Poker

Poker Terms & Slang

August 31, 2023
Updated October 15, 2026

Poker has a language of its own. This glossary explains 400 poker terms and slang words, from basic actions such as check, call and raise to tournament formats, strategy concepts and the nicknames players give to starting hands.

Each entry opens with a short definition, followed by an example or a note on how the term is used at the table. Use the search box, the theme filters or the A to Z bar to find a term, and follow the links to related entries and to our guides on rules and strategy.

A

ABC Poker: A simple, straightforward style of play that bets strong hands for value, folds weak ones and rarely bluffs or makes fancy plays. It works well against weak opponents in low-stakes games, but strong players can read it easily because bets almost always mean real strength.

See also: Poker Hand Rankings

Ace-High: A hand with no pair or better whose highest card is an Ace, the strongest form of a high-card hand. For example, A♠️J♦️ on a board of K♣️8♥️5♦️3♠️2♣️ plays as Ace-high and beats King-high, but loses to any pair.

Ace Magnets: Slang for pocket Kings (KK), the second-best starting hand in Hold’em, used as a joke about how often an Ace seems to appear. Holders of Kings often feel an Ace lands on the flop every time, but in fact at least one Ace flops about 23% of the time.

Action: The betting activity in a hand (bets, calls, raises, checks and folds), and also a player’s turn to act, as in “the action is on you.” A game with lots of betting and loose players is called an action game.

Add-on: A one-time optional purchase of extra tournament chips, usually offered to every remaining player at the end of the rebuy period, regardless of stack size. Add-ons often give more chips per dollar than the original buy-in, so most players take them.

A-Game: A player’s best possible level of play, with clear focus, sound decisions and no emotional interference. Its opposite is a B-game or C-game, often caused by fatigue or tilt, and many players stop a session when they notice they are no longer at their A-game.

Aggressive: A playing style that favors betting and raising over checking and calling. Aggression wins pots in two ways: opponents fold better hands, and strong hands build bigger pots. Compare tight-aggressive and loose-aggressive styles.

Airball: A hand that has missed the board completely, with no pair and no draw, such as a busted draw on the river. For example, Q♠️J♠️ on a final board of 9♥️5♣️2♦️K♦️3♣️ has airballed and can win only by bluffing.

All-In: Having put all of one’s remaining chips into the pot during a hand, by betting, calling or raising. An all-in player cannot be forced out and can win only the chips matched by each opponent; any further betting goes into a side pot. Also called shoving or jamming.

American Airlines: Slang for pocket Aces (AA), the best starting hand in Hold’em, named after the US airline. The nickname comes from the airline’s initials, AA, which match the shorthand for the hand. Also called pocket rockets or bullets.

Ammo (Ammunition): Slang for chips, especially the chips a player has available to bet, raise or bluff with. A player with a big stack has plenty of ammo to pressure opponents, while a short stack has little room to maneuver.

Angle Shooting: Using deceptive, unethical tactics that may not break the written rules to gain an advantage, such as faking a call or hiding chips. Examples include saying “call” ambiguously, or moving chips forward to induce a fold. Most cardrooms penalize clear angle shooting.

Anna Kournikova (Poker Hand): Slang for Ace-King (AK) as a starting hand, named after the tennis player Anna Kournikova. The joke is that the hand looks great but rarely wins, a reference to her never winning a singles title on the WTA tour.

Ante: A small forced bet that every player puts into the pot before a hand is dealt, used in stud games and in the later levels of most tournaments. Many tournaments now use a big blind ante, where the big blind pays the whole table’s ante.

B

Backdoor Draw: A draw that needs two specific cards, one on the turn and one on the river, to complete. For example, A♥️K♣️ on a board of Q♥️7♥️2♠️ has a backdoor flush draw. Also called a runner-runner draw.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Bad Beat: Losing a hand in which a player was a big favorite, usually because an opponent hit a lucky card on the turn or river. For example, pocket Aces losing all-in preflop to 7♣️2♦️ after the board makes a straight is a classic bad beat.

Bad Beat Jackpot: A cardroom jackpot paid when a very strong hand loses at showdown, for example four of a kind beaten by a straight flush. The qualifying hand, such as Aces full of Tens or better, and the payout shares (often most to the losing hand) are set by house rules, which vary. See also bad beat.

Bad Beat Story: A retelling of a hand in which the storyteller lost as a big favorite. Bad beat stories are notorious for boring listeners, since nearly every player has many of them and they rarely contain a useful lesson.

Balanced: Describes a strategy that takes the same action with a mix of strong hands and bluffs or weaker hands, so opponents cannot tell which one a player holds. A balanced river bet, for example, includes enough bluffs that calling and folding are equally profitable for the opponent.

Bankroll: The money a player sets aside only for poker, separate from living expenses. Good bankroll management means playing stakes the bankroll can support, for example many buy-ins for the game, so that normal variance does not wipe it out.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Barrel: To keep betting on consecutive streets, usually as the preflop raiser following up a c-bet. Each bet is one barrel: two streets in a row is a double barrel and three is a triple barrel. Barreling puts pressure on hands that called once but cannot call again.

Belly Buster: A straight draw that needs one specific rank in the middle to complete. For example, 9♠️8♠️ on a board of J♦️7♣️2♥️ needs a Ten. It has only 4 outs, half as many as an open-ended straight draw. Also called a gutshot or inside straight draw.

Bet: To put chips into the pot when no one has yet put money in during the current betting round, which forces the other players to call, raise or fold. On the flop, if the first player checks and the next pushes in 50 chips, that is a bet. Once a bet is made, players can no longer check.

Bet In The Dark: To bet before the next card is dealt, without seeing it first, deciding to bet regardless of what comes. For example, a player may announce a bet on the turn before the turn card is dealt. Also called a dark bet.

See also: How to Play Texas Hold’em

Big Slick: Slang for Ace-King (AK) as a starting hand, one of the strongest unpaired hands in Hold’em. Its origin is unclear. AK is strong but still an unmade hand, and it flops a pair or better only about one time in three.

Blank: A community card that appears to change nothing, completing no draw and not affecting which hand is ahead. For example, on a board of K♥️Q♥️8♣️, the turn 2♠️ is a blank. Also called a brick.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Block Bet: A small bet made out of position, usually on the turn or river, to set a cheaper price than the opponent would likely bet if checked to. For example, betting a quarter of the pot with a weak pair on the river can let you reach showdown cheaply. Also called a blocking bet.

Blocker: A card in your hand that makes certain opponent holdings less likely or impossible because that card cannot be in their hand. Holding A♥️ on a board with three hearts means no opponent can have the Ace-high (nut) flush, which makes it a good card for a bluff. Also called card removal.

Bluff: A bet or raise with a weak hand, made to get opponents with better hands to fold. Bluffs work best when the story told by the betting is believable. A bluff with a hand that can still improve is a semi-bluff.

Bluff Catcher: A hand that beats only bluffs and loses to every value bet, so calling with it makes sense only if the opponent bluffs often enough. For example, second pair facing a river bet on a board where all better hands are value is a bluff catcher.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Board: The community cards dealt face up in the center of the table, which all players combine with their hole cards to make a hand. In Hold’em the full board has five cards: the flop, turn and river.

Bomb Pot: A cash-game hand in which every player puts an agreed amount into the pot before the deal and play begins on the flop, with no preflop betting. Bomb pots create big pots and multiway action, and some games deal two boards. Amounts and frequency are set by house rules or table agreement.

Bounty: A cash prize placed on a tournament player, paid to whoever eliminates that player. In a standard knockout tournament every entrant has the same fixed bounty, paid from part of the buy-in. Bounties make it more attractive to call all-ins from players you cover. See also PKO. Also called a knockout.

Brick: A community card that does not help a player, usually one that misses a draw. For example, a player holding a flush draw in hearts hopes for a heart and calls a black 2♣️ on the river a brick. Also called a blank.

Bring-in: In stud games, a forced bet on third street posted by the player showing the lowest upcard (the highest in Razz), smaller than a full bet. The bring-in player may instead complete to a full bet. Ties between equal upcards are broken by suit, with clubs the lowest.

Broadway: The highest possible straight, made of a Ten, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of mixed suits (T-J-Q-K-A). Cards Ten and higher are also called Broadway cards, so a hand like K♦️J♣️ is a Broadway hand. In the same suit, Broadway is a royal flush.

Bubble: The stage of a tournament just before the paid places, when the next player eliminated finishes without a prize. The player knocked out in that spot is the bubble boy, and short stacks often play very cautiously to reach the money.

Bubble Boy: The last player eliminated from a tournament just before the paid places, finishing one spot out of the money. In a 1,000-player event paying 150 places, the bubble boy finishes 151st. Some events give the bubble boy a free entry into a future tournament. See bubble.

Bullets: Slang for pocket Aces (AA), the best starting hand in Hold’em, probably because the shape of the A resembles a bullet. Also called pocket rockets or American Airlines.

Bum Hunting: Choosing tables or opponents mainly to play against weak players while avoiding strong ones, especially in online heads-up games. It is a sensible form of table selection, but many players see sitting only against recreational players and leaving when a reg arrives as poor etiquette.

Burn Card: The top card of the deck, discarded face down by the dealer before the flop, turn and river are dealt. Burning protects the game, since no player can benefit from glimpsing or marking the top card.

Busted: Describes a draw that missed, or a player who has lost all their chips. For example, a flush draw that does not complete on the river is a busted draw, and a player eliminated from a tournament has busted out.

Button: A round disc showing which player is the nominal dealer for the hand. It moves one seat clockwise after each hand. The player on the button acts last after the flop, which makes it the most profitable seat. Also called the dealer button.

Buy-In: The amount paid to enter a tournament, or the chips bought when joining a cash game. A tournament buy-in is often written as two parts, such as $100+$10, where $100 goes to the prize pool and $10 is the house fee.

C

Call: To match the current bet or raise in order to stay in the hand. For example, if the player before you bets 50 chips, calling means putting in 50 chips. Calling is the only option that neither increases the bet nor folds.

Calling Station: A passive player who calls too often and rarely raises or folds. Calling stations are easy to beat: bet strong hands for value and avoid bluffing them, since they seldom fold.

