Action: The player’s turn or a general term for betting and raising during a hand.
All-In: Betting all your remaining chips.
Angle Shooting: A tactic that skirts the edge of the rules to gain an advantage without technically breaking them. Examples include acting as though you’re going to fold to provoke a reaction, verbally confusing other players, or making unclear gestures. Although not always illegal, angle shooting is frowned upon as it’s seen as unsportsmanlike.
Ante: A small, mandatory bet placed by all players at the start of a hand in some poker variants.
Bad Beat: Losing a hand despite having a strong position or hand.
Big Blind (BB): The larger of two forced bets in games like Texas Hold’em.
Bluff: A bet or raise with a weak hand to force other players to fold stronger hands.
Call: Matching the current bet in the round.
Check: Passing the action to the next player without betting when no bet has been made.
Check-Raise: A move where a player checks early in the betting round with the intention of raising if an opponent bets afterward. This tactic can be used to build the pot with a strong hand or to mislead opponents about the strength of a hand. While it’s a common and legitimate move, some find it surprising or frustrating if used too frequently.
Continuation Bet (C-Bet): A bet made by the initial pre-flop raiser on the flop, regardless of whether they improved their hand. A C-bet is used to maintain the aggressor’s position and can force opponents to fold weaker hands. It’s a common tactic in Texas Hold’em and can be used as both a bluff and with a strong hand.
Dealer: The player who distributes the cards; in casinos, a designated person handles this role.
Donk Bet: A bet made by a player who wasn’t the pre-flop aggressor. For example, if Player A raised pre-flop, but Player B leads with a bet on the flop, that’s considered a donk bet. Donk betting can be surprising and is generally used to disrupt an opponent’s strategy or take control of the betting.
Draw: Seeking to complete a hand with more cards (e.g., drawing to a straight or flush).
Floating: Calling a bet on the flop with a weak or marginal hand with the intention of bluffing on a later street. Floating is often used to challenge opponents who frequently make continuation bets. If they check on the turn or river, a float bet can take down the pot.
Flop: The first three community cards dealt in Texas Hold’em or Omaha.
Fold: Discarding your hand and ending participation in the current round.
Full House: A hand with three of a kind and a pair, such as three 10s and two Kings.
Hand: The cards held by a player, or the cards used to form a specific poker combination.
Heads-Up: A hand between two players only.
Hero Call: A call made with a relatively weak hand because the player suspects their opponent is bluffing. Hero calls are usually seen on the river when the player holding a marginal hand decides their opponent’s betting patterns or behavior don’t add up to a strong hand.
Hit and Run: Leaving the table immediately after winning a large pot, which prevents opponents from having a chance to win their chips back. Although technically allowed, this tactic is seen as poor etiquette in live poker games, where players are expected to play a few more hands after a big win.
Kicker: An unpaired card used to break ties between otherwise identical hands.
Limp: Calling the big blind rather than raising when entering the pot.
Muck: Discarding or folding your hand without showing it.
Nuts: The best possible hand at any given moment.
Overbet: A bet that’s larger than the current pot size. This move is often used to apply maximum pressure on opponents, especially when trying to force them out of the hand. Overbets can be used as a bluff or with a very strong hand to extract maximum value.
Pocket Cards: The two hidden cards dealt to a player in Texas Hold’em.
Polarized Range: A term describing a range of hands that includes only very strong hands (like premium pairs or big draws) and bluffs, with little in between. When a player is said to have a polarized range, it typically means they are either holding a monster or nothing at all.
Pot: The total amount of chips or money wagered during a hand.
Raise: Increasing the current bet.
River: The fifth and final community card dealt in Texas Hold’em or Omaha.
Royal Flush: The highest-ranking hand in poker, consisting of A, K, Q, J, 10, all in the same suit.
Sandbagging: Similar to slow playing, sandbagging is a strategy where a player with a strong hand plays passively to lure opponents into betting. The term is used more often in casual or amateur settings and can have a negative connotation, especially if it’s seen as deceptive or overly cautious.
Showdown: The revealing of hands after the final betting round to determine the winner.
Slow Play: A strategy where a player with a very strong hand plays passively—checking or calling instead of betting or raising aggressively—to lure opponents into betting more. The goal of slow playing is to keep opponents in the hand and increase the pot size, rather than scaring them off with aggressive bets. This strategy can backfire if opponents improve their hands on later streets.
Slow Roll: A breach of poker etiquette where a player with a winning hand takes an unnecessarily long time to reveal it at showdown, often creating false hope for their opponent. This is generally seen as disrespectful and can lead to tension at the table, as it’s perceived as mocking or taunting an opponent. In poker culture, slow rolling is considered bad sportsmanship.
Small Blind (SB): The smaller of two forced bets in games like Texas Hold’em.
Squeeze Play: A bluffing technique where a player makes a large re-raise (or “three-bet”) after one player raises and another player calls. The goal is to force both the original raiser and caller to fold, as the squeeze play represents a strong hand. This tactic is most effective against opponents who tend to fold to big raises but can backfire if one of them actually has a strong hand.
String Bet: An attempt to place a bet or raise in multiple motions without declaring the full amount in advance. For example, putting chips into the pot in several separate moves instead of a single motion or announcement. String betting is generally not allowed in poker as it can be used to gauge opponents’ reactions before committing to a full bet.
Three-Bet: A term used to describe the third bet in a sequence of raises during a hand. In poker, the initial bet or raise is called the “open,” the first raise in response is the “two-bet,” and the next raise is known as the “three-bet.” Three-betting is often used to re-raise with a strong hand before the flop, especially in Texas Hold’em. It signals strength and is typically intended to thin the field of players or build a larger pot.
Tilt: Playing poorly due to frustration or emotional disturbance.
Turn: The fourth community card dealt in Texas Hold’em or Omaha.
Under the Gun (UTG): The position immediately to the left of the big blind, meaning the player is first to act pre-flop. This is considered one of the weakest positions, as the UTG player has no information on other players’ intentions.
Value Bet: A bet made with the intention of being called by worse hands to extract more chips. Value betting is a key concept in poker, where the bettor believes their hand is strong enough that opponents with weaker hands will still be willing to call.