Poker terms: glossary from A to Z

Studying poker, beginner players come across a large number of new words and abbreviations, without understanding which it's difficult to analyse hands, watch training videos and read professional materials.

In this glossary, we've gathered the essential poker terms. The definitions are written in plain language, so this article will suit both beginner players and those who want to refresh their knowledge.

Basic actions at the table

Bet

This is the first wager in the current betting round. If nobody has put chips into the pot before you, your wager counts as the bet.

Call

This is matching your opponent's bet. 

Raise

This is increasing a bet that has already been made.

Fold

This is withdrawing from further participation in the hand. After folding, a player loses the right to contest the pot and waits for the next hand to begin.

All-in

This is a bet of everything you have. It means the player puts all the remaining chips from their stack into the pot. 

Check

This is declining to bet, provided nobody has shown aggression before you. After a check, the action passes to the next player. However, if an opponent has already made a bet, checking isn't possible — you must either call, raise, or fold.

Check-Raise

This is a line of play in which a player first checks, allowing an opponent to bet, and then raises that bet. This tactic is used both with very strong hands and as a semi-bluff or bluff.

Positions at the poker table

Button (BTN)

The button is the most advantageous position at the poker table. The player on the button acts last on every street of betting after the flop. This means they get the most information about their opponents' actions before making their own decision.

Cut-Off (CO)

The cut-off is located directly before the button. Since only one player without mandatory bets remains after it, it's common to open a wide range of starting hands from this position and actively fight for the blinds.

Blind

Blinds are mandatory bets that players make before the hand begins. There are two types of blinds:

• small blind (SB)

• big blind (BB)

It is the blinds that form the initial pot and encourage active play.

Position

Position determines the order in which decisions are made during a hand. The player who acts last is said to be in position relative to their opponent and gains an information advantage. In most cases, playing in position is significantly easier and more profitable than playing without it.

Stages of a hand

Preflop

The first stage of a hand, which begins after the hole cards are dealt and continues until the first community cards are revealed. 

Flop

The first three community cards that the dealer reveals on the table after the preflop is complete. It is on this street that the main part of the postflop game begins.

Turn

The fourth community card. After it is revealed, a new round of betting begins, and players gain additional information about the strength of their hands.

River

The fifth and final community card. After betting on the river is complete, players either reach showdown, or the pot goes to one of the participants without a card reveal.

Showdown

The final stage of a hand, at which the remaining players reveal their cards. The winner is the holder of the strongest five-card hand.

Hands and cards

Straight

This is a combination of five cards in sequential order regardless of suit. For example, 5♦–6♣–7♠–8♥–9♣.

If two players have a straight, the hand with the highest card wins. The ace can be used as the highest card (T–J–Q–K–A) or the lowest (A–2–3–4–5).

Flush

A combination of five cards of the same suit. The order of the cards doesn't matter. If several players have a flush, the winner is determined by the highest card in the hand.

For example, a flush of A♠–J♠–9♠–6♠–3♠ is stronger than a flush of K♠–Q♠–10♠–8♠–2♠.

Full House

A hand consisting of three cards of one rank and a pair of another rank. For example: K♦ K♣ K♠ 9♥ 9♣; 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ A♠ A♦. If several players have a full house, the three-of-a-kind is compared first, then the pair.

Quads

A hand consisting of four cards of the same rank. For example: Q♣ Q♦ Q♥ Q♠ 8♣. Only a straight flush and a royal flush rank above quads.

Set

A set is the three-of-a-kind that's formed when a player has a pocket pair and is strengthened by a third card of the same rank on the board. For example: in hand — 8♠ 8♦; on the flop — K♣ 8♥ 3♠. The player has made a set of eights.

Trips

This is a combination of three matching cards, made according to the following principle: in hand — A♠ 9♦, on the board — 9♣ 9♥ K♦.

The player uses one hole card and two matching cards on the board. Although the resulting hand is the same as a set, players distinguish between the two concepts because opponents perceive their ranges differently.

Kicker

A kicker is the additional card used to determine the winner when hands are otherwise equal. For example, both players have a pair of aces. The first shows: A♠ K♣ — the second: A♦ J♠. With an equal pair, the first player wins thanks to the stronger kicker — the king.

Broadway

Broadway is the term for the highest cards in the deck:

• ten

• jack

• queen

• king

• ace

In addition, the word Broadway is used for a complete straight from ten to ace — 10–J–Q–K–A. Such combinations often appear in charts and training materials.