Call the Clock: To ask the floor to give a player who is taking too long a fixed time limit to act. A floor person counts down, and if the player has not acted when time runs out, the hand is declared dead. House rules vary on who may call the clock and how much time is given. See also tanking.

Candy Canes: Slang for pocket Sevens (77), probably because the shape of two Sevens looks like a pair of candy canes. Also called hockey sticks.

Cap: The maximum number of raises allowed in one betting round of a limit game, usually a bet plus three or four raises. Once the betting is capped, players may only call or fold. House rules vary, and many rooms lift the cap when only two players remain.

Card Dead: Going a long time without being dealt a playable starting hand, so a player is forced to fold hand after hand. Being card dead is especially costly in tournaments, where the blinds and antes keep rising and the stack shrinks. A good card-dead player looks for steal spots instead.

Cardrack: A player who receives strong starting hands again and again over a session, seemingly by luck. For example, a player dealt Aces, Kings and Queens within an hour is said to be cardracking. Also called card rack.

Case: The last remaining unseen card of a given rank, the only one of its rank still left in the deck. If two Aces are on the board and an opponent holds a third, the fourth Ace is the case Ace, and a player hoping for it has only 1 out.

Cash Game: A poker game played for real money in which chips represent their cash value, blinds stay fixed and players can join, rebuy or leave at any time. Unlike a tournament, there is no elimination. Most cash games have a minimum and maximum buy-in, such as 40 to 100 big blinds. Also called a ring game or live game.

Check: To decline to bet while keeping the right to stay in the hand, possible only when no one has bet in the current round. If every player checks, the round ends and the next card is dealt.

Check Behind: To check as the last player to act in a betting round after everyone else has checked, which ends the round without a bet. Checking behind on the flop with a medium hand gives a free card but also helps with pot control. Also called checking back.

Check-Call: To check and then call when an opponent bets in the same betting round, rather than folding or check-raising. It is a common line with medium-strength hands and draws played out of position, keeping the pot smaller than leading out would. See check-raise.

Check-Raise: To check and then raise after an opponent bets in the same betting round. It is used to build a bigger pot with a strong hand or as a bluff. Most cash games allow it, though some home games ban it.

Chip and a Chair: The saying that a tournament player with just one chip left still has a chance to win, as long as they have a seat. It comes from Jack Straus, who found a single forgotten chip after thinking he was busted and went on to win the 1982 WSOP Main Event.

Chip Dumping: Deliberately losing chips to another player to transfer them, a form of cheating and collusion most often seen in tournaments. A typical case is a short stack going all-in with a weak hand against a friend. Players caught chip dumping face disqualification and forfeited winnings.

Chip Leader: The player with the most chips in a tournament, either overall or at one table. The chip leader can put pressure on shorter stacks, especially near the bubble, because they risk elimination when calling a big stack’s all-in. Being chip leader early does not guarantee a win.

Chop: To split a pot or prize pool between players, either because their hands tie or by agreement. In cash games, chopping also means that when everyone folds to the blinds, both blinds take back their money instead of playing. In tournaments, remaining players may agree to a deal, sometimes based on ICM. Also called a split.

Coffeehousing: Talking at the table during a hand to mislead or manipulate opponents about your hand’s strength. Saying ‘I guess I have to call’ with the nuts is a typical example. It is widely considered poor etiquette and may be penalized under house rules, especially in multi-way pots. See angle shooting.

Coin Flip: An all-in confrontation in which both hands have close to a 50% chance to win. The classic example is a pair against two higher cards, such as 2♠️2♦️ against A♥️K♣️, where the pair is a slight favorite (about 52%). Also called a flip or race.

Cold Call: To call a raise when a player has not yet put any chips into the pot in that betting round. For example, calling an opening raise from the button without having bet before is a cold call, unlike calling after limping.

Collusion: Secret cooperation between two or more players against the others, such as sharing hole card information or raising together to trap a third player. Collusion is cheating and is banned in all legitimate games.

Color Up: To exchange small-denomination chips for larger ones, usually when the lowest chip is removed from play in a tournament as the blinds rise. Leftover chips that cannot be exchanged are usually decided by a chip race, and under TDA rules no player can be eliminated by it.

Combo Draw: A drawing hand with two or more draws at once, most often a flush draw combined with a straight draw, giving many outs. With J♥️T♥️ on 9♥️8♥️2♣️, you have 15 outs (9 hearts plus 6 non-heart Queens and Sevens), making you a favorite over a single pair. See outs.

Come Hand: A drawing hand that is not yet strong but can improve to a much stronger one, such as a flush or straight draw. Players say they are playing “on the come” when they bet or call hoping to hit their draw.

Community Cards: The cards dealt face up in the center of the table that every player shares and combines with their own hole cards. In Hold’em there are five community cards; in Omaha players must use exactly three of them. Also called the board.

Complete Hand: A hand in which all five cards contribute to its value: a straight, flush, full house, four of a kind or straight flush. For example, 8♠️7♠️ on 9♣️6♦️5♥️ is a complete hand (a straight).

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Connectors: Two hole cards of consecutive rank, such as 9♣️8♦️ or T♠️9♠️, prized for their ability to make straights. When they share a suit (suited connectors) they can also make flushes. Cards with gaps between them are called gappers.

Continuation Bet Or C-Bet: A bet on the flop by the player who made the last raise before the flop. It continues the story of strength told preflop and can win the pot even when the flop misses, since most flops miss most hands.

Cooler: A hand in which a very strong hand loses to an even stronger one, so heavy losses are almost unavoidable. Examples include pocket Kings against pocket Aces preflop, or a set losing to a higher set.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Coordinated: Describes a board whose cards work together to make many straights, flushes or strong draws possible. For example, J♥️T♥️9♠️ is highly coordinated, while K♠️7♦️2♣️ is not. Also called a wet board.

Counterfeit: To lose value because a card on the board duplicates or outranks part of a player’s hand. For example, holding 6♠️6♦️ on a board of 9♣️9♥️8♦️8♠️K♣️, the sixes are counterfeited because the board’s two pair plays.

Cowboys: Slang for pocket Kings (KK), the second-best starting hand in Hold’em, probably because the King cards show men in historical dress that suggest cowboys. Also called ace magnets.

Crabs: Slang for pocket Threes (33), probably because the shape of the number 3 resembles a crab’s claws.

Crack: To beat a strong hand, especially a big pocket pair, usually by outdrawing it on a later street. The term is most often used for pocket Aces, as in “my Aces got cracked by 9♥️8♥️ when the board made a straight.”

Crap Shoot: A situation where the outcome depends almost entirely on luck, taken from the dice game craps. Late in a tournament with very short stacks, many all-ins become a crap shoot because skill has little room to matter.

Cripple: To hold so many of the useful cards that other players can hardly improve, usually phrased as “to cripple the deck.” For example, a player who flops four Aces has crippled the deck.

Crying Call: A reluctant call made by a player who suspects they are beaten but feels the pot odds or the chance of a bluff are too good to fold. Players often call this way on the river with a medium-strength hand.

Cutoff (CO): The seat directly to the right of the button, the second-to-last to act after the flop. It is a strong position for opening and stealing the blinds, probably named because it can cut off the button’s chance to steal.

D

Dead Button: A button left on an empty seat or a seat of a player who has busted or left, so that the big blind keeps moving forward one seat each hand. Under the dead button rule used by TDA and most casinos, no player misses or pays a blind twice. See button.

Dead Man’s Hand: Two pair, black Aces and black Eights, said to be the hand Wild Bill Hickok held when he was shot dead in Deadwood in 1876. The identity of the fifth card is unknown and remains disputed.

Dead Money: Chips in the pot put in by players who have already folded, so they can no longer win them. In tournaments, the term also describes entrants who have little realistic chance of winning, often because they are inexperienced or playing a satellite seat casually.

Dealer: The person who shuffles and deals the cards and runs the hand. In casinos this is a house employee who does not play, and a button marks the player in the dealer position, which rotates clockwise after each hand.

Delayed C-Bet: A continuation bet made on the turn by the preflop raiser after checking the flop, usually in position. It can work well on flops that suit the caller, because the check makes opponents expect weakness. Also called a delayed continuation bet. See continuation bet.

Deuces: Slang for pocket Twos (22), the lowest possible pocket pair in Hold’em and Omaha. “Deuce” is the traditional name for a Two in cards and dice. Also called ducks.

Dimes: Slang for pocket Tens (TT), named after the dime, the US ten-cent coin.

Dirty Stack: A stack of chips that appears to be one denomination but contains one or more chips of another. It can mislead opponents about a bet’s size, so dealers and players are expected to keep stacks clean.

Dog: Short for underdog, a hand or player with less than a 50% chance to win. For example, a pocket pair is usually about a 4 to 1 dog against a higher pocket pair. The opposite is a favorite.

Dolly Parton (Poker Hand): Slang for 9-5 as a starting hand, named after the country singer Dolly Parton and her song “9 to 5”.

Dominated Hand: A hand that shares a card with a stronger hand and has a worse second card, so it has few ways to win. For example, A♦️Q♣️ against A♠️K♥️ wins only about 25% of the time, since both pair the Ace.

Donk Bet: A bet made out of position into the player who had the betting lead on the previous street. For example, the big blind calls a preflop raise and then bets first on the flop instead of checking to the raiser. Also called a lead.

Donkey: An insulting name for a weak, inexperienced player who makes obvious mistakes. Often shortened to donk. Compare fish, which means much the same.

Doomswitch: An imaginary switch some players believe gets flipped to make them lose again and again, especially online. It reflects the feeling of a long downswing, but there is no evidence that luck is switched on or off.

Door Card: In stud games, the first face-up card each player receives on third street, visible to the whole table before any betting. Door cards decide who makes the bring-in and show which cards are dead, for example three visible Kings make your own pair of Kings much less likely to improve.

Double Barrel: To bet on both the flop and the turn in the same hand, typically a continuation bet on the flop followed by another bet on the turn. Double barreling works best on turn cards that help the bettor’s range, such as an Ace or a card completing a draw the bettor can represent. See also barrel.

Downswing: A long stretch of losing results, often far below a player’s expected win rate, caused mainly by variance rather than poor play. Downswings happen even to strong winning players, which is why proper bankroll management matters. Its opposite is an upswing.

