* You can bluff, or trick the other players into believing you have a powerful hand, by placing high bets. If they fall for it, they’ll fold and you’ll take the pot with a weak hand.

* Aggressive players bet very high early in the game.

* Conservative players only stay in the game when their cards are good. They don’t lose as much money, but they’re easily spotted (and bluffed) by more experienced players.


Poker Lingo:

A-A — American Airlines, bullets, pocket rockets

A-K — “Big Slick, Walking back to Houston”

A-J — Ajax

K-K — Cowboys

K-Q — Marriage

K-J — Kojak

K-9 — Canine

Q-Q — Dames, divas, ladies, the Hilton sisters, Siegfried & Roy

Q-J — Maverick, Oedipus Rex

Q-7 — Computer Hand

Q-3 — A San Francisco Busboy (a queen with a trey — har har)

J-J — Jokers, hooks

J-9 — T.J. Cloutier.

J-5 — Jackson Five, Motown

10-5 — Five and dime

10-2 — Doyle Brunson. (He won two World Series of Poker titles with this hand.)

9-9 — Meat hooks

8-8 — Snowmen, Octopuses

7-7 — Hockey Sticks, walking Sticks

7-2 — The Hammer

5-5 — Nickels, presto, speed limit

5-4 — Jesse James, for his Colt .45

4-4 — Sailboats

2-2 — Ducks