Poker Terms – Poker Terminology Dictionary
Our dictionary of poker terms and phrases encompasses numerous words, most of which (if not all) may appear somewhat unclear to a regular person. Discussions among professionals may sometimes sound like they are speaking an unknown foreign language. However, there's no need to be afraid, as everything comes with experience and practice. So, you can successfully master all this unfamiliar terminology in due time.
Check out the comprehensive glossary below – it provides explanations of the most common slang and specific abbreviations, words and phrases you may come across in poker-related books, educational articles, or tutorial videos, as well as while playing online or offline, watching streams and chatting with other players. We’ve tried to explain them in the simplest way possible so that a rookie can understand each meaning and feel confident when discussing poker strategy on Internet forums and in live communication down the road.
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Poker Terms Explained in Alphabetical Order
Poker Terms Explained in Alphabetical OrderA
ABC poker – the simplest and most basic playing strategy.
Account verification – it is an identity authentication by sending the necessary document in electronic form to the poker rooms. In most cases, it is a necessary condition for the withdrawal possibility in the future.
Ace-high – it is a poker situation when the winning combination is an ace-high card. See also "A-high".
Add-on – it’s an additional buying of the chips at the end of the rebuy period.
Adjust, adjusting – it is an adaptation to another player’s play.
Affiliate – it is a poker-room partner who attracts new players to this poker room and gets its percentage.
A-high – it is a situation where the player doesn’t have any combinations but he wins with an ace-high.
Air – it is a hand without combination or a hand that is inferior to the opponent’s card, a hand that can’t be winning.
All-in – this term means to put all your chips in the pot. Going all-in counts as the most aggressive and radical move during the betting.
All-in, push – it is a situation when the player put all his chips into the pot.
Anna Kournikova – this meaning is connected with hand AK (ace-king). It is named after the tennis player (Anna Kournikova). This hand looks good but often loses as well as this tennis player.
Ante – it is another type of obligatory bet in tourneys. To know more about ante in poker, read our separate article.
Any two – it is any two cards. These cards usually have no effect on opponents’ actions. For example, if the player sees that the opponent’s frequency fold against a 3-bet is very high then he 3-betd with any two.
Angle shooting – it is an unethical trick within the rules that is done maliciously, which allows you to gain an advantage over your opponent./p>
Average stack – it is a rate of all tournament’s chips to a quantity of the players who remained in the play.
B
Backdoor flush – it is a situation where there is a need to get two more cards of the necessary suit in order to make a flush.
Backdoor straight - it is a situation when 2 cards are necessary in order to make a straight.
Backdoor, backdoor draw – it is a situation when 2 cards are necessary for the combination formation.
Backer – it is a person who pays a player a share of a tournament entry fee and pretends to a share of the winning. Herewith he risks losing money in the case of the player’s loss.
Backing, staking – it is a game method where the part of the player’s bankroll or his buy-ins for the specific tournaments is paid by the other people (investors or backers), whose goal is to make a profit in the case of winning. It can be said that the backers buy a part of the player’s risk and thereby insure him in exchange for a share of his profit in the case of winning. The percentage of the entry fees and payouts are usually discussed beforehand.
Bad beat – according to the poker glossary, this is a situation when a powerful combination is beaten by the stronger one which had a low probability of formation. Some platforms even have special bad beat jackpot prizes.
Bankroll – it is the money that was won or deposited by a player and he disposes of this money for the play.
Bankroll management (BRM) – it is a method of controlling the bankroll that allows for minimizing the risks.
Barrel – it is a continuation bet on the flop (often meaning the bet from the player who hasn’t any strong combination).
Being in position (IP) means that a player is the last to act in the hand. In this case, the player has an information edge over their opponents.
Being out of position (OOP). This is the opposite scenario to IP, meaning that a player is forced to act before their opponents do in every round of betting.
Bet – it is the first bet in the betting round.
Bet/fold – it is a situation where the player wants to take the pot without a strong hand. If one of the opponents responds with a raise, then this player folds his cards.
Big Blind (BB) – this term means an obligatory (blind) bet. It is made by the player who is in the BB position before he gets the cards.
