Cash game

Also: ring game

Poker played for real chips with real value, where you can join, leave and re-buy whenever you like. The blinds never go up. The opposite of a tournament.

Related terms

Full glossary

Tournament

A poker event where everyone pays the same buy-in, receives the same starting chips, and plays until one playe…

Rake

The venue's cut. In cash games a small percentage is taken from each pot, capped at a fixed amount; in tournam…

Bad-beat jackpot

A progressive prize funded by a small extra drop from each pot, paid out when a very strong hand — typically q…

Bomb pot

A cash-game hand where every player posts a fixed ante, there is no pre-flop betting, and the flop is dealt st…

Card room

A venue that offers poker without house-banked casino games. California's cardrooms (Commerce, The Bike, Bay 1…

High hand promotion

A card-room promotion that pays a bonus to the best qualifying hand made in each time window — every hour or h…

Mississippi straddle

A straddle posted from a position other than under the gun — most often the button, so that action starts with…

Nosebleeds

The very highest cash-game stakes — blinds of $500/$1,000 and up, where six- and seven-figure pots are normal.…