Poker Terminology and Slang You Need To Know

Poker is full of unique poker terms, terminology, and slang that every player should know. In this blog post, we break down essential poker lingo, from common phrases to advanced concepts, ensuring you're always one step ahead.

A

Ace High – A hand where the highest card is an Ace without forming a pair.

Action – Any betting move: bet, raise, call, check, or fold.

Aces Up – A two-pair hand where one pair is Aces.

Add-On – Buying extra chips in a tournament for a set fee.

A-Game – Playing poker at peak mental and strategic performance.

Aggression Factor – A ratio of aggressive plays (bet/raise) to passive ones (call).

Alias – A player’s online poker username.

All-in – Betting all available chips in one move.

Angle – A questionable tactic exploiting rule loopholes.

Ante – A mandatory pre-hand bet by all players.

Any Two – A term for making a move regardless of hole cards.

Any Two Cards – Used to indicate hole cards are irrelevant to a decision.

B

Backdoor – A draw requiring two perfect cards to complete a strong hand.

Backing – Financially supporting a poker player in exchange for a share of their winnings.

Backraise – A re-raise made after initially calling in the same round.

Bad Beat – Losing a hand despite being statistically favored.

Bad Beat Jackpot – A bonus paid when a strong hand loses unexpectedly.

Bankroll – The total funds a player allocates for poker.

Barrel – Betting on multiple streets after initiating aggression.

bb (Big Blind) – A poker term used to measure stack and bet sizes.

Belly Buster – Another term for a gutshot straight draw.

Bet – Placing chips in the pot as the first wager in a round.

Big Bet – The larger fixed bet amount in limit poker games.

Big Blind – The mandatory blind bet posted by the player left of the small blind.

Blank – A community card that does not impact the current hand strength.

Blind – A forced bet posted before cards are dealt.

Blocker – A card that reduces an opponent’s chances of having certain hands.

Blocker Bet – A small bet to discourage a larger bet from an opponent.

Blue Chips – High-value poker chips, often worth $10 or more.

Bluff – Betting with a weak hand to make opponents fold stronger hands.

Bluffcatch – Calling with a hand that only wins if the opponent is bluffing.

Board – The shared community cards in Hold’em and Omaha.

Boat – A slang term for a full house.

Bomb Pot – A hand where all players contribute an ante before the deal.

Bot – An automated program that plays poker, often against the rules.

Bottom Pair – A pair made using the lowest card on the board.

Bounty – A prize awarded for eliminating a specific player in a tournament.

Bring-in – A forced bet made by the lowest-ranked upcard in Stud.

Brick – A card that does not complete any draws or improve hand strength.

Brick and Mortar – A physical poker establishment, as opposed to online poker.

Broadway – High-value cards: Ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace.

BRM (Bankroll Management) – Strategies for managing poker funds effectively.

Bubble – The stage before prize payouts begin in a tournament.

Bum Hunter – A player who only competes against weak opponents.

Burn – Discarding the top card before dealing community cards to prevent cheating.

Busted – Failing to complete a draw or being eliminated from a tournament.

Button – The dealer position, giving the last action postflop.

Buy-in – The required amount to enter a cash game or tournament.

C

Call – Matching the current bet to stay in the hand.

Calling Station – A player who calls excessively, often with weak hands.

Calling Your Bluff – Correctly calling an opponent suspected of bluffing.

Cap – A betting limit on postflop wagers.

Card Dead – A streak of weak hands forcing frequent folds.

Card Removal – The impact of holding certain cards on an opponent’s possible hands.

Case – The last remaining card of a specific rank in the deck.

Case Card – The final available card of a particular rank.

Cash Games – Poker games where chips directly represent money, and players can join or leave anytime.

C-Game – Playing poker with a poor mental state.

Chance – The probability of an event happening in poker.

Chase – Calling bets while hoping to complete a draw or recover losses.

Check – Passing the action without betting when no wager has been made.

Check in the Dark – Checking before seeing the next community card.

Check-Raise – Checking first, then raising if an opponent bets.

Chinese Poker – A variant where cards are arranged into three rows and compared.

Chip and a Chair – The belief that a player with even one chip can still win a tournament.