Blank, blank card (brick) – it is a card that came after the flop and didn’t improve the player’s combination.
Blind – in every hand, two players (small blind and big blind) pay an obligatory bet. More often, the player on the small blind pays twice as small as a big blind (although their bets can be the same size).
Block bet – it is a small bet in correlation to a pot whose goal is to prevent the opponent’s aggression and additionally to collect the chips in the case of a winning combination.
Blocker – it is a card in somebody's hand that decreases the outs’ numbers for the opponent.
Bluff – it is a technique where people simulate as if they have a strong combination and bet. It is believed that players are bluffing in at least one case out of ten. Sometimes a good poker bluff is better than strong cards.
Bluff catcher – it is a weak combination that is stronger than the hand of the bluffing player.
Board, table – it means the 5 face up cards in the middle of the table. All the players can see them.
Bonus hunting – it is a hunt for different bonuses in the poker rooms (no deposit bonuses, signup bonuses and so on).
Bounty – it is a reward for knocking the player out of the tournament (this reward is paid when the player loses to you all his chips).
Broadway – it is the highest straight. It means the combination where 5 cards are collected in the order from the jack to an ace.
BSS (Big Stack Strategy) – it is a non-scientific name of the play strategy with a 100BB stack. The name is taken as the opposite name of SSS.
Bubble – it is a stage when the prize places are getting close in the tournament (MTT or SNG). Bubble in poker tournaments (more or less large ones) starts when there are 5 or 10 remaining players before the money. For example, there are 100 paid places, so the bubble period will start when 105-110 players remain in the tournament, lasting until the 101st player leaves the game.
Bubble-boy – it is a player who left the tournament at the bubble stage (he was the last player until the prize payouts period started).
Bumhunter – it is a player whose goal is to find fish and weak players and play only with them at the table. Bumhuntering is one of the important elements of the table selection.
Button – it is a seat at the table before the small and big blinds. The button poker position is considered the most advantageous one.
Buy-in – it is a tournament entry fee which is included in the prize money. The buy in meaning is also uncovered separately.
C
Call – it means the equalization of the opponents’ bets.
Calldown – it is the process of calling till the end of the play (showdown). An example: the player plays three streets with a check-call (he makes calldown).
Calling station – it is a player who often calls the opponents’ bets, rarely folds his cards and seldom makes raises.
Cap – it is a maximum permissible bet in the limit poker.
Cash – it is a play for money.
Cash-out – it is a money withdrawal to a card/ bank account/virtual wallet from a poker room. In other words, it is the money cashing out from the game account.
Check – if none of the players makes an action (bet or raise), then the player can play "check", it means to skip the action.
Check behind – it is a check that goes after the other player’s check (or the other players).
Check/call – it is a play by means of a check and after it, there is a call of the opponent’s bet.
Check/raise – it is a play by means of check and after it, there is a raise after the opponent’s bet.
Chip – it is a cash equivalent in the play. Often the chips are granted with the nominal of 1 chip to $1/euro/ other currency. The chips in the tournament do not have a certain value in equivalent to real money, there it is only important which place you will take in the end.
Chipleader – it is a player with the largest number of chips in the tournament.
Chip dumping – it is a situation in which one player deliberately loses his money to another player. All this is done in collusion for the sake of financial gain.
Coinflip – this definition implies equal odds for winning of the two players.
Cold-call – it is a call of one or several bets (and also raises). For example, Player "A" makes a bet, Player "B" raises, Player "C" calls (they make a cold-call).
Complete – it is an equalization of the player’s big blind on the small blind position.
Connector – it means two cards in a row (3-4, J-Q, etc.).
Contbet – it is a bet on the flop that is made by the preflop-aggressor. For example, Player "A" raises and Player "B" calls. Player "A" bets on the flop – it is a contbet.
Continuation Bet, CBet – see also "contbet".
Cooler – it is a situation when a player with a strong combination loses to a player with a stronger combo. A poker cooler counts as bad luck rather than bad play.
Cut-off – it is a seat to the right of the button (dealer). Detailed information about what is cut off in poker can be found in a dedicated article.
