,172.72
8. Ismael Bojang – 1,994.70
9. Ole Schemion – 1,931.26
10. Robin Hegele – 1,803.23
Kempe made money an incredible 41-times in live tournaments throughout 2018, making 26 final tables, and winning six of them. All told, Kempe earned $5,705,799 playing live tournaments, his second-best haul (the best being a 2016 haul of $6,627,498 the year he won the Super High Roller Bowl for $5m).
How did he beat such a powerful and populous field?


And talking about those Esports guys.

No-Limit Gaming Move Into Counter-Strike Territory

2018 was an important year for Stefan Schillhabel who created No-Limit Gaming (NLG) an Esports and Poker organisation backed by his buddies Fedor Holz and Steffen Sontheimer.
They began by creating an impressive roster of poker content providers including the German stars made out of the angel dough, a sprinkling of the best Austrians in the clubhouse, Ana Marquez, Kenny Hallaert and Niall Farrell.
Fortnite star Daniel “likandoo’ Keller joined the team in October, and now they have a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) team who will represent NLG at ESL Germany, 99Damage and ESEA.
I wonder?
Is there another choir of angels preparing to mix more dough, this time with a hint of Esports seasoning?
Rainer Kempe hopes so.

Learning to speak Texas Hold’em as well as you play it is all part of the fun and excitement of the world’s most popular poker game!
Some of the terms and slang used are self-explanatory, some humourous, others startlingly apt, but all very relevant to the game and your knowledge of it.
To help you along we have put together a comprehensive list of terms. Read them, memorise the ones you find worthy of repeat, and begin to speak Hold’em as well as you play it!
This is part 6 covering the letter O. The remainder of the alphabet will be gradually introduced to allow meanings to soak in.
Have fun reading!

O is for:

Odds:

• This indicates the statistical chance of any outcome. In most cases it is shown as a ratio.

Off suit:

• When a player is holding 2-hole cards of different suits

On the Button:

• The Dealers position – The last player to act in a round

On their backs:

• When 2 or more players are all-in and no other player has bet. Players turn over their cards and the remainder of the board is dealt

On Tilt:

• It happens to the best of us! It is when a player has had a few bad beats and their emotions begin to take over. The problem is, you are risking making things worse rather than better because in this state a player tends to chase their losses rather than accepting and moving on

One Chip Rule:

• When a player places one oversized chip into the pot and does not declare a raise, it is assumed they are calling. This is regardless of their intent

One-Eyed Royals:

• Refers to the Jack of Spades, Jack of Hearts or King of Diamonds. Each of these picture cards show only one eye. It is also common to hear the Jacks referred to as One-Eyed Jacks

Open Limp:

• This is when a player is limping to act as the 1st player in a hand

Open Pair:

• This is when a pair has been dealt face-up

Open-Ended Straight Draw:

• When a player is holding 4 cards in sequential order and they require 1 more card on either end of the hand to make a straight

Option:

• During a hand where there are no pre-flop raisers the “option” is given to the BB (Big Blind) to check and see the flop, or they can bet

Orbit:

• 1 complete rotation of the dealer button around the table

Out Button:

• Consider this if you are “on tilt”. The out button is a disk placed on the table and in front of a player who wants to sit out a hand(s) but stay in the game

Outs:

• This is the number of cards that are left in the deck in order for a player to make a certain hand

Out of Position:

• When a player has to act before an opponent

Over-Bet:

• When a single bet that is more than the current pot size is laid

Over call:

• This is when a player calls a bet after other players have called ahead of them

Over card:

• Donates a card that has a higher rank than a player’s pair

Over pair:

• This is a pocket pair that is higher than the cards already on the board

Overs:

This has two meanings:
• When a player holds cards higher than the pair of an opponent
• Some fixed-Limit games allow players the choice to play “overs”. This allows them to bet twice the set limit, but if there are only other “overs” players still in the hand.
That’s it for the letter O in our installment of “Texas Hold’em – The A-Z of Poker speak”. There is little doubt you will be familiar with some of the terms above, but hopefully you have added to your Texas Hold’em vocabulary with ones previously unheard of.

