Poker Terms

Poker Terms: Important Poker Terminology

Mastering the Poker game is not just about playing hands and sounding clever. You must understand common phrases and terms used during the match to act accordingly. Most of the time, players lose money when they misunderstand basic poker phrases. 

If you want to master the game of poker, then you should be familiar with all basic poker terms, such as the big blind, angle shooting, bankroll, etc. In this article, we will cover important poker terminology. 

Why is it Important to Know the Poker Game Terms?

A poker game is full of common phrases with specific meanings. When you are playing a game of Poker, you will be exposed to many terms, like aggro, bankroll, blinds, check, etc. You must be familiar with the meaning of these phrases to plan your winning strategies accordingly. 

Knowing these poker terms can help you win big if you know how to talk in common native poker terms and phrases. This will help ensure effective communication with your opponent and understand their actions. Knowing poker hand terms like “ante”, “the big blind”, and “bubble” is essential to participating in tournaments. In high-stakes games, a lack of understanding of these poker hand terms can prove costly.

So here's the frequent poker terms list for players who are playing poker in tournaments and high-stack matches.

General Terms Starting with A-Z 

A

Ante: A small compulsory bet that all players must make before a hand begins.

Angle Shooting: These are actions intended to gain an unfair advantage over the other players. They are either against the rules or ethically frowned upon by several poker players.

All In: This means putting all your remaining chips into the pot. You can go at any time during the gameplay.

Action: It is a player's turn to make a move during the course of the hand. 

Aggression Factor: It is the measure of a player's aggression in a match or overall match.

Add-on: Players can spend some money to add more chips to the top. This is generally used in Ruby tournaments to give players more chips when registration ends. The add-on is not mandatory; however, in high-stack matches, it is often recommended. 

B

Bad Beat: This is a condition in which you have one of the statistically strongest poker hands but still lose. 

Bankroll: A player's bankroll is the amount of money in their bank account that they can spend on poker games. It is also the amount of money that players keep for buying stuff during their tournaments or high-stakes cash games. Proper bankroll management is important to avoid overspending. 

Big Blind: The Big blind is the mandatory bet placed by any player in each betting round of the game. During the game, the big blind rotates around the table, ensuring that every player will have to make a forced bet at some point. It is one of the most important poker terms for beginners.

Bluff: This condition is where a player bets or raises with a weak hand to make opponents fold better hands. It should be played in the same way as a strong poker hand. 

Bet: It is the wager made at the table where players place chips or money in a betting round.  

Big Slick: This is one of the poker hand terms used for a hand having an ace or a king. 

Busted: Losing all in the pot is known as busted in poker slang.

Boat: This is another term for a full house in a poker game.

C

Call: In poker, the call is a condition in which you have to put chips that match the amount bet by another player in the game. For example, if your opponent's player bets $40 and says "call,"  you will need to put the same amount on the other hand. 

Cap: It is the last allowed raise in a betting round. 

Case Cards: These are the last available cards of a certain rank remaining in the deck.

Check: When your opponent player does not make any “call” then it is up to you to either raise, call, or fold. You can pass the hand to another player without putting in money.

Community Card: These are general cards available for every player during the poker slang game.

Chase: It refers to continuing to play hand over multiple rounds in a betting with the one not likely to win, played in hope to end with a draw.

Check-Raise: This is a strategy used in poker in which a player checks early in the betting round, hoping for another player to open before making their next move. 

Calling Station: Players who regularly make calls bet instead of raises, no matter how strong their betting hand is in the game. 

D

Dealer: The player in the poker game who shuffles the deck. 

Deuce: In poker, a deuce refers to a poker card with a rank of two. It is one of the low-ranking cards in the deck, often symbolized by the number 2. Despite this, these cards play a significant role in various poker hands and strategies. 

Draw out: Get a card that transforms your poker hand from losing to winning. 

Dead Monkey: These are the chips you can no longer win from the pot known as Dead Monkey. 

Dry Pot: When a player moves all in and gets called by two or more players, it creates a dry pot. It generally occurs in a no-limit or pot-limit games.

Dry Board: In poker, a dry board is a collection of unconnected community cards that do not coordinate well with each other. 

Downbet: Betting a smaller amount during a hand as compared to the previous round of betting.

Dynamic Board: It is a community cad that can change the relative strength of hands-on future streets. It has many draws available.

E

Effective Size: It represents the total number of chips played between the two opponents. It is the maximum amount either player can win in the match. 

