This article explains how to identify holds placed on Exchange Online mailboxes in Microsoft 365.
Microsoft 365 offers several ways that your organization can prevent mailbox content from being permanently deleted. This allows your organization to retain content to meet compliance regulations or during legal and other types of investigations. Here's a list of the retention features (also called holds) in Office 365:
Variety Of Hold'em Crossword
Texas holdem is the most popular variation of poker played online and in casinos and poker rooms everywhere in the world. Its popularity has led to many different variations, both in casinos and in home and private games. The first three sections below include information about limits that Texas holdem and its variants can be played in. Poker can be played in a mixed game format, for example one half-hour of Texas hold 'em followed by one half-hour of Seven-card stud. There are many types of mixed poker games. The most notable mixed poker variation is H.O.R.S.E. Is a mix of Texas hold 'em, Omaha high-low, Razz, Seven-card stud and Seven-card stud Eight-or-better. Hold'em variety is a crossword puzzle clue. Clue: Hold'em variety. Hold'em variety is a crossword puzzle clue that we have spotted 1 time. There are related clues (shown below).
Litigation Hold: Holds that are applied to user mailboxes in Exchange Online.
eDiscovery hold: Holds that are associated with a Core eDiscovery case in the security and compliance center. eDiscovery holds can be applied to user mailboxes and to the corresponding mailbox for Microsoft 365 Groups and Microsoft Teams.
In-Place Hold: Holds that are applied to user mailboxes by using the In-Place eDiscovery & Hold tool in the Exchange admin center in Exchange Online.
Note
In-Place Holds have been retired and you can no longer create In-Place Holds or apply them to mailboxes. However, In-Place Holds might still be applied to mailboxes in your organization, which is why they are included in this article. For more information, see Retirement of legacy eDiscovery tools.
Microsoft 365 retention policies: Can be configured to retain (or retain and then delete) content in user mailboxes in Exchange Online and in the corresponding mailbox for Microsoft 365 Groups and Microsoft Teams. You can also create a retention policy to retain Skype for Business Conversations, which are stored in user mailboxes.
There are two types of Microsoft 365 retention policies that can be assigned to mailboxes.
Specific location retention policies: These are policies that are assigned to the content locations of specific users. You use the Get-Mailbox cmdlet in Exchange Online PowerShell to get information about retention policies assigned to specific mailboxes. For more information about this type of retention policy, see the section A policy with specific inclusions or exclusions from the retention policy documentation.
Organization-wide retention policies: These are policies that are assigned to all content locations in your organization. You use the Get-OrganizationConfig cmdlet in Exchange Online PowerShell to get information about organization-wide retention policies. For more information about this type of retention policy, see the section A policy that applies to entire locations from the retention policy documentation.
Microsoft 365 retention labels: If a user applies a Microsoft 365 retention label (one that's configured to retain content or retain and then delete content) to any folder or item in their mailbox, a hold is placed on the mailbox as if the mailbox was placed on Litigation Hold or assigned to a Microsoft 365 retention policy. For more information, see the Identifying mailboxes on hold because a retention label has been applied to a folder or item section in this article.
To manage mailboxes on hold, you may have to identify the type of hold that's placed on a mailbox so that you can perform tasks such as changing the hold duration, temporarily or permanently removing the hold, or excluding a mailbox from a Microsoft 365 retention policy. In these cases, the first step is to identify the type of hold placed on the mailbox. And because multiple holds (and different types of holds) can be placed on a single mailbox, you have to identify all holds placed on a mailbox if you want to remove or change a hold.
Step 1: Obtain the GUID for holds placed on a mailbox
You can run the following two cmdlets in Exchange Online PowerShell to get the GUID of the holds that are placed on a mailbox. After you obtain a GUID, you use it to identify the specific hold in Step 2. A Litigation Hold isn't identified by a GUID. Litigation Holds are either enabled or disabled for a mailbox.
Get-Mailbox: Use this cmdlet to determine whether Litigation Hold is enabled for a mailbox and to get the GUIDs for eDiscovery holds, In-Place Holds, and Microsoft 365 retention policies that are specifically assigned to a mailbox. The output of this cmdlet will also indicate if a mailbox has been explicitly excluded from an organization-wide retention policy.
Get-OrganizationConfig: Use this cmdlet to get the GUIDs for organization-wide retention policies.
To connect to Exchange Online PowerShell, see Connect to Exchange Online PowerShell.
Get-Mailbox
Run the following command to get information about the holds and Microsoft 365 retention policies applied to a mailbox.
Tip
If there are too many values in the InPlaceHolds property and not all of them are displayed, you can run the Get-Mailbox | Select-Object -ExpandProperty InPlaceHolds command to display each GUID on a separate line.