There’s lots more to come:

Do keep a close eye out as we build this extensive compendium on the A-Z of Hold’em jargon. It will add to your knowledge of common terms as well as the more obscure ones. What is more, you will be able to impart your knowledge to friends as well as foes!
Our next article continues with the letters P-Q and includes the reasons why ‘Playing the Board’ and holding ‘Pocket Rockets’ will do players the power of good!

Right now. At this moment. The only moment. The fat from the meat is leaping from the pan to the silver sheen. The sunflowers wave at me through the kitchen window. The empty beer cans sit by the sink wondering what to do now they have no heart.
This moment.
GPI 2018 player of the year Alex Foxen
Alex Foxen is the greatest live tournament poker player in the world. The algorithm never lies. Eric Danis and his overworked team, stuffed in a Maltese office have run the numbers.
4,095.52.
It’s a new record since the algorithm changed, only I can’t tell you when because I am in LA, Danis is in bed, and I don’t have time to wake him up to ask him.
The Global Poker Index (GPI) confirmed Foxen as the 2018 Player of the Year (PoY) while we were digging into our turkey curry. It was a close-run thing. With Stephen Chidwick finishing third in the Super High Roller Bowl V (SHRB), Foxen needed to finish in the top two spots to stop the English bulldog from sending the American a rejection letter.
Foxen finished second.
$2,1600,000
Kerching.
He doesn’t get a cup.
We won’t get to see his bronzed, bulging biceps holding anything in the air. And that’s ok by him. He knows it. I know it, and now you all know it. Alex Foxen is the business.
Here are the final standings:

The 2018 GPI Player of the Year Rankings

1. Alex Foxen – 4,095.52
2. Stephen Chidwick – 3,787.26
3. David Peters – 3,776.97
4. Justin Bonomo – 3,763.02
5. Jake Schindler – 3,716.07
6. Steve O’Dwyer – 3,596.30
7. Pavel Plesuv – 3,503.07
8. Adrian Mateos – 3,412.43
9. Michael Soyza – 3,389.65
10. Joe McKeehen – 3,381.56
Except for Pavel Plesuv, who had an incredible year, all of the Top 10 compete in $25k+ events across the globe on a regular basis. Foxen made 18 final tables, winning five of them, and accumulating an annual haul of $6,632,556 before every man, woman and dog had their cut.
It’s going to be fantastic to see if Foxen can continue the momentum and become a regular in the biggest games in the world throughout 2019 and beyond.
Foxen is currently dating Kristen Bicknell, and boy oh boy if those two decide to mix chromosomes you can expect the little one to come out of the womb flinging cards into all of that muck.
Bicknell won the 2018 GPI Female Player of the Year race, and it wasn’t even close. By my reckoning, the partypoker ambassador was the only female poker player to compete in a $100,000 buy-in event throughout 2018, and I hope that Foxen shares some of that bankroll so we get to see the Canadian competing more in the highest stakes events.

Kristen Bicknell Wins the Female 2018 GPI Player of the Year

GPI Female player of the year, Kristen Bicknell
1. Kristen Bicknell – 3,071.41
2. Maria Lampropulos – 2,418.28
3. Loni Harwood – 2,252.47
4. Maria Ho – 2,033.77
5. Maria Konnikova – 1,959.33
6. Gao Wenling – 1,957.20
7. Anna Antimony – 1,934.25
8. Wendy Freeman – 1,705.33
9. Kitty Kuo – 1,688.69
10. Nadya Magnus – 1,649.91
In other high rolling leaderboard news, Jake Schindler took down the 2018 Card Player PoY award. Chidwick had to settle for the bridesmaid role for the second time.
Schindler was the most consistent of all high rollers cashing an incredible 37 times, making 31 final tables, winning eight of them, and amassing $9,118,893 in prize money.
Foxen finished third in the Card Player rankings.
Here is the final league table.

