Poker glossary

56 poker terms in plain language. Each one has a definition, an example with numbers where it helps, and a link to the calculator that goes with it.

The maths

Equity: Equity is your share of the pot if the hand were played to showdown with no more betting.
Pot odds: Pot odds compare the size of the pot with the amount you have to call, and tell you how often you need to win.
Implied odds: Implied odds count the money you expect to win on later streets when your draw comes in.
Reverse implied odds: Reverse implied odds are the money you stand to lose on later streets when you make your hand and it is still second best.
Outs: Outs are the cards left in the deck that would make your hand the best one.
Rule of 2 and 4: The rule of 2 and 4 estimates your chance of hitting a draw: outs times 2 for one card, outs times 4 for two.
Expected value (EV): Expected value is what an action wins or loses on average if the same spot were played many times.
Fold equity: Fold equity is the value you gain from the chance that your opponent folds to your bet.
Break-even point: The break-even point of a bluff is how often your opponent has to fold for the bet to neither win nor lose.
Minimum defence frequency (MDF): Minimum defence frequency is the share of your range you must continue with to stop a bet from profiting with any two cards.
Stack-to-pot ratio (SPR): The stack-to-pot ratio is the effective stack divided by the pot, and shows how much betting is left.
Range: A range is the full set of hands a player can hold in a given spot.
Combos: Combos are the different ways a hand can be dealt, counted to compare how likely holdings are.
Blockers: A blocker is a card in your hand that makes it less likely your opponent holds certain hands.
Equity realisation: Equity realisation is how much of your raw equity you actually collect once the rest of the hand is played.

Betting

Value bet: A value bet is a bet made to be called by worse hands.
Thin value: A thin value bet is a bet with a hand that is only slightly ahead of the hands that call.
Bluff: A bluff is a bet made to make better hands fold.
Semi-bluff: A semi-bluff is a bet with a hand that is probably behind now but can improve to the best hand.
Continuation bet (c-bet): A continuation bet is a bet on the flop by the player who raised before the flop.
Barrel: To barrel is to keep betting on a later street after betting the previous one.
Check-raise: A check-raise is checking and then raising after an opponent bets on the same street.
Donk bet: A donk bet is a bet made out of position into the player who was the aggressor on the previous street.
Open raise: An open raise is the first raise before the flop, made when everyone before you has folded.
Limp: To limp is to enter the pot before the flop by calling the big blind instead of raising.
3-bet: A 3-bet is a re-raise before the flop: the blinds are the first bet, the open raise the second and the re-raise the third.
4-bet: A 4-bet is a raise over a 3-bet before the flop: the fourth bet, counting the blinds as the first.
Overbet: An overbet is a bet larger than the pot, used when your range holds the strongest hands and your opponent’s does not.
Pot control: Pot control is keeping the pot small with a hand that is good but not strong enough to play for stacks.
Protection: A protection bet is a bet with a vulnerable made hand, made so that draws and overcards pay or fold.
Bluff catcher: A bluff catcher is a hand that beats only bluffs and loses to every hand your opponent would bet for value.
Slow play: To slow play is to check or call with a very strong hand in order to win more on later streets.

Hands and boards

Top pair: Top pair is a pair made with one of your cards and the highest card on the board.
Overpair: An overpair is a pocket pair higher than every card on the board.
Set: A set is three of a kind made with a pocket pair and one card on the board.
Kicker: The kicker is the side card that decides the winner when two players have the same pair.
The nuts: The nuts is the best possible hand on a given board.
Air: Air is a hand with no pair and no draw: it can only win by making the opponent fold.
Flush draw: A flush draw is four cards of one suit, needing one more to make a flush.
Open-ended straight draw: An open-ended straight draw is four cards in a row that can be completed at either end.
Gutshot: A gutshot is a straight draw that needs one specific rank in the middle.
Dry board: A dry board is a board with few possible draws, such as king, seven, two of three suits.
Wet board: A wet board is a board with many possible draws, such as ten, nine, eight with two of a suit.

Position

Position: Position is where you sit relative to the button, which decides when you act on each street.
In position (IP): You are in position when you act after your opponent on every street after the flop.
Out of position (OOP): You are out of position when you must act before your opponent on every street after the flop.
Button (BTN): The button is the dealer position, which acts last on every street after the flop.
Cutoff (CO): The cutoff is the seat directly to the right of the button.
Under the gun (UTG): Under the gun is the first seat to act before the flop, directly to the left of the big blind.
Big blind (BB): The big blind is the larger of the two forced bets, and the unit that stacks and bets are measured in.

Tournaments

Effective stack: The effective stack is the smaller of the two stacks in a hand: the most either player can win or lose.
Push or fold: Push or fold is the short-stack strategy of either moving all-in before the flop or folding.
ICM: ICM, the Independent Chip Model, converts tournament chip stacks into their expected share of the prize pool.
Ante: An ante is a forced bet paid before the cards are dealt, in addition to the blinds.

Players

Calling station: A calling station is a player who calls too often and rarely folds or raises.
Maniac: A maniac is a player who bets and raises with far too many hands.