Chip Dumping – Illegally transferring chips between players.

Coinflip – A near 50/50 all-in situation.

Cold-Call – Calling a bet without previously investing in the pot.

Cold Deck – Running into an unavoidable bad streak of hands.

Collusion – Cheating by secretly working with another player.

Colour Up – Exchanging small-denomination chips for larger ones.

Combination – A specific mix of cards making up a hand.

Combo Draw – A hand with multiple draw possibilities, like a straight and flush draw.

Community Cards – Shared cards available to all players in Hold’em and Omaha.

Complete – Calling in the small blind or raising a bring-in bet in Stud.

Connector – A hand containing consecutive-ranked cards.

Continuation Bet – Betting after raising on the previous street.

Cooler – Losing a hand that was too strong to fold.

Counterfeit – A strong hand losing value due to community cards.

Cowboys – A nickname for pocket Kings.

Crack – Defeating a premium hand.

Cripple – Holding such a strong hand that an opponent has little chance of winning.

Crossbook – A private side bet on tournament results between players.

Cutoff (CO) – The seat to the right of the button, often used for stealing blinds.

D

Dark Bet – Betting before the next community card is revealed.

Dealer – The person who distributes cards; can be a casino staff member or a player in a home game. Also refers to the button position.

Dealer’s Choice – A game where the dealer selects the poker variant for the hand.

Dead Man’s Hand – A two-pair hand with Aces and Eights, often linked to Wild Bill Hickok.

Dead Money – Extra chips in the pot from inactive or eliminated players.

Deuce – A common term for a two-ranked card.

Depolarized – A range including strong and medium hands but few bluffs.

Dirty Stack – A poorly arranged stack of chips that mixes denominations, often considered bad etiquette.

Dog – Short for “underdog,” meaning a hand or player with lower odds of winning.

Domination – A situation where a weaker hand is significantly outmatched by a stronger one.

Donk – Making an out-of-position bet after calling on the previous round, or a slang term for a weak player.

Door Card – In Stud, the first visible card dealt to a player.

Double Up – Doubling one’s chip count after winning an all-in.

Downcard – A face-down card in Stud that only the player can see.

Downswing – A prolonged period of bad results in poker.

Draw – A hand needing additional cards to improve, like a flush or straight draw.

Drawing Dead – A scenario where no possible card can result in a winning hand.

Dry – A board with few or no strong draw possibilities.

Ducks – A nickname for pocket Twos in Texas Hold’em.

E

Early Position – The first few seats to act in a full-ring game, or the lojack in a 6-max game.

Effective Stacks – The smaller of two stacks in play, dictating the maximum amount either player can wager.

Equity – The probability of a hand winning at showdown if it reaches that stage.

Equity Calculator – A tool for computing the win percentage of hands or ranges against opponents.

Expectation – Another term for expected value, predicting long-term profitability of a play.

Expected Value (EV) – A statistical estimate of how profitable a decision is over time.

F

Face Card – A King, Queen, or Jack, each featuring a face illustration.

Family Pot – A pot where multiple players see the flop instead of folding preflop.

Fastplay – Aggressive betting and raising with a strong hand.

Favourite – A hand or player with the highest statistical chance of winning.

Fifth Street – The third betting round in Stud, where players receive their fifth card.

Fish – A weak player who frequently makes costly mistakes.

Fish Hooks – A slang term for pocket Jacks.

Five-Bet – The fifth raise in a betting sequence.

Flat – Another term for calling a bet.

Float – Calling a bet to bluff on a later street.

Flop – The first three community cards revealed in Hold’em or Omaha.

Flush – A hand with five cards of the same suit.

Fold – To forfeit a hand instead of matching a bet.

Four-Bet – The fourth bet in a sequence of raises.

Fourth Street – The second betting round in Stud, where players receive their fourth card.

Free Card – Seeing a card without having to call a bet.

Freeroll – A tournament with no entry fee or a situation where a hand can only tie or win.

Full Boat – Another name for a full house.

Full House – A hand consisting of three of a kind and a pair.

G

Gap – A missing rank between two consecutive cards.

Grinding – Playing long hours with a focus on consistent, steady profits.

Gutshot – A straight draw needing a specific middle card to complete.