Doyle Brunson (Poker Hand): Slang for Ten-Two (T2) as a starting hand, named after the poker legend Doyle Brunson. He won the final hand of both his World Series of Poker Main Event titles, in 1976 and 1977, holding T2.

Drawing Dead: Having no chance to win the hand no matter which cards are still to come. For example, a player with a flush draw against a made full house is drawing dead, since completing the flush still loses.

Drawing Hand: A hand that is not yet strong but can improve to a straight, flush or other strong hand with the right cards. For example, A♥️5♥️ on a board of K♥️9♥️2♣️ is a drawing hand with 9 outs to a flush.

Drawing Live: Having outs that would win the hand if they arrive, as opposed to drawing dead. For example, a flush draw is drawing live against a set only until the board pairs, since a full house would then beat the flush.

Drawing Thin: Having very few outs left to win the hand, so the chance of catching up is small but not zero. Holding a set of Twos against a set of Kings, you are drawing thin with just one out, the last Two. Compare drawing dead, where no card can win.

Draw Out: To win a hand by catching a card on the turn or river that turns a losing hand into the winner. For example, a flush draw that hits the river against an opponent’s top pair has drawn out. Also called a suck-out.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Dry Board: A board with few possible draws or strong combinations, usually unconnected and in different suits. For example, K♠️7♦️2♣️ is very dry, so the hand that leads on the flop usually stays ahead. The opposite is a wet board.

Ducks: Slang for pocket Twos (22), probably because the shape of the number 2 resembles a duck on water. Also called deuces.

E

Early Position: The seats that act first in a betting round, in a full ring game usually under the gun and the next one or two seats. Players there act with little information about others, so they usually play a tighter range of hands.

Edge: An advantage over opponents or over a situation that makes a player profitable in the long run. A skilled player has an edge over weaker players, and a 60% favorite in an all-in has a 20-point edge over the opponent.

Effective Stack: The amount of chips that can actually be won or lost in a hand, equal to the smallest stack among the players involved. For example, if one player has 5,000 chips and the other 1,200, the effective stack is 1,200.

Empty The Clip: To keep betting and raising on every street, usually as a bluff, until the bets run out or all remaining chips are in. The phrase compares firing chips to emptying a gun’s magazine.

Equity: A player’s share of the pot based on the chance of winning the hand at that moment. For example, with a 40% chance to win a 1,000-chip pot, a player’s equity is 400 chips.

Equity Denial: The benefit of betting to make opponents fold hands that still have some chance to win, such as overcards or weak draws. With 9♠️9♦️ on J♣️7♥️3♦️, betting folds out hands like A-Q that have six outs, protecting your equity. See protect and fold equity.

Even Money: Odds of 1 to 1, in which a winning bet pays the same amount as was risked, so winning doubles the stake. A hand with a 50% chance to win is an even-money proposition.

Expected Value: The average result of a decision if it were repeated many times, found by weighting each possible outcome by its probability. A positive expected value (+EV) play earns money in the long run. Also called EV.

Exploitative Play: A strategy that departs from game theory optimal play to take advantage of a specific opponent’s mistakes and tendencies. Against a player who folds too often, you bluff more; against a calling station, you value bet more and bluff less. Compare GTO poker.

Exposed Cards: Cards that are seen face up when they should not be, usually through a dealing error or a player dropping them. Under standard rules, a card exposed by the dealer during the deal is replaced, and two or more exposed cards cause a misdeal. House rules vary.

F

Family Pot: A pot that all or nearly all players at the table enter, usually because everyone limps or calls preflop. Family pots are multiway, so a hand like top pair is weaker than usual and drawing hands gain value.

Fast: Betting and raising aggressively to build the pot, usually with a strong hand or a strong draw. It is the opposite of slow-playing; for example, raising the flop with a set on a wet board to charge draws. Also called fast-playing.

Fast-Fold Poker: An online cash-game format in which a player moves to a new table with new opponents immediately after folding, instead of waiting for the hand to end. It roughly doubles or triples hands per hour. Brands include Zoom (PokerStars) and Rush & Cash (GGPoker). Also called Zoom poker.

Favorite: The hand or player more likely to win at a given moment, based on the odds. Preflop, A♠️K♠️ is about a 2 to 1 favorite over 7♣️2♦️; the opposite of a favorite is an underdog.

Fifth Street: In Hold’em and Omaha, fifth street is the fifth and final community card, better known as the river. In Seven Card Stud it is the fifth card each player receives, after which the betting limits usually double.

Final Table: The last table of a multi-table tournament, formed when only enough players remain to fill one table, usually nine, though some events use six, eight or ten. The largest prizes are decided there, and pay jumps grow with each elimination, which makes ICM especially important.

Fish: A weak or inexperienced player who makes frequent mistakes and loses money over time, often by calling too much and chasing draws. Stronger players try to sit at tables with fish. Also called a donkey or a live one.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Fish Hooks: Pocket Jacks (JJ) as a starting hand, so called, because the letter J is shaped like a hook. Also called hooks.

Five-Bet: The re-raise made after a four-bet, the fifth bet in a betting round when the big blind counts as the first. Preflop in no-limit games a five-bet is often an all-in and usually means a very strong range such as pocket Aces (AA), Kings or A-K. Also written 5-bet. See four-bet.

Flip: An all-in situation in which both hands have roughly equal chances to win, close to 50 percent each. The classic example is a pocket pair against two higher cards, such as Q♠️Q♦️ against A♣️K♥️ (about 54 to 46). Also called a coin flip or race.

Float: To call a bet, usually in position, with a weak or drawing hand, planning to win the pot on a later street by betting when the opponent checks. A common example is calling a flop c-bet and then betting the turn after the preflop raiser checks.

Flop: The first three community cards, dealt face up together after the preflop betting round in Hold’em and Omaha. A second betting round follows. With a board of K♠️9♥️4♦️, a player holding K♣️Q♣️ has flopped top pair. The dealer burns one card before dealing the flop, then the turn and river follow.

Flush: Five cards of the same suit that are not all in sequence, such as A♥️J♥️8♥️5♥️2♥️. A flush beats a straight and loses to a full house. Between two flushes, the highest card decides, then the next highest. The best possible flush on a board is the nut flush.

Flush Draw: A hand with four cards of the same suit that needs one more card of that suit to make a flush. Holding A♥️7♥️ on a K♥️9♥️2♣️ flop gives 9 outs, about a 35 percent chance to complete by the river.

Fold: To give up a hand by discarding the cards, forfeiting any chips already put into the pot and any claim to it. Folding is the right play when calling or raising would lose money over time, for example with 7♣️2♦️ facing a raise.

Fold Equity: The extra value a bet or raise gains from the chance that the opponent folds instead of calling. A semi-bluff with a flush draw combines fold equity with the chance of making the best hand. Fold equity disappears when the opponent is all-in or almost certain to call.

Forced Bet: A mandatory bet that one or more players must place before or during the deal, such as the small blind, big blind, ante or bring-in. Forced bets put money in the pot so there is always something to play for.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Forward Motion: A house rule under which any forward motion of chips toward the pot during a player’s turn commits them to that bet, even if not released. It is stricter than the common rule, where chips count once released or pushed past a line. House rules vary; see string bet.

Foul Hand: A hand that is declared dead because of an irregularity, such as having the wrong number of cards or cards that were exposed or mixed with the muck. A fouled hand cannot win the pot. Also called a dead hand.

Four-Bet: The fourth bet in a betting round, which is a re-raise of a three-bet. Preflop in Hold’em, the big blind counts as the first bet, the open-raise as the second, and a re-raise as the third, so a four-bet is the next raise. Also written 4-bet.

Four of a Kind: A hand containing all four cards of one rank, such as 9♠️9♥️9♦️9♣️, plus any fifth card. It beats a full house and loses only to a straight flush or royal flush. If four of a kind is on the board, the best fifth card (kicker) decides. Also called quads.

Fourth Street: In Seven Card Stud, the second betting round, played after each player receives a second face-up card and holds four cards in total. In Hold’em and Omaha the name is also used for the turn, the fourth community card. Next comes fifth street.

Free Card: A card a player sees on the next street without having to call a bet, because everyone checked. Giving a free card to an opponent with a draw can be costly, which is why strong made hands often bet the flop.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Free Roll: A situation where a player is guaranteed at least a split pot but can still win the whole pot, so there is no risk in putting more chips in. For example, two players hold A♠️K♠️ and A♦️K♦️ on Q♠️J♠️T♥️; only the first can improve to a flush. The word freeroll also means a tournament with no buy-in that pays real prizes.

Freezeout: A tournament with no rebuys, re-entries or add-ons: each player gets one starting stack, and once those chips are lost the player is eliminated. The WSOP Main Event is the best-known freezeout, while many other events now allow re-entry. See also re-entry.

Full House: A hand of three cards of one rank plus two cards of another rank, such as K♠️K♥️K♦️7♣️7♠️ (Kings full of Sevens). It beats a flush and loses to four of a kind. Between two full houses, the higher three of a kind wins. Also called a boat or full boat.

Full Ring: A full poker table, usually 9 or 10 players at a live table and often 9 online, as opposed to six-max and other short-handed games. Full ring play calls for tighter early position ranges, since more players are left to act. Compare short-handed.

G

Gap Concept: The idea, set out by David Sklansky, that you need a stronger hand to call a raise than to open-raise yourself. Opening wins pots when everyone folds, while calling does not, and a raiser’s range is already strong. It is the basis for tight calling and three-bet or fold play. See cold call.

Gappers: Two non-paired hole cards with one or more ranks missing between them, such as 8♥️6♥️ (one gap) or J♣️8♣️ (two gaps). Gappers can make straights, but fewer than connectors because the gap limits the straights they can complete.

Gears: A player’s different levels of aggression, which a strong player shifts between depending on the table, stack sizes and image. For example, a player may play tight early in a tournament and then shift into a higher gear near the bubble to steal blinds.

GG: An abbreviation of “good game,” typed in online chat or said at the table to show sportsmanship, usually when a player is eliminated or a match ends. Sometimes it is used sarcastically after a bad beat.

