Reference
Poker Glossary
74 poker terms defined in plain language, from action to wheel.
A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P R S T U V W
A
Action
A player's turn to act, or the betting itself. "The action is on you" means it is your turn.
Add-on
Extra chips a tournament lets players buy once, usually at the end of the rebuy period.
All-in
Betting every chip you have on the table. An all-in player can only win the part of the pot they matched from each opponent.
Ante
A small forced bet that every player posts before the hand, used in stud games and in the later levels of many tournaments.
B
Backdoor draw
A draw that needs both the turn and the river to complete, such as holding three cards to a flush on the flop.
Bad beat
Losing a hand in which you were a strong favourite when the money went in.
Bankroll
The money a player sets aside only for poker.
Big blind
The larger of the two forced bets, posted by the player two seats to the left of the button. It also sets the minimum bet.
Blinds
Forced bets posted before the cards are dealt by the two players to the left of the button. Read more →
Bluff
A bet or raise made with a weak hand in the hope that better hands fold.
Board
The community cards dealt face up in the middle of the table.
Burn card
The top card of the deck, discarded face down before the flop, turn and river are dealt.
Button
The disc that marks the nominal dealer. The player on the button acts last on the flop, turn and river.
Buy-in
The amount paid to enter a tournament, or the chips a player brings to a cash game.
C
Call
To match the current bet.
Check
To pass the action without betting. Only possible when nobody has bet in the current round.
Check-raise
Checking, then raising after an opponent bets in the same round.
Community cards
The five shared cards, made up of the flop, turn and river, that every player can use.
Continuation bet
A bet on the flop by the player who made the last raise before the flop. Often shortened to c-bet.
Cutoff
The seat directly to the right of the button.
D
Draw
A hand that is not yet made but can improve to a strong one, such as four cards to a flush.
Drawing dead
Having no card left in the deck that can win you the hand.
E
Equity
Your share of the pot based on your chance of winning the hand at that moment.
Expected value (EV)
The average result of a decision if it were repeated many times. A +EV play makes money over the long run.
F
Flop
The first three community cards, dealt face up together.
Flush draw
Four cards of the same suit, needing one more to make a flush.
Fold
To give up your hand and any claim on the pot.
Fold equity
The extra value a bet gains from the chance that opponents fold.
Freeroll
A tournament with no entry fee. Also a situation where you can win the pot but cannot lose it.
G
Gutshot
A straight draw that needs one specific rank in the middle, such as holding 5-6-8-9 and needing a 7. It has four outs.
H
Heads-up
A hand or game between two players only.
Hole cards
The two private cards dealt face down to each player in Texas Hold'em.
I
Implied odds
Pot odds adjusted for the extra money you expect to win on later streets if you make your hand.
K
Kicker
The highest side card that does not form part of a pair, three of a kind or four of a kind. It breaks ties between otherwise equal hands. Read more →
L
Limp
To enter the pot before the flop by calling the big blind instead of raising.
M
Muck
To discard a hand without showing it. Also the pile of discarded cards.
N
No-limit
A betting structure in which a player may bet any amount up to all of their chips at any time.
The nuts
The best possible hand given the cards on the board. Read more →
O
Offsuit
Two hole cards of different suits. Written with an "o", as in AKo.
Open-ended straight draw
Four consecutive cards that can make a straight at either end, such as 6-7-8-9. It has eight outs.
Outs
The cards left in the deck that would improve your hand to a likely winner. Read more →
Overcard
A card higher than any card on the board, or a hole card higher than your opponent's pair.
Overpair
A pocket pair higher than every card on the board.
P
Pocket pair
Two hole cards of the same rank.
Position
Where you sit relative to the button, which decides when you act. Acting later is an advantage. Read more →
Pot
All the chips bet in the current hand.
Pot odds
The ratio between the size of the pot and the cost of a call. Read more →
Pot-limit
A betting structure in which the largest bet allowed is the current size of the pot.
Pre-flop
The first betting round, after hole cards are dealt and before the flop.
R
Raise
To increase the current bet.
Rake
The fee a cardroom takes from each pot or charges for each tournament entry.
Rebuy
Buying more chips after losing your stack in a tournament that allows it.
River
The fifth and final community card.
S
Semi-bluff
A bet with a drawing hand that is probably behind now but can improve to the best hand.
Set
Three of a kind made with a pocket pair and one card on the board.
Short stack
A stack that is small compared with the blinds or with the other players' stacks.
Showdown
The end of the hand, when the remaining players show their cards to decide the winner.
Side pot
A separate pot created when a player is all-in and the others keep betting. The all-in player cannot win it. Read more →
Small blind
The smaller forced bet, posted by the player directly to the left of the button.
Split pot
A pot divided between two or more players with equal hands.
Stack
The chips a player has on the table.
Straddle
An optional blind bet, usually twice the big blind, posted before the cards are dealt. Allowed in some cash games.
Suited
Two hole cards of the same suit. Written with an "s", as in AKs.
Suited connectors
Hole cards of the same suit and consecutive rank, such as 8♥ 9♥.
T
Tell
A physical or betting habit that gives away the strength of a player's hand.
Three-bet
The second raise in a betting round. Before the flop, the big blind is the first bet, a raise is the second, and a re-raise is the three-bet.
Tilt
Playing badly because of frustration or anger, usually after losing a big pot.
Top pair
A pair made with one hole card and the highest card on the board.
Trips
Three of a kind made with one hole card and a pair on the board.
Turn
The fourth community card.
U
Under the gun (UTG)
The seat directly to the left of the big blind, which acts first before the flop.
V
Value bet
A bet made because you expect worse hands to call.
Variance
The swings in results caused by luck over the short term. Good decisions can still lose in any one session. Read more →
W
Wheel
The lowest straight, A-2-3-4-5, in which the ace plays low. Read more →