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Sandbag:

To play the hands low and wait until later in the hand to show strength by betting or raising.

Sanding:

A system of marking cards by sanding the edges or ends of cards.

Sawbuck:

Ten dollars.

Scare Card:

A card that, when it appears, makes a better hand more likely to probable (e.g. In Hold’em, a third suited card on the river is a scare card, because it makes a flush possible).

Scarne Cut:

To cutby taking cards from the center of the deckand placing them on the topof the deck.

Schenck’s Rules:

The first published rules of poker, printed in England in 1872.

Schoolbag Draw:

An unsound, unwise draw.

Schoolboy Draw:

An unsound draw.

Scoop:

To win an entire potas opposed to “splitting” the pot, especially in High-Lowsplit games.

Scooping:

See Shoot the Moon.

Scoot:

The practice of passing chips to another player after winning a pot. Typically, scooting partners will agree to “scoot” each other a predetermined number of chips after winning each pot.

Screwy Louie:

Similar to Anaconda, except discards are passed to the player seated immediately on one’s left.

Seat Position:

The positionof a player relative to the other players.

Seat Shot:

A bet or raisemade from an advantageous seat position.

Seating List:

In most cardrooms, if there is no seat available for you when you arrive, you can put your name on a list to be seated when a seat opens up. Typically, games are listed across the topof a board, and names are written below each game so that players are seated for games in the order in which they arrived.

Second:

The second card from the topof the deckbeing dealt.

Second Best:

The best losing hand.

Second Deal:

To dealthe secondcard from the topof the deckwhen cheating.

Second Pair:

A pairwith the secondhighest card on the flop. If you have As-Ts, and the flopcomes Kd-Th-6c, you have flopped secondpair.

Second-Nuts:

The secondbest possible hand.

Seconds:

A form of cheating in which the dealergives outthe secondcard from the topof the deck, and keeps the topcard for himself.

See:

To calla bet.

Seed:

An ace.

Sell:

As in to “sell a hand”. In a spread-limitgame, this means to bet less than the maximum when you have a very strong hand, hoping players will callwhereas they would not have called a maximum bet. See Spread-Limit.

Selling a Hand:

A strategy to get opponents to call.

Semi-Bluff:

A powerful concept first discussed by David Sklansky. It is a bet or raisethat you hope will not be called, but you have “outs” if it is. A “semi-bluff” may be correct when betting for valueis not correct, a “pure bluff” is not correct, but the combination of the two may be a positive expectation play.

Sequence:

Cards of consecutive value, such as those in a straight. For example, four, five, six, seven, eight.

Sequential Declaration:

The last bettor or raiser required to declaretheir handin High-Lowpoker.

Session:

The period of timein which a pokergame is held.

Set:

Three-of-a-kind when you have two of the same rankin your hand, and there is one on the board.

Seven-Card Flip:

Seven-Card Stud, in which the first four cards are dealt face-down and then the player turns any two face-up.

Seven-Card Pete:

(1) Seven-Card Studwith all sevens as wild. (2) Seven-Card Studwhere one’s lowest holecard (or one’s last card), and all like it, are wild.

Seven-Card Stud:

Of the games most commonly played in public cardrooms, Seven-Card Studis probably the most well known. In this game, each player is dealt seven cards of their own: two down, four up, and a final card down. There is a roundof betting after the first up-card and after each subsequent card dealt

Seven-Card Stud or Seven-Toed Pete:

Stud pokerplayed with three holecards and four exposed cards.

Seven-Toed Pete:

Seven-Card Stud.

Sevens Rule:

A rule in Lowballin which anyone with a seven-low or better must either bet or forfeit further profits from the pot.

Seventh Street:

In Seven-Card Stud, the fifth and final roundof betting is called “seventh street” because all the players have seven cards.

Sharp Top:

An ace.

Sharp, Sharper, or Sharker:

A cheateror a cardsharp. See Cardsharp.

Shifting Sands:

Similar to Mexican Stud, except one’s holecard and all matching cards are wild.

Shill:

A houseman or woman who actively plays for the house, club, or casino.

Shiner:

A tiny mirror or reflective device used by a cheaterto see unexposed cards.

Shoe:

A device from which cards are dealt.

Shoot the Moon:

To declareboth high and low in an attempt to win both halves of a High-Lowpot. This is also referred to as moon, shooting, and swinging.

Short:

Insufficient money or cards. This is also known as “shy”.

Short Call:

To callpart of a bet in tablestakes, with all the money one has on the table. This is also known as a “freezer”.

Short Pair:

A pairlower than openers.

Short Stack:

An amount of chips that numbers few in comparison to the amount other players at the tablehave.

Short Stud:

Five-Card Studpoker.

Short-Handed:

A game is said to be short-handed when the total amount of players falls below a certain number.

Shotgun:

Draw pokerwith extra rounds of betting, which start after the third card is dealt.