Going South: Secretly removing chips from the table during a cash game, usually to protect winnings while continuing to play. It breaks the table stakes rule, which requires all chips to stay in play until a player leaves. Also called ratholing.

Grinding: Playing long sessions or a high volume of hands to earn a steady profit from small edges, rather than chasing big wins. A grinder often plays several online tables at once at stakes well within the bankroll.

GTO Poker: An approach based on game theory optimal (GTO) play that aims for a balanced strategy close to a Nash equilibrium, which opponents cannot exploit. Players study it with solver software; in practice it is often combined with exploitative adjustments against weaker opponents.

Guarantee (GTD): A minimum tournament prize pool that the organizer promises to pay regardless of how many players enter. For example, a $100,000 GTD event with entries totaling $80,000 creates a $20,000 overlay, which the organizer pays and which adds value for the players.

Gutshot: A straight draw that needs one specific rank in the middle of the sequence to complete. Holding 9♠️8♠️ on a Q♥️J♦️3♣️ board, only a Ten makes the straight, giving 4 outs, half as many as an open-ended straight draw. Also called an inside straight draw or belly buster.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

H

Hand-for-Hand: A tournament procedure, used near the money bubble or a pay jump, in which every table plays one hand and then waits until all tables finish before dealing the next. It prevents players from stalling to move up. Under TDA rules, players eliminated in the same hand-for-hand round at different tables tie for that place.

Hand History: A written record of every action in a poker hand: the stacks, positions, cards dealt, bets and the result. Online sites generate them automatically in text files, and players use them for study and in tracking software that powers a HUD. Players often post hand histories to ask others for strategy advice.

Heads-Up: A pot, game or match played between only two players, either from the start or after everyone else has folded or been eliminated. In heads-up Hold’em, the button posts the small blind and acts first preflop but last after the flop, and hand values rise because ranges are much wider.

Heater: A hot streak in which a player wins far more than expected, getting strong hands and winning the big pots over a session or longer. It is the opposite of a cold streak; most of a heater comes from variance, not skill. Also called running hot or running good.

Hero: In hand discussions and reviews, the hero is the player whose decisions are being analyzed, usually the person telling the story. The opponent is called the villain.

Hero Call: A call, usually on the river, with a weak or marginal hand that can beat only a bluff, made because a player believes the opponent is bluffing. For example, calling a big river bet with second pair. If the read is wrong, it is just a bad call.

Hero Fold: Folding a strong hand because you are confident the opponent has an even better one, the opposite of a hero call. Folding a set on the river when a tight player raises on a four-flush board is a typical hero fold. It is only heroic if the read is correct.

High Card: The lowest-ranking poker hand, made of five unpaired cards that form no straight or flush, valued by its highest card. A♠️J♦️8♣️5♥️3♠️ is an Ace-high hand. When two players both have high card, they compare the top card, then the next, and so on. See also Ace-high.

Hijack (HJ): The seat two places to the right of the button, directly before the cutoff. At a nine-handed table it is the last middle position seat, and many players open a fairly wide range from it. Also spelled highjack.

Hi-Lo (Eight or Better): A split-pot form of a game in which the best high hand and the best qualifying low hand share the pot. A low needs five unpaired cards of Eight or lower. Straights and flushes do not count against a low, so A-2-3-4-5 is the best low. Common forms are Omaha Hi-Lo and Stud Hi-Lo. Also called Eight or Better (O8 in Omaha).

Hit And Run: Leaving a cash game table soon after winning a big pot, without giving the other players a chance to win their money back. It is allowed, but many players consider it poor etiquette.

Hockey Sticks: Pocket Sevens (77) as a starting hand, so called, because each 7 looks like a hockey stick.

Hole Cards: The private cards dealt face down to each player, seen only by that player until showdown. Hold’em uses two hole cards and Omaha four; in Seven Card Stud the face-down cards are hole cards. Also called pocket cards.

Hollywooding: Acting or stalling theatrically during a hand to mislead opponents about hand strength, such as tanking for a long time with the nuts before calling. It is legal but disliked, and repeated stalling can lead to a clock call. Compare slow roll.

Hooks: Pocket Jacks (JJ) as a starting hand, so called, because the letter J is shaped like a hook. Also called fish hooks.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

House: The casino, card room or website that runs the game, deals the cards, enforces the rules and usually takes a rake from each pot. House rules are the local rules of that establishment, which can differ from standard TDA rules.

HUD (Heads-Up Display): Software that displays statistics about each opponent directly on an online poker table, built from saved hand histories. Common stats include VPIP and PFR, which show how loose and aggressive a player is. Many online sites now restrict or ban HUDs, so check each site’s rules.

Hyper Turbo: A tournament or sit and go with very short blind levels, often only 2 or 3 minutes online, and usually small starting stacks. Most of the play becomes push or fold, so short-stack all-in ranges matter most. It is faster than a turbo.

I

ICM: The Independent Chip Model, a mathematical model that converts tournament chip stacks into their share of the remaining prize money. Because chips gained are worth less than chips lost, ICM pushes players toward tighter play near the bubble and at final tables.

Idiot End: The low end of a straight, when the board allows a higher straight that an opponent may hold. On a 9♠️8♥️7♦️ board, holding 6♣️5♣️ makes the low straight, while T♠️J♦️ makes a higher one. Also called the sucker end or ignorant end.

Implied Odds: The ratio of the total amount a player expects to win, including future bets if the hand improves, to the cost of calling now. Implied odds justify calling with draws or small pocket pairs when direct pot odds are too small.

In Position (IP): Acting after your opponent on the current and later betting rounds of a hand. For example, a player on the button who calls a raise from the big blind will act last on the flop, turn and river. Being in position gives more information and makes bluffing and pot control easier.

Inside Straight: A straight draw that needs one specific rank in the middle of the sequence to complete, giving 4 outs. With 9♣️7♣️ on a J♦️8♥️2♠️ board, only a Ten completes the straight. Also called a gutshot or belly buster.

See also: Poker Hand Rankings

Isolation Raise (Iso-raise): A raise made after one or more players have limped, aimed at playing the pot heads-up against a weaker limper and in position. A common sizing is the normal open-raise plus one big blind for each limper. Iso-raising works best when the players behind are tight. See also limping.

ITM (In the Money): Finishing a tournament in a paid position, or having survived until all remaining players are guaranteed a prize. Tournaments usually pay roughly the top 10 to 20 percent of the field. The last player eliminated before the money is the bubble boy.

J

Jam: To bet or raise all of one’s chips at once, moving all-in, usually as a preflop raise or re-raise. Jamming is common with short stacks in tournaments, where moving all-in preflop with about 10 big blinds or fewer is standard. Also called shove or push.

K

Kicker: An unpaired side card used to break a tie between hands of the same rank. With A♠️K♦️ against A♣️Q♥️ on an A♥️8♣️3♦️7♠️2♣️ board, both players have a pair of Aces, but the King kicker wins.

Kill Pot: A pot in a limit game played at higher stakes, usually double (a full kill) or 1.5 times (a half kill), after one player wins two pots in a row. The winner posts a kill blind, and house rules vary on when a kill applies. Common in limit and hi-lo games.

Kojak: A nickname for the starting hand King-Jack (KJ) in Hold’em, after the 1970s TV detective Kojak, probably because the name starts with K and has a J sound. K-J is playable from late position but often dominated by A-K and K-Q. Also called Kojack.

L

Ladies: A nickname for pocket Queens (QQ), from the Queens on the cards. Ladies are the third-best starting hand in Hold’em but are vulnerable to Aces and Kings on the flop. Also called Hilton Sisters or Siegfried and Roy.

Last Longer: A side bet among players in the same tournament, in which each puts money in and the one who survives the longest takes it all. Last longers are common among friends and pros at big live series such as the WSOP. See side bet.

Late Position: The seats that act last in a betting round after the flop, usually the cutoff and the button. Acting last gives more information about opponents’ actions, so players can profitably play more hands from late position.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Late Registration: The period after a tournament starts during which players can still enter or re-enter, often for the first several blind levels. Late entrants receive the full starting stack, but the blinds are already higher. Many players register late to skip the low-value early levels. Also called late reg. See re-entry.

Laydown: A fold, especially of a strong hand, after concluding that an opponent has an even better one. Folding pocket Kings (KK) preflop against a tight player’s five-bet all-in, when Aces are likely, is a famous example of a big laydown. See fold and hero fold.

Lead: To bet first in a betting round, especially when a player bets out into the player who was the aggressor on the previous street. When done out of position against the preflop raiser, a lead is also called a donk bet. Also called leading out.

Leak: A recurring mistake in a player’s strategy that costs money over time, such as calling too often on the river or defending the big blind too loosely. Reviewing hand histories and HUD stats is a common way to find and fix leaks.

Legitimate Hand: A hand that is genuinely strong rather than a bluff or a weak holding. If an opponent who rarely bluffs raises the river, a player might say they must have a legitimate hand. Also called a real hand.

Limping: Entering the pot preflop by just calling the big blind instead of raising. Open-limping is generally considered weak in modern strategy because it gives up the initiative and lets the blinds see a cheap flop.

Limp-Reraise: To limp preflop and then re-raise after another player raises behind you, a move usually made with a very strong hand such as pocket Aces (AA) to trap aggressive opponents. Because it is rare and well known, many players read it as a sign of strength. See limping and trap.

Live One: A weak, loose player who is losing money and is willing to keep playing and gambling, often with a large stack. Players hurry to get a seat in a game with a live one. Also called a fish.

Loose-Aggressive: A playing style that combines entering many pots with frequent betting and raising. Loose-aggressive (LAG) players put opponents under constant pressure, but the style needs good hand-reading skills to be profitable. Also called LAG.

Loose Game: A game in which many players voluntarily enter pots and pots are often multiway and large. In a loose game, value betting strong hands works better than bluffing, because players call often.

Loose-Passive: A playing style that combines entering many pots with mostly checking and calling instead of betting and raising. Loose-passive players are usually losing players, often described as calling stations.

M

Made Hand: A hand that already has value, such as a pair or better, and does not need to improve to win. On K♣️9♦️4♠️, A♠️K♥️ is a made hand (top pair), while Q♥️J♥️ is a drawing hand.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Main Pot (Center Pot): The pot that every player still in the hand is eligible to win, including the player who went all-in for the smallest amount. Any further bets from players with larger stacks go into a side pot.

