Poker Terms:
Gap Hand, Gut Shot, Implied Odds, Drawing Dead, and Dead Money

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It’s quite clear studying the chat-box comments from new online players who are using dailystarpoker.com that there are a few poker terms in use that are not fully understood. Let’s deal with a batch of them and flesh them out properly.

A GAP HAND
The term “gap hand” means a starting hand where the cards are more than one rank apart. An example of a one-gap hand would be ace-king, a two-gap hand would be king-jack and jack-ace would be a three gap hand.

A GUT-SHOT STRAIGHT
A gut-shot straight is a relatively new poker term perhaps more commonly known as an old fashioned “inside straight”. Let’s say you’re holding nine and ten of spades and the flop delivers jack of hearts, two of diamonds and seven of clubs and the turn shows up with an eight of hearts? The eight of hearts at the turn completes your inside/gut-shot straight. It’s really a gut-shot because you need guts to play a ten-nine in the first place.

IMPLIED ODDS
Mention of the term implied odds throws a lot of new players completely. Let’s assume you are calculating bets you are expecting to win if you hit your hand’s full potential? Implied odds are the odds “implied” by the calculation you are making. They will become “real” odds if your calculations work out “in fact” but for the moment remain “implied”. Perhaps you are thinking of calling with a draw to a flush at the turn, despite the fact the pot is currently only offering you odds of slightly less than four to one (This implies you have one chance in four of producing your flush).You are calculating that your odds are much better than four to one because you are confident you can grab a big bet from your opponent at the river if you pull off the complete flush. The odds “implied” in your calculation (or wishful thinking) are a lot higher than four to one. Implied odds!

DRAWING DEAD
Drawing dead is that sad event which represents the funeral for your hand. There are still cards to come but it’s clear that none of them can present you with a winning hand. This leads neatly to the final term: Dead Money.

DEAD MONEY
Chips contributed to the pot by an unlucky player who is no longer in the game is said to be “dead money”.

ALL THE ACES poker column:
Friday, February 17, 2006: 
Poker Terms: Gap Hand Gut Shot Implied Odds Drawing Dead and Dead Money