The following table describes how to identify different types of holds based on the values in the InPlaceHolds property when you run the Get-Mailbox cmdlet.
| Hold type | Example value | How to identify the hold |
|---|---|---|
| Litigation Hold | True | Litigation Hold is enabled for a mailbox when the LitigationHoldEnabled property is set to True. |
| eDiscovery hold | UniH7d895d48-7e23-4a8d-8346-533c3beac15d | The InPlaceHolds property contains the GUID of any hold associated with an eDiscovery case in the security and compliance center. You can tell this is an eDiscovery hold because the GUID starts with the UniH prefix (which denotes a Unified Hold). |
| In-Place Hold | c0ba3ce811b6432a8751430937152491or cld9c0a984ca74b457fbe4504bf7d3e00de | The InPlaceHolds property contains the GUID of the In-Place Hold that's placed on the mailbox. You can tell this is an In-Place Hold because the GUID either doesn't start with a prefix or it starts with the cld prefix. |
| Microsoft 365 retention policy specifically applied to the mailbox | mbxcdbbb86ce60342489bff371876e7f224:1or skp127d7cf1076947929bf136b7a2a8c36f:3 | The InPlaceHolds property contains GUIDs of any specific location retention policy that's applied to the mailbox. You can identify retention policies because the GUID starts with the mbx or the skp prefix. The skp prefix indicates that the retention policy is applied to Skype for Business conversations in the user's mailbox. |
| Excluded from an organization-wide Microsoft 365 retention policy | -mbxe9b52bf7ab3b46a286308ecb29624696 | If a mailbox is excluded from an organization-wide Microsoft 365 retention policy, the GUID for the retention policy that the mailbox is excluded from is displayed in the InPlaceHolds property and is identified by the -mbx prefix. |
Get-OrganizationConfig
If the InPlaceHolds property is empty when you run the Get-Mailbox cmdlet, there still may be one or more organization-wide Microsoft 365 retention policies applied to the mailbox. Run the following command in Exchange Online PowerShell to get a list of GUIDs for organization-wide Microsoft 365 retention policies.
Tip
If there are too many values in the InPlaceHolds property and not all of them are displayed, you can run the Get-OrganizationConfig | Select-Object -ExpandProperty InPlaceHolds command to display each GUID on a separate line.
The following table describes the different types of organization-wide holds and how to identify each type based on the GUIDs contained in InPlaceHolds property when you run the Get-OrganizationConfig cmdlet.
| Hold type | Example value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 retention policies applied to Exchange mailboxes, Exchange public folders, and Teams chats | mbx7cfb30345d454ac0a989ab3041051209:2 | Organization-wide retention policies applied to Exchange mailboxes, Exchange public folders, and 1xN chats in Microsoft Teams are identified by GUIDs that start with the mbx prefix. Note 1xN chats are stored in the mailbox of the individual chat participants. |
| Microsoft 365 retention policy applied to Microsoft 365 Groups and Teams channel messages | grp1a0a132ee8944501a4bb6a452ec31171:3 | Organization-wide retention policies applied to Microsoft 365 groups and channel messages in Microsoft Teams are identified by GUIDs that start with the grp prefix. Note channel messages are stored in the group mailbox that is associated with a Microsoft Team. |
For more information about retention policies applied to Microsoft Teams, see Learn about retention policies for Microsoft Teams.
Understanding the format of the InPlaceHolds value for retention policies
In addition to the prefix (mbx, skp, or grp) that identifies an item in the InPlaceHolds property as a Microsoft 365 retention policy, the value also contains a suffix that identifies the type of retention action that's configured for the policy. For example, the action suffix is highlighted in bold type in the following examples:
skp127d7cf1076947929bf136b7a2a8c36f:1
mbx7cfb30345d454ac0a989ab3041051209:2
grp1a0a132ee8944501a4bb6a452ec31171:3
This article explains how to identify holds placed on Exchange Online mailboxes in Microsoft 365.
Microsoft 365 offers several ways that your organization can prevent mailbox content from being permanently deleted. This allows your organization to retain content to meet compliance regulations or during legal and other types of investigations. Here's a list of the retention features (also called holds) in Office 365:
Variety Of Hold'em Crossword
Texas holdem is the most popular variation of poker played online and in casinos and poker rooms everywhere in the world. Its popularity has led to many different variations, both in casinos and in home and private games. The first three sections below include information about limits that Texas holdem and its variants can be played in. Poker can be played in a mixed game format, for example one half-hour of Texas hold 'em followed by one half-hour of Seven-card stud. There are many types of mixed poker games. The most notable mixed poker variation is H.O.R.S.E. Is a mix of Texas hold 'em, Omaha high-low, Razz, Seven-card stud and Seven-card stud Eight-or-better. Hold'em variety is a crossword puzzle clue. Clue: Hold'em variety. Hold'em variety is a crossword puzzle clue that we have spotted 1 time. There are related clues (shown below).