Shove Them Along:

Five-Card Stud, in which each player has to chose whether or not to keep the first upcard dealt to him, or to passit to the player seated on his left. This is also known as Take It or Leave It.

Show:

To expose one’s cards.

Show Cards:

The exposed cards in Stud.

Show Tickets:

(1) The third best hand. (2) Draw poker, in which the third best handwins.

Showdown:

The pointat which all players remaining in the handturntheir cards over and determine who has the best hand, for instance, after the last roundof betting is completed. Of course, if a final bet or raiseis not called, there is no showdown.

Shuffle:

The mixing and rearranging of the cards before each handis dealt so that the cards are organized in a coincidental order. This is done by the dealer.

Shy:

See Short.

Side Arms:

The secondpairof two-pair.

Side Bet:

Any bet made outside the pot.

Side Cards:

Cards that do not influence the value rank of a hand.

Side Game:

A non-tournament poke rgame.

Side Money or Side Pot:

The amount set aside from the main pot in table stakes, ocurrs when there are more than two players involved and at least one player is all-in.

Side Strippers:

Cards tapered along the sides for cheating.

Sight:

To call for a show of hands after tapping out.

Sign On Your Back:

A phrase used to identify a player who is a cheater.

Signals:

The system that collusion cheaters use to secretly exchange information about their cards, and instructions regarding betting and raising.

Silent Partner:

An innocent player used by a cheateras an unwitting partner.

Simultaneous Declaration:

High-Low poker, in which everyone declares his handat the same time.

Singleton:

A card that is the only one of its rank.

Sit-In:

To join a game that has already begun.

Sixth Street:

In Seven-Card Stud, the fourth roundof betting is called “sixth street” because all the players have six cards.

Sixty-Six:

Six-Card Studwith sixes wild.

Skeet:

See Pelter.

Skeet Flush:

A skeetin one suit. See Skeet.

Skin:

One dollar.

Skin Game:

A game having two or more collusion cheaters.

Skinning the Hand:

A cheaters technique used to get rid of extra cards.

Skip Straight or Skipper:

See Alternate Straight.

Skoon:

One dollar.

Sky’s the Limit:

Similar to No-Limit, this is a game in which no maximum is placed on any bets or raises.

Slick-Ace Deck:

A deck with chemically treated, slippery aces, which allow a cheater to locate them from within the deck.

Slider:

A player who frequently moves all his chips into a pot in No-Limit.

Slow-Rolling:

An antagonistic way of revealing that you have the winning hand, a little at a time. This is done to irritate a player who thinks they have the winning hand.

Slowplay:

To play a strong hand weakly so more players will stayin the pot.

Small Blind:

See Big Blind.

Smooth:

The lowest Lowball hand of a given value, such as seven, four, three, two, ace, for a seven-low.

Smooth Call:

To call one or more bets with a hand that is strong enough for a raise.

Snap-Off:

To “snap them off” is beat someone, often a bluffer, with a hand that is not especially powerful.

Snarker:

A player who wins a pot and then ridicules the loser.

Snatch Game:

A casino or house game in which pots are excessively cut or raked, often covertly.

Snow:

To fake or bluff.

Snowing Cards:

See Fuzzing.

Soft:

Easy.

Sorts:

A deck of cards made up of irregular or imperfect cards, which are sorted from many normal decks of cards.

Southern Cross:

A variation of Cincinnati, with nine upcards arranged in a cross.

Speed:

(1) Refers to the level of aggressiveness with which you play. (2) The paceof the game.

Spider:

A hold-outdevice attached to a cheaters coat or vest.

Spike:

(1) An ace. (2) A pairin Lowball.

Spikes:

A pairof aces.

Spinner:

A winning streak. This is also known as a hot streak.

Spit Card:

A turned upcard that is used in every player’s hand.

Spit in the Ocean:

A Draw game, in which an exposed cardand all matching cards are wild.

Splash the Pot:

To throw, rather than place, ones chips when betting. This is frowned upon because it can obscure the amount of money actually being wagered.

Split Openers:

To break upthe handrequired to open.

Split Pair:

A pairin Stud, with one card in the holeand the other exposed.

Split Two-Pair:

A two-pair hand, in which one of each of your cards’ ranks appear on the board as well. For instance, you have T9, the flopis T-9-5, and you have a split two-pair. This is in comparison to two-pair where there is a pair on the board. For example, you have T9 and the flop is 9-5-5.

Split-Pot:

A potwhich is shared by two or more players because they have equivalent hands.

Spot:

An ace.

Spots:

The printed marks on the face side of a card.

Spread:

(1) A hand. (2) An illegal exchange of cards between two collusioncheaters.

Spread-Limit:

Betting limits in which there is a fixed minimum and maximum bet for each betting round, and any amount in between these limits may be bet.

Squared Deck:

An evenly stacked deckready for cutting or dealing.