Maniac: A player who bets and raises very often, almost regardless of hand strength, sometimes in nearly every pot. A maniac creates big pots and high variance; a common counter is to call down lighter and let them bluff.

MDF (Minimum Defense Frequency): The share of hands a player must continue with against a bet so that the bettor cannot profit by bluffing with any two cards. It equals pot / (pot + bet). Facing a pot-sized bet, MDF is 50 percent; facing a half-pot bet, it is about 67 percent. See also pot odds.

Middle Position: The seats between early position and late position, such as the lojack and the hijack at a nine-handed table. Players in middle position can open somewhat more hands than from early position.

Min-Raise: A raise of the smallest legal amount, which in no-limit and pot-limit games must at least equal the size of the previous bet or raise in that round. With blinds of 1/2, the minimum open is to 4; if a player then raises to 10 (a raise of 8), the min-raise is to 18.

Miscall: An incorrect verbal statement of the rank of a hand at showdown, such as announcing a flush while holding only a pair. Under the cards speak rule, the cards decide the winner, but a deliberate miscall is treated as an angle.

Misdeal: A deal that must be cancelled and redone because of a dealing error, such as exposing one of the first two cards or dealing the wrong number of cards. All cards are reshuffled; rules on what counts as a misdeal vary by house.

Mississippi Straddle: A straddle that may be posted from any seat rather than only under the gun, most often from the button, usually twice the big blind. The straddler acts last preflop; most rooms start preflop action with the player to the straddler’s left, but house rules vary on who acts first. Also called a button straddle.

Monotone: A flop with all three cards of the same suit, such as K♠️8♠️3♠️, which makes a flush already possible for anyone holding two of that suit. On monotone boards, a single card of the suit, especially the Ace, is a valuable blocker. See board texture.

Monster: A very strong hand that is likely to win, such as a set, a full house or the nuts. With a monster, the main goal is to extract as much value as possible from opponents.

Motown: Jack-Five (J5) as a starting hand, named after the Jackson 5, the famous group from the Motown record label.

M-Ratio: A tournament stack measure equal to your chips divided by the cost of one orbit, meaning the small blind plus big blind plus all antes. With 15,000 chips at 500/1,000 blinds and no ante, M = 15,000 / 1,500 = 10. Popularized by Dan Harrington. Also called M. Compare effective stack in big blinds.

MTT (Multi-Table Tournament): A poker tournament played across many tables at once, with players moved and tables broken as entrants are eliminated until one final table remains. Large MTTs such as the WSOP Main Event draw thousands of players. Usually only the top 10 to 20 percent of finishers are paid (in the money).

Muck: To discard a hand without showing it, either by folding or by declining to show a losing hand at showdown. The muck is also the pile of discarded cards, and a hand that touches it is usually dead.

N

Nit: An extremely tight and cautious player who plays only very strong hands and avoids risk. A nit rarely bluffs, so when a nit bets or raises big, their hand is usually strong. Also called a rock.

Nitfest: A game in which most players are very tight and cautious, so there is little action, few big pots and little money to win. Good players usually avoid a nitfest or exploit it by stealing blinds often.

No-Limit: A betting structure in which a player may bet or raise any amount, up to all the chips in front of them, at any time. No-Limit Hold’em is the most popular poker game in the world, and the minimum raise is at least the size of the previous bet or raise.

Nosebleeds: The highest stakes games available, where blinds can be thousands of dollars or more and pots can reach millions. Nosebleed games are played by a small group of top professionals and wealthy recreational players.

See also: Poker Hand Rankings

O

Offsuit: Two hole cards of different suits, written with an o, such as AKo for A♠️K♦️. Offsuit hands are weaker than suited ones because they can make a flush only using one hole card with four board cards.

Omaha: A community-card poker game in which each player receives four hole cards and must use exactly two of them with exactly three of the five board cards. Holding A♥️ with four hearts on the board does not make a flush, because two hole cards must be used. Usually played pot-limit.

One-Chip Rule: The rule that a single oversized chip put into the pot when facing a bet, without a verbal declaration, counts as a call, not a raise. Facing a 300 bet, a lone 1,000 chip is just a call. To raise with it, you must say ‘raise’ before the chip lands. Standard under TDA rules.

One-Gap: Two hole cards with exactly one rank missing between them, such as 9♥️7♥️ or Q♣️T♣️. One-gappers can make straights and gutshots, but fewer straights than connectors. Also called one-gappers.

One Pair: A hand with two cards of the same rank plus three unrelated cards, such as Q♥️Q♣️9♠️6♦️2♥️. It beats high card and loses to two pair. Between two equal pairs, the highest side card (kicker) decides. In Hold’em, you are dealt a pocket pair about once every 17 hands (5.9 percent).

Open: To make the first voluntary bet or raise in a betting round, putting chips in before any other player has done so. In Hold’em, opening usually means the first raise preflop after everyone before has folded, called an open-raise.

Open-Ended Straight Draw: Four consecutive cards that can become a straight with a card at either end. Holding 9♠️8♠️ on a 7♦️6♣️2♥️ board, any Ten or Five completes the straight, giving 8 outs, twice as many as a gutshot. Also called OESD.

Option: The big blind’s right to check or raise when all other players have only called (limped) preflop, because the blind counts as a bet already made. The dealer often says “your option” to the big blind. A live straddle also gets the option.

Orbit: One full rotation of the dealer button around the table, so that every player posts each blind once. At a nine-handed table an orbit is nine hands, a common unit for measuring the cost of blinds and antes.

Out of Position (OOP): Having to act before your opponent on the remaining betting rounds of a hand. The blinds are out of position against almost everyone after the flop. Playing out of position makes it harder to control the pot size and to realize a hand’s equity, so players defend fewer hands from early seats.

Outrun: To win a hand by catching the needed cards after starting behind, such as making a flush on the river against a pair. Outrunning an opponent depends on the cards, not skill. Also called drawing out or suck out.

Outs: The unseen cards that will improve a hand to one that is likely to win. A flush draw has 9 outs; with two cards to come, a quick estimate of the chance to hit is outs times 4.

Overbet: A bet larger than the total amount already in the pot, such as betting 150 into a pot of 100. Overbets are used with very strong hands and bluffs to put maximum pressure on hands that cannot beat the nuts.

See also: How to Play Texas Hold’em

Overcall: A call made after another player has already called a bet in the same round. For example, a player raises, the next player calls and a third player also calls; the third player made an overcall.

Overcard: A card ranked higher than any card on the board, or higher than a player’s pair. Holding A♦️K♣️ on a 9♠️7♥️3♦️ flop gives two overcards (6 outs to top pair); a board card higher than a pocket pair is also called an overcard.

Overlay: The amount an organizer must add when a tournament’s guaranteed prize pool is larger than the buy-ins collected. If a tournament guarantees $100,000 and entries bring in only $80,000, there is a $20,000 overlay, which gives players extra value. See also guarantee.

Overpair: A pocket pair ranked higher than every card on the board, such as Q♠️Q♥️ on a T♦️7♣️2♠️ flop. An overpair is usually strong, but it is beaten by sets and two pair, which are common in multiway pots.

Owned: Beaten badly, either in a single hand or repeatedly by the same opponent who seems to have the upper hand. A player who keeps losing to another may say they are getting owned.

P

Pat: In draw poker, a hand that does not need to draw any cards, such as a straight, flush or full house dealt from the start. Standing pat means declining to draw.

Pay Off: To call a bet, usually on the river, when the opponent likely has a better hand, because a player’s hand is strong enough that folding feels wrong. Paying off gives the opponent value for their strong hand; good players learn when to fold instead.

Peel: To call a bet on one street, usually the flop, to see one more card before deciding what to do. For example, peeling the flop with a gutshot and folding the turn if it misses. Also called peeling off.

PFR (Preflop Raise): A tracking statistic showing the percentage of hands in which a player raises before the flop, including open raises and re-raises. Read together with VPIP: a 22/18 player plays aggressively, while 35/5 marks a passive, loose player who calls too much. Shown in a HUD.

PKO (Progressive Knockout): A bounty tournament in which eliminating a player wins part of their bounty in cash, usually half, while the rest is added to your own bounty. Bounties therefore grow on players who keep winning, which makes late-stage stacks very valuable targets. See also bounty.

Play The Board: To use all five community cards as one’s best hand at showdown, without any hole cards. If the board is a straight such as 9-8-7-6-5 and no one can beat it, all remaining players split the pot.

PLO (Pot-Limit Omaha): Omaha played with a pot-limit betting structure, where the largest allowed raise is the size of the pot after calling. It is the second most popular poker game after No-Limit Hold’em and known for big pots and close equities. Variants include five-card PLO. See also Omaha.

Pocket Cards: The private cards dealt face down to each player, two in Hold’em and four in Omaha. A pair in these cards is called a pocket pair. Also called hole cards.

Pocket Pair: Two hole cards of the same rank dealt to a player as a starting hand, such as 8♠️8♦️ or pocket Queens (QQ). A pocket pair improves to a set on the flop about 12 percent of the time (roughly 1 in 8.5), which is the basis of set mining.

Pocket Rockets: Pocket Aces (AA), the strongest starting hand in Hold’em. Also called American Airlines or bullets.

See also: How to Play Texas Hold’em

Poker Face: A blank, controlled facial expression that gives no clue about the strength of a player’s hand. Many players wear sunglasses, hats or hoodies to help hide physical tells.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Polarized: A range that contains only very strong hands and bluffs, with few medium-strength hands. A large river bet is often polarized, so the opponent’s decision comes down to whether a bluff catcher is worth calling.

Position: A player’s seat relative to the button, which decides the order of action in every betting round after the flop. Acting later is an advantage because you see what opponents do before deciding. The button is the best seat, acting last on the flop, turn and river.

Post: To put a forced bet such as a blind or ante into the pot before the cards are dealt. A new or returning player may need to post a blind equal to the big blind to receive a hand.

Postflop: All the betting action that takes place after the flop is dealt, covering the flop, turn and river betting rounds. Postflop the first active player to the left of the button acts first, so position matters on every street. Also written post-flop.