Litigation Hold: Holds that are applied to user mailboxes in Exchange Online.
eDiscovery hold: Holds that are associated with a Core eDiscovery case in the security and compliance center. eDiscovery holds can be applied to user mailboxes and to the corresponding mailbox for Microsoft 365 Groups and Microsoft Teams.
In-Place Hold: Holds that are applied to user mailboxes by using the In-Place eDiscovery & Hold tool in the Exchange admin center in Exchange Online.
Note
In-Place Holds have been retired and you can no longer create In-Place Holds or apply them to mailboxes. However, In-Place Holds might still be applied to mailboxes in your organization, which is why they are included in this article. For more information, see Retirement of legacy eDiscovery tools.
Microsoft 365 retention policies: Can be configured to retain (or retain and then delete) content in user mailboxes in Exchange Online and in the corresponding mailbox for Microsoft 365 Groups and Microsoft Teams. You can also create a retention policy to retain Skype for Business Conversations, which are stored in user mailboxes.
There are two types of Microsoft 365 retention policies that can be assigned to mailboxes.
Specific location retention policies: These are policies that are assigned to the content locations of specific users. You use the Get-Mailbox cmdlet in Exchange Online PowerShell to get information about retention policies assigned to specific mailboxes. For more information about this type of retention policy, see the section A policy with specific inclusions or exclusions from the retention policy documentation.
Organization-wide retention policies: These are policies that are assigned to all content locations in your organization. You use the Get-OrganizationConfig cmdlet in Exchange Online PowerShell to get information about organization-wide retention policies. For more information about this type of retention policy, see the section A policy that applies to entire locations from the retention policy documentation.
Microsoft 365 retention labels: If a user applies a Microsoft 365 retention label (one that's configured to retain content or retain and then delete content) to any folder or item in their mailbox, a hold is placed on the mailbox as if the mailbox was placed on Litigation Hold or assigned to a Microsoft 365 retention policy. For more information, see the Identifying mailboxes on hold because a retention label has been applied to a folder or item section in this article.
To manage mailboxes on hold, you may have to identify the type of hold that's placed on a mailbox so that you can perform tasks such as changing the hold duration, temporarily or permanently removing the hold, or excluding a mailbox from a Microsoft 365 retention policy. In these cases, the first step is to identify the type of hold placed on the mailbox. And because multiple holds (and different types of holds) can be placed on a single mailbox, you have to identify all holds placed on a mailbox if you want to remove or change a hold.
Step 1: Obtain the GUID for holds placed on a mailbox
You can run the following two cmdlets in Exchange Online PowerShell to get the GUID of the holds that are placed on a mailbox. After you obtain a GUID, you use it to identify the specific hold in Step 2. A Litigation Hold isn't identified by a GUID. Litigation Holds are either enabled or disabled for a mailbox.
Get-Mailbox: Use this cmdlet to determine whether Litigation Hold is enabled for a mailbox and to get the GUIDs for eDiscovery holds, In-Place Holds, and Microsoft 365 retention policies that are specifically assigned to a mailbox. The output of this cmdlet will also indicate if a mailbox has been explicitly excluded from an organization-wide retention policy.
Get-OrganizationConfig: Use this cmdlet to get the GUIDs for organization-wide retention policies.
To connect to Exchange Online PowerShell, see Connect to Exchange Online PowerShell.
Get-Mailbox
Run the following command to get information about the holds and Microsoft 365 retention policies applied to a mailbox.
Tip
If there are too many values in the InPlaceHolds property and not all of them are displayed, you can run the Get-Mailbox | Select-Object -ExpandProperty InPlaceHolds command to display each GUID on a separate line.
The following table describes how to identify different types of holds based on the values in the InPlaceHolds property when you run the Get-Mailbox cmdlet.
| Hold type | Example value | How to identify the hold |
|---|---|---|
| Litigation Hold | True | Litigation Hold is enabled for a mailbox when the LitigationHoldEnabled property is set to True. |
| eDiscovery hold | UniH7d895d48-7e23-4a8d-8346-533c3beac15d | The InPlaceHolds property contains the GUID of any hold associated with an eDiscovery case in the security and compliance center. You can tell this is an eDiscovery hold because the GUID starts with the UniH prefix (which denotes a Unified Hold). |
| In-Place Hold | c0ba3ce811b6432a8751430937152491or cld9c0a984ca74b457fbe4504bf7d3e00de | The InPlaceHolds property contains the GUID of the In-Place Hold that's placed on the mailbox. You can tell this is an In-Place Hold because the GUID either doesn't start with a prefix or it starts with the cld prefix. |
| Microsoft 365 retention policy specifically applied to the mailbox | mbxcdbbb86ce60342489bff371876e7f224:1or skp127d7cf1076947929bf136b7a2a8c36f:3 | The InPlaceHolds property contains GUIDs of any specific location retention policy that's applied to the mailbox. You can identify retention policies because the GUID starts with the mbx or the skp prefix. The skp prefix indicates that the retention policy is applied to Skype for Business conversations in the user's mailbox. |
| Excluded from an organization-wide Microsoft 365 retention policy | -mbxe9b52bf7ab3b46a286308ecb29624696 | If a mailbox is excluded from an organization-wide Microsoft 365 retention policy, the GUID for the retention policy that the mailbox is excluded from is displayed in the InPlaceHolds property and is identified by the -mbx prefix. |
Get-OrganizationConfig
If the InPlaceHolds property is empty when you run the Get-Mailbox cmdlet, there still may be one or more organization-wide Microsoft 365 retention policies applied to the mailbox. Run the following command in Exchange Online PowerShell to get a list of GUIDs for organization-wide Microsoft 365 retention policies.