2018 Card Player of the Year Rankings

1. Jake Schindler – 9,407
2. Stephen Chidwick – 8,845
3. Alex Foxen – 8.259
4. David Peters – 8,059
5. Justin Bonomo – 7,752
6. Adrian Mateos – 6,477
7. Rainer Kempe – 5,924
8. Jason Koon – 5,827
9. Steve O’Dwyer – 5,688
10. Pavel Plesuv – 5,626
One man who is missing from all three of those leaderboards is Sam Soverel, and that’s because he decided to play his poker a little closer to home.
Soverel cashed 28-times in 2018, with the vast majority of them coming in ARIA High Roller events, including victories across all three disciplines of No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha and Short-Deck.
His consistency earned him the title of Poker Central High Roller of the Year, and for a prize, he gets rake-free entry into every single ARIA High Roller event throughout 2019.
Here is the final leaderboard:

Poker Central High Roller of the Year Leaderboard

1. Sam Soverel – 1,765 pts ($2,615,907)
2. Isaac Haxton – 1,530 pts ($5,285,144)
3. David Peters – 1,430 pts ($4,914,208)
4. Jake Schindler – 1,325 pts ($3,251,546)
5. Cary Katz – 1,300 pts ($1,471,800)

My finger moves into my mouth with all the grace of a teenage lover; past the oily residue staining my lips, the remnants of a mandu-guk New Year’s Day slobfest, and out it comes, into the air.
I am not a statistician; I’m more of a gut feel man, and right now, other than telling me that I’ve overeaten fried food, it’s telling me that 2018 was the year when High Roller hoodies paralleled the jackets of four-star Generals.
Millions moved through the ranks.
Millions.
There were more personal bests in 2018 than at any other time in the history of this rich lineage of our beloved game.
All of which means, 2019 is going to have to be extra special if it’s going to keep the speeding fines coming in, and it’s beginning startlingly with three global venues hosting events carrying buy-ins of $25,000 plus, and we begin in The Bahamas.

The PokerStars Player’s No-Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC)

The New Year begins with the event that places high rollers, and the working class into the same melting pot – the $25,000 buy-in PokerStars Player’s No-Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC).
PokerStars has invested more than $9.6m into this event, handing out 320, $30,000 Platinum Passes to a pocket of players for whom competing in a $25,000 buy-in event is as realistic as your funeral director going all Frankenstein on your arse and bringing your grandma back from the dead for a spot of Seven Card Stud.
And they haven’t finished yet.
The winner won’t only walk away with a mega-million first prize – PokerStars will hand that man, woman or Frankenstein an additional million bucks.
The event will be bigger than a Chinese atheist convention.
The whole thing takes place at The Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas Jan 6 – 10 as an expensive prelude to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA).
And these three bad boys each earned a freeroll into the event.
1. David Peters ($10.7m in 2018 earnings)
2. Mikita Badziakouski ($14.5m in 2018 earnings)
3. Stephen Chidwick ($10.1m in 2018 earnings)

PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA)

The PCA officially gets underway on Sat 5 January with a $2,700 PSPC qualifier and ends on Wed 16 Jan.
There are five events for High Rollers on the card including two $100,000 events, a $50,000 and two $25,000 games.
The $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em takes place 9 Jan, the $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em PCA Super High Roller 10-12 Jan, a $100,000 No-Limit High Roller on 12 Jan, a $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em on 13 Jan and a second $25,000 event 14-16 Jan.
The $100,000 Super High Roller has been a permanent fixture in the poker calendar since 2011, and here is the current rogue’s gallery.

$100k SHR Winners

2011 – Eugene Katchalov (38-entrants) $1,500,000
2012 – Viktor Blom (40-entrants) $1,254,400
2013 – Scott Seiver (55-entrants) $2,003,480
2014 – Fabian Quoss (56-entrants) $1,629,940
2015 – Steve O’Dwyer (66-entrants) $1,872,580
2016 – Bryn Kenney (58-entrants) $1,687,800
2017 – Jason Koon (54-entrants) $1,650,300
2018 – Cary Katz (48-entrants) $1,492,340