Squeeze:

To lookat cards by slowly spreading them apart..

Squeeze Bet or Squeeze Raise:

To bet or raiseagainst another strong handin order to extract more money from a third player holding a weaker hand.

Squeezed Player:

A caller who is being bet intoand raised by players on both sides of him, also known as whipshaw.

Squeezers:

Cards with suitand valueindicators printed at the corners.

Stack:

(1) A pileof chips. (2) To cheat by prearranging cards to be dealt.

Stacked Deck:

A deckcontaining prearranged cards for a dishonest deal.

Stake:

The money with which a player enters a game.

Stand:

To decline a draw.

Stand Pat:

To playthe original handwithout drawing.

Stand-Off:

A tie.

Starting Hand:

The first card dealt to players at the beginning of the handand before any betting has ocurred.

Stay:

To remain in the handby calling the bet or raise.

Steal:

(1) To “steal” a potis to makea bet when it appears no one else has anything. (2) To win the potby bluffing.

Steam:

A player who is on tiltis sometimes said to be “steaming”. Also see Tilt.

Stenographers:

Four queens.

Step:

See Jog.

Still Pack:

The deckof cards not in playwhen two decks are used.

Stinger:

See Sequence.

Stock:

(1) The cards remaining in the deckafter dealing. (2) The stacked portion of a deck.

Stonewall:

A player who calls to the end with a poor hand.

Stormy Weather:

Similar to Spit in the Ocean, except three cards are dealt in the center.

Straddle:

Typically made by the player one to the left of the big blind, it is an optional, extra blind bet, equal to twice the big blind. This is effectively a raise, and forces any player who wants to play to pay two bets. Furthermore, the “straddler” acts last before the flop, and may re-raise.

Straight:

Five cards of any suit in ascending order. The ace can be either high or low, and the high straight wins the tie.

Straight Draw:

Draw pokernot requiring openers.

Straight Flush:

A handconsisting of five cards of consecutive ranks of the same suit, with aces being high or low.

Straighten Out:

To introduce an acquaintance into an underground pokerclub.

Stranger:

A new or unfamiliar card in a player’s handafter the draw.

Streak:

A run of winning or losing hands.

Street:

The betting interval in a hand, for example, the fifth card dealt in Seven-Card Stud is known as “fifth street”.

String Bet:

A bet or, more typically, a raise, in which a player does not get all the required chips into the potin one motion. Therefore, unless he has verbally declared his raise, he can be forced to withdraw it and just call. This prevents the unethical playof putting outenough chips to call, seeing what effect it has, and then possibly raising.

Stringer:

A straight.

Strip Poker:

A game in which the loser of each potmust remove an article of clothing.

Stripped Deck:

A deckwith certain cards purposely removed, such as the deuces.

Stripper Deck:

A dishonest deck with slightly wedge-shaped cards (usually one thirty-second of an inch is stripped off the card’s edge or side), allowing a cheater to pull certain cards from the deck. Also see Belly Strippers, Side Strippers, End Strippers, and Brief.

Stripping:

A shuffling technique which reverses the sequential order of the cards in the deck. For instance, imagine that a dealertook the first card off the topof a deckand placed it on the table, and then took the secondcard off the topand placed it on topof the first card. If this process were continued until the 52^nd card was placed on top, then the sequential ordering among the cards would have been completely reversed. This characterizes the basic process of “stripping”. The process described above would be a very fine strip. Often, the dealers will speed up the process by rapidly pulling small clumps of cards off the topof the deckrather than a single card at a time. The number of cards in the clumps determine how fine or coarse the stripping process is.

Structure:

The format of a particular game regarding betting, including antes, blinds, and the amount that may be bet on any round. In card rooms, games are typically posted along with shorthand for the limits.

Stuck:

When a player is losing, that player is said to be “stuck”.

Stud:

Refers to Stud games in general, however, it is usually referring to Seven-Card Stud. Stud games are contrasted with flopgames and draw games.

Stud Poker:

One of the two basic forms of pokergame (the other is Draw poker) and played with openor exposed cards(up-cards) and with one or more concealed cards known as holecards (down-cards).

Substitution:

To exchange a card for one from the deck.

Sudden Death:

High-Low Five-Card Stud.

Suicide King:

The king of hearts, which has a sword pointed at its head.

Suit:

Any one of the four suits of cards: clubs, diamonds, hearts, or spades.

Suited:

A Texas Hold’em starting hand, in which the two cards are of the same suit. For example, “I had to playthe 7-2 because it was suited.”

Super Seven-Card Stud:

A game starting with each player holding five cards, and then discarding two, at which pointthe game proceeds as it would in Seven-Card Stud.

Sweeten:

To add more money to a pot, such as an extra ante.

Swing:

Refers to the upand down “swings” your bankrollor chips may suffer when playing poker.

Swinging:

See Shoot the Moon.