Tip
If there are too many values in the InPlaceHolds property and not all of them are displayed, you can run the Get-OrganizationConfig | Select-Object -ExpandProperty InPlaceHolds command to display each GUID on a separate line.
The following table describes the different types of organization-wide holds and how to identify each type based on the GUIDs contained in InPlaceHolds property when you run the Get-OrganizationConfig cmdlet.
| Hold type | Example value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 retention policies applied to Exchange mailboxes, Exchange public folders, and Teams chats | mbx7cfb30345d454ac0a989ab3041051209:2 | Organization-wide retention policies applied to Exchange mailboxes, Exchange public folders, and 1xN chats in Microsoft Teams are identified by GUIDs that start with the mbx prefix. Note 1xN chats are stored in the mailbox of the individual chat participants. |
| Microsoft 365 retention policy applied to Microsoft 365 Groups and Teams channel messages | grp1a0a132ee8944501a4bb6a452ec31171:3 | Organization-wide retention policies applied to Microsoft 365 groups and channel messages in Microsoft Teams are identified by GUIDs that start with the grp prefix. Note channel messages are stored in the group mailbox that is associated with a Microsoft Team. |
For more information about retention policies applied to Microsoft Teams, see Learn about retention policies for Microsoft Teams.
Understanding the format of the InPlaceHolds value for retention policies
In addition to the prefix (mbx, skp, or grp) that identifies an item in the InPlaceHolds property as a Microsoft 365 retention policy, the value also contains a suffix that identifies the type of retention action that's configured for the policy. For example, the action suffix is highlighted in bold type in the following examples:
skp127d7cf1076947929bf136b7a2a8c36f:1
mbx7cfb30345d454ac0a989ab3041051209:2
grp1a0a132ee8944501a4bb6a452ec31171:3
The following table defines the three possible retention actions:
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Indicates that the retention policy is configured to delete items. The policy doesn't retain items. |
| 2 | Indicates that the retention policy is configured to hold items. The policy doesn't delete items after the retention period expires. |
| 3 | Indicates that the retention policy is configured to hold items and then delete them after the retention period expires. |
For more information about retention actions, see the Retaining content for a specific period of time section.
Step 2: Use the GUID to identify the hold
After you obtain the GUID for a hold that is applied to a mailbox, the next step is to use that GUID to identify the hold. The following sections show how to identify the name of the hold (and other information) by using the hold GUID.
eDiscovery holds
Run the following commands in Security & Compliance Center PowerShell to identify an eDiscovery hold that's applied to the mailbox. Use the GUID (not including the UniH prefix) for the eDiscovery hold that you identified in Step 1.
To connect to Security & Compliance Center PowerShell, see Connect to Security & Compliance Center PowerShell.
The first command creates a variable that contains information about the hold. This variable is used in the other commands. The second command displays the name of the eDiscovery case the hold is associated with. The third command displays the name of the hold and a list of the mailboxes the hold applies to.
In-Place Holds
Run the following command in Exchange Online PowerShell to identify the In-Place Hold that's applied to the mailbox. Use the GUID for the In-Place Hold that you identified in Step 1. The command displays the name of the hold and a list of the mailboxes the hold applies to.
If the GUID for the In-Place Hold starts with the cld prefix, be sure to include the prefix when running the previous command.
Important
As we continue to invest in different ways to preserve mailbox content, we're announcing the retirement of In-Place Holds in the Exchange admin center (EAC). Starting July 1, 2020 you won't be able to create new In-Place Holds in Exchange Online. But you'll still be able to manage In-Place Holds in the EAC or by using the Set-MailboxSearch cmdlet in Exchange Online PowerShell. However, starting October 1, 2020, you won't be able to manage In-Place Holds. You'll only be remove them in the EAC or by using the Remove-MailboxSearch cmdlet. For more information about the retirement of In-Place Holds, see Retirement of legacy eDiscovery tools.