D
Data mining – it is a collection of the played hands in the poker room. It is used by opponents who want to get an advantage over the opponents by means of the obtained hands (information). It is being sold by various sites and is prohibited by poker platforms. It is considered a scam.
Dead money – it is a share of the chips in the pot that were put in there by the players who have already folded their cards and don’t participate in the hand.
Dispersion – it is the difference between a mathematically expected win and a real one in the long run.
Dominated hand – it is a hand that is dominated by the opponent’s hand according to a kicker. For example, you have KQ and your opponent has KA, your hand is dominated by the king.
DON (Double or Nothing) – it is a tournament where the prize places are two times less than the participants’ quantity, and the prize pool is evenly distributed among the winners.
Donk – this definition applies to an inexperienced or weak player, specifically the one who doesn't fold poor hands or plays their hand against the odds.
Donkbet – it is a player’s bet on the flop after he called on preflop and took the initiative on the flop earlier than a preflop-aggressor. An example: the button makes the raise, you are on BB and make a call and then immediately make a donkbet on the flop.
Downswing or downstreak – it is a long-term period when the player doesn’t win. It often makes psychological pressure on the player and the inexperienced player can start to tilt.
Dry flop (broken fall) – it is a flop without straight-draw and flush-draw.
E
Easy fold – it is an undoubtedly easy muck of the cards.
Edge – it is a mathematical advantage over the opponent.
Effective stack – it is the smallest stack size among the players. An example: the stack of Player "A" is 100 000 chips, Player "B" has 7 500 chips, the player "C" has 5 000 ones. In this case, the effective stack is 5 000 chips.
EPT (European Poker Tour) – it is the largest and the most popular series of live poker tournaments that was carried out across Europe from 2007 to 2016 inclusive. In 2016 the series company organizer made the rebranding. EPT series analogue was known as PokerStars Championship and PokerStars Festival. Since 2018 EPT returned its original title.
Equity – it is your set part of the pot. For example, if the pot is $80 and you have 25% for the win, then your hand equity is $20. It means that your average win will be $20 in a large number of similar situations and under the same conditions.
F
Final table – it is the last table in the tournament. Often there are 6,8 or 9 players at the table, but there are unofficial final tables with 10 players left.
Fish – it is a very weak and inexperienced player who usually makes the widespread newbies' mistakes.
Float, floating – it is an advanced bluff method when the player without a strong hand calls the opponent’s bet in order to take the pot on the subsequent streets.
Float Call – this definition refers to a situation in which a player calls an opponent with a strong hand instead of raising himself. In other words, the player could raise, but for some reason decided to just call.
Flop – it means three common cards that are dealt after finishing the betting round on the preflop.
Flush – it is a combination of 5 suited cards. For example: А♦К♦Т♦9♦7♦.
Flush-draw – it is an incomplete hand that could make a flush if a card of the necessary suit will be added to it. An example: we have А♦К♦, the flop is Т♦9♦2♠. If at least one diamond comes then we hit a flush. And now it is a flush-draw.
Fold – it means to throw away the card; to muck.
Fold equity – it is a probability that the player, who acts after you will fold his cards against any bet/raise. It is measured in the percentage (%).
4-bet. 4 bet in poker occurs when any player that is involved in the hand re-raises a 3-bet.
Four of a kind (quads) – it means the four cards of the same rank.
Free card – it is a situation when the players move to another betting round without making any bets. In fact, you have an opportunity to see another card free of charge.
Free play – it is a possibility to see the next card free of charge with a simple check.
Freeroll – it is a tournament without buy-in payment; it is a free tournament or the tournament for play money.
Freezeout – it is one of the MTT tournament types where the player can make neither rebuy nor add-on.
Full ring (10-max) – it is a table with more than 7 players (10 is the maximum).
Full-house – it is a poker combination that consists of a set and a pair. For example, 888TT or JJJ77, etc.
G
Gambler – it is a professional successful poker player. Usually, gamblers play on the limits NL100 and higher with a stable win rate of 3-4 BB/100 and higher.
Gambling addiction, gambling addict – it is an unhealthy dependency on games (games of chance). It is attended by an inadequate play with a money loss, social bonding loss and spiritual values loss.
