♠PokerTracking.com
Try Free ToolsOpen Dashboard
Home/Poker Guides/Poker Glossary

Poker Glossary

140 poker terms explained in plain English, from 3-bet and c-bet to ICM, SPR and win rate. Search the list or jump to a letter, and open the matching free tool to see each idea with real numbers.

140 terms

0–9

3-bet
The third bet in a betting sequence. Preflop, the big blind counts as the first bet and an open raise as the second, so a re-raise of an open is a 3-bet. Reshove chart →
4-bet
A re-raise of a 3-bet. A 5-bet is a re-raise of a 4-bet, and so on.

A

ABC poker
A simple, straightforward style: bet good hands for value, fold weak ones and rarely bluff. Often the best approach against weak opponents.
Action
Your turn to act, or the betting activity in a hand. Also the share of a player's tournament buy-in sold to backers. Staking calculator →
All-in
Putting all of your remaining chips into the pot. A player who is all-in can only win the part of the pot they matched.
Ante
A small forced bet every player (or just the big blind, in a big blind ante format) puts in before the cards are dealt. Antes make the pot bigger and reward wider stealing. Push/fold chart →

B

Backdoor draw
A draw that needs both the turn and the river to complete, such as three cards to a flush on the flop. Outs chart →
Bad beat
Losing a hand you were a big favorite to win, usually when an opponent hits a lucky card on the turn or river.
Bankroll
The money you set aside only for playing poker. Good bankroll management means playing stakes small enough that normal swings can't wipe it out. Bankroll calculator →
bb/100
Big blinds won per 100 hands, the standard way to measure a cash game win rate online. 5 bb/100 at 1/2 means about $10 profit every 100 hands. Win rate calculator →
bb/hr
Big blinds won per hour, the usual win rate measure for live cash games, where you play far fewer hands per hour than online. Win rate calculator →
Big blind (BB)
The larger of the two forced bets posted before the cards are dealt, by the player two seats left of the button. Stacks and win rates are often measured in big blinds.
Blinds
The two forced bets, the small blind and big blind, that start the pot in Hold'em and Omaha. In tournaments they rise at set intervals. Blind structure calculator →
Blocker
A card in your hand that makes certain hands impossible or less likely for your opponent. Holding the ace of spades blocks the nut spade flush.
Bluff
A bet or raise with a weak hand, made to get a better hand to fold. A bluff needs to work often enough to beat the price you risk. Bet sizing calculator →
Board
The community cards dealt face up in the middle of the table: the flop, turn and river.
Bounty
Prize money on a player's head in a knockout tournament, paid to whoever eliminates them. In progressive knockouts (PKO), part of each bounty is added to the winner's own bounty. PKO bounty calculator →
Broadway
The highest straight, ten to ace. Broadway cards are the tens, jacks, queens, kings and aces.
Bubble
The stage of a tournament just before the paid places, when the next player out wins nothing. Bubble pressure makes calling all-ins much riskier. ICM push/fold chart →
Bubble factor
How much more a chip lost is worth than a chip won under ICM. A bubble factor of 2 means losing a chip costs twice as much as winning one gains, so you need a much stronger hand to call. ICM calculator →
Button (BTN)
The dealer position, marked with a disc. The button acts last after the flop, which makes it the most profitable seat at the table. Button push/fold chart →
Buy-in
The cost of entering a tournament, or the amount of chips you sit down with in a cash game. Bankroll rules are counted in buy-ins. Bankroll calculator →

C

C-bet (continuation bet)
A bet on the flop by the player who made the last raise before the flop, continuing to represent a strong hand.
Call
Matching the current bet to stay in the hand.
Calling station
A player who calls far too often and rarely folds. Bluff them less and value bet them more.
Cash game
A game played for real money where chips equal cash and you can leave whenever you like. Also called a ring game. Session tracking →
Check
Passing the action without betting, allowed only when nobody has bet yet on the current street.
Check-raise
Checking, then raising after an opponent bets. Used both with strong hands and as a bluff.
Chip leader
The player with the most chips in a tournament or at a table.
Chop
Splitting the pot, either because players tie or because remaining tournament players agree to divide the prize money. ICM deal calculator →
Coin flip
An all-in where both players have close to a 50% chance, classically a pair against two higher cards, such as 22 against AK. Hand matchup odds →
Cold call
Calling a raise when you have not yet put any money into the pot on that street.
Community cards
The shared cards on the board that every player can use to make a hand.
Cooler
A hand where two very strong holdings meet and the loss is almost unavoidable, such as kings against aces before the flop.
Cutoff (CO)
The seat directly to the right of the button, the second best position at the table. Cutoff push/fold chart →