Aussie Millions

After the barmy Bahamian blitz, it’s time for a 20-hour flight to Australia for the 2019 Aussie Millions. The Crown Casino, Melbourne, once again plays host, and there is an AUD 25,000 (USD 17,600) No-Limit Hold’em Challenge scheduled for January 25, and an AUD 50,000 (USD 35,000) No-Limit Hold’em Challenge on the card for Jan 27-28.
The Aussie Millions is the spiritual home of the high roller circuit with the AUD 100,000 Challenge* in situ since 2006, and the AUD 250,000 Challenge running from 2011 until its demise in 2016. The three most significant Aussie Millions winners are Phil Ivey ($7.9m), Erik Seidel ($4.8m) and Sam Trickett ($4m).
The Aussie Millions tournament organisers introduced the AUD 50,000 Challenge to replace the AUD 250,000 Challenge in 2016, where Mikita Badziakouski beat a measly 6-entrants to win the AUD 176,400 (USD 133,062) first prize. Last year, things worsened when Sam Greenwood beat a dire 4-entrant field in the same event before launching a Twitter tirade aimed at the German stable for refusing to get their hands dirty.
*The AUD 100,000 event takes place on Feb 1, hence its absence in this piece.

Japan High Roller Festival

There is one other $25,000+ buy-in event on the poker calendar according to Hendon Mob. The Japan High Roller Festival has a KRW 30,000,000 (USD 26,000) No-Limit Hold’em High Roller taking place 3 – 6 Jan, and as officials have banned live poker in Japan, the event takes place in the Paradise Casino, Incheon, South Korea. The Japan High Roller Festival debuted in the Paradise Casino back in 2017, but they have never held an event of this magnitude before.

Learning to speak Texas Hold’em as well as you play it is all part of the fun and excitement of the world’s most popular poker game!
Some of the terms and slang used are self-explanatory, some humourous, others startlingly apt, but all very relevant to the game and your knowledge of it.
To help you along we have put together a comprehensive list of terms. Read them, memorise the ones you find worthy of repeat, and begin to speak Hold’em as well as you play it!
This is part 5 covering the letters L-N. The remainder of the alphabet will be gradually introduced to allow meanings to soak in.
Have fun reading!

L is for:

Ladies:

• 2 Queens

Late Position:

• This is classed when you are the dealer, or you get to act after most other players. It is usually considered as the 2 positions next to the button (dealer)

Laydown:

• Another term for folding

Lead:

• The first player to play into a pot

Limit:

• This is a game where betting is capped at 4 raises each round and no bet can be bigger than the BB (Big Blind)

Limp/Limper:

• When a player calls the big blind pre-flop, they are seen to limp into the pot. It is also when a player calls the minimum flop when there hasn’t been a raise. This is seen most often when the 1st player to act only calls the BB

Live Blind:

• When a player puts in a dark play and is allowed to raise. This is regardless of whether another player raises or not. It is also termed as an “Option”

Live Hand:

• Seen as a hand that could still win the pot

Live One:

• A not very knowledgeable poker player. They often play lots of hands

Look:

• This is when a player calls the final play before the showdown

Loose:

• A Loose player is classed as one who enters many hands. They are also seen to have wide-ranging starting hands

M is for:

Made Hand:

• Generally, a quite strong, completed hand

Main Pot:

• This is the centre pot which all players contribute to. Other plays are placed in a side pot(s). These are contested between the remaining players. It occurs when a player or players go “all-in”

Micro Cash Game:

• Perfect for new players to poker! It is where you are only required to have a small amount of cash to join the table and blinds are very small

Middle Pair:

• This is when a player makes a pair with 1 of their down cards plus the middle card on the flop

Middle Position:

• You are in middle position when placed between the early and late positions in a round

Minimum buy-in:

• The least stake you can start a game with

Minimum sit down:

• This is the minimum amount of chips allowed to enable you to join a game. It is normally a multiple of the BB (Example: $1/$2 Blinds with a multiplier of x10 will require $20 to join the table)

Monster:

This has 2 meanings:
• A very big hand
• In tournaments, a player who has a small stack but begins to accumulate chips is known as a Monster

Muck:

This has 3 meanings:
• When a player folds their hand
• ‘The Muck’ is known as the pile of cards which have been discarded by players around the table, including the dealer
• In a showdown, the caller will ‘muck’ or throw away their hand in the event the 1st player shows a better hand

N is for:

No Limit:

• This is the most popular form of Hold’em. There is no limit to the bets a player is allowed to make at any point in the hand

Nuts:

This has 2 meanings:
• The best possible hand a player can have at a particular time during the hand
• The one you want! A hand that cannot be beaten after the river.
That’s it for the letters L to N in our installment of “Texas Hold’em – The A-Z of Poker speak”. There is little doubt you will be familiar with some of the terms above, but hopefully you have added to your Texas Hold’em vocabulary with ones previously unheard of.