Grinder (rounder) – it is a player who plays a lot and beats his limit steadily.
GTO (Game Theoretical Optimum) – it is a game theoretical optimum, i.e. it is an optimal poker game on the basis of Nash equilibrium.
Gutshot – straight-draw with 4 outs (for example, you have 3-4-5-6-7 (with the board cards). In order to make a straight, you need a 5. There are only four "5" in the deck.
H
Hand – it is the player’s hole cards; it is a poker hand between players.
Heads-up – it is a play with only two players in it. The tournament stage or a simple hand with two participants is also called a heads-up.
High card – it is the weakest poker combination. If the players don’t have a "pair" combination or a higher one, then the player with a high card wins the game. For example, Player "1" has 2-5, Player "2" has 6-K and the board is T-4-9-3-Q. None of the players hit the combination from the pair and higher, that’s why Player "2" takes the pot, because he has a high card K (king). Their completed combination is T-9-Q-6-K.
High stakes – extremely expensive cash games.
High-roller – it is a player who plays at high stakes.
Hijack – it is a position in front of the cut-off. I.e. it is the second player to the right of the button.
Hit and run – it is a method whose goal is to enter the game, win a large pot and go away.
Holdem – it is the short name of Texas Holdem. It is the most popular and widespread variation today.
HUD – it is a small information panel in online poker with a range of different statistical indicators (stats) near the name of a relevant player. In order to see the players’ stats you should download a certain program (Holdem Manager 3, Flopzilla, etc.).
I
ICM (Independent Chip Model) – it is a model of the conditional conversion of the players’ stack from the chips to their monetary value (in the percentage from the common or remaining prize pool).
Inside straight (Gutshot Straight) – it is a straight-draw with 4 outs. In the cases where the cards in the hand are like 6-7-9-T, they can be called a gutshot straight, because only 1 card is necessary for making the combination (any of the four eights).
Instant bet – it is a quick bet without hesitation.
Isolate or isolation raise – it is a big bet against the bet of the other player (often a weak player) at the table. After this bet, all the other players fold their cards, except the player who made the bet initially. Basically, the goal of such action is to "isolate the player" and to stay together with a particular opponent in the hand and to force the other players to fold their cards.
ITM (In The Money) – it is a statistical indicator of the player’s efficiency in tournaments. I.e. it is the ratio of him getting into prizes to the common quantity of the played tournaments. The prized places are also called the ITM.
ITM (In The Money) – these are the prize places in the tournament.
K
Kickers – the cards that are not included in the formed combination. If several players have the same combinations then the kicker will be the defining card. It is easy to determine the kickers’ number: you should deduct the cards’ number from the five that make the combination.
L
LAG (Loose-aggressive) – it is a loose-aggressive playing style. LAGs are the players who play in this style.
Layout – it is a table skin (design) in online poker.
Lead – it is the first bet on the flop in a non-raised pot.
Leak – it is a player’s weak spot. The leaks mean the frequently occurring player’s mistakes. It is important to search for leaks not only in the opponent’s play but also in your personal behaviour.
Limp – it is a call of a big blind on the preflop.
Limper – this word is derived from the poker term "limp", meaning a player who makes the limp.
Loose style – it is a style where the player plays a lot of hands and therefore there are a large amount of difficult and complex situations. It is considered that the loose style is a more creative one than a tight style, and it requires a better understanding of the gameplay mechanics.
Lojack – position after UTG and before hijack.
M
Maniac – it is a player who plays very aggressively and plays almost all his pocket cards.
Mathematical expectation – it is an average profit from one or another decision under the stipulation that such a decision can be considered within the framework of the Law of large numbers and longstanding distance (long run).
Metagame – it is a concept which characterizes the players’ decision-making on the base of psychological principles rather than mathematical ones.
M-factor – it is a correlation of the player’s stack to the amount of the blinds and ante.
Middle pair – it is a medium pair of all possible ones or it is a pair that is not an overpair or a top-pair. For example, you have Jt. The flop is AJ2; in this case, you have the middle pair of jacks.