Microsoft 365 retention policies
Run the following command in Security & Compliance Center PowerShell to identity the Microsoft 365 retention policy (organization-wide or specific location) that's applied to the mailbox. Use the GUID (not including the mbx, skp, or grp prefix or the action suffix) that you identified in Step 1.
Identifying mailboxes on hold because a retention label has been applied to a folder or item
Whenever a user applies a retention label that's configured to retain content or retain and then delete content to any folder or item in their mailbox, the ComplianceTagHoldApplied mailbox property is set to True. When this happens, the mailbox is considered to be on hold, as if it was placed on Litigation Hold or assigned to a Microsoft 365 retention policy. When the ComplianceTagHoldApplied property is set to True, the following things may occur:
- If the mailbox or the user's user account is deleted, the mailbox becomes an inactive mailbox.
- You aren't able to disable the mailbox (either the primary mailbox or the archive mailbox, if it's enabled).
- Items in the mailbox may be retained longer than expected. This is because the mailbox is on hold and therefore no items are permanently deleted (purged).
To view the value of the ComplianceTagHoldApplied property, run the following command in Exchange Online PowerShell:
For more information about retention labels, see retention labels.
Managing mailboxes on delay hold
After any type of hold is removed from a mailbox, a delay hold is applied. This means that the actual removal of the hold is delayed for 30 days to prevent data from being permanently deleted (purged) from the mailbox. This gives admins an opportunity to search for or recover mailbox items that will be purged after a hold is removed. A delay hold is placed on a mailbox the next time the Managed Folder Assistant processes the mailbox and detects that a hold was removed. Specifically, a delay hold is applied to a mailbox when the Managed Folder Assistant sets one of the following mailbox properties to True:
DelayHoldApplied: This property applies to email-related content (generated by people using Outlook and Outlook on the web) that's stored in a user's mailbox.
DelayReleaseHoldApplied: This property applies to cloud-based content (generated by non-Outlook apps such as Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Forms, and Microsoft Yammer) that's stored in a user's mailbox. Cloud data generated by a Microsoft app is typically stored in a hidden folder in a user's mailbox.
When a delay hold is placed on the mailbox (when either of the previous properties is set to True), the mailbox is still considered to be on hold for an unlimited hold duration, as if the mailbox was on Litigation Hold. After 30 days, the delay hold expires, and Microsoft 365 will automatically attempt to remove the delay hold (by setting the DelayHoldApplied or DelayReleaseHoldApplied property to False) so that the hold is removed. After either of these properties are set to False, the corresponding items that are marked for removal are purged the next time the mailbox is processed by the Managed Folder Assistant.
To view the values for the DelayHoldApplied and DelayReleaseHoldApplied properties for a mailbox, run the following command in Exchange Online PowerShell.
To remove the delay hold before it expires, you can run one (or both) the following commands in Exchange Online PowerShell, depending on which property you want to change:
Or
You must be assigned the Legal Hold role in Exchange Online to use the RemoveDelayHoldApplied or RemoveDelayReleaseHoldApplied parameters.
To remove the delay hold on an inactive mailbox, run one of the following commands in Exchange Online PowerShell:
Variety Of Hold'em
Or
Tip
Variety Of Hold Em Crossword Clue
The best way to specify an inactive mailbox in the previous command is to use its Distinguished Name or Exchange GUID value. Using one of these values helps prevent accidentally specifying the wrong mailbox.
For more information about using these parameters for managing delay holds, see Set-Mailbox.
Keep the following things in mind when managing a mailbox on delay hold:
If either the DelayHoldApplied or DelayReleaseHoldApplied property is set to True and a mailbox (or the corresponding user account) is deleted, the mailbox becomes an inactive mailbox. That's because a mailbox is considered to be on hold if either property is set to True, and deleting a mailbox on hold results in an inactive mailbox. To delete a mailbox and not make it an inactive mailbox, you have to set both properties to False.
As previous stated, a mailbox is considered to be on hold for an unlimited hold duration if either the DelayHoldApplied or DelayReleaseHoldApplied property is set to True. However, that doesn't mean that all content in the mailbox is preserved. It depends on the value that's set to each property. For example, let's say both properties are set to True because holds are removed from the mailbox. Then you remove only the delay hold that's applied to non-Outlook cloud data (by using the RemoveDelayReleaseHoldApplied parameter). The next time the Managed Folder Assistant processes the mailbox, the non-Outlook items marked for removal are purged. Any Outlook items marked for removal won't be purged because the DelayHoldApplied property is still set to True. The opposite would also be true: if DelayHoldApplied is set to False and DelayReleaseHoldApplied is set to True, then only Outlook items marked for removal would be purged.