Pot: All the chips wagered by the players during a hand, collected by the winner at showdown or by the last player left when everyone else folds. When a player is all-in for less than the full bet, a side pot is created for the remaining players.

Pot-Committed: Having put so large a share of one’s stack into the pot that folding is usually wrong, because the pot odds make calling profitable against almost any hand. For example, a player with 10 big blinds who raises to 4 is usually pot-committed.

Pot Control: Checking or calling instead of betting or raising with a medium-strength hand to keep the pot small. A player with second pair might check the turn behind to reach showdown cheaply. Pot control is easiest in position and works best with hands that have showdown value.

Pot-Limit: A betting structure in which the maximum bet or raise is the size of the pot, including the amount needed to call. Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) is the most popular pot-limit game.

Pot Odds: The ratio of the current pot size to the cost of a call. If the pot is 100 and the bet to call is 20, the pot odds are 5 to 1, so calling is profitable if the hand wins at least one time in six.

Preflop: The first betting round of a hand, after the hole cards are dealt and before the flop, starting with the player to the left of the big blind. Most of a hand’s key decisions, such as raising, calling or folding starting hands, happen here. Also written pre-flop.

Premium Hands: The strongest starting hands in Hold’em, usually pocket Aces, Kings and Queens plus A-K, and sometimes Jacks. Premium hands are played aggressively from any position, typically by raising and three-betting.

See also: Poker Hand Rankings

Price: The amount a player must pay to continue in a hand compared with the size of the pot. Getting a good price means the pot odds justify a call, for example calling 10 into a pot of 100 with a draw.

Probe Bet: A bet on the turn by an out-of-position player after the preflop raiser checked behind on the flop instead of making a c-bet. The flop check often shows weakness, so the probe bet tries to take the pot away or build it with a good hand. It differs from a donk bet, which leads into the player who was the aggressor on the previous street.

See also: Poker Hand Rankings

Prop Bet: A side wager between players on something other than the result of the hand, such as the color of the next card or whether the flop will contain an Ace. Prop bets can also cover anything outside poker, from golf rounds to weight loss challenges. Also called a proposition bet.

Protect: To bet or raise with a made hand so that opponents with draws must pay a fair price to see more cards, reducing the chance of being outdrawn. Example: with K♠️K♦️ on J♥️10♥️4♣️, betting denies free cards to flush and straight draws. To protect your cards also means physically guarding them with a chip or hand, which tournament rules require players to do.

Push: To move all of one’s remaining chips into the pot in a single bet or raise. The term is common in short-stack and tournament play, as in “push or fold” strategy. Also called going all-in, shoving or jamming.

Q

Quads: Four cards of the same rank, such as 9♠️9♥️9♦️9♣️, also known as four of a kind. Quads beat a full house and lose only to a straight flush or royal flush. When two players hold quads, the higher rank wins. Also called four of a kind.

R

Rabbit Hunting: Asking the dealer to reveal the cards that would have come if the hand had continued, after the hand is already over. The revealed cards have no effect on the result. Many cardrooms prohibit it because it slows the game; online sites usually do not offer it.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Ragged: A board or flop made of unconnected, mostly low cards of different suits that are unlikely to help anyone’s hand, such as 8♣️3♦️2♥️. A ragged flop offers few straight or flush draws, which makes it a typical dry board and a good spot for the preflop raiser to bet.

Rags: Low, unconnected cards with little value, either as hole cards that should usually be folded or as board cards that help no one. Example: 8♦️3♣️ offsuit is a rag hand in Hold’em. Also called garbage or trash.

Railbird: A spectator who watches a poker game from the rail, the barrier separating the playing area from the audience in many cardrooms. The term also describes a player who has busted and stays to watch. Players’ friends and fans who cheer them on are called their rail.

Rainbow: A flop of three cards in three different suits, such as K♠️7♥️2♦️, or a turn board showing all four suits. A rainbow flop means no player can have a flush draw yet; only a two-card backdoor flush is still possible.

Raise: To increase the size of the current bet in the same betting round, so other players must put in more chips to stay in the hand. In no-limit games a raise must be at least the size of the previous bet or raise: facing a bet of 100, the minimum raise is to 200.

Rake: The fee the cardroom or online site collects for running a cash game, usually a percentage of each pot up to a fixed maximum (cap). Some rooms instead charge a fixed fee per hand or per half hour of seat time. In tournaments, the house fee is included in the buy-in.

Rakeback: A share of the rake a player has paid that the poker site or cardroom returns, as cash or rewards, usually as a percentage. For example, a player who paid $1,000 in rake with 30% rakeback gets $300 back, which can turn a break-even player into a winning one. See rake.

Range: The full set of hands a player could hold in a given situation, based on their position, actions and tendencies. Thinking in ranges instead of guessing one exact hand is a core skill: an early-position opener might have a range such as 77+, AJ+ and KQ.

Range Advantage: Having a range of hands that is stronger on average than an opponent’s range on a given board, giving more total equity. On A♠️K♦️7♣️, the preflop raiser has a big range advantage over a big blind caller, so can c-bet often and small. Compare nut advantage.

Ratholing: Taking chips off the table during a cash game while staying in the game, reducing the amount at risk. It is against the rules in most cardrooms because games are played table stakes; a player who leaves and returns soon must usually buy in for at least the amount they took away.

Rebuy: In a tournament, buying more chips after losing your stack or falling to or below a set amount, allowed only during a set period, usually the early blind levels. You keep your seat and add chips to it. A rebuy period often ends with an add-on. In cash games, rebuying simply means buying more chips.

Re-entry: Paying a new buy-in to enter a tournament again after being eliminated, usually allowed until late registration closes. Unlike a rebuy, a re-entry counts as a new entry with a fresh starting stack and is normally given a new random seat. Many events limit the number of re-entries per player.

Reg (Regular): A player who plays often at a given stake, site or cardroom and is usually competent, often a winning or break-even player. Playing reg against reg rarely earns much, so most regs prefer tables with fish. Regs who sit at many online tables at once are called grinders.

Represent: To bet or raise in a way that tells a consistent story of holding a specific strong hand, whether or not the player actually holds it. Example: raising when the third heart hits the river represents a flush. A successful bluff depends on representing a believable hand.

See also: How to Play Texas Hold’em

Re-raise: A raise made after another player has already raised in the same betting round. Preflop, the first re-raise of an open-raise is called a 3-bet, and a re-raise of that is a 4-bet. Re-raises usually represent a strong hand or a bluff meant to make the raiser fold.

Reverse Implied Odds: The extra money a player can lose after making a hand when an opponent has made a better one. Drawing to a low flush, such as holding 5♥️4♥️ on a two-heart board, has reverse implied odds because the completed flush can lose to a bigger flush. It is the opposite of implied odds.

Ring Game: A cash game, usually with a full table of eight to ten players, in which chips have direct money value and players may join or leave at any time. The term distinguishes regular cash play from tournaments and from heads-up or short-handed games. Also called a cash game or live game.

River: The fifth and final community card in Hold’em and Omaha, and the last betting round that follows it. After river betting, any remaining players go to showdown. In Seven Card Stud, the river is the seventh card, dealt face down. Also called fifth street (in Hold’em).

Rock: An extremely tight player who enters very few pots and bets or raises only with premium hands. A rock is predictable: when one suddenly raises, opponents can usually fold all but strong hands. Similar to a nit.

See also: Poker Hand Rankings

Route 66: A nickname for pocket Sixes (66) in Hold’em, named after U.S. Route 66, the famous highway from Chicago to Santa Monica. Also called Kicks.

Royal Flush: The highest possible poker hand: Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of the same suit, such as A♥️K♥️Q♥️J♥️10♥️. It is the best straight flush, and there are only four of them in a deck, one per suit. Two royal flushes can only occur together on a shared board, which splits the pot.

Runner-Runner: Making a hand by catching the needed cards on both the turn and the river. Example: holding A♠️K♠️ on Q♠️7♦️2♣️, a spade on the turn and another on the river completes a runner-runner flush. The draw that requires this is a backdoor draw.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Running Bad: Getting worse results than one’s decisions deserve over a period of time because of bad luck, such as losing many all-ins as the favorite. It is a normal part of variance and does not by itself mean a player is playing poorly.

Running Good: Getting better results than one’s decisions deserve over a period of time because of good luck, such as winning most coin flips or hitting draws often. Like running bad, it is a normal effect of variance and can hide mistakes in a player’s game. Also called running hot.

Running It Twice: An agreement between all-in players to deal the remaining community cards two times, with half the pot awarded to the winner of each run. It does not change anyone’s expected value but reduces variance. It is mostly used in cash games, and some games allow running it three or more times; house rules vary.

Rush: A short period in which a player wins an unusually large number of pots, often thanks to strong cards. Many players believe it pays to keep playing aggressively while on a rush, but each hand is independent of the previous ones. Also called a heater.

S

Sailboats: A nickname for pocket Fours (44) in Hold’em, probably because the shape of the number 4 resembles a sailboat’s sail.

Satellite: A tournament whose prizes are entries (seats) to a larger, more expensive tournament instead of, or in addition to, cash. Satellites let players reach big events such as the WSOP Main Event for a fraction of the full buy-in. Multi-stage versions, where satellite winners advance to a further satellite, are often called super satellites.

Scare Card: A community card that may have completed a strong hand for an opponent, such as a third card of one suit or a card that finishes an obvious straight. Example: on 9♥️8♥️2♣️ 4♦️, a river J♥️ is a scare card. Players often bet scare cards to represent the hand they could complete.

Scoop: To win the entire pot in a split-pot game by taking both the high and the low halves, either with one hand or because no low qualifies. Scooping is the main goal in Omaha Hi-Lo and Stud Hi-Lo, since winning only half often barely breaks even. See split pot.

Second Pair: A pair made by matching one hole card with the second-highest card on the board. Example: holding J♣️10♦️ on a K♠️10♥️4♣️ flop gives second pair (Tens). It is a medium-strength hand that beats bluffs and weaker pairs but loses to top pair and better.

