Words and Phrases Used in Poker and How to Use Them: Big Slick? Buried Pair? Belly Buster?

Big Slick

The poker hand ace-king is sometimes referred to by its more widespread moniker, Big Slick. According to urban mythology, the hand was formerly known as Santa Barbara after the oil disaster that occurred in Santa Barbara in 1969, but over the years, it was shortened to just Big Slick.

Fun Fact: After the oil disaster, some individuals continue to refer to the a-Spades and k-Spades as the “Exxon Valdez.”

Buried Pair

A buried pair is a term used in poker games that use the stud format and refers to when both of your initial down cards are the same. This typically conceals the power of your hand and increases your chances of winning large pots if you make three of a kind somewhere on your runout.

Belly Buster

A Belly Buster is the same thing as an inside straight draw, which is often referred to as a gutshot straight draw. A player, for instance, may have “7-Spades” and “10-Clubs” on “6-Diamonds” and “8-Spades” and “4-Clubs.” In order to complete their straight, a player needs to make their nine. The term stems from the fact that if the nine were to emerge on the turn, the straight would be far less obvious and it would be more likely that one player would “bust” another player.

Boat

A boat is a type of poker hand that consists of three of one card and two of another card. This type of hand is sometimes referred to as a full house. For instance, a player may have “a-Clubs” and “j-Spades” on “a-Diamonds” and “j-Clubs” and “4-Spades” and “j-Diamonds” and “k-Spades,” respectively.

Bad Beat

No one wants to be the one who suffers a bad beat, and while there is no definitive way to determine whether a hand qualifies as a bad beat or not, the term generally refers to a hand in which you were substantially ahead but your opponent hit the card they needed to win the hand. No one wants to be the one who suffers a bad beat.

Battle of the Blinds

Everyone is aware of how crucial it is to have a good understanding of how to play their blinds. Should the action fold around, leaving just the small blind and the big blind in the hand, you may be looking at a fight of the blinds in which neither player wants to give up the chips that they have already committed to the pot. If this happens, you could be looking at a war of the blinds.