Next steps
After you identify the holds that are applied to a mailbox, you can perform tasks such as changing the duration of the hold, temporarily or permanently removing the hold, or excluding an inactive mailbox from a Microsoft 365 retention policy. For more information about performing tasks related to holds, see one of the following topics:
Run the Set-RetentionCompliancePolicy -Identity -AddExchangeLocationException command in Security & Compliance Center PowerShell to exclude a mailbox from an organization-wide Microsoft 365 retention policy. This command can only be used for retention policies where the value for the ExchangeLocation property equals
All.
Texas Hold'em Poker Terms and Glossary
Our poker glossary listed below includes not only common poker terms, but also poker terms specifically related to online poker. The game of poker is evolving, and like any language, new words are being added to the poker lexicon all the time. Knowing what poker players are saying when they use poker lingo, poker jargon, and even poker slang will ensure that you have an equal chance at the table.
All-in If you bet all your chips at any point, you are considered as having gone 'All-in.' This can happen either when you don't have enough chips to make a required or elective bet, or when you bet all your chips as a strategic move in No Limit games. Having gone All-in gives you the potential to win a share of the pot up to and including your last contribution to that pot. You cannot share in any bets added above and beyond that point. These bets form a side-pot. The all-in is also used for situations where a player in a hand loses connection to the server. | 'Going all-in with your chips occasionally ends with your going all out of the game.' |
Ante An ante is a mandatory bet paid equally by all players prior to a poker hand being dealt. Antes are always found in stud and razz poker games (where there are no blinds), and also quite frequently in the later stages of No Limit Hold'em tournaments to encourage more action. Antes are also available at select No Limit Hold'em cash tables. |
Avatar A term from computer gaming for an image or figure used to represent a person. Away-from-table In tournaments, you may not 'sit out'. Rather, you may be 'away-from-table' which means you are dealt into every hand, posting blinds when it's your turn, and then folded when there is a raise before the flop, or a bet after the flop. When you are in a tournament and need to leave, time-out, or lose your connection, you are automatically marked as 'away-from-table'. |
Back Bet A 'Back Bet' is a bet on something to happen (a prop bet) – a horse to win a race, a football team to win, or in poker's case, winning a hand with the hole cards 27 offsuit. It's just like a poker prop bet that you would regularly place in live games at casinos or with friends. |
Bad Beat This term refers to a heavy favorite in a hand who loses to an opponent who was a severe underdog statistically speaking. Bet the Pot This term is used in pot limit games. It means your bet matches the current amount in the pot. If, when your turn to bet, the pot was at $217, and you bet the pot, your bet is $217. |
Big Blind The big blind is the bigger of two forced bets, ensuring that there is money in the pot. The small blind is placed by the player to the left of the dealer and the big blind is then posted to the small blind's left. Generally, the big blind is equal to the minimum bet. In a $5/$10 limit game, for example, the big blind is $5. |
Blind This term refers to the required bets, called the small blind and the big blind used to put money into play. The blinds are mandatory bets and rotate around the table. Board The community cards in Hold'em are collectively known as the board. |
| 'Poker has a language all its own. You need to know the jargon if you want to play the game.' |
Burn In physical poker rooms, the top card of the deck is discarded prior to each round of dealing. The intent is to minimize the risk of cheating by knowing the next card. There is no possibility of this happening in our poker room, therefore we do not burn cards. Button A marker, usually disk-shaped, to indicate which player is the virtual dealer. The button is used in games where position relative to the dealer is important. |
Buy-in The amount of money required to sit down at a poker game. Tournament entry fees are considered the 'buy-in.' At a ring game, there is a minimum and a maximum buy-in, defining how much money you can bring to the table. | |
Call When a player matches the prior bet on the table, that action is termed the call. | |
Cap The last permitted raise in a betting round is called the cap. We allow three raises beyond the initial bet in limit games. The third raise is the cap. | |
Check If there is no bet on the table and you do not wish to place a bet, that action is termed a check. You may only check when there are no prior bets. | 'If you check, you're still in the hand. A check is not a bet, but also not a fold.' |
Client The term for the software that you download to your computer, allowing you to interact with the poker room's servers. | |
Collusion A form of cheating where two or more players attempt to gain an unfair advantage by sharing information. We do not tolerate cheating. | 'Cheaters and colluders will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law' |
Community Cards Face up cards on the table that are shared by all players are termed community cards. Texas Hold'em and Omaha always have community cards. |
Dead Blind In a situation where you have missed your blinds and wish to re-enter the game before your turn to post the big blind. You must post both blinds and the small blind is termed a dead blind, meaning it does not count towards calling a bet. Dead Hand A hand no longer in the game. | |
Down Cards The face-down cards dealt to a player, also termed hole cards. | |