Gutshot Straight Draw – A straight draw missing an inside card, also called an inside straight draw.

H

Hanger – A visible bottom card when dealing, often linked to cheating.

Hand for Hand – A tournament phase where all tables must complete a hand before moving forward.

Hand Rankings – The hierarchy of poker hands determining which combinations beat others.

Heads Up – A poker situation with only two remaining players.

Hero Call – Calling a bet with a marginal hand, suspecting the opponent is bluffing.

Hero Fold – Folding a strong hand based on a strong read that an opponent has a better one.

High Hand – A hand ranked by its highest card when no pairs or better are present.

High Roller – A gambler who plays at the highest stakes.

Hijack – The seat two places to the right of the dealer button, often used for aggressive plays.

Last Longer – A bet between players on who will survive longer in a tournament.

Hit – Improving a hand by getting a needed card.

Hit and Run – Winning a large pot quickly and leaving the game immediately after.

Hold’em – A popular poker variant where players use two hole cards and five community cards.

Hole Cards – Private, face-down cards dealt to each player.

House – The entity hosting the poker game, either a casino or an online platform.

Hyper Turbo – A tournament format with extremely fast blinds and short starting stacks.

I

ICM (Independent Chip Model) – A method for assigning real money value to tournament chips based on payout structure.

Implied Odds – A calculation that considers potential future winnings when deciding whether to call a bet.

Inside Straight Draw – Also called a “gutshot,” a straight draw needing a specific middle card to complete.

Insurance – A side bet ensuring compensation if a strong hand ends up losing.

ITM (In the Money) – A term for players who have secured a cash payout in a tournament.

J

Jackpot – A bonus payout awarded in some poker rooms when a rare hand, like a bad beat, occurs.

Jam – Slang for going all-in with all available chips.

Joker – A special card, often featuring a jester, sometimes used as a wild card in certain poker variants.

K

Kicker – A side card used to break ties when players have the same hand strength, determining the winner.

L

LAG (Loose Aggressive) – A playstyle characterized by frequent betting and raising with a wide range of hands.

Last Longer – A side bet in tournaments where the winner is the player who survives the longest.

Laydown – Folding a hand, often after careful consideration.

Levelling – The process of outthinking an opponent by analyzing their thought process at different strategic depths.

Leverage – Using chip stack size to pressure opponents into making mistakes.

Limit – A poker format where bets and raises follow predetermined increments.

Limit Poker – A game structure that restricts bet sizes to fixed increments.

Limp – Entering a pot by calling instead of raising when first to act.

Lowball – A poker variant where the lowest-ranked hand wins.

Low Hand – The best possible hand in lowball poker, ranked using specific variant rules.

M

Maniac – A reckless, hyper-aggressive player who frequently bets and raises with weak hands.

Mark – A weak player targeted by experienced opponents for profit.

Mechanic – A card handler skilled in sleight of hand, often associated with cheating.

Mental Game – The psychological aspect of poker, focusing on emotional control and decision-making.

Middle Position – A seat in a full-ring game between early and late positions, affecting strategy.

Mid Stakes – Games with buy-ins between low and high stakes, appealing to skilled regulars.

Misclick – An unintended action in online poker, such as betting or folding by mistake.

Monotone – A board texture where all community cards share the same suit.

Monster – A premium hand with significant strength.

Muck – Discarding a hand without revealing it at showdown.

Must Move – A secondary table feeding players into the main game when seats open up.

N

Nash Equilibrium – A game theory state where no player can improve their results by changing strategy alone.

Nit – A highly conservative player who only plays strong starting hands, avoiding risk.

Nosebleed – Refers to extremely high-stakes poker games, usually 5knl and above.

No-Limit – A betting format where players can wager any amount of their stack at any time.

Nut-low – The strongest possible low hand in lowball or split pot games.

Nut Flush Draw – A draw to the highest possible flush, typically Ace-high.

Nut Flush – The best possible flush, often Ace-high.

Nuts – The absolute strongest hand in a given situation, unbeatable except by a split pot.

O

Offsuit – A starting hand where the cards have different suits, making it weaker than a suited hand.

