Verb

To be included as part of a given player's best five-card hand.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Rather than being done by a player, the subject of this action is a card. The term is heard most commonly in circumstances where the kicker determines the winner of a hand. Example: In a game of Texas Hold'em, Player A has Ac-3c in the pocket and Player B has Ah-10h in the pocket. The flop is As-Qc-7h. The turn is the Qs. If any card ten or higher was revealed on the river, the ten would not play because the best hand that Player A could make would be better than any hand that included the ten. For instance, with a Jack on the river both players would make two pair, A-A-Q-Q-J. If any card lower than a ten was revealed on the river, then Player A would win the pot with A-A-Q-Q-10 against Player B's two pair with a low kicker.

EXAMPLE: "The ten plays."

APPLIES TO: Online and Land-based Venues

GAME CATEGORY: Shared Card Games

RELATED TERMS: Kicker, Kicker Trouble

Verb

In ring games where chips must be used rather than cash, to include cash as part of a given player's table stakes; to count toward the total amount that a player may wager, despite the fact that it is not yet converted to chips.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Rather than being done by a player, the subject of this action is the money.

EXAMPLE: Player A hands the dealer $60 and says, "I'd like to buy more chips before we start the next hand." The dealer may hand the money back and respond, "I don't have enough chips left here to pay you. I'll call over a chip runner and until then your $60 plays."

APPLIES TO: Land-based Venues

SYNONYMS: Money Plays

RELATED TERMS: Behind, Chip Runner, Ring Game, Table Stakes