Middle position or MP – it is a medium position at the table regarding the button. At the 9-max table it is 4-6 position after the BB, at the short table (6-max) it is 2-3 position.
Middle stack strategy (MSS) – it is a strategy for a profitable play in No-Limit Holdem at the cash tables. It is something middle between the BSS and SSS because it is used in the play with a middle stack rather than a short stack or maximum allowable one.
Missclick – it is an accidental and wrong click in online poker that leads to an unplanned action during the game (accidental call of all-in, accidental fold).
Monster-draw – it is a strong hand with a large amount of outs for improving. For example, you have K♦Q♦ and the flop is J♦T♦2♥. Apart from the flush draw (9 outs) and straight draw (6 outs) you have 2 overcards that can lead to the win.
МТТ (Multi-table tournament) – it is a multi-table tournament that is carried out with two or more tables simultaneously.
Muck – it is a place at the table where all the folded cards are put.
Multi-accounting – it is the creation of more than one account by a player in one poker room, which is typically prohibited.
Multi-pot – it is a situation where more than two players participate in the pot.
Multi-tabling – it is a play of one player at several tables simultaneously in online poker.
N
Nash equilibrium – it is a poker situation where the change in the strategy of one player doesn’t increase his winning in the case of the other players leaving their strategy unchanged.
NH (Nice Hand) – it is an expression that applies at the table in online poker, meaning a good hand.
Nit (rock) – a tight-passive player who acts cautiously and usually plays only the strongest hands and combinations.
NL, NLH – it is No-Limit Holdem. The numeral prefix before NL means playing limit, i.e. it is the standard buy-in size that is equal to the 100 BB (for example, 10 NL- the blinds are $0.05/$0.10, the standard buy-in is $10).
Notes – it is a mark on the player, the record of a specific hand or the common data that helps in the future to make a decision against this player.
Nuts – it is the best possible combination at the table. Often the highest straight is called the nuts straight and flush with an ace is called a nuts flush. To learn more about what is the nuts in poker, read our dedicated article.
O
OESD (Open Ended Straight Draw) – it means the four cards in a row that gives an opportunity to make a straight on the top and on the bottom simultaneously.
Offsuited cards – it means the two cards of the different suits. For example, Т♦9♥ or 7♣2♠.
Omaha – it is a poker variety. In this game, 4 hole cards are dealt (instead of 2 cards like in a Holdem). Only 2 pocket cards and 3 common ones can make the combination. In the other game aspects, the rules are similar to hold 'em.
Open raise – it is the first raise at the table.
Out – the cards which complete an incomplete combination (straight-draw, flush-draw…).
Overbet – it is the bet whose size exceeds the current pot size.
Overcard – it is one or two pocket cards that are higher than all the cards on the flop. For example, you have A7, the flop is J68, and in this case, your ace is an overcard, because it is higher than the highest flop card (jack). The same situation can be the case if you have a king or a queen.
Overlay – it is the difference between the guaranteed prize pool and the paid buy-ins, in the case if the guarantee had not been beaten. It means the amount of money that should be added to the paid buy-ins by the tournament organizers in order to provide a promised prize pool. It is considered profitable to play in tournaments with overlays.
Overlimping – it is limp on the preflop after at least one limper.
Overpair – it is a pocket pair that is higher than all the cards on the flop. For example, you have JJ and the flop is T34.
Overset – it is the highest set. An example: Player "1" has a set of tens with a pocket TT (overset) and the board is T82, but Player "2" also has a set with 88 in his hand.
P
PFR – it is one of the main statistical indicators in poker, that shows the player’s raise frequency on the preflop. It is measured in percentage (%). PFR abbreviation is meaning Pre‐Flop Raise.
PFR (Pre-Flop Raise) – it is a statistical indicator that shows the percentage of hands that are raised by the player on preflop. Any raise is taken into account.
Playmoney – it means the play chips (play currency that is usually unconvertible to the real money). It is intended for a play "for fun".
Pocket pair – it is a pair in the player’s hands.
Poker Bot – it is a program created for the poker game and it doesn’t require human control.
