Poker Terms

One of the first steps in learning how to play poker is knowing the important poker terms and becoming acquainted with the poker terms dictionary. While some poker terms and definitions are straightforward, others are less apparent, but the knowledge of such poker terms separates you from amateur poker players. So here's a glossary of the most important poker terminology or the poker lingo that every poker player must know before entering a poker table.

Poker Terms Dictionary

A

Aces Full

A full house poker hand that consists of three aces and a pair.

Ace High

A hand with an Ace as the highest card and doesn't include any straights, pairs, or flushes.

Aces Up

When you have a pair of aces and combine that with any other pair to make two pairs, it's called aces-up.

Action

Action is used to describe any of the possible wagers, including bet, raise, call, check, and fold. 

Active Player

A player who hasn't folded and still has a hand is said to be active.

Add On

When a player purchases additional chips at the end of the rebuy period in poker tournaments.

All In

When a player bets the entire stack (all remaining chips), he/she is said to be going all-in.

A-Game

A-Game refers to playing poker in the best possible mental or emotional state, also known as "getting in the zone" when playing a poker game.

Ante

All players must make a forced, compulsory payment before any cards are dealt, called an ante. Antes are frequently used in the final rounds of poker tournaments.

Aggressive

When a player chooses to bet or raise instead of calling or checking, they are acting aggressively. This is known as an aggressive playing style in poker lingo.

B

Backdoor Draw

It is a draw that requires two or more consecutive cards to complete the hand.

Bad Beat

When a hand with the strongest odds of winning the pot is beaten by a relatively weaker hand that improved due to the community cards on the board.

Bankroll/Bankroll Management

The total amount that a player has and can use to enter into a poker cash game is called Bankroll. Bankroll management is all about playing poker games with the correct limit or buy-in size to manage the bankroll.

Boat

Another term for the full house hand in a poker game.

Board

Refers to the five community cards or the upcards in poker.

Bet

Refers to the first wager in the current betting round. Bet is one of the betting actions.

Big Bet

Refers to the larger of the two specified bet sizes in fixed-limit games. The larger stake sizes are frequently used in the later betting rounds when the pot is usually bigger.

Blind

A betting action which is performed without looking at the cards.

Big Blind

The biggest preflop forced bet is called big blind. Usually, it is twice the small blind.

Blank

Also called a brick, blank is a community card that doesn't strengthen your hand.

Bluff

A bet placed with a weak hand that gives the impression of strength to your opponents. Poker players bluff to force their opponents to fold.

Bring-in

Refers to a forced bet in the first betting round made by the player who is dealt the lowest card showing.

Bubble

Refers to a phase of a poker tournament where only one or more players are required to be eliminated for others to get a payout. For example, if the top 40 players get paid, then the player that is eliminated in 41st place is said to have busted on the bubble.

Button

Button (BTN) is a poker position that represents the player sitting at the right of the small blind and left to the cutoff. The button is the most profitable position on a poker table.

Buy-in

The entry fee in a poker tournament or the amount required to enter a cash game is called buy-in.

C

Call

A betting action that requires putting in an equal amount to the previous bet or raise.

Cap

Cap is a limit placed on the maximum amount of chips that a player can wager postflop.

Calling Station

When a bad poker player calls very frequently, they are called a calling station.

Cash Games

Poker cash games is a format where the poker chips represent cash amounts, and players play to win the pot in real cash.

Center Pot

The main pot and the first pot that is created during a poker hand if one or more players go all-in.

Check

A betting action where a player chooses to make no bet or raise during their turn and no other bets have been made before.

Check-Raise

When a player checks and waits for other players to bet and then raises the previous bet during their turn is called check-raise.

Chip

A poker chip is a token that denotes real money or tournament money in poker games.

Community Cards

The five cards, also called the board cards, dealt face up at the centre of the table, used commonly by all the players to make poker hands.

Crack

Refers to beating a typically strong hand. "My pocket aces cracked'.

Cutoff (CO)

A poker table position to the immediate right of the button. The cutoff position offers a good opportunity for dealing blinds.

D

Dealer

The person who deals the cards, distributes pots, and monitors the action on the table. At times, the button is also called the dealer.

Dead Man's Hand

A poker hand consisting of two aces and two eights.

Deuce

Another name for a card rank with a value of two.

Dark Bet

When a player makes a bet without seeing additional cards that are dealt in the current street.

Dog

Also short for the underdog, dog implies that a player or hand is less likely to win statistically.

Dominated Hand

A hand that is likely to lose to a stronger hand that players usually play. For example, K3 is dominated by KQ.

Downswing

Implies a prolonged period of losses experienced by a player.

Door Card

The first upcard dealt to a player in stud poker is called a door card.