Equity: It is a mathematical term in poker used to tell the percentage chance of a player winning a hand. 

Edge: This is a situation where a player has an advantage in the next poker hand

Expectation: The average amount that a player expects to win or lose in a particular situation in poker slang. 

F

Fish: This is poker terminology for a strategic practice in which players who are considered weak or less experienced are often targeted first, also known as fish. 

Flush: Having five hands of the same suit in a hand is known as flush.

Flush draw: A flush draw is a condition in which you have four cards in the same suit and need only one card from the same suit to complete the flush. 

Fold: When players surrender their hand or exit a pot game, they are folding. This is often done when players think they have no better chance of winning hands left in the pot. 

Fixed Limit: Also, known as flat limit, this is a betting structure where the amount you can bet or raise is fixed. Most of the fixed-limit games will not allow more than a predefined number of raises.

Four of a kind: A four-of-a-kind is a poker hand where all four cards are of the same rank. 

Field: All players together in a large poker tournament are termed as field.

Five of a kind: A wild card hand comprising five cards of equal rank. It has the ability to defeat all the other hands on deck.

Full house: It is a unique hand of cards where the player has three-of-a-kind cards and a pair.

G

Gap Hand: A gap hand is a starting hand with a gap between the ranks of cards. The gap represents that the cards are not in a sequential order but could still form a straight. 

Gutshot: A gutshot is a condition where one more card is required to complete a straight draw. 

Guarantee: The amount of money agreed upon by the tournament host is known as a guarantee.

Grinder: Grinders are people who frequently play cash poker games to earn their living. This process is known as grinding.  

H

Hand: It is one of the popular poker terms and phrases that refers to the specific set of cards that a player holds. Players form a set of five playing cards, which are called hands. 

High card: A hand-ranking card with no pair at the last position is called a high card. 

Home game: A game played in a private place, despite a casino or public cardroom.

Horse: A player who receives financial support from someone else having their back.

Heads up: The poker game involving only two players is called heads up.

Hole Cards: These are special cards that only you can see and do not need to be exposed to others. 

I

Implied Odds: This poker terminology tells how much you can win in further hands in relation to the amount of money you need to bet or call at the time.

ICM: The Independent Chip Model (ICM) is used by tournament players to determine their payout equity using the player's stack, the size of their opponents, and the remaining prizes left. 

In the Money: Players who have made their seat in the final stages of the tournament are termed “in the money” as they will surely get a good overall return on their investment. 

In turn: Players are supposed to play their chance at their designated time rather than making any random bet, such as calling, raising, folding, or betting.

J

Joker: A Joker is a wild card that can be substituted for other card values and is, hence, a very powerful card. It can fill up and complete the poker hands that are missing.

Jackpot: It is awarded to the player with the highest winning five-card hand that uses both player’s hole cards in the game. 

Juice: It is the fees or commission charged by the casino for entry in a poker game.

Junk: It is a hand in poker that is considered weak or unplayable hand. These hands have a very low probability of winning.

K

Kicker: A kicker is a side card that can be used to break ties between cards of the same rank. It does not determine the rank of a hand in the game.

Kill Button: This button shows which player has the kill action unlocked and is considered to be one of the most frequently used poker game terms.

Kitty: A pool of money built by using small amounts from the stacks, which is often used to buy refreshments, cards, and other necessary items during the game.

L

Lag: This is one of the poker phrases used to tag aggressive and loose players who play a lot of hands and frequently raise or bet.

Loose: This is a poker hand term used for beginners who usually play a lot of hands, probably during their initial stage. It is not considered as a good strategy. 

Laydown is a synonym for folding, in which players fold their hands in poker in front of superior players. 

Lead: The player with the last bet or raise in a round before the next round is known as the lead. 

Limp: It is a betting strategy where players put the minimum amount to stay in hand without trying to build the pot.

Live Cards: These cards have a good chance of winning as they are not duplicated in an opponent’s hand. 

Live game: It is a poker game played in offline mode, such as in a poker room or casino rather than in online mode.

M

Made hand: A superior hand that does not require any strategy changes to win the stacks.

Maniac: It is similar to “loose” terms used for beginners who usually bet and raise very frequently, which is not considered a good strategy as they do not properly analyze the situation. 

Mark: A person at the poker table who is the center of attention due to their weak hand strategies in the game. 

Move-in: It is a poker term for placing a bet on all stakes in the next hand of poker. 