Omaha – A poker variant where players receive four hole cards and must use exactly two with the community cards to form a hand.

One-Gap – A starting hand with a single rank missing between the two cards, like 7-9 suited.

Open-ended Straight Draw – A straight draw needing one of two possible cards to complete the sequence, like holding 5-6-7-8 and needing a 4 or 9.

Open-raise – The first raise made in a betting round.

OOP (Out of Position) – Acting before an opponent in postflop play, often a disadvantage.

OMC (Old Man Coffee) – A term for an older, typically tight-passive poker player.

Out – A card that improves a hand to a probable winner.

Overbet – A bet exceeding the current pot size, often used for pressure or value.

Overcall – Calling after one or more players have already called a bet.

Overcard – A card higher than any on the board or in a player's pair.

Overlay – Extra money added by a poker room to cover a guaranteed prize pool shortfall.

Overlimp – Calling after another player has limped into the pot.

Overpair – A pocket pair stronger than the highest board card.

P

Pair – A hand consisting of two cards of the same rank.

Play the Board – Using only community cards to form a hand or making decisions based purely on board texture.

Paint – A term for high-ranking cards: Jack, Queen, King, and Ace.

Pocket Rockets – A nickname for pocket Aces, the strongest starting hand in Hold’em.

Pocket Pair – A starting hand where both hole cards form a pair.

Position – Refers to both a player’s seat at the table and whether they act before or after opponents.

Post – Placing mandatory bets like blinds or antes before a hand begins.

Postflop – Any action occurring after the community cards begin to be revealed.

Pot – The total chips wagered in a hand, awarded to the winner.

Pot Committed – A situation where folding is no longer viable due to prior investment in the pot.

Pot Odds – The ratio of the current pot size to the cost of a call, often used in decision-making.

Pot Limit – A betting rule where the maximum bet is equal to the size of the pot.

Preflop – The first round of betting before community cards are revealed.

PRF (Preflop Raiser) – A stat measuring how often a player raises before the flop.

Price – The amount required to call a bet, often linked to pot odds.

Probe – A small bet used to test an opponent's response after they show weakness.

Prop Player – A casino-paid poker player who plays with their own money to keep games running.

Protection – A bet or raise made to force out opponents and reduce their drawing chances.

Polarised – A betting range consisting of strong hands and bluffs, with few medium-strength hands.

Q

Quads – A widely used term for four of a kind, one of the strongest hands in poker.

Qualify – In split-pot games, a low hand must meet specific criteria, typically consisting of five cards ranked eight or lower, to be considered valid.

R

Rabbit Hunt – Looking at the remaining community cards after folding to see if a hand would have improved. This does not affect the game outcome.

Ragged – A term describing an uncoordinated board with little connectivity between cards.

Rap – Another word for "tap," often referring to the action of tapping the table as a check signal in live poker.

Rainbow – A board texture where each card is a different suit, minimizing the likelihood of flush draws.

Raise – Increasing the bet amount in a round after a previous bet has been made. See “Action” in the glossary for all betting options.

Rake – A small percentage of the pot taken by the house as a fee for hosting the game.

Rakeback – A system where players receive a portion of the rake they’ve contributed, often as part of a rewards program.

Range – A set of possible hands a player could have based on their actions. Understanding range is key to hand reading.

Range Advantage – A situation where one player’s potential hand selection is stronger than their opponent’s, influencing strategy.

Rank – The numerical value of a card, such as King, Ten, or Three.

Ratholing – Leaving a cash game with winnings and then re-entering with a smaller amount. Generally viewed as poor etiquette.

Razz – A variant of Seven Card Stud where the goal is to make the lowest possible hand.

Read – Gaining insight into an opponent’s likely holdings based on their behavior and betting patterns.

Rebuy – Buying more chips after losing part or all of a stack. Common in cash games and specific tournament formats.

Redraw – A situation where a hand improves but still has the potential to become even stronger on future streets.

Regular – A player who consistently plays in the same games, often skilled and experienced.

Represent – Acting in a way that suggests holding a specific type of hand, whether true or as part of a bluff.

Reverse Implied Odds – Considering future losses when making a drawing hand, adjusting pot odds calculations.

Re-raise – Raising after another player has already raised in the same betting round.

