Glossary
Poker Terms
Poker has a vocabulary of its own, and most of it is learned by guessing from context at the table. Each entry here defines one term in plain English, shows a hand where it comes up, and says what the concept should change about how you play. Terms are listed A to Z.
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A
- Aggression FactorAggression factor divides bets and raises by calls, scoring how pushy a player is postflop. Learn what a 1.0 versus a 4.0 opponent is doing.
- AirAir is a hand with no pair, no draw, and no showdown value. Learn why air makes the best bluff and how to pick which airballs to fire with.
- Angle ShootingAngle shooting exploits the rules unfairly without technically cheating, from fake folds to ambiguous chip motions. Learn the common angles.
B
- Backdoor DrawA backdoor draw needs both the turn and the river to complete, adding roughly 4 percent equity and a good reason to keep barreling on the flop.
- Bad BeatA bad beat is losing after being a big favourite, like aces cracked by a river flush. Learn the real odds and how bad beat jackpots work.
- BarrelBarrelling is firing bets on consecutive streets. Learn double and triple barrel spots, which turn cards to fire on, and when to shut down.
- Big BlindThe big blind is the mandatory full bet and the unit stacks are measured in. Learn defence frequencies and why the big blind gets such good odds.
- Big Blind AnteThe big blind ante has one player post the entire table ante, speeding up play. Learn how it inflates pot odds and widens defending ranges.
- BlankA blank is a turn or river that changes nothing: no flush, no straight, no overcard. Learn why blanks usually favour the aggressor's range.
- Block BetA block bet is a small river lead that sets a cheap price and stops a bigger bet. Learn which hands use it and how to respond when you face one.
- Bluff CatcherA bluff catcher beats bluffs and loses to value bets. Learn how pot odds set your minimum defence frequency and which hands to keep for the river.
- Board TextureBoard texture describes how connected, suited, and paired a flop is. Learn to classify textures quickly and pick bet sizes that match them.
- BountyA bounty is cash awarded for knocking a player out. Learn how progressive knockout formats work and how bounties loosen your calling ranges.
- BubbleThe bubble is the last spot before the money. Learn why chips lose value there, who should attack, and how ICM pressure reshapes every range.
- Burn CardThe dealer discards one card face down before the flop, turn, and river. Learn why burning protects against marked cards and dealer error.
- ButtonThe button is the dealer seat and acts last after the flop, which makes it the most profitable position at the table. Learn how wide it should open.
C
- C-BetA continuation bet is a flop bet made by the preflop raiser. Learn standard c-bet sizes, which boards to fire on, and when to check back instead.
- Capped RangeA capped range holds no strong hands, because the strongest would have raised earlier. Learn to spot the cap and attack it with overbets.
- Check-RaiseA check-raise checks to induce a bet, then raises it. Learn which hands build a strong check-raising range and why it often beats leading out.
- ChopA chop splits the pot between tied hands, or splits prize money at a final table. Learn how odd chips are awarded and when blinds get chopped.
- Combo DrawA combo draw pairs a flush draw with a straight draw for 12 to 15 outs, often making it a favourite against one pair. Learn the real equities.
- Condensed RangeA condensed range is packed with medium-strength hands and missing both the nuts and air. Learn how it differs from polarized and how to play it.
- CoolerA cooler is a hand where two very strong holdings run into each other and the loser could not realistically fold. Here is how to tell one from a leak.
- CounterfeitYour hand is counterfeited when a board card makes your cards redundant, turning two pair into a worse holding that now plays the board.
- CutoffThe cutoff sits directly right of the button and steals often because only three players remain behind. Learn its opening and 3-betting ranges.
D
- Dead MoneyDead money is chips in the pot from players who have folded, plus the slang for outclassed entrants. Learn how it justifies much wider steals.
- Donk BetA donk bet leads into the previous street's aggressor from out of position. Once seen as a blunder, solvers use it on specific board textures.
- Double GutshotA double gutshot has two separate inside draws, giving eight outs like an open-ender while staying disguised. Learn how to spot one fast.
- Drawing DeadDrawing dead means no remaining card can win the hand: your equity is exactly zero. Learn the common spots where players draw dead unknowingly.
- Dry BoardA dry board is disconnected and rainbow, offering almost no draws. Learn why small, high-frequency c-bets work best on flops like king-seven-two.
F
- Family PotA family pot is a flop seen by most of the table, usually after limping. Learn how multiway play crushes bluffing and shrinks your raw equity.
- FishA fish is a losing recreational player who calls too much and raises too little. Learn the tells that mark one and how to isolate them in position.
- FloatFloating means calling a bet with a weak hand, planning to take the pot away on a later street when your opponent gives up on his bluff.
- Fold EquityFold equity is the value you gain from the chance your opponent folds. Learn the formula and why semi-bluffing with a draw prints money.
- FreezeoutA freezeout is a tournament with no rebuys or re-entries: lose your stack and you are out. Learn how that changes early-stage risk taking.
G
- GrinderA grinder plays high volume for a modest edge, trusting sample size over big scores. Learn the hours, win rates, and bankroll math involved.
