The poker glossary

A to F

Action

Whose turn it is, or a game with lots of betting.

All-in

Betting every chip you have in front of you.

Ante

A small forced bet every player (or, in a big-blind ante, one player) posts before the deal.

Backdoor

A draw that needs both the turn and the river, such as three hearts on the flop needing two more.

Bad beat

Losing as a heavy favourite to a late card.

Blinds

Forced bets posted by the two players left of the button.

Bluff

Betting a weak hand to make a stronger one fold. See our bluffing guide.

Board

The community cards.

Bring-in

The forced opening bet in Stud games, posted by the lowest (or in Razz, highest) upcard.

Broadway

An ace-high straight, A-K-Q-J-10. Also any of those five ranks.

Bubble

The point in a tournament just before players start winning money.

Button

The dealer position; the best seat at the table because it acts last after the flop.

C-bet

Continuation bet: the preflop raiser betting again on the flop.

Check-raise

Checking, then raising after an opponent bets.

Cooler

A hand where two strong holdings collide and the loss was unavoidable.

Cutoff

The seat directly to the right of the button.

Draw

A hand that needs more cards to improve, such as a flush draw.

Effective stack

The smaller of two players' stacks; the most either can win or lose against the other.

Equity

Your share of the pot based on how often you win if all cards are dealt. See pot odds and equity.

Fish

Slang for a weak or recreational player.

Flop

The first three community cards.

Freeroll

A tournament with no entry fee, or a hand where you can win but not lose.

G to O

GTO

Game-theory optimal: a balanced strategy that cannot be exploited. See GTO vs exploitative play.

Gutshot

An inside straight draw needing one specific rank: four outs.

Heads-up

A pot or game with only two players.

Hijack

The seat two to the right of the button.

ICM

Independent Chip Model: converts tournament chip stacks into real-money value.

Implied odds

The money you expect to win on later streets if you hit your draw.

Kicker

The side card that breaks ties between equal pairs or trips.

Limp

Calling the big blind preflop instead of raising.

Muck

Folding your cards, or the pile of discarded cards.

Nuts

The best possible hand on a given board.

Open-ended

A straight draw with two ways to complete: eight outs.

Outs

Cards left in the deck that improve your hand to a likely winner.

Overpair

A pocket pair higher than any card on the board.

P to Z

Pot odds

The price you are being offered: the call amount compared with the final pot. Try our pot odds calculator.

Rainbow

A flop of three different suits.

Range

Every hand a player could hold in a given spot. Good players think in ranges, not single hands.

Rake

The fee the house takes from each pot.

River

The fifth and final community card.

Semi-bluff

Betting a draw that can win now by fold or later by improving.

Set

Three of a kind made with a pocket pair.

Set mining

Calling with a small pair hoping to flop a set.

Slow-play

Checking or calling with a monster to hide its strength.

Slow roll

Taking deliberately long to reveal a winning hand. Considered rude.

Steal

Raising from late position to win the blinds.

Tilt

Playing badly because of frustration or emotion.

Turn

The fourth community card.

Under the gun

The first player to act preflop, left of the big blind.

Value bet

Betting a strong hand to be called by worse.

VPIP

Voluntarily put in pot: the percentage of hands a player chooses to play.

Wheel

The straight 5-4-3-2-A, and the best possible hand in A-5 lowball.