Ring Game – Another term for a cash game, where chips represent real money, and players can join or leave freely.

River – The final community card dealt in Hold’em, Omaha, and Stud, followed by the last betting round.

River Rat – A player who frequently benefits from lucky river cards, often outdrawing stronger hands.

Rock – A highly conservative player who only enters pots with premium hands.

Rolled Up – A Stud poker term for starting with three-of-a-kind on third street.

Royal Flush – The strongest possible hand in poker, consisting of A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit.

Run – A sequence of dealt cards over multiple hands, often referenced as “running hot” (winning streak) or “running cold” (losing streak).

Rundown – In Omaha, a connected four-card starting hand like 10-9-8-7, useful for making straights.

Run it Twice – A method of reducing variance by dealing the remaining board cards twice when all-in, splitting the pot between the winners of each run.

Runner Runner – Completing a strong hand by hitting back-to-back necessary cards on the turn and river.

S

Sandbagging – Playing a strong hand passively by checking or calling instead of betting aggressively, aiming to deceive opponents.

Satellite – A smaller tournament where the prize is an entry into a larger, more prestigious event.

Scare Card – A card that changes the board in a way that may intimidate opponents, often leading to more folds.

Semi-Bluff – Betting or raising with a drawing hand that could improve if called, such as a straight or flush draw.

Set – Three of a kind specifically formed with a pocket pair and a matching board card.

Set over Set – A situation where two players hit a set simultaneously, with the higher set usually winning a large pot.

Sequence – A term referring to consecutive card rankings, as seen in straights.

Short-Handed – A game with a reduced number of players, typically six or fewer.

Short Stack – A player with a smaller chip count, often below 50 big blinds.

Shove – Slang for moving all-in with your entire chip stack.

Showdown – The final phase of a hand where players reveal their cards to determine the winner.

Show Hand – Exposing hole cards after a hand ends, either voluntarily or at showdown.

Sick – Used to express amazement or disbelief, depending on context—either for an incredible play or an unlucky event.

Side Pot – A secondary pot created when a player goes all-in, allowing others with more chips to continue betting separately.

Sit and Go – A tournament format that starts once the required number of players has registered.

Sizing – The amount chosen for a bet or raise, crucial in strategic decision-making.

Slowplay – Trapping opponents by underplaying a strong hand to induce bets.

Slowroll – Deliberately delaying a call with an unbeatable hand, considered poor etiquette.

Soft Play – Intentionally avoiding aggressive actions against a friend or favored opponent.

Solver – A software tool that calculates optimal poker strategies based on game theory.

Small Bet – In fixed-limit games, the lower of the two set bet sizes.

Small Blind (SB) – The position to the dealer’s right and the mandatory small bet required before a hand begins.

Snap Call – An instant call made without hesitation, often indicating confidence in the decision.

Splash the Pot – Tossing chips into the pot in a disorderly way rather than stacking them neatly.

Split – A poker format where a pot can be divided between different winning hands, such as in high/low variants.

Split Pot – When multiple players tie or a game’s rules allow for dividing the pot.

Spread Limit – A betting structure with a predefined range for wagers, offering more flexibility than fixed-limit but less than no-limit.

Squeeze – A re-raise against multiple players after an initial raise and call, typically used as a strategic bluff.

SRP (Single Raised Pot) – A pot where only one raise occurred on the first betting round.

Stab – A small bet made in response to an opponent showing weakness, often to steal the pot.

Stack to Pot Ratio (SPR) – The ratio between a player’s remaining stack and the size of the pot, influencing betting decisions.

Staking – Backing a player financially in exchange for a share of their winnings.

Stand Pat – Declining to exchange cards in draw poker, signaling confidence in the current hand.

Steam – Playing recklessly due to frustration or tilt after a series of losses.

Stealing – Raising preflop in an attempt to win the blinds without a contest.

Steel Wheel – An ace-to-five straight flush, particularly valuable in high/low games.

Stop and Go – A move where a player calls preflop with the intention of betting aggressively on the next street.

Straddle – A voluntary blind bet made before cards are dealt, increasing the stakes.

Straight – A five-card hand with consecutive ranks.