Multi-table tournament: A tournament with more than one table is also known as a Multi-Table Tournament (MTT).

N

No Limit: In poker game terms, a betting strategy in which you can place any amount is also known as no-limit poker.

Nit: A player who avoids risky hands and only plays the best possible hand is a Nit.

Nuts: The Nuts are the best possible hand in poker with the maximum raised probability in a given situation.

Nothing: A dominant hand where the player with the raise can have a superior card that no other hand will win. 

O

Off Cards: Cards that do not belong to the same suit are referred to as off-suit poker game terms.

One-chip rule: A one-chip rule in poker states that placing one chip in the pot is considered a call, even if it is of a higher denomination than required. 

Off-suit: The card deck has four suits: hearts, clubs, spades, and diamonds. Five cards together make a flush. Any set of cards that does not complete a flush is also known as off-suit cards.

P

Pair: Two cards in the deck with the same value are called pairs. 

Pocket Pair: When two cards of players make a pair together, it is called a Pocket Pair. For example, A-A together makes a pocket pair.

Picture cards: Cards with pictures such as King, Queen, Jack, and Ace are called picture cards. 

Poker Fish: This poker hand term marks a weak or inexperienced player who is likely to make mistakes and lose hands frequently during games.

Pot: Pot in poker games represents the total amount of money bet by a player during a hand.

Pot Limit: In some betting rounds, the maximum bet a player can make is fixed or limited to the current size of the pot. 

Poker Hands: Poker hand terms are basic poker terms that represent various combinations of cards that determine a specific poker hand, like Royal Flush, Two Pair, etc. The combination of having the highest-ranked cards wins the hand.

Poker Tournaments: Poker tournaments are competitive poker events where players compete with other players to win exciting rewards and bonuses.

Poker face: A blank expression that does not have any relevance to the cards in hand.

Position: It refers to the sequence of players sitting around the table in a poker game.

Purse: The total value of the prize pool in a tournament is called pursue.

Q

Quads: It refers to fours of a kind in poker games where a hand has four cards of equal rank. If there are two queens in your hand and the other two queens are on the board, then you have a quad queen, which is one of the strongest possible hands in poker.

R

Rabbit Hunt: This poker terminology represents a specific condition where players who have already folded their play request to see the remainder of the cards on the board.

Raise: It is the increase in the betting amount compared to the previous biggest bet. You can re-raise again in the next round.

River: This is the fifth or final community card dealt in poker hands.

Rock players: A player who only plays strong hands in poker is called a rock in poker.

Royal Flush: The best possible hand set of five cards in a poker game is called Royal Flush. It consists of 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace.

Rush: A player who is on a winning streak and has won several big pots frequently is said to be in a rush.

S

Satellite: It is a tournament where the winning reward provides you with free participation or entry in other big tournaments. 

Set: A pair of three of a kind with one pair in your hand and a community card is known as Set. 

Straight: A pair of five cards in a sequential order is called a straight draw. For example, 5-6-7-8-9 is called a straight hand in poker.

Showdown: When more than one player is left in the betting round, other players compare their cards by showing them to predict the possible winner of the tournament. 

Stub: The reminder cards not used during the game are known as stub cards.

Small Blinds: It is a mandatory bet placed by the first player seated immediately to the left of the dealer buttons before any other players have seen their cards.

Steam: A common point in which a player decides on a less optimized strategy is mainly in situations of stress, chaos, and confusion.

Shark: A professional player with expertise in the game is called a shark. 

T

Tilt: It is a condition in which a player completely loses control over their game and plays recklessly without proper planning. 

Trips: Three-of-a-kind poker cards having one hole card and the other two community cards.

Trap: Playing carefully so opponents make mistakes that players take advantage of and raise.

Tell: A tell is a recurring change in a player’s behavior that gives clues of their hands giving away their strength to others.

Top Pair: It refers to the pair containing a pocket card and the highest-ranking card on the game board.

Turbo: A specific type of tournament where the blind level increases very swiftly as compared to the traditional standard game. 

U

Under the gun: It is one of the poker terms that refers to a position at the poker table immediately left of the big blind. Here, players are the first to act before the flop. 

Underdog: It refers to a popular poker terminology condition in which a player has a very low chance of winning compared to other players. 

Upswing: A period when players win more frequently than they lose is known as an upswing. It is just the opposite of a downswing, which is described as a period of frequent losses. 