Semi-Bluff: A bet or raise with a hand that is probably behind now but has a good chance to improve, such as a flush or straight draw. It wins either when opponents fold or when the draw hits. Example: betting 9♠️8♠️ on K♠️7♠️2♦️ gives two ways to win: fold equity and nine flush outs.

Session: A continuous period of play, from sitting down to leaving the table or logging off. Players often track results per session, but long-term performance is measured over many sessions because single sessions are dominated by short-term luck.

See also: Poker Hand Rankings

Set: Three of a kind made with a pocket pair plus one matching card on the board. Example: 7♠️7♦️ on a K♣️7♥️2♠️ flop is a set of Sevens. Sets are hard to read because only one of the three cards is visible. Compare trips, which uses one hole card and a paired board.

Set Mining: Calling a bet or raise with a small or medium pocket pair mainly to try to flop a set, then folding if the flop misses. A pocket pair flops a set or better only about 12% of the time (roughly 7.5 to 1 against), so it needs deep stacks and good implied odds to be profitable.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Set Over Set: A situation where two players both make a set on the same board, so the higher set wins and the lower one is almost always stacked. With 9♣️9♦️ against 4♠️4♥️ on a 9♥️4♦️2♠️ flop, Nines beat Fours, which have one out left. It is a classic cooler. See set.

Seven Card Stud: A poker game without community cards in which each player receives seven cards, three face down and four face up, and makes the best five-card hand. There is an ante, a bring-in by the lowest upcard and five betting rounds, from third street to seventh street. Also called Stud.

Shark: A skilled, usually winning player who profits from weaker opponents, the fish in a game. Recognizing sharks matters for table selection, since sitting with several strong players lowers a player’s expected win rate.

Shootout: A tournament format in which players are not combined into new tables; each table plays down to one winner, and only table winners advance to the next round. Rounds continue until one overall champion remains. Some shootouts advance two or more players per table.

Short-Handed: A game with fewer players than a full table, usually six or fewer seats in Hold’em. Short-handed play requires wider hand ranges and more aggression because the blinds come around more often. Also called 6-max when the table holds a maximum of six players.

Short Stack: A stack that is small relative to the blinds or to the other stacks, often 20 big blinds or fewer in tournaments. A short stack has limited options and usually plays a simple strategy of folding or going all-in before the flop. The player holding it is also called a short stack.

Shot Clock: A strict time limit for each decision, often 30 seconds, enforced by a visible timer in some tournaments and cash games. Players usually receive time bank cards or chips for extra time on difficult decisions. If time expires, the hand is declared dead if facing a bet, or checked if not; house rules vary.

Shove: To bet all of one’s remaining chips, especially as a raise before the flop. Example: a player with 12 big blinds shoves from the button to put maximum pressure on the blinds. Also called going all-in, pushing or jamming.

Showdown: The point after the final betting round when the remaining players reveal their cards and the best hand wins the pot. Under standard rules, the last player to bet or raise on the final round shows first; if everyone checked, the first player left of the button shows first.

Showdown Value: The ability of a hand to win at showdown without further betting, because it beats some of the hands the opponent could have. Second pair or Ace-high on the river often has showdown value, so checking can be better than bluffing with it. See also bluff catcher.

Side Bet: A private wager between players that is separate from the pot, on anything from which player will last longer in a tournament to events outside poker. Side bets are not handled by the dealer or the house. Not to be confused with a side pot. Also called a prop bet.

Side Pot: A separate pot created when one player is all-in and other players still have chips to bet. The all-in player can win only the main pot, which holds what they matched from each opponent; the side pot is contested only by players who put more chips in.

Sit-and-Go: A tournament with no fixed start time that begins as soon as the required number of players has registered, most often enough for one table. Common formats are 6-max, 9-max and heads-up. Also called an SNG.

Sit Out: To stay away from play for a while while keeping one’s seat and chips at the table, so no cards are dealt to that seat. In cash games, missed blinds usually must be posted on return; in tournaments, a sitting-out player is still dealt in and blinded off.

Slow Play: To play a very strong hand passively, by checking or calling instead of betting or raising, to hide its strength and induce opponents to bet. It works best on dry boards; on wet boards it gives opponents free chances to outdraw you. Also called sandbagging or trapping.

Slow Roll: To deliberately delay showing a winning hand at showdown, or to stall before calling with a near-certain winner, so the opponent briefly thinks they have won. It is considered one of the worst breaches of poker etiquette.

Smooth Call: To just call a bet with a strong hand that could have raised, in order to disguise its strength or keep weaker hands in the pot. Example: calling a flop bet with a set instead of raising. Also called flat calling.

Snap Call: To call a bet instantly, with no hesitation, usually because the decision is obvious, for example when holding the nuts. Snap-calling with a strong hand is normal, but a quick call also gives opponents information about a player’s hand.

Snowmen: A nickname for pocket Eights (88) in Hold’em, because each 8 looks like a snowman built from two balls of snow.

Soft Play: Deliberately betting or raising less than normal against a friend or partner, for example checking down a hand that should be bet. Soft play hurts the other players at the table and is treated as a form of collusion; tournament rules allow penalties such as disqualification.

Solid: A player who makes sound, fundamentally correct decisions, selects starting hands well and rarely makes big mistakes or plays on emotion. A solid player is usually tight-aggressive and difficult to exploit, though not necessarily creative.

Solver: Software that calculates an approximate game theory optimal strategy for a given poker situation, using inputs such as ranges, stack sizes and bet sizes. Players use solvers such as PioSOLVER or GTO Wizard to study, not during play, which is banned online. See GTO poker.

Speed Limit: A nickname for pocket Fives (55) in Hold’em, named after the 55 miles per hour national speed limit in force in the United States from 1974 to 1995. Also called Presto.

Spew: To lose chips through reckless, unnecessary bets, calls or bluffs, often when tilted or bored. Firing three barrels at a calling station who never folds is classic spew. A player who does it often is called spewy. See tilt.

Splash the Pot: To throw chips loosely into the middle of the pot instead of stacking them in front of you, so the dealer cannot verify the amount. It is against etiquette and house rules in nearly all cardrooms, since it can hide short bets. Place the bet in front, and the dealer collects it.

Split Pot: A pot divided between two or more players because their best five-card hands are exactly equal in rank, or because a high-low game awards half to each. Example: two players holding A♠️K♦️ and A♣️K♥️ on a board with no flush usually split.

Spread Limit: A betting structure in which any bet or raise may be any amount within a fixed range, such as $1 to $5 on every round. Spread limit is common in small home and casino games and sits between fixed limit and pot limit in flexibility. Raises must usually be at least the size of the previous bet.

SPR (Stack-to-Pot Ratio): The effective stack divided by the size of the pot at the start of the flop, used to plan how committed a player is. With 100 chips behind and 20 in the pot, the SPR is 5. A low SPR (under about 4) makes it easier to commit with top pair, while a high SPR favors strong hands and draws. See also effective stack.

Squeeze: A three-bet made before the flop after one player has raised and one or more players have called. The aim is to win the pot immediately, because the original raiser is squeezed between the reraiser and the callers, and the callers have shown hands too weak to raise.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Stack: The chips a player has in front of them at the table, available for betting. Stack size is usually measured in big blinds, because a 40 BB stack and a 200 BB stack require very different strategies. The smaller stack in a confrontation sets the effective stack.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Staking: An arrangement in which an investor pays some or all of a player’s buy-ins in exchange for a share of the winnings. Markup is the premium above cost: at 1.2 markup, buying 10% of a $1,000 entry costs $120. Also called backing.

Steal Position: A late seat, usually the cutoff, button or small blind, from which a player can raise to try to win the blinds and antes after everyone before has folded. Opening wide from these seats is called a blind steal.

Steaming: Playing recklessly and too aggressively because you are angry or upset after a bad beat or a run of losses. A steaming player raises and calls with weak hands to win the money back quickly. It is a form of tilt. Also called being on steam.

Steel Wheel: A five-high straight flush, A-2-3-4-5 all of one suit (for example A♦️2♦️3♦️4♦️5♦️), the lowest straight flush. In hi-lo split games it is both a straight flush for high and the best possible low, so it often scoops the whole pot. See wheel.

Stop and Go: A tournament move in which a short-stacked player calls a preflop raise, usually out of position, and then moves all-in on the flop whatever cards come. The opponent must then call with a hand that may have missed, instead of calling a preflop shove with the best hand. See also shove.

Straddle: A voluntary blind bet, usually twice the big blind, posted before the cards are dealt, most commonly by the player under the gun. The straddler acts last before the flop and may raise. Many rooms also allow button straddles or re-straddles; house rules vary, and straddles are not used in tournaments.

See also: How to Play Texas Hold’em

Straight: Five cards of consecutive rank that are not all the same suit, such as 9♣️8♦️7♥️6♠️5♣️ in a hand of Hold’em. The higher top card wins between two straights. An Ace can play high (A-K-Q-J-10, the Broadway straight) or low (5-4-3-2-A, the wheel), but straights do not wrap around (Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight).

See also: Poker Hand Rankings

Straight Flush: Five cards of consecutive rank, all in the same suit, such as 8♥️7♥️6♥️5♥️4♥️. It is the second-best hand category, beaten only by a higher straight flush; the Ace-high version is the royal flush. It ranks above four of a kind.

See also: Poker Hand Rankings

Street: One betting round of a hand, named after the card or cards just dealt, such as the flop, turn or river in Hold’em. Hold’em has four streets (preflop, flop, turn, river); Seven Card Stud has five, from third street to seventh street.

String Bet: An illegal bet or raise made in more than one motion without first declaring the amount, such as putting chips in, then reaching back to the stack for more. Usually only the first motion counts, so a string raise is ruled a call. Announcing the amount aloud first avoids the problem; house rules vary.

Suck Out: To win a hand by hitting a lucky card on the turn or river after being well behind when the money went in. Example: 7♣️7♦️ all-in against A♠️A♥️ and catching a 7 on the river. The losing player has suffered a bad beat.

Suicide King: A nickname for the King of Hearts (K♥️), because on the standard French deck design he appears to be stabbing a sword into his own head. He is also the only King without a mustache. Used as a wild card in some home games.

Suited: Two or more cards of the same suit, especially two hole cards such as K♥️J♥️. Suited hands can make flushes, but the gain is modest: two suited hole cards make a flush by the river only about 6% of the time. Opposite of offsuit.

