Velvet River

Poker glossary

Every word you will hear at a Texas Hold'em table, explained in one plain sentence first and in more depth on its own page.

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3-Bet Betting actions
The first re-raise before the flop. The big blind counts as the first bet and the open raise as the second.
4-Bet Betting actions
A re-raise of a 3-bet. Usually signals a very strong hand or a well-timed bluff.

A

All-In Betting actions
To bet all of your remaining chips.
Ante How a hand plays out
A small forced bet that every player (or just the big blind) posts before a hand, on top of the blinds.

B

Bad Beat Table talk and slang
Losing a hand you were a big favorite to win, usually to a lucky card on the turn or river.
Bankroll Strategy and math
Money set aside only for poker, separate from living expenses.
Bet Betting actions
To put chips into the pot when nobody else has yet in the current betting round.
Big Blind Seats and positions
The larger forced bet, posted by the second player to the left of the button. It sets the minimum bet for the hand.
Blinds How a hand plays out
Forced bets posted by the two players to the left of the dealer button before any cards are dealt.
Bluff Strategy and math
A bet or raise with a weak hand, intended to make better hands fold.
Board How a hand plays out
The community cards on the table at any moment of a hand.
Bubble Games and formats
The stage of a tournament just before the paid places, when the next player out wins nothing.
Burn Card How a hand plays out
The top card of the deck, discarded face down before the flop, turn and river are dealt.
Button (Dealer) Seats and positions
A disc marking the nominal dealer. The player on the button acts last after the flop, which makes it the best seat.
Buy-In Games and formats
The amount paid to enter a tournament or sit down in a cash game.

C

Call Betting actions
To match the current bet to stay in the hand.
Calling Station Table talk and slang
A player who calls too often and rarely raises or folds.
Cash Game Games and formats
A game played with real-money chips where players can join, rebuy and leave at any time.
Check Betting actions
To pass the action to the next player without betting, available only when nobody has bet in the current round.
Check-Raise Betting actions
To check, then raise after an opponent bets in the same betting round.
Chop Table talk and slang
To split a pot, or for the blinds to agree to take back their bets when everyone else folds.
Community Cards How a hand plays out
The five shared cards dealt face up in the middle of the table that every player can use.
Continuation Bet (C-Bet) Betting actions
A bet on the flop by the player who made the last raise before the flop.
Cutoff Seats and positions
The seat directly to the right of the button, the second-best position at the table.

D

Donk Bet Table talk and slang
A bet made into the preflop raiser by a player who acts first on the flop.
Draw Hands and draws
An incomplete hand that needs one or more cards to become strong, such as four cards to a flush.

E

Equity Strategy and math
Your share of the pot based on how often your hand would win if all remaining cards were dealt.
Expected Value (EV) Strategy and math
The average amount a decision wins or loses if repeated many times.
Exploitative Play Strategy and math
Deliberately deviating from balanced play to take advantage of an opponent's specific leaks.

F

Fish Table talk and slang
A weak or inexperienced player who loses money over time.
Flop How a hand plays out
The first three community cards, dealt face up together after the preflop betting round.
Fold Betting actions
To give up your hand and any claim to the pot, discarding your cards.
Fold Equity Strategy and math
The extra value a bet gains from the chance that opponents fold.

G

GTO (Game Theory Optimal) Strategy and math
A balanced strategy that cannot be exploited, calculated with solver software.
Gutshot Hands and draws
A straight draw that needs one specific rank in the middle. Four outs. Also called an inside straight draw.

H

Hand Rankings Hands and draws
The official order of poker hands, from Royal Flush at the top to High Card at the bottom.
Hijack Seats and positions
The seat two to the right of the button, between the middle positions and the cutoff.
Hole Cards How a hand plays out
The two private cards dealt face down to each player at the start of a Texas Hold'em hand.

I

Implied Odds Strategy and math
Pot odds adjusted for the extra money you expect to win on later streets if you hit your hand.

K

Kicker Hands and draws
A side card that is not part of the main combination but breaks ties between equal hands.