There’s lots more to come:

Do keep a close eye out as we build this extensive compendium on the A-Z of Hold’em jargon. It will add to your knowledge of common terms as well as the more obscure ones. What is more, you will be able to impart your knowledge to friends as well as foes!
Our next article continues with the letter ‘O’ and includes ‘Orbit’, why you do not want to be ‘On The Tilt’ and what happens to players who are ‘On Their Backs’!

Learning to speak Texas Hold’em as well as you play it is all part of the fun and excitement of the world’s most popular poker game!
Some of the terms and slang used are self-explanatory, some humourous, others startlingly apt, but all very relevant to the game and your knowledge of it.
To help you along we have put together a comprehensive list of terms. Read them, memorise the ones you find worthy of repeat, and begin to speak Hold’em as well as you play it!
This is part 4 covering the letters G-K. The remainder of the alphabet will be gradually introduced to allow meanings to soak in.
Have fun reading!

G is for:

Grinder:

• Is someone who involves themselves in long poker sessions and make solid, small profits. This is achieved through minimal gambling and risk taking.

Gut Shot:

• This means you either draw to and/or hit an inside straight. It is also known as an “inside straight draw”

H is for:

Hand History:

• For those who play online poker this can be a useful reference archive. Hand History allows you to keep a record of every hand you have played. This detail can be used to analyse play and help improve your game

Heads Up:

• A Heads Up play is when only 2 players are left in the pot. It is also used in tournaments to indicate the final 2 players left. They will play until the winner triumphs

Heater:

This keeps your hands hot and your wallet even hotter! It is when a player is on a hot run with their cards and they are hitting lots of strong hands

High-Card:

• In flop tournaments, this determines who will be the first dealer. Each player is dealt 1 card. The person with the highest card gets to deal first. Note: Priority of suit order in the event 2 players have the same high card is: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs

High-Low:

• Split pot games

Hijack:

• A player is in the Hijack position when they are to the right of the Cut-Off and 2 places to the right of the dealer

Hole Cards:

• The 2 cards all players are dealt before betting begins

Hooks:

• A pair of Jacks

I is for:

Implied Odds:

• While implied odds do not actually exist during an active round, players can factor them in when they hit the right card to make a hand. In such instances, working out implied odds gives you the amount of money you would win should you make the required hand

In Position:

• When you act after 1 or more players in a hand this is classed as “being in position” The advantage it carries is that you get to see how every other player acts first

In The Money:

• Where you want to be! This is the final part of a tournament. Every player left will win something

K is for:

Keep Them Honest:

• This is when you call at the end of a hand in order to prevent another player from bluffing

Key Card:

• This is the card that gives you a big draw or one that makes your hand

Key Hand:

• This is known as the hand that is the turning point for a player. This can be for positive or negative reasons

Kicker:

• When multiple players have tied hands with each having a 2, 3 or 4-card hand the next highest card breaks the tie. This is the Kicker card. If players are holding a 3-card hand (i.e. 3-of-a-kind) 2 Kickers can be used

Kick It:

• This is when a player calls a Raise

Kill Pot:

• This is forced play from a player who has just won a pot (or pots!). It is intended to stimulate the table action

Knock:

• Rather than play you pass

Kojak:

• Any hand containing a K-J
That’s it for the letters G to K in our installment of “Texas Hold’em – The A-Z of Poker speak”. There is little doubt you will be familiar with some of the terms above, but hopefully you have added to your Texas Hold’em vocabulary with ones previously unheard of.

There’s lots more to come:

Do keep a close eye out as we build this extensive compendium on the A-Z of Hold’em jargon. It will add to your knowledge of common terms as well as the more obscure ones. What is more, you will be able to impart your knowledge to friends as well as foes!
Our next article continues with the letter’s ‘L’ to ‘N’ and includes ‘Limper’, ‘Muck’ and why ‘The Nuts’ and ‘Monster’ are what you are after!