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Poker terms: E and F

Moving down the alphabet in our look at poker terms, this week we’re on E’s and F’s. Let’s break them down.

Equity: This is a funny term for me as it’s used in poker, because it’s ultimately meaningless and, therefore, can actually hurt the player’s decision-making process as a result. But anyway, this term refers to the amount the player can reasonably expect to win. They’re percentage of winning XX amount of money in the pot. So if the pot is $300, and there’s 3 players left, your equity is $100. Now, the reality is that you’re either winning $300 or $0.

Extra blind: This is a rarely heard term that comes into play when a fresh player comes to the table. It also can apply to a player returning to the game from a break or someone changing their position at the table (which actually occurs more often than you’d think). It’s just the big blind put in by that player.

Family pot: My favorite kind of pot outside of a stew pot. This refers a situation when all or the vast majority of players call before the flop. If you’re sitting on the winning hand, you’re loving family right about now.

Fast Play: While you might think this involves a chess button, we’re not talking speed play in poker. This actually means to play a hand with aggression. You’re the one doing the betting and raising…and re-raising…you don’t wait for the other guy to make the first move.

Fish: I know you’ve heard this term before. Hell, you’ve probably been called a fish at one point or another (outside of that prison fantasy sicko). A fish means a bad player (not necessarily a new player). One who gives money away like a pediatrician drops hard candy on his patients. If you have a fish in your regular game, you’re actually going to go out of your way to keep him happy…or at least keep his beer pint full. Otherwise, he’ll leave and you’ll be stuck with only good players!

Foul: What I like to call a misdeal. A hand that’s called dead for one reason or another. House rules vary on when this occurs, of course, but in the casino, if the dealer causes a turned card, etc…, it’s a foul and the hand stops.

Free Card: Whenever a card comes up and you don’t have to be put to a decision to bet, call or fold. Could be because of something you did earlier in the hand, or it could just be that everyone decided to check. That’s a free card.