L

Limp Betting actions
To enter the pot preflop by just calling the big blind instead of raising.

M

Muck How a hand plays out
The pile of discarded cards, or the act of throwing your hand away without showing it.

N

No-Limit Games and formats
A betting structure where a player may bet any amount up to their entire stack at any time.
Nuts Hands and draws
The best possible hand given the community cards at that moment.

O

Open Raise Betting actions
The first raise in a preflop betting round when everyone before you has folded.
Open-Ended Straight Draw Hands and draws
Four consecutive cards that can become a straight with a card at either end. Eight outs.
Outs Strategy and math
The unseen cards that will improve your hand to the likely winner.
Overpair Hands and draws
A pocket pair higher than every card on the board.

P

Pocket Pair Hands and draws
Hole cards of the same rank, such as two Jacks.
Position Seats and positions
Your seat relative to the button, which decides when you act in each betting round.
Pot Odds Strategy and math
The ratio between the size of the pot and the cost of a call. It tells you how often you need to win for a call to pay off.
Pot-Limit Games and formats
A betting structure where the maximum bet or raise is the current size of the pot.
Preflop How a hand plays out
The first betting round, after hole cards are dealt and before the flop.

R

Raise Betting actions
To increase the size of the current bet, forcing others to put in more to continue.
Rake Games and formats
The fee a casino or poker site takes from each pot, usually a percentage with a cap.
Rakeback Games and formats
A share of the rake a player has paid, returned by the poker room as cash or rewards.
Range Strategy and math
The full set of hands a player could have in a given situation.
River How a hand plays out
The fifth and final community card, followed by the last betting round. Also called fifth street.
Rule of 2 and 4 Strategy and math
A shortcut to estimate your chance to hit a draw: outs × 2 for one card, outs × 4 for two cards.

S

Semi-Bluff Strategy and math
A bet or raise with a hand that is probably behind now but has a good chance to improve.
Set Hands and draws
Three of a kind made with a pocket pair plus one matching card on the board.
Shark Table talk and slang
A skilled, winning player who profits from weaker opponents.
Short Stack Strategy and math
A stack small relative to the blinds, often below 20–25 big blinds in tournaments.
Shove (Jam) Table talk and slang
Slang for going all-in, usually with a big raise.
Showdown How a hand plays out
The moment after the final betting round when remaining players reveal their hands to decide the winner.
Side Pot How a hand plays out
A separate pot created when a player is all-in and others keep betting.
Slow Play Strategy and math
Playing a very strong hand passively, by checking or calling, to hide its strength and trap opponents.
Small Blind Seats and positions
The smaller forced bet, posted by the player directly to the left of the dealer button.
Split Pot How a hand plays out
When two or more players have equal best hands at showdown and share the pot equally.
Stack Strategy and math
The chips a player has in front of them. Usually measured in big blinds.
Starting Hands Hands and draws
The 169 distinct two-card combinations you can be dealt before the flop.
Suited Hands and draws
Two hole cards of the same suit, written with an "s", as in AKs.

T

Texas Hold'em Games and formats
The most popular poker game in the world: two private cards per player, five shared cards, four betting rounds.
Tilt Table talk and slang
A state of frustration that leads to poor, emotional decisions.
Top Pair Hands and draws
A pair made by matching one of your hole cards with the highest card on the board.
Tournament Games and formats
A competition where everyone starts with the same chips, blinds rise, and play continues until one player has them all.
Trips Hands and draws
Three of a kind made with one hole card and a pair on the board.
Turn How a hand plays out
The fourth community card, dealt after the flop betting round. Also called fourth street.

U

Under the Gun (UTG) Seats and positions
The seat directly to the left of the big blind, first to act before the flop.

V

Value Bet Strategy and math
A bet made with a strong hand that you want worse hands to call.
Variance Strategy and math
The natural short-term swings in results caused by luck, even when decisions are good.

Hand names

The ten poker hands each have their own page with odds and examples.