This week’s term is rainbow. In poker-speak—and specifically in flop games—a rainbow is when no two flop cards are of the same suit. For example, a rainbow flop would be Q♦ 5♠ A♥ or 8♣ 5♦ 2♠.

This week’s term is nuts. In the poker world, if you have the best possible hand at any given moment, then you have the nuts.

For example, if you have pocket 8’s and the flop comes 7-8-2, then you have the nuts as a set of 8’s is the best possible hand at that moment during the hand. However, if a Jack comes on the turn, then you would no longer have the nuts, as a player holding 9, 10 would have a straight. If the river pairs the board, then you would have the nuts again because you would have a full house (or quad 8’s if the river card was the last 8).

This week’s term is donkey. In poker, a donkey is a weak, inexperienced, and generally bad player.

Historically, the donkey has been associated with ignorance and stubbornness, and, at the poker table, a donkey—or donk—is frequently identified by his/her poor play. Among the most common donk plays are calling every hand, especially with poor cards, chasing hands, refusing to fold bad hands, going all-in on weak hands, and continuing to bet against other players who show strength by raising the bet.

This week’s far-out term is orbit. In poker, an orbit is a complete round of dealing. You can look at it as the number of hands based on the number of players at the table or as the period in which each player at the table has served as the dealer for that round. Thus, each time the button passes you, this is a complete orbit.

Oftentimes, players who break tournament rules are required to sit out for an orbit as a penalty.

This week’s term is muck. In poker, muck is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, muck is the pile of discarded cards accumulated during a hand. As a verb, to muck is to toss one’s cards into the muck.

This week’s term is flat call. Also known as a smooth call, this occurs when a player simply calls when a raise—or a reraise— would be more typical or expected.

This week’s term is texture which refers to the composition of and how connected the community—or board—cards are with respect to their potential to complete draws or otherwise make a hand.

Texture is often referred to as wet or dry. A wet—or draw heavy—board is one with suited or otherwise connected community cards that provide many possibilities for straights, flushes, sets, or even full houses. For example, a K♥ J♥ 10♦ 9♦ 7♥ board would be considered wet.

Conversely, a dry board has few or no draw options because the cards are barely connected and/or rainbow (different suits). Thus, the fewer possible draws on a board, the drier it is said to be. For example, a 2♦ K♣ 7♥ 4♠ Q♦ board would be considered quite dry—bad for poker but great for martinis.