poker is one of the most popular card games in the world, with millions of players and fans worldwide. It’s often played in casinos, clubs and online, requiring a lot of skill, strategy and, of course, luck!
The sport is not at all simple to play, and as well as learning the rules you need to be aware of the terms that form part of its structure, rules and much more. To help you understand, we’ve created the poker glossary!
In this list, you’ll find out which are the most used terms in poker and what they mean, which will be essential for you to start learning the sport, unravel its rules and create the best strategies.
Check out the poker glossary!
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Poker glossary: complete list
- All-in
- Bad Beat
- Big Blind
- Blefe
- Board
- Buy-in
- Call
- Check
- Chip
- Dealer
- Draw
- Flop
- Fold
- Full House
- Gutshot
- Heads-up
- Kicker
- Muck
- Nuts
- Pot
- Raise
- River
- Showdown
- Small Blind
- Split Pot
- Straight
- Tell
- Tilt
- Turn
- Under the Gun
- Wrap
Poker glossary: learn more about the terms
All-in
In poker, “all-in” is the action of betting all the chips a player has. All-in is a strategic move used to increase winnings with a strong hand or to bluff and force opponents to fold.
Bad Beat
“Bad beat” is a term used to describe a situation in which a very strong hand is defeated by an even more unlikely and usually weaker hand, due to the luck of the cards.
Big Blind
The big blind is a mandatory bet placed by the player immediately to the left of the small blind. The value of the big blind is usually double that of the small blind and serves to start the action in the betting round.
Bluffing
Bluffing is a strategy in which a player pretends to have a strong hand in order to induce his opponents to fold better hands. Bluffing involves betting or raising aggressively with a weak or average hand.
Board
“Board” are the community cards placed face up on the table during betting rounds in poker games such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha. These cards are used in combination with the players’ private cards to form the best possible hand.
Buy-in
“Buy-in” is the amount a player must pay to enter a poker game or tournament.
Call
Calling in poker means matching the bet made by another player in the current round. If a player bets 50 chips and another player calls, he also puts 50 chips in the pot.
Check
“Check” is the action a player can take if there are no previous bets in the current round. By checking, the player passes the turn to the next player without betting, but remains in the hand. If all players check, the betting round ends and the next community card is revealed, or the hand reaches showdown if it’s the last round.
Chip
Chips are the pieces used to represent money in a poker game. Chips come in different colors and values, making it easier to place bets and count chips during the game. Using them instead of cash helps keep the game organized and safe.
Dealer
The “dealer” is the player or person responsible for dealing the cards during a poker game.
Draw
“Draw” is the situation in which a player needs one or more specific cards to complete a strong hand. Draws are common in many poker variants and influence players’ strategic decisions.
Flop
The flop is the first round of three community cards face up in Texas Hold’em and Omaha. After the flop, a betting round takes place.
Fold
“Fold” means to fold the hand, abandoning any chips that have already been bet into the pot. A player who folds no longer participates in the current round and cannot win the pot.
Full House
A “full house” is a poker hand consisting of a three of a kind (three cards of the same rank) and a pair (two cards of the same rank).
Gutshot
A gutshot is a situation in which a player needs a specific card to complete an inside straight. For example, if a player has 4, 5, 7 and 8, he needs a 6 to complete the straight.
Heads-up
“Heads-up” is a term that describes a situation in which only two players remain in a hand or competition, such as in the final round of a poker tournament.
Kicker
The “kicker” is a tie-breaker card used to determine the winner when two players have hands of equal value.
Muck
“Muck” is the act of discarding cards without showing them to the other players after giving up the hand. It can also refer to the pile of discarded cards on the table.
Nuts
Nuts are the best possible hand in a given situation. Identifying nuts helps players assess the strength of their hands and decide their betting actions.
Pot
The “pot” is the total amount of chips or money accumulated in the center of the table that players compete to win.
Raise
“Raise” means to increase the bet made by another player. Raising the bet is a form of pressure that can force opponents to fold or contribute more to the pot.
River
The river is the fifth and final community card face up in Texas Hold’em and Omaha. After the river, the final round of betting takes place. The river is crucial, as it determines the final strength of the players’ hands before the showdown.
Showdown
The showdown is the moment when the remaining players in the hand reveal their cards to determine the winner. After the last round of betting, the players show their cards, and the best hand according to the rules of poker wins the pot. In the event of a tie, the pot is split.
Small Blind
The small blind is a mandatory bet placed by the player immediately to the left of the dealer. The value of the small blind is usually half of the big blind and serves to start the action in the betting round.
Split Pot
A “split pot” happens when two or more players have hands of equal value at showdown, resulting in a tie. In such cases, the pot is split equally between the tied players.
Straight
A “straight” is a poker hand made up of five consecutive cards of different suits. For example, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of varying suits form a straight.
Tell
A “tell” is an involuntary clue or behavior that can reveal the strength of a player’s hand. Tells can include facial expressions, hand movements, betting patterns or changes in posture.
Tilt
“Tilt” is a negative emotional state that affects a player’s decision-making. A player in tilt may act irrationally, make impulsive bets or play carelessly after a losing streak or a bad beat.
Turn
The turn is the fourth community card face up in Texas Hold’em and Omaha. After the turn, a round of betting takes place. The turn, along with the flop and river, helps shape the players’ final hand and is a critical stage in defining the strength of the hands.
Under the Gun
“Under the Gun” (UTG) is the position of the player who must act first in the pre-flop betting round, sitting immediately to the left of the big blind.
Wrap
“Wrap” is a type of straight draw found in Omaha, where a player has a larger number of cards that can complete a straight. For example, if a player has 6, 7, 8 and 9, he has a wrap, because any 5, 6, 7, 8 or 10 would complete a straight.
Poker glossary: complete list
- All-in
- Bad Beat
- Big Blind
- Blefe
- Board
- Buy-in
- Call
- Check
- Chip
- Dealer
- Draw
- Flop
- Fold
- Full House
- Gutshot
- Heads-up
- Kicker
- Muck
- Nuts
- Pot
- Raise
- River
- Showdown
- Small Blind
- Split Pot
- Straight
- Tell
- Tilt
- Turn
- Under the Gun
- Wrap
Poker glossary
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