- GutshotA gutshot is a straight draw that needs one specific rank in the middle. Here are the odds of hitting it and when calling a bet is actually profitable.
H
- HeaterA heater is a hot run of winning sessions. Learn how to tell a heater from real improvement and why upswings feel longer than they truly are.
- Hero CallA hero call is calling a big bet with a weak hand because you read the opponent as bluffing. Learn the reads and pot odds that justify one.
- Hero FoldA hero fold lays down a strong hand because the story does not add up. Learn the reads that justify it and why ICM makes big folds correct.
- HijackThe hijack sits two seats right of the button and opens wider than under the gun. Learn its typical opening range and where the name came from.
- HUDA heads-up display overlays opponent stats on the table. Learn the core stats worth tracking, sample-size traps, and where HUDs are banned.
I
K
L
- LimpLimping means just calling the big blind preflop instead of raising. Learn why open-limping loses money and the rare spots where a limp is correct.
- Limp-ReraiseA limp-reraise limps with a monster, then re-raises when someone opens behind. Learn where the trap works and why it is rare in modern games.
- Linear RangeA linear range takes the best hands from the top down with no gaps, so it is value-heavy. Learn when to 3-bet linear instead of polarized.
M
N
- NitA nit is an extremely tight player who only puts money in with premium hands. Here is how to spot one at your table and how to take their blinds.
- Nut AdvantageNut advantage means your range holds more of the strongest hands on a board. Learn how it unlocks overbets and who has it on ace-high flops.
- Nut FlushThe nut flush is the highest possible flush, made with the ace of that suit. Learn why the ace matters and how flush-over-flush coolers happen.
O
- Open-Ended Straight DrawAn open-ender uses four connected cards and completes on either end, giving eight outs and roughly 32 percent equity by the river.
- OverbetAn overbet is a bet larger than the pot. Learn why it needs a polarized range and a nut advantage, and which boards make it clearly profitable.
P
R
- RainbowA rainbow flop has three different suits, so no flush draw is possible. Learn why rainbow boards let the preflop raiser bet small and often.
- RakeRake is the house fee taken from pots or tournament buy-ins. Learn typical percentages, caps, and how rake changes which hands are profitable.
- RakebackRakeback returns part of the rake you pay as cash or rewards. Learn how deals are calculated and why one can flip a break-even player to a winner.
- Re-EntryRe-entry lets a busted player buy a fresh stack in a new seat. Learn how it differs from a rebuy and why it rewards early aggression.
- RegA reg is a regular: the solid, familiar winning player in your games. Learn reg tendencies, reg wars, and why table selection beats reg battles.
- Run It TwiceRunning it twice deals two boards for half the pot each after an all-in. It cuts variance sharply without changing anyone's long-run expectation.
- Runner-RunnerRunner-runner needs perfect turn and river cards, roughly a 4 percent shot for a backdoor flush. Learn the math and when it is worth chasing.
S
- Scare CardA scare card completes obvious draws or brings an overcard, shifting range advantage. Learn which turns scare which player and how to attack.
- Set MiningSet mining calls a preflop raise with a small pair hoping to flop a set. You hit about one time in eight, so implied odds decide the call.
- SharkA shark is a strong winning player who hunts weaker opposition. Learn what separates sharks from regs and how to avoid becoming their target.
- Side PotA side pot forms when a player is all in for less and the others keep betting. Learn how the main pot and side pots are built and then awarded.
- Slow RollA slow roll is delaying the reveal of a winning hand to fake defeat. It breaks no written rule but is the fastest way to anger a whole table.
- Small BlindThe small blind posts a forced half bet and acts first on every postflop street. Learn why it is the worst seat and how to defend it cheaply.
- Snap-CallA snap-call is an instant call with no thought, usually signalling an easy decision. Learn what a snap tells you and how timing tells leak value.
- Splash the PotSplashing the pot throws chips into the middle instead of stacking them in front of you, making the bet impossible to verify. It draws a penalty.
- SqueezeA squeeze is a 3-bet over an open plus one or more callers, using the dead money and the callers' capped ranges to win the pot preflop.
- Stone-Cold NutsThe stone-cold nuts is the single best possible hand on a board, beatable by nothing. Learn how to read the nuts on any texture in seconds.
- StraddleA straddle is a voluntary blind raise posted before the deal, usually twice the big blind, that doubles the stakes and moves the action. Learn when it pays.
- String BetA string bet moves chips forward in more than one motion without declaring an amount, so the dealer rules it a call. Learn how to avoid one.
- SuckoutA suckout is when the underdog hits its outs on the turn or river. Learn how often two-outers get there and why suckouts keep the games good.
T
- TankTanking is taking a long time over a decision. Learn when a long think is legitimate, when it draws a clock call, and what it reveals to opponents.
- TiltTilt is emotion-driven bad play, usually after a beat. Learn the common tilt types, the physical warning signs, and a simple stop-loss routine.
- TripsTrips is three of a kind using two board cards and one from your hand. Learn why a set is stronger, better disguised, and worth far more money.
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V
W
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