Getting Schooled in First Try at Poker

My 2001 Texas Hold 'Em debut was in a Native American casino in the middle of Iowa. It was a miserable experience but strangely memorable at the same time.

I was always a gambler but usually played high-risk games such as craps and roulette. My standard casino trip consisted of $200 in gambling money, with hopes that I could parlay that into four hours of fun and hopefully walk out even.

The poker room was a bustling pace. Texas Hold 'Em, was in the infant stages of its recent popularity, but there were at least 10 full tables going strong.

I walked over to the poker room manager and told him that I wanted to play Texas Hold 'Em.

"Sure," he said. "Why don't you take that open seat over there on table seven?"

He then asked how much I wanted in chips. I told him $100, and he handed me a rack of white, $1 chips.

The seat on table seven was on the corner (later poker education labels it as No. 8), and I immediately found it odd that everybody at the table had a minimum of triple the chips I had in front of me.

At first I thought, "Wow, these guys must have been winning big."

Prelude to a lesson learned.

The dealer asked if I wanted to post on the next hand. I had no idea what that meant, so I agreed.

I threw $1 into the pot to start the hand, figuring that was the required ante. The dealer then instructed me to put in $3 more. Two other players were putting money on the table, so I discovered there were no antes and the money being put on the table was referred to as "blinds."

Lesson learned.

I was dealt A-Q on my opening hand, a pretty good holding. There were two raises in front of me, and the dealer told me it was $8 to call. I said I wanted to raise it up, and I slid out $25 in chips.

"You can't do that," the dealer said. "You can only go to $16."

I was in a $4-$8 limit game. It wasn't no-limit.

Lesson learned.

The two raisers called my $16, and the flop didn't pair my ace or queen. "I'm playing poker," I thought, "so let's run a bluff."

There was a bet into me, I raised it to $8, and I believe both players called.

I don't remember the turn card, but I tried to bet out $4 and again was told by the dealer I needed $4 more. I had no idea the betting stakes on the turn and river doubled.

Lesson learned.

Additional betting and calling continued on the river, and I sat there with nothing more than ace-high, a loser. I was left with about $15 and had to signal the floor man for another $100 in chips.

Those lasted me about 30 additional minutes, and Day1 of my live poker career had me down $200 with a single dragged pot in my favor — a continuation bet on a rag flop with A-K.

It was an embarrassing Hold 'Em debut but one that I will never forget.

Q

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S

Satellite - It is a mini-tournament to gain an entry into a larger tournament.

Scoop - To win the entire pot.

Seating List - A waiting list. A player would put his or her name on this list if there were no seats at the table at which they wish to play.

Second Pair - In flop games, when you pair the second highest card on the board.

See - To call.

Seven-card Stud - A well-known poker game in which players get three down cards and four up cards. You play the best five of those seven cards. Click here for information on Seven-card Stud.

Seventh Street - This is the final round of betting in Seven Card Stud and Stud 8 or Better.

Shills - Shills are paid props who help start and maintain poker games.

Showdown - At the end of the final betting round, it's when all active players turn their cards face-up to see who has won the pot.

Side Pot - A separate pot(s) which is contested by remaining active players when one or more players are all-in.

Sixth Street - In Seven-card Stud, this is the fourth "up" card dealt to the player (their 6th card). It is also the 4th round of betting.

Solid - A fairly tight player (and reasonably good).

Small Blind - The amount put in the pot by the person immediately to the left of the dealer "button" prior to the cards being dealt.

Speed Limit - A pair of fives.

Split - Tie.

Stack - A pile of chips.

Stay - When a player remains in the game by calling rather than raising.

Steel Wheel - A five high straight (A-2-3-4-5) of the same suit.

Straddle - A straddle is a Blind bet which is usually double the size of the Big Blind\ (and that player may raise when the action gets to him).

Straight - Five consecutive cards of any suit.

Straight Flush - Five consecutive cards of the same suit.

Structure - The limits put on the blinds/ante, bets, and raises in any particular game.

Stud Games - Games in which players get down cards and up cards.

Stuck - A player who is losing in a game.

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