D

Dead money
Money in the pot from players who have folded, or tournament entries from players with little chance of winning.
Donk bet
A bet into the player who had the betting lead on the previous street, made from out of position.
Double barrel
Following a flop continuation bet with another bet on the turn. A triple barrel adds a river bet.
Downswing
A stretch of losing results. Even strong winning players can go through downswings lasting tens of thousands of hands. Variance simulator →
Draw
An unfinished hand that needs more cards to improve, such as a flush draw or straight draw. Outs chart →

E

Effective stack
The smaller of the stacks in a hand, which is the most that can be won or lost between those players.
Equity
Your share of the pot based on how often your hand would win if all the cards were dealt out. 60% equity in a $100 pot is worth $60 on average. Poker odds calculator →
Expected value (EV)
The average amount a decision wins or loses if made many times. +EV decisions make money in the long run, even when they lose this time. EV calculator →

F

Fifth street
Another name for the river, the fifth community card.
Final table
The last table in a multi-table tournament, where the biggest prizes are decided. ICM calculator →
Fish
Slang for a weak or inexperienced player.
Flop
The first three community cards, dealt together after the first round of betting. Poker probabilities →
Flush
Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence. It beats a straight and loses to a full house. Hand rankings →
Fold
Giving up your hand and any claim to the pot.
Fold equity
The extra value a bet or shove gets from the chance that your opponent folds. EV calculator →
Four of a kind
Four cards of the same rank, also called quads. It beats a full house and loses only to a straight flush. Hand rankings →
Freeroll
A tournament with no entry fee, or a situation where you can win but not lose, such as holding the same hand with an extra draw to beat it.
Full house
Three cards of one rank plus a pair of another, such as KKK-77. Ranked by the three of a kind first. Hand rankings →

G

GTO (game theory optimal)
A strategy that cannot be exploited, because opponents cannot gain by changing how they play against it. Solvers estimate GTO play.
Gutshot
An inside straight draw that needs one specific rank, such as 9-8-6-5 needing a 7. It has 4 outs. Outs chart →

H

Heads-up
A hand or game between just two players. Heads-up push/fold chart →
Hero call
A call with a fairly weak hand because you believe your opponent is bluffing.
Hijack (HJ)
The seat two to the right of the button, between the lojack and the cutoff.
Hole cards
Your private cards, dealt face down. Two in Hold'em and four in Omaha. Starting hand chart →
Hourly rate
How much money you win or lose per hour of play, the main measure for live players. Hourly rate calculator →

I

ICM (Independent Chip Model)
A model that converts tournament chip stacks into their real-money value from the payout structure. Chips you lose are worth more than chips you win. ICM calculator →
Implied odds
Pot odds that also count the money you expect to win on later streets when you hit your draw. Pot odds calculator →
In position (IP)
Acting after your opponent on a betting round. Being in position gives you more information and control.
ITM (in the money)
Finishing in a paid place in a tournament. ITM % is the share of tournaments you cash in. Tournament ROI calculator →

K

Kicker
A side card that breaks ties between hands of the same type. With AK against AQ on an ace-high board, the king is the winning kicker. Hand rankings →

L

LAG (loose-aggressive)
A player who plays many hands and bets and raises often.
Limp
Just calling the big blind before the flop instead of raising.
Lojack (LJ)
The seat three to the right of the button in a 6-max game, often the first to act after the blinds.

M

Makeup
In a backing deal, the losses a staked player must win back before any profit is split with the backer. Staking calculator →
Markup
A premium a player charges when selling tournament action, such as 1.2 meaning backers pay $120 for $100 of action. Staking calculator →
MDF (minimum defense frequency)
The share of your range you must continue with against a bet so that a pure bluff can't profit. Against a pot-sized bet, MDF is 50%. Bet sizing calculator →
Monotone
A flop with all three cards of the same suit.
MTT (multi-table tournament)
A tournament played over many tables that are combined as players are eliminated. Tournament tracking →
Muck
To fold or throw away your cards without showing them. Also the pile of folded cards.