Poker face – it is a facial expression without emotions, including also mimic tricks that can misinform opponents. We've uncovered the poker face meaning in a separate article.
Poker Tracker – it is an application for your own play analysis.
Postflop – it means a play after the dealing of flops cards.
Pot – these are the chips which were put by the player as bets and all the players fight for them in the hand.
Pot odds – it is a current size pot rate to an amount that is necessary for the player’s equalization in order to continue the betting rounds. An example: Player "1" invests $20 into a $100 pot. Player "2" should call $20 to continue. Their pot odds will be $120/$20 or 6 to 1. In order to calculate pot odds in percentages, follow this calculation: ($20/($120+$20))х100% = 14%.
Pot-control – it is a control of the pot, i.e. the desire not to increase the pot too intensely. It means the play of a hand without aggression.
Pot-limit – it is a bet structure where bet sizing is limited by the current pot size.
Preflop – it is a play before the dealing of flop cards. It is the first betting round after the pocket cards dealing.
Push – see also "all-in"
Push/fold according to Nash – it is a playing strategy in MTT and Sit and Go tournaments with a short stack.
R
Raise – it is an increase of the bet.
Rake – it is a fixed amount or the percentage that is taken by an online room from every pot. Roughly speaking, poker rake is a commission paid by players to those who organize games.
Rakeback. Rakeback in poker occurs when a portion of the rake paid is refunded back to a player under certain conditions. This is a kind of additional source of income for the player, which does not depend on whether the player wins or not.
Raked hand – it is a played cash-hand from which the rake had been taken.
Range, spectrum – it is a supposed opponent’s hand.
Re-buy – it is an opportunity in the tournament to buy the chips. It is carried out during the stipulated re-buy periods.
Redraw – it is a ready-made hand that is at the same time a draw for a better combination. For example, you have J♦T♦ and there is a straight on a K♣Q♦9♦ flop. In addition, you have a redraw for a straight flush (if K♦ comes) and for a diamond flush (if any diamond comes).
Re-entry – it is a possibility to register in the tournament once again after elimination. It is possible only in a previously established period. Often this period is determined by the time or the game levels. An example: re-entry is accessible during the first half an hour of the game or till the beginning of the fifth level.
Regular (reg) – it is a player who plays on a regular basis. Often the professional players are called the regs.
Re-raise (or 3-bet) – it is a raising after the raise. It is also called a 3-bet/3-betting.
Restealing – it is a 3-bet that is made with the aim of blind protection.
River – it is the last card on the board. After its dealing the last betting level begins.
RNG - random number generator. It is used by online poker rooms in order to shuffle the cards in the same way as offline (by keeping a principle of randomness).
ROI – it is the success rate of a tournament player. It is the correlation between invested money and profit. ROI is an abbreviation of Return On Investment.
Royal-flush – it is the strongest poker combination. It's basically the highest suited straight. An example: A♦K♦Q♦J♦T♦.
Runner-runner draw – it is a situation in the hand when the appropriate cards should come on the turn and on the river in order to make a combination. For example, you have А♥К♥, the flop is Т♥8♣2♣. In order to make a flush the two hearts should appear on the turn or on the river. Then you make a runner-runner flush. If you have 9-6 and the flop is 7-5-X, then 10 should come on the turn and 8 should appear on the river and then you will have a straight. In this case, you have the runner-runner straight.
Runner-up – it is a player who took second place in the tournament. He is also called a silver medalist of the event.
Rush poker – see "Zoom". The Rush was played on Full Tilt (closed now) and it is an analogue of Zoom by PokerStars.
S
Satellite – it is a selectively qualified tournament where the packages or tickets to a more expensive event are given as a prize.
Semi-Bluff – it is a bet or raise with the aim to knock the opponent out of the pot. But it can happen only in the situation where you will still have the chance of winning if the opponent doesn’t fold his cards.
Set – it is three cards of the same rank and two of them are the pocket ones. For example, you have the pocket sixes and the flop is 5-6-9. Meaning you hit the set of sixes.
Shark – it is a good and strong player.
Short stack – it is a small stack. Also, the player with the smallest chip quantity is called a short stack.
Short Stack – it is a stack where the chip number is the lowest in comparison with other players.