Drawing Dead This describes the situation when a player is trying to draw a card to complete a hand when there is already a hand that will beat it, even if made. | |
Drop To drop your hand when you decide not to go further with your hand; to return your cards to the muck. Same as fold. Face Down Dealt cards that are not visible to other players. Face Up Dealt cards that are visible to all players. | |
Fixed Limit Poker In a fixed limit poker game, the amount you can bet or raise is fixed for each round of betting. For example, if you're playing a $2-$4 fixed limit Texas Hold'em game, every player can only bet or raise $2 during the first two rounds of betting, and can only bet or raise $4 during the last two rounds rounds of betting. To understand this better, plese refer to our article: In Praise of Fixed Limit Poker. Flop In Texas Hold'em, the set of 3 face-up community cards or the first three cards on the board, all dealt at the same time. | |
Flush Any 5 cards in one hand that are all the same suit. | |
Fold Betnow sportsbook. Withdraw from further participation in the current hand. Also see drop. | |
Forced Bet A mandatory bet. In certain games, a player is required to bet, having sat-in the game. Four of a Kind A great hand .. all 4 of one rank. For example, 4 Tens. | |
Freeroll This term applies to poker tournaments where the entry fee, the stakes, or both the entry fee and stakes are waived. In some non-freeroll tournaments, the house may guarantee a minimum prize pool. | 'A freeroll is a tournament that every player can afford to play.' |
Full House A hand in which you have a combination of 3 of a kind, and a pair. |
Hand A set of cards used by a player during a single round. Another word for a single round of shuffling, dealing, and betting. Hand for Hand (h4h) The end stage of a multi-table tournament where play is coordinated across all tables to prevent players from slow-playing in order to gain an advantage and move up in the prize structure. The Hand for Hand mechanism is usually employed at the stage when the amount of the prize money is due to increase. Typically, players will need to wait at their table until the action on a hand is completed at another table before a new hand is dealt. When a player is eliminated from the tournament and the higher prize level is reached, Hand for Hand action stops, only to resume when the next prize level increase is reached. When playing Titan Poker tournaments, players see a notification indicating that they are in Hand for Hand mode. | |
Heads Up A game where only two players remain in contention for the pot. Head to Head A game where only two players may participate. | |
High Card The card with the highest rank. High/Low A variation of a game where the pot is split between the best hand and the worst hand. The worst hand is comprised of the 5 lowest cards. Most poker rooms, including this one, consider 5, 4, 3, 2, A (the wheel) as the lowest possible hand, despite it also being a straight. | |
Hold'em Also called Texas Hold'em. One of the most popular poker games. Each player gets 2 down cards and can use 3,4, or 5 of the community cards. | |
Hole Cards The down cards in a player's hand. | |
In A term for being an active player; one who has not folded. | |
Inside Straight The term applied when a player has 4 of 5 cards needed for a straight with the missing card being inside the sequence rather than at either end, and gets the missing card. For example, a player holding 3, 4, 5, 7 needs a 6 to complete the straight. Getting that 6 is termed 'making the inside straight.' Jackpot A bonus opportunity to win under specific circumstances set by the poker room. | |
Kicker The term for the card used to break ties between two of a kind or between Two Pair. | |
Live Blind A forced bet put in by one or more players before any cards are dealt. The 'live' means those players still have the option of raising when the action gets back around to them. | |
Main Pot The initial pot of money. When one or more players go all-in, a side pot is created for each all-in player. Muck As a noun, this refers to the pile of folded cards and discarded cards. As a verb, at showdown time, the act of returning a losing hand to the dealer facedown. Multi-Entry Tournaments Multi-Entry Tournaments (MET) allow players to register to play at multiple tables at a single tournament to increase their winning potential. Each of the entries to an MET has a separate chip stack and is played simultaneously. Players can either register multiple times simultaneously or only enter again if they get eliminated. | |
Multi-Table Tournament (MTT) A tournament where players at more than one table compete, starting with equal numbers of chips, until one player has won all the chips. Prize payouts are a function of the number of entrants, and are posted on the tournaments page. Multi-table tournaments have a posted start time, and require registration in advance. | |
nh Nice hand. | |
No Limit A variation of the betting rules in which each bet is unlimited up to the number of chips a player has on the table (NL). | 'No-limit Hold'em: Hours of boredom followed by moments of sheer terror' Tom McEvoy |
No Limit Hold'em The most popular variety of poker, featuring unlimited betting. Most poker tournaments, both online and live, are played in the No Limit Hold'em format. | |
Omaha A game in which each player receives 4 facedown cards and shares 5 community cards. The winning hand must use exactly 2 down cards and 3 community cards. Omaha High/Lo This game allows players to compete for a pot split between the highest and the lowest hands using 2 down cards and 3 community cards. A player may use different sets of cards to make up the best high and the best low hands. | |
On the button This term means you are in the dealer position in Texas Hold'em and Omaha games.A 'button' marks the dealer position with a 'D' in the center. | |
Pair This is a hand where the player's best hand is made up of 2 cards of the same rank. | |
