Glossary of Poker Terminology
- Aggressive Player
A player who is characterized by frequently
betting and raising.
- Aggressive Check
To min bet or bet very little into a very large pot, instead of just checking.
This is done for several of the followings reasons:
to show weakness or lack of knowledge of NL betting,
to confound others, and/or
in late position to give your opponent a chance to check-raise.
- All-in
To have one's entire stake committed to the current
pot. Action continues toward a side pot, with the all-in player
being eligible to win only the main pot.
- All-in Equity
The expected income if the current hand was
permitted to go to the showdown with no further betting.
- Ante
A mandatory fee placed into the pot from each player
at the start of a game (in some types of Poker).
- Bet
To make the first wager of a betting round (compare
raise).
- Big Bet (bb)
The largest bet size in limit poker. $20 in
$10-$20 Hold'em.
- Big Blind (BB)
A forced bet made before the deal of the
cards. $10 in $10-$20 Hold'em, posted by the second player to the
left of the button.
- Blind
A forced bet made before the deal of the cards
(see small blind
and big blind).
- Bluff
To bet with the expectation of losing if called.
- Board
The community cards shared by all players.
- Button
The last player to act in each betting round in
Texas Hold'em.
- Call
To match the current level of betting. If the
current level of betting is zero, the term check is preferred.
- Check
To decline to make the first wager of a betting
round (compare call).
- Check-Raise
To check on the first action and then
raise in the same betting round after someone else has bet.
- Community Cards
The public cards shared by all players.
- Connectors
Two cards differing by one in rank, such as 7-6.
More likely to make a straight than other combinations.
- Draw
A hand with good potential to make a strong hand, such
as a straight draw or a flush draw (compare made hand).
- Dry
Lacking possible draws or betting action, as in a
dry board or a dry game.
- Flop
The first three community cards dealt in Hold'em,
followed by the second betting round (compare board).
- Fold
To discard a hand instead of matching the outstanding
bet, thereby losing any chance of winning the pot.
- Free-Card Raise
To raise on the flop intending
to check on the turn.
- Hand
(a) A players private cards (two hole cards in
Hold'em). (b) One complete game, from the dealing of the cards to the
showdown (or until one player wins uncontested).
- Hole Card
A private card in Hold'em.
- Implied Odds
The pot odds based on the probable
future size of the pot instead of the current size of the pot.
- Income rate
The expected amount a hand will win.
- Independent Chip Model (ICM)
The EV of the current number of chips
you have in a tournament. It is calculated as:
(the probability of getting first) * (prize for first) +
(probability of getting second) * (prize for second) +
... for all prizes ...
For more detailed information: http://www.bol.ucla.edu/~sharnett/ICM/info.html.
- Jam
To raise all-in, putting all your chips in the pot.
- Kicker
A side card, often deciding the winner when two
hands are otherwise tied (eg. a player holding Q-J when the
board is Q-7-4 has top pair with a Jack kicker).
- Loose Game
A game having several loose players.
- Loose Player
A player who does not fold often (eg.
one who plays most hands at least to the flop in Hold'em).
- Made hand
A hand with a good chance of currently being the
best, such as top pair on the flop in Hold'em (compare draw).
- Mixed strategy
Handling a particular situation in more than
one way, such as to sometimes call, and sometimes raise.
- Near-optimal
A good approximation of a game-theoretic
optimal solution.
- Off suit
Two cards of different suits (compare suited).
- Open-Ended Draw
A draw to a straight with eight cards
to make the straight, such as 6-5 with a board of Q-7-4 in Hold'em.
- Outs
Cards that will improve a hand to a probable winner
(compare draw).
- Passive Player
A player who is characterized by frequently
checking and calling his hand rather than betting or raising.
- Pocket Pair
Two cards of the same rank, such as 6-6. More
likely to make three of a kind than other combinations (see set).
- Pot Odds
The ratio of the size of the pot to the size of the
outstanding bet, used to determine if a draw will have a positive
expected value.
- Pre-flop
In Hold'em, the first betting round after the deal
of the cards and before the flop.
- Raise
To increase the current level of betting. If the
current level of betting is zero, the term bet is preferred.
- River
The fifth community card dealt in Hold'em,
followed by the fourth (and final) betting round.
- Second pair
Matching the second highest community card
in Hold'em, such as having 7-6 with a board of Q-7-4.
- Set
Three of a kind, formed with a pocket pair and
one card of matching rank on the Board. A powerful well-disguised
hand (compare trips).
- Showdown
The revealing of cards at the end of a hand
to determine the winner and award the pot.
- Side-pot
A second pot for the bets made by active players
after another player is all-in.
- Slow-play
To call with a strong hand, and then raise
in a later betting round, for purposes of deception.
- Small Bet (sb)
The smallest bet size in limit poker. $10 in
$10-$20 Hold'em.
- Small Blind (SB)
A forced bet made before the deal of the
cards. $5 in $10-$20 Hold'em, posted by the first player to the left
of the button.
- Stakes
The size of the bets for ring games or
the buy-in amount for tournaments.
- In a limit ring game the stakes are in small bets / big bets.
For example $2 / $4: the blinds are typically a $1 small blind / a $2 big blind and the
bet sizes are a $2 small bet / a $4 big bet.
- In a no limit right game the stakes are in small blind / big blind.
For example $2 / $4 NL the blinds are $2 small blind / $4 big blind and the bet is always
equal or greater than the big blind.
- For tournament the buy-in is the amount that goes to the prize pool + the rake.
For each the stakes of $5 + $1, $5 will go toward the total prize and the house will take $1.
- Suited
Two cards of the same suit, such as both Hearts.
More likely to make a flush than other combinations (compare off suit).
- Suited-Connector
A hand that is both Suited and a
Connector (i.e. Qh-Jh).
- Table Image
The general perception other players have of
one's play.
- Table Stakes
A poker rule allowing a player who cannot match
the outstanding bet to go all-in with his remaining money, and
proceed to the showdown (also see side pot).
- Taking a Bath
A term for when a player becomes over-committed
to a hand like Ace-King or a small pocket pair and can't fold, despite missing
the flop.
- Texture of the Board
Classification of the type of board,
such as having lots of high cards, or not having many draws (see dry).
- Tight Player
A player who usually folds unless the situation
is clearly profitable (eg. one who folds most hands before the
flop in Hold'em).
- Top pair
Matching the highest community card in Hold'em,
such as having Q-J with a board of Q-7-4.
- Trips
Three of a kind, formed with one hole card and
two cards of matching rank on the board. A strong hand, but not
well-disguised (compare set).
- Turn
The fourth community card dealt in Hold'em,
followed by the third betting round.
- Under-the-gun
The position of the player who is first to
act in the betting round. Also known as in the flower bed, primarily
by Canadians who prefer a more non-violent term.
- Wild Game
A game with a lot of raising and re-raising.
Also called an action game.
Glossary Adapted From:
The Challenge of Poker.
Darse Billings, Aaron Davidson, Jonathan Schaeffer, and Duane Szafron,
Artificial Intelligence Journal, vol 134(1-2), pp 201-240, 2002.
http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~darse/Papers/AIJ02.html