Short-handed game, SH – it is a short table with 5-6 players.
Showdown – it is the last stage in the hand when those players who remained in the game show their cards and determine the winning combination.
Side pot – it is a pot which only players with the chips can fight for. It is played when one short-stack player or several ones went all-in. For example, Player "1" bets $5, Players "2" and "3" call the bet, but Player "3" has only $3 that’s why he calls with his entire remained stack. As a result, Player "3" will fight only for the main pot $9 ($3 from each player), and a side pot ($4) will be taken by one of the two players who have the chips. Player "3" cannot claim it.
Sit and Go or SnG – it is a tournament that starts at the time when the necessary participants’ amount have registered in it.
Sizing, bet-sizing – it is the size of the bet. In the process of bet-sizing, you should consider the odds – the chances for winning and also the number of players participating in the hand.
Skill – it is a level of a player’s qualification.
Slow-play – it is a method where the main goal is to trap the opponent, it is done with a strong combination or the nuts.
Slowroll – it is a deliberately slow decision with a strong hand. It is considered an unethical thing in a poker community.
Small blind – it is a smaller bet of the two obligatory ones. It is a player’s position between the button and the big blind.
Small stack strategy (SSS) – it is a piece of advice on how to make a poker decision with a short stack.
Snap-call – it is a quick call with no doubts.
Split pot – it is a pot that is divided between the players who showed at the showdown the same equal in strength combinations. Also, the split is carried out in the case when the strongest combination was made at the table.
SPR (Stack-to-Pot-ratio) – it is an effective stack correlation to a pot or it is the risk-reward ratio.
Squeeze – it is a 3-bet on a preflop after the raise and call (one or more than one).
Stack – it means the chips or money that is available for the player at the table.
Stats – statistical data that is displayed in a special additional poker software (it is permitted by not all poker rooms) and they give additional information about the opponents.
Steal (Att to steal) – it is a blinds robbery. There is a tendency to think that if the player makes an open-raise from the cut-off or from the button, then he wants to steal the blinds.
Stop and go – it is a tactical method where the player plays on the preflop with a call and goes all-in on any flop.
Stop-loss – it is a psychological method and its essence is in the fact that a player stops playing after losing a certain amount of money or a part of a bankroll in order to avoid large losses. It is considered that a stop-loss is a very helpful method for the players during the tilt period.
Straddle – it is a not obligatory blind that is made according to a player’s personal desire and discretion by the player who is the next after the BB. The straddle amount is BBx2. The straddle is permitted by the offline cash games only in the cases if it was discussed beforehand and none of the players has objection to such action.
Straight – it is five sequential cards.
Straight-draw – it is an incomplete hand that, if you add the right card, forms a straight. For example, we have QJ, the flop is T92. If a king or 8 comes, we will hit a straight. We've explained what is a straight draw in poker in detail in a dedicated article.
Straight-flush – it is one of the strongest poker combinations. It represents a straight formed from suited cards. For example, Т♦9♦8♦7♦6♦.
Streak – it means a streak of good luck or a stroke of bad luck in the game.
String bet – it is a bet that the player doesn’t fully invest into the pot, but he gives only a part of his chips from the announced increase. I.e. the player bets chips several times with the intention of making one bet.
Stud – it is one of the poker format varieties.
Suited connectors – two cards of the identical suit in sequential order. Suited connectors are stronger than average as they have great potential for flushes and straights.
Super high rollers – this term refers to the players who play on very high limits.
Supernova Elite – it used to be the highest status in the PokerStars VIP system. And now all the statuses are eliminated.
T
Table-selecting – it is the selection of the most profitable tables in poker (i.e. when there is at least one fish). You can select the tables according to certain rules, such as playing with a minimum of two fish at the table or choosing games with as few expanded stacks as possible.
TAG (tight-aggressive) – it is a tight-aggressive playing style and according to it, the player plays a certain small hand range quite aggressively.
Team play – it is a play in a team where the players use an advantage by combining their efforts against the other opponents. Team play is prohibited by the poker rooms.