N

Nash equilibrium
A pair of strategies where neither player can gain by changing theirs. Push/fold charts are built from Nash equilibrium solutions. Push/fold chart →
No-limit
A betting structure where you can bet any amount up to all of your chips at any time.
Nuts
The best possible hand on the current board.

O

Offsuit
Two hole cards of different suits, written with an o, as in AKo. Preflop odds chart →
Omaha (PLO)
A game where each player gets four hole cards and must use exactly two of them with three from the board. Usually played pot-limit. Omaha odds calculator →
Open raise
The first raise before the flop when everyone before you has folded. Opening ranges →
Open-ended straight draw (OESD)
Four cards in a row that a card at either end completes, such as 9-8-7-6. It has 8 outs. Outs chart →
Out of position (OOP)
Acting before your opponent on a betting round.
Outs
The unseen cards that would give you what is likely the best hand. A flush draw on the flop has 9 outs. Outs chart →
Overbet
A bet larger than the size of the pot. Bet sizing calculator →
Overcard
A card higher than any card on the board, or a board card higher than your pocket pair.
Overpair
A pocket pair higher than every card on the board, such as QQ on a J-7-2 flop.

P

Pocket pair
Two hole cards of the same rank, such as 77. Poker probabilities →
Polarized range
A range made of very strong hands and bluffs, with few medium-strength hands. A linear or merged range is weighted to the strongest hands with no gap.
Position
Where you sit relative to the button, which decides the order you act in. Later position is more profitable. Starting hand chart →
Pot odds
The price of a call compared with the pot. Calling $50 into a $150 pot (after the bet) means risking 50 to win 150, so you need 25% equity. Pot odds calculator →
Pot-limit
A betting structure where the largest bet allowed is the size of the pot.
Preflop
The first betting round, after hole cards are dealt and before the flop. Preflop trainer →
Prize pool
The total prize money in a tournament, made up of buy-ins minus fees plus any added money. Payout calculator →
Push/fold
A short-stack strategy where your only choices are to go all-in or fold, usually under about 15 big blinds. Push/fold chart →

R

Rainbow
A flop with three different suits, so no flush draw is possible on the flop.
Rake
The fee the house takes from cash game pots or tournament buy-ins. Rake often decides whether a small edge is a winning one. Rake calculator →
Range
All of the hands a player could have in a given spot. Good players think in ranges rather than single hands. Range equity calculator →
Re-entry
Buying into a tournament again after busting, where the rules allow it. Tournament ROI calculator →
Reshove
Going all-in over the top of another player's raise, also called a re-jam. Reshove chart →
Reverse implied odds
Money you risk losing on later streets when you make your hand but it is still second best.
Risk of ruin
The chance that your bankroll goes to zero given your win rate, standard deviation and bankroll size. Risk of ruin calculator →
River
The fifth and final community card, followed by the last betting round.
ROI (return on investment)
Tournament profit as a percentage of total buy-ins. Winning $300 profit on $1,000 of buy-ins is a 30% ROI. ROI calculator →
Royal flush
Ace, king, queen, jack and ten of the same suit, the best possible hand. Hand rankings →
Run it twice
Agreeing, when all-in, to deal the remaining board cards twice and split the pot by the results. It lowers variance without changing EV.