Draw

A hand that needs improvement to make a strong hand. Common draws are straight draw and flush draw.

Draw Hand

Refers to trying to make a hand that will not win the pot. For instance, if a player is drawing to make a flush, but the opponent has a full house, the former player is drawing dead.

E

Early Position

A poker position which includes three positions - Small Blind, Big Blind, and Under The Gun (UTG). Players in the EP have to act before the other players in the betting rounds.

Edge

Used to describe an advantage of one player over another because of skill, table position, or favorable circumstances.

Entry Fee

The fee charged to enter a cash game or a tournament in online poker rooms or to enter a casino.

Equity

Refers to the expected share of the pot. Equity equals the chips amount in the pot multiplied by the probability of winning the pot.

Extra Blind

A blind posted by a player changing table position, returning to the game, or just entering the game.

F

Face Card

The Jack, Queen, and King Cards that contain a picture are face cards.

Fifth Street

Refers to the third betting round in a stud poker game where players are dealt a fifth card.

Fish

A term that describes a weak player who lacks skills or experience on a poker table.

Flop

Refers to the betting round where the first three community cards are dealt face-up on the board.

Flush

Poker hand that consists of five cards of the same suit. The highest flush is an ace-high flush.

Fold

A betting action where the player discards the hand and doesn't make a wager in that betting round.

Four of a Kind

A poker hand consisting of four cards of the same rank; for example, Aces of all four suits.

Fourth Street

Used to describe the betting round where the fourth community card is dealt face-up. The round is also called the Turn.

Freeroll

Freeroll tournaments are tournaments where players can enter for free and even earn real cash prizes in some.

Full Boat

Nickname for Full House poker hand.

Full House

A poker hand that consists of five cards, including three of a kind and one pair hands.

G

Gutshot

An inside straight draw, where the players needs a specific card to make a straight.

H

Hand Rankings

A list or chart of poker hands showing the strongest to weakest hands and what beats what.

Heads-Up

A poker game or pot where only two players are remaining.

High Roller

Refers to players who play in high-stakes poker rooms.

Hit and Run

Refers to an act of leaving a poker room right after winning a huge pot or after winning several pots in a short period of time.

Hold'em

Known as Texas Hold'em, it is the most popular poker variant in the world.

Hole Cards

The dealer deals two cards, face-down, to each player at the start of each hand, these cards are called hole cards.

House

Used to describe the establishment or online poker platform that runs the poker games.

I

Implied Odds

A calculation of pot odds considering winning additional chips in the later streets.

ICM

Refers to Independent Chip Modelling, which is a mathematical technique of determining the real monetary value of poker tournament chips.

Inside Straight Draw

Also called gutshot, inside straight draw implies the player needs a specific card to make a straight

Insurance

Insurance is a side bet made by one player with another on the table so that they receive an insurance payout if the hand doesn't hold up.

ITM

In the Money is a term that is used to describe a situation in poker tournaments where all the remaining players are guaranteed a payout.

J

Jackpot

A special bonus paid to a losing player if they beat a very strong hand.

Jam

Refers to moving all-in or putting all the money in the middle.

Joker

An extra card, with an image of a court jester, found in a pack of 52 cards. Jokers can be used as wild cards in some poker games.

K

Kicker

The unpaired card/s in a poker hand often used to settle ties between two similar hands.

L

LAG

A playing style which is Loose Agressive, where a player plays many starting hands aggressively.

Late Position

A table position to the right of the Button, where the player acts after most players on the table have acted.

Limit

Used to describe the fixed-limit betting structure of a game where the bets and raises are in fixed increments.

Limit Poker

A betting structure with pre-decided fixed increments bets or raises.

Limp

The action of calling without a raise in the first betting round.

Lowball

A poker variant where the weakest hand wins.

M

Middle Position

The three poker positions of players between early and late position on the table.

Minimum Buy-In

The minimum amount for a player to take seat on a cash game table.

MTT

Multi Table Tournament with multiple entries exceeding a single ten-handed table. The prize pool in MTT increases as more players enter.

Muck

Fold the hand without showing the cards to other players.

N

No-Limit Game

A betting structure with no betting limit and a player can bet all their chips as well.

Nut

The best possible hand on the board.

O

Odds

Probability or a mathematical expression of drawing a specific card to make your hand.

Offsuit

Starting hand where cards of different suits.

Omaha

The second-most popular poker variant after hold'em.

Open-ended straight draw

When a player has four consecutive cards, and a card of either end will make a straight hand.

Open-Raise

The first raise on the first betting round.

Outs

Any card that is likely to give you the best hand.

Out of Position

When a player plays out of position, they need to act before all the opponents in the hand.

Overbet

Increasing the bet size larger than the current pot size.

P

Pair

A poker hand consisting of two cards of the same rank.