Connectors

Connectors are two consecutive cards. For example, 8♠ 7♠ or T♥ 9♥. If both cards are of the same suit, such hands are called Suited Connectors.

Types of bets and betting lines

Continuation Bet (C-bet)

A follow-up bet made by the player who showed aggression on the previous street. For example, a player opens with a raise on the preflop, the opponent calls, after which the aggressor bets again on the flop. This bet is called a c-bet.

Donk Bet

A bet made by a player who was not the aggressor on the previous street. For example, the player on the button opens with a raise, the BB calls, and on the flop it is the BB who bets first. This bet is considered a donk bet.

Overbet

A bet whose size exceeds the current pot. For example, if the pot is 50 BB and a player bets 75 BB, this is an overbet. Such bets allow maximum pressure to be applied on the opponent's range and are often used on the turn and river.

Value Bet

A bet whose goal is to get a call from weaker hands. For example, if a player is confident that the opponent will pay off their bet with a worse combination, the most profitable decision is a value bet.

Bluff

A bet or raise with a weak hand aimed at making the opponent fold a stronger combination. The effectiveness of a bluff depends on the players' ranges, the board texture, and the likelihood that the opponent will actually fold.

Squeeze

A re-raise made after the pot has been opened and one or more calls have been made. For example, UTG opens with a raise, MP calls, and BTN makes a large 3-bet. This raise is called a squeeze.

3-bet

The third aggressive action in the betting. For example, the first player raises, and the second player re-raises. This raise is called a 3-bet.

4-bet

The fourth aggressive action in the betting, a raise made after a 3-bet. Such situations occur significantly less often, since by this point the players' ranges are usually very strong.

Limp

Entering a hand by calling the big blind without raising. For example, a player is the first to enter the pot, simply putting in 1 BB.

Slowplay

A deliberately passive play of a very strong hand. The player refrains from aggression, allowing the opponent to keep bluffing or to improve to the second-best combination.

Barrel

Continuing aggression across multiple betting streets. If a player made a c-bet on the flop and bets again on the turn, this is called a second barrel. If a bet then follows on the river as well, this is a third barrel.

Draws and probabilities

Draw

This is a hand that is missing one or more cards needed to complete a strong combination. For example, if a player has four cards of the same suit, they need one more card of that suit to make a flush. This situation is called a flush draw.

Outs

Outs are the cards that improve a player's hand into a winning combination. For example, a player has a flush draw. There are nine cards of the needed suit remaining in the deck that will complete the flush. Therefore, they have nine outs.

Gutshot

This is a situation where a player has four off-suit cards forming a sequence, but exactly one specific card located inside that sequence is missing to complete the straight. Gutshot is otherwise known as an “inside straight draw”. 

Pot Odds

Pot odds show how mathematically profitable it is to call a bet. To calculate this, the cost of the call is compared with the size of the pot after calling. If the probability of improving the hand is higher than the required pot odds, the call becomes profitable over the long run.

Equity

This is the share of the pot a player can expect on average, based on the probability of their hand winning against the opponent's range. For example, if against the opponent's assumed range your hand wins 60% of the time, its equity is said to be around 60%.

OESD (Open-Ended Straight Draw)

This is an open-ended straight draw, a situation where a player is missing one card to complete a straight, and the combination can be completed by cards from either side of the sequence.

Poker strategy and concepts

Range

This is the set of all hands a player could have in a specific situation. Instead of trying to guess the opponent's exact combination, strong players assess the entire possible range of their actions.

Nuts

This is the strongest, unbeatable combination of cards possible at a specific stage of the hand, taking into account the community cards on the table and the player's hole cards.

Exploit

This is a deliberate strategy in which a player purposefully takes advantage of weaknesses, mistakes, or predictable patterns in the play of a specific opponent or group of players in order to gain an edge over them and extract maximum profit.

Aggressor

The player who was the last to show aggressive action in the betting. For example, if a player opened with a raise on the preflop, they are considered the preflop aggressor.

Value

The profit you expect to get from your bet when you believe you have the best hand. A value bet is a bet made with the aim of getting paid off by worse hands.

Expected Value (EV)

This is the average result of a specific action over the long run. It shows how profitable or unprofitable a bet or decision in a hand will be on average.

GTO (Game Theory Optimal)

This is a strategy that cannot be exploited. This means that an opponent cannot profit from our deviations from the strategy, because there are none. 

ICM

ICM (Independent Chip Model) is a mathematical model used in poker tournaments to estimate the monetary value of a player's stack.