Straight Flush – A five-card sequence of the same suit, ranking just below a royal flush.

Street Poker – An informal game where players adopt an unpredictable and often reckless style.

String Bet – A prohibited action where a player places chips in multiple motions without verbally declaring a raise.

Structure – The predefined rules of a poker game, including betting limits, blinds, and payout formats.

Stud – A poker variant where players receive a mix of face-up and face-down cards without community cards.

Suck Out – Winning a hand after catching a low-probability card on the later streets.

Suited – A starting hand where two or more cards share the same suit, often increasing their value.

T

Table Stakes – A rule that ensures players can only bet with the chips they have in front of them at the start of a hand, preventing additional buy-ins mid-hand.

TAG (Tight Aggressive) – A playing style where a player selectively enters pots with strong hands but plays them aggressively.

Tank – The act of taking an extended period to think before making a decision at the poker table.

Tell – A subtle, often involuntary, clue that gives away information about a player's hand.

Texture – The overall composition of the board in community card games, affecting how likely certain hands are.

Three-Bet – The third raise in a betting sequence, often indicating strength.

Three of a Kind – A hand containing three cards of the same rank and two additional unpaired cards.

Three Pair – A term mainly used in Omaha to describe having three pairs, though only two count toward a final hand.

Tie – A situation where two or more players have identical hands, resulting in a split pot.

Tilt – Playing emotionally rather than rationally due to frustration, leading to poor decisions.

Time Bank – Extra time allocated to online players to make a decision when they need more than the standard time limit.

Tournament – A structured poker event where players compete until one remains, with payouts based on finishing position.

Tracking Software – A tool used by online players to analyze hands, track performance, and study opponents.

Trap – A strategy where a strong hand is played passively to lure opponents into betting aggressively.

Trey – A commonly used term for a three in poker.

Trips – Three of a kind formed when the board pairs one of the player's hole cards, as opposed to holding a pocket pair.

Turn – The fourth community card dealt in Hold’em and Omaha, followed by the third betting round.

Two-Bet – The second raise in a betting sequence, typically a standard preflop raise in Hold’em.

Two Pair – A hand containing two distinct pairs and a kicker to break ties if necessary.

Two-Tone – A board containing two suits, affecting the likelihood of flush draws and potential made hands.

U

Under the Gun (UTG) – Refers to the first player to act in the initial betting round, sitting immediately to the left of the big blind.

Underbet – A wager that is less than half the current pot size, often used for strategic value or deception.

Underdog – Often shortened to “dog,” it describes a player or hand with a lower probability of winning.

Upcard – A card dealt face-up in Stud games, visible to all players at the table.

Upswing – A phase of consistent wins, often exceeding expected long-term results.

Up the Ante – A phrase meaning to raise the stakes, often used to describe increasing antes in tournament play.

V

Value Bet – A wager made with a strong hand aiming to extract chips from weaker hands.

Variance – The natural fluctuations in a player’s results over time, often leading to unexpected winning and losing streaks.

Variant – A specific version of poker with distinct rules, such as Hold’em, Omaha, or Stud.

Villain – A commonly used term for an opponent in a poker hand.

VPIP – Short for "voluntarily put in pot," this stat measures how often a player contributes chips preflop, reflecting their playing style.

Vulnerable – Describes a hand that can easily be overtaken by stronger draws or community cards.

W

Whale – A weak player who frequently loses large sums, often found at higher-stakes games.

Wet – A board that is heavily connected, offering multiple draw possibilities for strong hands.

Wheel – A five-card straight from Ace to Five, particularly valuable in split-pot games like Omaha Hi-Lo.

Wired – In Stud, describes a concealed pocket pair formed with two downcards.

Wrap – A powerful straight draw in Omaha, often providing significantly more outs than in Hold’em.

Wrap Around Straight – A straight where an Ace is positioned between the highest and lowest card, though not recognized in most poker formats.

WSOP – Short for the World Series of Poker, one of the most renowned annual poker tournaments held in Las Vegas.

WTSD – “Went to Showdown,” a statistic showing how often a player sees the final reveal after the flop.

WWSF – “Won When Saw Flop,” a metric indicating the percentage of hands a player wins after seeing the flop.