3: Official Terminology and Gestures

A: Official betting terms are simple, unmistakable, time-honored declarations like bet, raise, call, fold, check, all-in, complete, and pot (pot-limit only). Regional terms may also meet this test. Also, players must use gestures with caution when facing action; tapping the table is a check. B: Players facing action must use official betting terms only when declaring their own action. Using official betting terms in a question or casual conversation may be ruled binding if reasonably interpreted as the player’s intended action. To avoid ambiguity players should phrase questions with neutral language. Ex: “did he raise” may be construed as declaration of raise, better to ask “what was his action”). C: It is the responsibility of players to make their intentions clear: using non-standard terms or gestures is at player’s risk and may result in a ruling other than what the player intended. See also Rules 2 and 44.