Fold Equity

The probability that an opponent will fold in response to your bet or raise.

Sizing

This is the size of the bet chosen by a player.

Blocker

A card that reduces the number of strong combinations in an opponent's range. For example, holding an ace in hand, a player knows that the opponent has fewer possible combinations with aces. 

Poker slang and jargon

Bad Beat

A situation where a player with an initially stronger hand loses to an opponent with a weaker combination of cards. In this case, the weaker hand improves by the end of the hand and makes a more powerful combination.

Cooler

A situation in which both players have made very strong combinations, but one of them is objectively stronger than the other. A cooler is virtually impossible to avoid. Regardless of skill level, a player will most often lose a large pot.

Downstreak

A prolonged period of unfortunate results, when a player loses over the long run despite seemingly making optimal decisions in hands. 

Tilt

An emotional state in which a player starts making decisions under the influence of irritation, anger, or a desire to win back losses.

Freeroll

A tournament that doesn't require paying a buy-in to enter.

Grinder

A player who regularly plays a large number of tournaments or cash hands, earning the bulk of their profit over the long run. A grinder is characterised by discipline, a systematic approach to learning, and a large volume of play.

Tight / Loose

These terms describe a style of play. A tight player plays a small number of starting hands and prefers to enter the pot only with strong combinations. A loose player, on the other hand, opens a significantly wider range of hands and participates in hands more often.

Nit

A very tight player. Such an opponent plays a small number of starting hands and rarely takes unjustified risks. If a nit shows aggression, their range usually contains a large number of strong combinations.

Fish

A colloquial term for a weak or inexperienced player.

Regular

A player who systematically plays poker, putting in a significant amount of volume in their chosen discipline.

Maniac

An extremely aggressive player. They often open a wide range of hands, make a large number of bets and raises, regularly use bluffs, and apply constant pressure on opponents.

Formats and game structure

Buy-in

The cost of entering a tournament.

Bankroll

The amount of money set aside exclusively for playing poker. Proper bankroll management allows you to weather periods of variance and reduces the chance of losing all of your funds.

Stack

The number of chips a player has at a specific moment in a tournament or cash game.

Pot

The total number of chips wagered by players in the current hand. It is the pot that is being fought for on every street of the betting.

Heads-Up

A situation in which only two players remain in a hand or tournament.

MTT (Multi-Table Tournament)

A multi-table tournament in which a large number of players participate simultaneously. As players are eliminated, the tables are combined, and the tournament continues until a winner is determined. This format is considered the most popular in modern online poker.

SNG (Sit & Go)

A tournament that starts as soon as all seats are filled. Unlike MTT, there is no pre-set starting time here.

Spin & Go

A variety of Sit & Go for three players with a randomised prize pool. Before the tournament begins, a special mechanism determines the size of the winnings, which can significantly exceed the sum of the participants' buy-ins.

Cash Game

A cash game differs from tournaments in that each chip has a real monetary value. A player can join or leave the table at almost any time, and lost chips can always be topped up.

Rebuy

The option to buy an additional stack during a special period of the tournament after losing all or part of one's chips.

Bubble

The stage of the tournament immediately before players reach the prize zone. It is at this point that the influence of the ICM model becomes especially strong, and many decisions differ significantly from play in the early stages.

ABI (Average Buy-In)

The average buy-in across all tournaments a poker player plays. This metric helps assess working stakes and is used when analysing results and planning a bankroll.

ROI (Return on Investment)

An indicator of tournament play profitability. It shows the average profit generated by each dollar invested in tournaments. The higher the ROI, the more successful a player is over the long run.

Tools and statistics

HUD (Heads-Up Display)

A set of metrics that displays statistics on opponents at the table, gathered from previously played hands. It helps to assess opponents' playing style more quickly and make more accurate decisions.

WTSD (Went To Showdown)

A statistical metric that reflects how often a player reaches showdown after seeing the flop. A high WTSD may indicate a tendency to call bets too often, while a too low one may indicate overly cautious play.

VPIP (Voluntarily Put Money In Pot)

A statistical metric showing how often a player voluntarily puts money into the pot before the flop.

PFR (Preflop Raise)

An indicator reflecting how often a player enters a hand with a raise preflop. Joint analysis of VPIP and PFR allows fairly accurate determination of an opponent's overall playing style.

AF (Aggression Factor)

An indicator of a player's aggression postflop. It is calculated based on the ratio of bets and raises to calls. A high AF indicates a tendency to play hands actively, whereas a low figure is more common among passive players.