Tell – it is a feature of the player's behaviour (conscious or unconscious signal, such as gesture or look) that can provide the opponents with necessary information concerning his hand.
The deal – it is a mini-play with a growing jackpot at PokerStars. It was introduced in the client in 2016. The players spin a special drum for their bonus points in order to win the main cash prize or divide the other player’s wins who hit the jackpot on the same day.
The distance (the long run) – it is a large number of played hands, that gives an opportunity to make an objective assessment of the player’s strategy or his success.
The starting hand's chart – it is a table that determines the hands with which you can enter the game in dependence on a position.
Tight play – it is a game where the player plays only the strong hands without big aggression.
Tilt – it is a player’s psychological state when he makes thoughtless and wrong decisions because of emotions. To know more about what is tilt in poker, read our separate article.
Time-bank – it is an additional buffer time for the player’s decision-making.
To push – it means to go all-in.
Top pair – it is a pair that consists of one pocket card and the highest board card. For example, if you have 9-K and the flop is K-3-2, then you have a top pair of kings.
TPTK – it is a short form of "Top Pair with a Top Kicker".
Trips - it means three cards of the same rank, where two of the cards are on board and one is in the hand. For example, your starter is 9-6, and the board comes down 4-9-9, meaning you have trips of nines. See also "set".
Turn – it is the fourth card of the board in Omaha and Hold'em.
Two pair – a poker combination of the two pairs of cards.
U
Underdog – it is a player whose hand has a very small chance of winning.
Underpair – it is a pocket pair that is lower by rank than all the other cards on the flop. Example: you have the pocket eights. The flop is 10 Q A. In this case, you have an underpair.
Upswing or upstreak – it is a period when the players usually win a lot of hands.
UTG (Under the gun) – it is a player position to the left of the BB. It is the most unprofitable position at the table because the player has to be the first to make a decision.
V
Value (EV) – it is an expected profit during the hand playing.
Value bet, raise for value – these phrases represent a bet that can be called by the player with a weaker hand.
VOD (Video on Demand) – it is a training poker video.
VPIP – it is the statistical indicator (as the PFR). It is one of the important criteria according to evaluation of the opponents’ playing style. It shows the frequency of the player’s participation in the hands and it is measured in percentages (%). VPIP abbreviation stands for Voluntarily Put Money In the Pot.
W
W$SD (Won $ at Showdown) – it is a rate that is similar to WTSD but it shows the percentage of the winning showdowns. I.e. it is a percentage of the winning pots and the pots that were divided between the other players during the game till the showdown.
Wet board – it is a board with different draw combinations (straight-draw, flush-draw). An example: 6♦5♦2♣ or K♣Q♦8♥.
Wheel - it is the lowest straight (from an ace to 5).
Winrate – it is a player’s success rate in cash games that is determined by the amount of money which player gets on average per 100 hands.
WSOP – it is the most popular offline poker series. It is a World Series of Poker. It is carried out in Las Vegas annually. All the WSOP champions get a prestigious award – the gold bracelets of the series.
WTSD (Went to Showdown) – it is a statistical indicator that shows the percentage of the player’s hands with which he goes to the showdown including the all-in.
WWSF (Won When Saw Flop) – it is a rate of the pot winnings without a showdown.
Z
Zoom – it is a cash-poker variety on PokerStars. Its peculiarity is a quick transfer to another table in the case of fold or after the hand finishing where you participate. In this game, the players at the table are changed in every hand.
Our poker dictionary is regularly updated and enriched with new concepts. You can save this page either as a bookmark or in text format to quickly check the meaning of a specific word at any time.
Check out our Poker School for beginners as well. In this section, you will discover all the fundamental information to help you beat micro-stakes and lay a strong foundation for future growth.
![FAQ]()
FAQ
FAQ
The industry’s lexicon is quite extensive, and most definitions used both online and offline are compiled on this page. You undoubtedly need to learn basic terms first (such as all-in, blinds, 3-bet, and so on).
There’s no need to memorise the entire glossary before you start playing. Focus on learning poker basics first and gradually absorb the rest as you play and gain experience.
The poker "language" has been shaped over the years, evolving in tandem with the game and its variations.
