A
Ace High
A hand with no pair or better, where the Ace is the highest card.
All-in
Betting all of one's remaining chips.
Ante
A forced bet posted by all players before the deal.
B
Bad Beat
Losing a hand where you were a statistical favorite to win.
Bankroll
The total amount of money a player has set aside for playing poker.
Big Blind
The larger of the two forced bets posted by players in the blinds positions.
Bluff
Betting or raising with a weak hand to make opponents fold better hands.
Board
The community cards dealt face up in the center of the table.
Bubble
The stage in a tournament just before the prize money begins.
Button
The position of the dealer, which acts last in most betting rounds.
C
Call
To match the current bet.
Check
To decline to bet when the action is on you, passing the action to the next player.
Check-Raise
Checking when it is your turn to act, then raising after an opponent bets.
Community Cards
Cards dealt face up in the center of the table that can be used by all players.
Continuation Bet (C-Bet)
A bet made on the flop by the player who raised pre-flop.
D
Dealer
The player who deals the cards (or the position of the button).
Donk Bet
A bet made out of position into the pre-flop aggressor.
Draw
A hand that needs additional cards to improve to a strong hand (e.g., flush draw, straight draw).
E
Equity
The calculated share of the pot a hand is expected to win on average.
Expected Value (EV)
The average amount of money a player expects to win or lose on a specific play.
F
Fish
A weak or inexperienced player.
Flop
The first three community cards dealt face up.
Flush
Five cards of the same suit.
Fold
To discard one's hand and forfeit interest in the pot.
Full House
A hand consisting of three of a kind and a pair.
G
Gutshot
A straight draw where only one specific rank of card can complete the straight.
H
Hand
The five cards used to determine a player's ranking.
Heads-up
Playing against only one opponent.
Hero Call
Calling a bet with a relatively weak hand, suspecting the opponent is bluffing.
I
Implied Odds
The potential future winnings if a draw is completed.
In Position
Acting after your opponent(s) in a betting round.
K
Kicker
A card that does not form the hand itself but determines the winner in case of a tie.
L
Limp
To call the big blind pre-flop instead of raising.
Loose
Playing a wide range of hands.
M
Muck
To discard a hand without showing it.
N
Nuts
The best possible hand at a given moment.
O
Offsuit
Cards of different suits.
Out of Position
Acting before your opponent(s) in a betting round.
Outs
Cards remaining in the deck that will improve a hand.
Overpair
A pocket pair higher than any card on the board.
P
Pocket Pair
Two cards of the same rank dealt as hole cards.
Position
A player's seat relative to the dealer button.
Pot Odds
The ratio of the current size of the pot to the cost of a contemplated call.
Pre-flop
The betting round before the flop is dealt.
R
Rainbow
A flop containing three different suits.
Raise
To increase the size of the bet.
Rake
The commission taken by the card room or house.
Range
The set of all hands a player could reasonably have in a given situation.
River
The fifth and final community card.
Royal Flush
The highest possible hand: A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit.
S
Semi-bluff
Betting with a drawing hand that has the potential to improve to the best hand.
Set
Three of a kind formed with a pocket pair and one community card.
Short Stack
A player with a small number of chips compared to the blinds or other players.
Showdown
The final phase where remaining players reveal their hands to determine the winner.
Side Pot
A separate pot created when one player is all-in and others continue betting.
Slow Play
Playing a strong hand passively to induce bluffs or calls.
Small Blind
The smaller of the two forced bets.
Split Pot
When two or more players have the same winning hand and share the pot.
Straight
Five cards of sequential rank.
Straight Flush
Five cards of sequential rank and the same suit.
Suited
Cards of the same suit.
T
Tell
A physical or behavioral clue that reveals the strength of a player's hand.
Tilt
Emotional frustration leading to poor decision-making.
Top Pair
A pair formed by one hole card and the highest card on the board.
Trips
Three of a kind formed with one hole card and two community cards.
Turn
The fourth community card.
U
Under the Gun (UTG)
The position immediately to the left of the big blind, acting first pre-flop.
V
Value Bet
A bet made with the intention of getting called by a worse hand.
Variance
The statistical measure of how much results can differ from expectation in the short term.
W
Wet Board
A board texture with many draws possible (e.g., suited and connected cards).