T

Table Stakes: The standard rule that a player may only bet the chips and money on the table at the start of a hand and cannot add more during it. In return, no one can be forced out of a hand for lack of money: a player who cannot match a bet goes all-in, and a side pot is formed.

Tanking: Taking a long time to think before acting on a difficult decision. Players who tank too long may have the clock called on them, giving them a fixed time to act. Also called going into the tank.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Tell: A physical or behavioral habit, such as a shaking hand, a change in breathing or a consistent bet timing, that gives away information about a player’s hand. Online, tells come from timing and bet sizes. Strong players watch for tells and may also fake them.

Texas Hold’em: The most popular poker game: each player receives two private hole cards and shares five community cards, and makes the best five-card hand from any of the seven. There are four betting rounds: preflop, flop, turn and river. Most commonly played as no-limit. Also called Hold’em.

Texture: The way the community cards relate to each other and to likely hand ranges, especially how connected and suited they are. A flop such as K♠️7♦️2♣️ has a dry texture, while J♥️10♥️9♠️ is wet. Texture strongly influences bet sizing and how often to bet. See wet board and dry board.

Third Street: In Seven Card Stud, the first betting round, played after each player is dealt two cards face down and one face up, three cards in total. The player with the lowest upcard usually makes the bring-in, and the round decides who stays to see fourth street.

Three Barrel: To bet on the flop, turn and river in the same hand, usually as the preflop raiser, either for value or as a bluff. A three-barrel bluff costs a lot when it fails, so it works best on boards that favor the bettor’s range. Also called a triple barrel.

Three-Bet: The first re-raise in a betting round, such as raising after an opponent’s open raise before the flop. Preflop, the big blind counts as the first bet and the open raise as the second, so the re-raise is the third bet. Also called a 3-bet; the next raise is a four-bet.

Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank plus two unrelated cards, such as Q♠️Q♥️Q♦️8♣️4♠️. It beats two pair and loses to a straight. With a pocket pair it is called a set, and with one hole card and a paired board it is called trips.

See also: Poker Hand Rankings

Tight: Describes a player or style that plays few hands and enters pots only with strong starting hands. Tight players fold most hands preflop and rarely play weak or speculative holdings out of position. Tight is the opposite of loose and says nothing about how aggressively a player bets.

Tight-Aggressive: A style of play that combines selecting few, strong starting hands with betting and raising, rather than calling, when entering a pot. It is widely considered the most reliable winning style for beginners. Also called TAG.

Tilt: A state of frustration or anger, often after a bad beat or losing streak, that leads a player to make poor decisions such as playing too many hands. A player in this state is said to be on tilt, a term borrowed from pinball machines.

Time: A verbal request to stop the action and get extra time to think about a decision. Calling “time” holds the action until the player acts, but anyone may ask for the clock if it takes too long. In some cardrooms, time is also the fee charged per half hour of seat use instead of rake.

See also: Poker Hand Rankings

Time Bank: A reserve of extra decision time a player can use after their normal time to act runs out. Online sites add seconds automatically, while live tournaments with a shot clock give each player a few time extension chips per day or level. Once used up, the time bank is gone until it is refilled.

Toke: A tip given to the dealer, usually by the winner of a pot in a live game. Toking a small amount after winning a pot is customary in many cardrooms. In tournaments, a share of the prize pool is often withheld as a staff gratuity.

Top Pair: A pair made by matching one of your hole cards with the highest card on the board. Holding K♦️J♣️ on a board of J♠️7♥️2♦️ gives top pair with a King kicker. Top pair is often strong enough to bet for value but vulnerable to overpairs and two pair.

Tournament: A poker competition in which every player pays the same buy-in, receives the same number of chips and plays until one player holds them all. Blinds rise at set intervals, and the prize pool is shared among the top finishers. Formats include the MTT and the sit and go.

TPTK (Top Pair Top Kicker): Top pair together with the best possible side card (kicker), usually an Ace. Holding A♣️Q♦️ on a board of Q♠️8♥️3♣️ is TPTK. It beats any other top pair but is still just one pair, so it can lose to sets, two pair and overpairs in big pots. See also top pair.

Trap: To play a strong hand passively, by checking or calling, so that an opponent keeps betting or bluffs into it. Checking a flopped set on a dry board to induce a bet is a trap. Trapping risks giving free cards to drawing hands. See also slow play. Also called sandbagging.

Treys: A nickname for pocket Threes (33) in Hold’em, from trey, the traditional name for a three in cards and dice. Also called crabs.

Trips: Three of a kind made with one hole card and a pair on the board. Example: A♠️9♦️ on a 9♣️9♥️4♠️ board gives trip Nines with an Ace kicker. Trips are easier for opponents to spot than a set, and the kicker often decides the pot.

Turbo: A tournament or sit and go with shorter blind levels than the standard format, often about half as long, so blinds rise quickly and play finishes sooner. Turbos reward aggressive short-stack play and shoving ranges more than deep-stacked skill. See also hyper turbo.

Turn: The fourth community card in Hold’em and Omaha, dealt face up after the flop, and the third betting round that follows it. In limit games, bets usually double in size on the turn. Also called fourth street.

See also: How to Play Texas Hold’em

Two Pair: A hand containing two pairs of different ranks plus a fifth unpaired card, such as J♠️J♦️4♥️4♣️A♠️. It beats one pair and loses to three of a kind. Between two-pair hands, the higher top pair wins, then the lower pair, then the fifth card (kicker).

Two-Tone: A flop with two cards of one suit and one of another, such as Q♥️9♥️4♣️, which makes flush draws possible. Two-tone boards are wetter than rainbow boards, so players tend to bet more often to charge draws. Also called a two-flush board.

U

Underbet: A bet that is unusually small compared to the pot, for example less than a third of the pot. Underbets are sometimes used to block a bigger bet, but they can also signal weakness. There is no fixed threshold; the opposite is an overbet.

See also: How to Play Texas Hold’em

Underdog: A player or hand with less than a 50% chance of winning. Example: K♠️Q♠️ against A♣️A♦️ preflop is an underdog of about 4.5 to 1. Also called a dog; the opposite is the favorite.

Under the Gun (UTG): The seat directly to the left of the big blind, whose player acts first before the flop. Because every other player still acts behind, UTG requires the tightest opening range. After the flop, the first active player to the left of the button acts first.

Upswing: A long stretch of winning results above a player’s expected win rate, caused largely by variance. Upswings can make players overrate their skill or move up in stakes too quickly. Its opposite is a downswing. Also called a heater.

V

Value Bet: A bet made with a hand that is probably best, in the hope of being called by worse hands. Example: holding top pair, top kicker on the river and betting so that a weaker pair will call. It is the opposite of a bluff, which aims to make better hands fold.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Variance: The natural swings in a player’s short-term results caused by luck, compared to their long-term expected results. Even a winning player can lose for thousands of hands because of variance, which is why a large bankroll is needed.

See also: Poker Strategy Guide

Villain: The opponent in a hand being described or discussed, especially in strategy articles and forum posts. The player telling the story is the hero, and the villain is whoever they faced, without any suggestion of bad character.

VPIP: Voluntarily put money in pot, a statistic showing the percentage of hands in which a player calls or raises preflop. Posting the blinds or checking in the big blind does not count. A high VPIP indicates a loose player, while a low VPIP indicates a tight one.

See also: Poker Hand Rankings

W

Walk: When every player folds to the big blind preflop, so the big blind wins the blinds and antes without having to act. In some cardrooms the house takes no rake from a walk. See also chop, where the blinds agree to take back their money instead.

Wayne Gretzky (Poker Hand): A nickname for pocket Nines (99) in Hold’em, named after the Canadian ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky, who wore number 99. The NHL retired the number for all teams in his honor.

Wet Board: A board with many possible draws and strong hands, usually because its cards are connected, suited or both, such as J♥️10♥️8♠️. On a wet board, made hands should usually bet to deny equity. Opposite of a dry board. Also called a coordinated board.

Whale: A very wealthy recreational player who plays high stakes and loses large sums. Whales are welcome in any game because they bring money into it. The word is a bigger version of fish, a weak player.

Wheel: The lowest possible straight, 5-4-3-2-A, in which the Ace plays as a one. In lowball and high-low split games, it is also the best possible low hand. Also called a bicycle or bike.

Whiff: To miss completely, such as failing to complete a draw or missing the flop with two unpaired hole cards. Example: A♠️K♣️ on 9♦️6♥️2♣️ has whiffed the flop. Also called bricking.

Wired Pair: A pair made by a player’s first two cards: a pocket pair in Hold’em, or two matching down cards in the first three cards of Seven Card Stud. Example: J♦️J♣️ dealt preflop is a wired pair of Jacks. Also called a pocket pair.

Wrap: In Omaha, a straight draw in which the four hole cards surround the board cards, giving many more outs than an open-ended draw in Hold’em. With J-T-7-6 on 9♣️8♦️2♠️, any Q, J, T, 7, 6 or 5 makes a straight, 20 outs. See open-ended straight draw.

Poker Terms: Frequently Asked Questions

What poker terms should a beginner learn first?

Start with the words that describe a hand: blinds, the button, check, bet, call, raise and fold, then the stages of the deal: flop, turn, river and showdown. After that, position, outs and pot odds are the first strategy terms worth knowing.

What is the difference between a set and trips?

Both are three of a kind. A set uses a pocket pair plus one matching card on the board, so it is well hidden. Trips use one hole card plus a pair on the board, so opponents can see the pair and the kicker often decides the pot.

What does GTO mean in poker?

GTO stands for game theory optimal, a balanced strategy that opponents cannot exploit. Players study it with solvers and then adjust with exploitative play against opponents who make clear mistakes. See GTO Poker.

What is the difference between a cash game and a tournament?

In a cash game the chips are worth real money and players can join or leave at any time. In a tournament everyone pays the same buy-in, receives the same number of chips and plays until one player has them all, with prizes paid to the top finishers.

What does “the nuts” mean in poker?

The nuts is the best possible hand at that moment, given the community cards. On the river it cannot lose, although it can split the pot with another player holding the same hand.