S

Satellite
A tournament whose prizes are seats in a bigger tournament. Because every seat pays the same, ICM pressure is extreme near the end.
Semi-bluff
A bet or raise with a draw that is probably behind now but can improve to the best hand. EV calculator →
Session
One continuous stretch of play. Tracking every session's buy-in, cash-out and hours is the basis of good bankroll records. Free tracker →
Set
Three of a kind made with a pocket pair plus one matching board card. Trips uses one hole card and a pair on the board. Odds of flopping a set →
Short stack
A player or stack with few big blinds relative to the blinds or to the other players. Push/fold chart →
Showdown
When the remaining players reveal their hands after the final betting round to decide who wins. Which hand wins →
Side pot
A separate pot that forms when a player is all-in for less than others bet. The all-in player can't win the side pot.
Sit & Go (SNG)
A tournament that starts as soon as enough players register, rather than at a set time. Tournament tracking →
Slow play
Checking or calling with a strong hand to hide its strength and get more money in later.
Small blind (SB)
The smaller forced bet, posted by the player directly left of the button, usually half the big blind. Small blind push/fold chart →
SPR (stack-to-pot ratio)
The effective stack divided by the pot on the flop. A low SPR means you are close to committed; a high SPR leaves room for play. Bet sizing calculator →
Squeeze
A 3-bet made after one player raises and one or more others call.
Stack
The chips a player has in front of them.
Staking
An arrangement where a backer pays a player's buy-ins in return for a share of the winnings. Staking calculator →
Standard deviation
A measure of how much your results swing around your win rate. Higher standard deviation means bigger swings and a bigger bankroll needed. Variance calculator →
Steal
A raise from late position, usually the cutoff, button or small blind, mainly to win the blinds. Button push/fold chart →
Straddle
An optional blind bet, usually twice the big blind, posted before the cards are dealt. The straddler acts last preflop.
Straight
Five cards in sequence of mixed suits. The ace can play high (10 to A) or low (A to 5). Hand rankings →
Straight flush
Five cards in sequence, all of the same suit. It beats four of a kind. Hand rankings →
Street
One betting round: preflop, flop, turn or river.
Suited
Two hole cards of the same suit, written with an s, as in 76s. Preflop odds chart →

T

TAG (tight-aggressive)
A player who plays relatively few hands but bets and raises with them, the classic winning style.
Tell
A habit or behavior that gives away information about a player's hand.
Texas Hold'em
The most popular poker game: each player gets two hole cards and makes the best five-card hand using any mix of them and five community cards. How to play Texas Hold'em →
Three of a kind
Three cards of the same rank. It beats two pair and loses to a straight. Hand rankings →
Tilt
Playing worse because of frustration or emotion, often after a bad beat or a losing stretch. Performance insights →
Turn
The fourth community card, dealt after the flop betting round.
Two pair
Two different pairs plus a fifth card, such as J-J-4-4-A. Hand rankings →

U

Under the gun (UTG)
The first player to act before the flop, directly left of the big blind. It needs the tightest range. UTG push/fold chart →

V

Value bet
A bet made because worse hands will call it.
Variance
The short-term swings between your actual results and your expected results, caused by luck. Variance calculator →
VPIP
Voluntarily put money in pot: the percentage of hands where a player calls or raises preflop. A common tracking stat for how loose someone plays.

W

Wet board
A board with many draws possible, such as J-T-8 with two hearts. A dry board, like K-7-2 rainbow, has few.
Wheel
The lowest straight, ace to five.
Win rate
How much you win over time, measured as bb/100, bb/hr or hourly rate for cash games and ROI for tournaments. How to calculate your win rate →

No terms match that search. Try a shorter word.

How to use this poker glossary

Type any word into the search box to filter all 140 terms as you type, or jump straight to a letter. Every definition is written in plain English, and where a term has a matching free tool, the green link takes you to it so you can see the idea in action with your own numbers.

You can link to any single term: each one has its own anchor, such as pokertracking.com/poker-glossary#t-pot-odds.

10 terms every new player should know

  1. Blinds and the button: who pays to start each pot and who acts last.
  2. Position: acting later is a big advantage.
  3. Flop, turn and river: the three stages of community cards.
  4. Outs: the cards that improve your hand.
  5. Pot odds: the price you are getting to call.
  6. Equity: your share of the pot right now.
  7. Expected value: whether a decision makes money over time.
  8. Range: every hand an opponent could hold.
  9. Bankroll: money set aside only for poker.
  10. Variance: why results swing even when you play well.

New to the game itself? Start with how to play Texas Hold'em and the poker hand rankings.

Poker glossary FAQ

What poker terms should a beginner learn first?

Start with the words you hear in every hand: blinds, button, flop, turn, river, call, raise, fold, check and all-in. Then learn position, pot odds, outs and equity, which explain most beginner decisions.

What does GTO mean in poker?

GTO stands for game theory optimal: a strategy that opponents cannot beat by changing how they play against it. In practice players use solvers to estimate it and then adjust to exploit real opponents.

What is the difference between bb/100 and bb/hr?

Both measure a cash game win rate in big blinds. bb/100 counts big blinds won per 100 hands and is the standard online, while bb/hr counts big blinds won per hour and suits live games, where far fewer hands are dealt per hour. The free Poker Tracking dashboard works out both from your sessions.