Pass Can be used in place of either check or fold depending on the context. Play Chips The chips used for play money games. Play chips have no monetary value. Playing the Board Using all the community cards in Hold'em as your best hand. | |
Pocket Cards The term for the two down cards at the start of the hand. | |
Pot The chips available to be won in any given hand. | 'A multi-way pot is one where there are three or more players left in the hand vying for the pot.' |
Pot Limit A variation on betting where each player may bet up to the current amount in the pot (PL). | |
Profile A term describing the information a player may enter about himself/herself that may be available, at the player's option, to other players in the poker room. | |
Raise The act of increasing the amount bet by a prior bettor. Rake The amount of money, in chips, taken by the house as the service fee in a ring game when the pot reaches a minimal amount. | |
No flop, no drop = Rake is not charged if a hand has ended before the flop cards have been dealt. | |
Raked Hand A Raked Hand is any hand in ring game play in which a player participates by contributing to the pot, either by posting a blind or a bet, and rake is generated. Free scratch off games win real money. Rank The value of a card. The rank of the 2 of Spades is 2. The rank of the Queen of Hearts is Queen. Rank value increases from 2 through 10, followed in order by Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. In High/Low games, the Ace may be used both for its high rank and as the lowest rank card. | |
Re-buy To get more chips during a game but not during a hand that you are in. This applies to real money and tournament play. | |
Reducing The act of removing chips from a table and returning immediately with fewer chips. Reducing is considered poor etiquette. Re-Entry Tournaments Re-Entry Tournaments (RET) allow players to re-register after they are eliminated, simply by buying back in. As a result, more players participate at the tournament tables and prize pools grow larger. | |
River The fifth and final community card. This card is also known as Fifth Street. | |
Round This refers to the dealing of a set of cards and associated betting. For example, the dealing of the river and the bets that follow are a round. | |
Royal Flush The best possible high hand. This is a straight flush from 10 through to Ace of the same suit. | |
Satellite A preliminary poker tournament awarding seat(s) to a larger, more important tournament. | |
Screen Name The identity you select by which you are known in the poker room. We only allow one player per screen name so please understand if the one you have selected is already taken. Server The computer, or set of computers, providing a service to client computers. In this case the service is the poker room. | |
Showdown After the final bet, when all players show their hands or muck, is known as the showdown. | |
Side Pot This is a pot created when a player goes all-in. The side pot is the pot available to those players not all-in at that point. There can, on occasion, be more than one side pot. | |
Sit 'N' Go A poker tournament which starts as soon as the required number of poker players sit down at the table. Sit 'n' go tournaments are usually single table tournaments, however, there are multi-table tournaments that are considered sit 'n' go tournaments and which start play as soon as all available seats are filled. | |
Single Table Tournament (STT) A poker tournament taking place at just one table. All players buy-in with an equal amount and the buy-in money goes to the prize pool. The prize pool is returned to the top finishers per the payout table on the tournaments page. A fee is normally required to play at this table. Players are staked to equal numbers of chips and play until one player has won all the chips. | |
Sit Out We permit you to hold your seat at a table while not participating in some hands. Under most conditions, we limit the time you may sit out. In blind games, you may be asked to post the equivalent of the blind if you return to your seat prior to the blind reaching you. To sit out you click a check box on the table screen. To return, you unclick the 'sit out' check box. | |
Small Blind In Hold'em and Omaha, this is the mandatory bet required of the player to the left of the dealer. Stakes In Limit games, Stakes are the fixed amount for bets and raises. Steel Wheel If a player holds a five high straight flush, (5-4-3-2-A), it is commonly called a 'steel wheel'. | |
Straight A hand in which the player has five cards in rank order. Suit does not matter. For example, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen. | |
Straight Flush A straight all of the same suit. | |
Stud The generic term for poker games where players receive the first card(s) down followed by some up cards where those up cards are exclusively for the use of that player. There may be a further down card as in 7 Card Stud. | |
'Hold'em is to Stud, what chess is to checkers' - Johnny Moss | |
Suit Any of the four sets (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades) in a deck of cards. | |
Texas Hold'em The poker game where each player gets two down cards followed by five community cards face-up. | |
Three of a kind A hand consisting three cards of the same rank. Tournament Buy-In The cost to enter a tournament. All buy-in money is returned to the players via the prize pool. Tournament Entry-Fee A small fee the house charges to enter a tournament. Trips A nickname for three of a kind. Turbo A form of poker play with minimal time to make decisions. Turn The nickname for the fourth community card in Hold'em and Omaha. | |
Two Pair A hand in which the player has two pairs of cards. Under-raise This occurs when a player raises a prior bet but has to go all-in to do so with an amount less than the full raise. Up Card A card dealt face up, so that all players may see it. Wheel A nickname for the best low hand 5, 4, 3, 2, A. |