V

Value bet: A value bet refers to a bet made to get the win when they think they have the best possible hand. It aims for another player to make the call. 

VPIP: This is a popular poker terminology used as poker phrases and terms that stand for Voluntarily Put in Pot (VPIP). It tells whether a player is loose or tight based on the number of hands they played during the poker game.

Variance: The measurement of the difference between the expected and actual results.

W

Wake up: In this situation, a player has a strong starting hand, like pocket aces or kings, which they are going to play. 

Weak ace: These are starting hands with weak aces paired with low-ranking cards. These ace cards are weak because they have limited potential of making high-valued hands, such as ace two, ace three, ace four, ace five, etc. 

Wild Card: A wild card is a common practice in home games, such as a joker card or designated ranks such as deuces, which can represent any other card the player chooses to make a stronger hand.

Window Card: It is the first upcard dealt to each player and is visible to all players at the table. If you have a window card, keep it safe.

WSOP: The WSP, or World Series of Poker, is one of the biggest tournament festivals. It takes place during May and July every year in Las Vegas. Many expert players come from around the world to participate in the tournament.

Terms for Poker in Hand Rankings

Check out the list of the top 10 hand-ranking poker terms for beginners and advanced players below. 

Poker Terms for Playing Styles 

Players in poker often exhibit different styles and approaches to playing poker. Let us check some of the poker playing styles and their poker game terms below.

• Tight : They are very selective players who often choose only strong hands. They do not take part in many pots and make their move with selected hands. They can carry out the best skill-to-profit ratio in a match
• Loose: They are less selective players who do not delay hands and play a wider range of hands, including weaker hands.
• Aggressive: An aggressive player who frequently bets and raises to apply pressure on their opponents. They read the situation and raise or even re-raise if the conditions are favorable.
• Passive: These players prefer to call and check rather than frequently bet and raise like aggressive players. They avoid direct confrontation and often just call bets, even with relatively stronger hands.

There are some poker hand terms that describe their playing styles. Let us learn about these playing styles and poker phrases below.

1. Tight and Aggressive Players (TAG)

This playing style represents dominance, where tight, aggressive players do not play many pots and choose to play only some of the selected hands. They play their cards strongly, especially when winning chances are greater. They wait for the best opportunities to make their best hits. These players have good experience and are not beginner-stage players.

2. Lag (Loose or Aggressive Players)

These players are less selective in their approach than the more aggressive players. They play a wider range of hands, including many weak hands. Due to the frequent number of hands they play, they can make more money than the tight, aggressive players. This method requires more skill than tight and aggressive players, and hence, experienced players also opt for it. 

3. Tight Passive 

Tight passive players are often very selective in their hands and enter the pot only when they have strong or premium hands. They rarely bet or raise. They prefer to call or check. They tend to avoid risky situations and are likelier to play for survival in the game. The tight passive style is slightly more aggressive than the tag style. It is a more often used poker term for beginners in the poker world. However, they are not considered more skilled, but they maintain a chance of survival in the game.

4. Loose Passive (Calling Station)

These pliers play many hands but do not play them aggressively. They generally do not fold and call a lot of hands post-flop. This strategy is often adopted by weak players. They hardly try any aggressive moves and prefer to play passive. 

Advanced Poker Terms and Phrases

Let us look at all poker terms with their meanings below.

• Expected Value (EV): This advanced poker terminology measures the average outcome from a particular game. A positive EV represents more profitable decisions, while a negative EV represents losing decisions.
• Implied Odds: This strategy is used when you can win later in the hand in relation to the amount you need to bet or call at the time. It helps you determine whether a call or bet against your opponent is profitable.
• Fold Equity: It is the total equity a player can expect to get when an opponent folds his or her bets. It is an important strategy, especially when they become short-stacked in a no-limits situation.
• Polarized range: In poker, the polarized range is a range of hands consisting of strong hands and a few or no medium-strength hands.
• Triple Barrel : It is a practice in which players aggressively bet on all three postflop streets, namely the flop, turn, or river. It is most players' favorite game in poker. 
• Balancing: It is the practice of mixing up your actions and signs to prevent opponent players from predicting your hand accurately. 
• Range advantage: It is a condition where your range contains stronger hands than your opponent in a given situation.
• Merge Range: A range that includes both strong hands and medium-strength hands, which helps players confuse their opponents. 
• Reverse implied odds: the potential loss when a player makes a hand that is the second best in their stacks, as it could be beaten by a higher flush if both hands complete.