Pocket Pair

A starting hand where there's a pair as the hole cards. For example, pocket fours or pocket jacks.

Pocket Rockets

The best starting hand; a pair of aces dealt as hole cards in the pre-flop round.

Position

A player's position on a poker table in relation to the dealer. At the left of the dealer is an early position and at the right of the dealer is the late position.

Pot

The chips or money that players bet in a hand. The player with the best hand combination at the showdown wins the pot.

Pot Limit

A limit set in the game where a player may bet equal to the current pot amount.

Pot Odds

The amount of money currently in the pot compared to the amount a player must add to the pot to stay in the game.

Pre-Flop

The first betting round where the dealer deals two hole cards to each player.

Post Flop

The betting actions on a poker table after the flop betting round.

Prize Pool

A total of the entry amount contributed by all the players in a tournament that becomes the prize money awarded to the winning players.

Q

Quads

A poker hand with four cards of the same rank. Also called four of a kind.

R

Rainbow

Raise

A betting action to increase the bet amount on the current street.

Rake

The amount charged by the house for running the poker game.

Rank

The value of a card or hand that determines the winning and losing poker hands.

Range

Distribution of possible holdings of a player.

Re-Buy

An option in poker tournaments and cash games to buy chips and re-enter the game if the player loses all the chips.

Re-Raise

Raising the bet size over a previous raise in the same betting round.

River

The final betting round in Hold'em and Omaha, where the dealer deals the fifth community card. It is also known as Fifth Street.

Royal Flush

The highest-ranking poker hand consisting of Ten-Jack-Queen-King-Ace, all of the same suit.

S

Satellite

A poker tournament with smaller buy-ins played at a single table where the winning player is rewarded with an entry into a bigger tournament.

Shark

A winning poker player who plays aggressively and wins against less experienced players on the table.

Short-Handed

A poker table with six or fewer players.

Short Stacked

Having little money in comparison to other players.

Shove

A term used to describe betting all-in.

Showdown

The round after all betting rounds are complete, where the remaining players must reveal their cards to determine the winner.

Side Pot

A second or new pot formed when one player goes all-in, but other players have chips in hand to play, then the players play for a side pot which is above the value of the main pot.

Small Blind (SB)

The forced bet placed in the first betting round by the player seated at the left of the dealer.

Spilt Pot

A pot split by two or more winning players who have the same hand.

Stack

A pile of chips with a player.

Straight

A poker hand with five consecutive cards, such as J-10-9-8-7.

Straight Flush

A poker hand with five consecutive cards of the same suit, such as J-10-9-8-7 of Spades.

Street

A betting round where a community card is dealt.

Stud

A poker variant with no community cards, and the players are dealt a combination of upcards and downcards.

Suited Cards

A starting hand with hole cards of the same suit.

Suited Connector

Hole cards in sequential order and of the same suit.

T

TAG

A Tight Aggressive playing style followed by an aggressive player that has a tight and strong range of holding while entering the pot.

Tell

A poker tell is an indication or a clue about a player's holding.

The Board

The board means that the flop, turn and river cards are on display.

Three Bet

When a player faces a bet and raise and decides to raise again, also called re-raise.

Three of a Kind

A poker hand consisting of three cards of the same rank.

Tie

When two hands have the same rank of cards and are of equal strength, there's a tie between the hands and the pot is split.

Tilt

Playing poker with an impacted state of mind, such as in anger, fear, or lack of motivation, is called tilting.

Tournament

A poker game format where there's a fixed buy-in and players continue to play till they run out of chips.

Turn

The third betting round where the dealer deals the fourth community card on the table.

Two pair

A poker hand consisting of two sets of pairs and one kicker.

U

Uncalled Bet (UB)

When no player calls a bet in a betting round. The player to make this bet wins.

Under the Gun (UTG)

The earliest poker table position that requires a player to act first. The player in UTG is seated left of the big blind.

Underdog

Also called dog, underdog refers to a hand or player that is unlikely to win.

Upcard

A card dealt face up in Stud Poker.

Upswing

A long period os winning when the winrate is higher than expected.

V

Value Bet

Making a bet with a good hand hoping that an opponent will call it.

Variance

A statistical distribution of a poker player's results over time. It includes the upswings and downswings of a player.

Variant

A type of poker game such as Omaha, Hold'em, Stud, Draw, etc.

VPIP

Voluntarily put in the pot describes the frequency of a player voluntarily adding chips into the pot preflop, when give the chance.

W

Whale

An extremely weak poker player, especially at higher stakes poker games.

Wheel

A straight with Ace to five (5-4-3-2-A).

WSOP

The World Series of Poker is the world's biggest Poker tournament series which takes place in Vegas every year during the months of June and July.