Poker Terms Explained | Poker Glossary and Jargon
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In this article, we break down 43 poker terms to explain them in an easy-to-understand way. Likewise, we also provide real-case scenario examples to help you understand the terminology even better.
Online poker includes numerous variations, bet types, hands, and strategies. To play it effectively, you must get a grip on the poker jargon. Our poker glossary will make the game as easy as possible, whether playing against a computer or in a live tournament.
Our casino experts spent nine hours gathering and verifying information acquired from trusted sources like Poker.org and Tightpoker. Here, you'll find explanations of poker terms related to various aspects of the game, including betting, strategy, and general concepts.
If you want to improve your playing skills and feel more confident at the table, our poker guide is perfect for you. In it, you'll find information about the origins of the game, the types of poker, how to play, the different strategies, and, of course, which licensed casinos are best for Indian players.
Let's leave that one for later. For now, let's focus on the poker terms and boost your next game.
Three-Letter Poker Terms
Poker Term | Meaning |
---|---|
Nut | The best possible hand in a given situation. For example, if the community cards are 10♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠ A♠, the best possible hand in that draw would be any hand that contains a spade, resulting in a Royal Flush. |
Pot | The total bet amount collected in the center of the table. The player who wins the hand wins the pot. |
Тop | The highest card in your hand. |
Run | A sequence of cards, such as a Straight or a Flush. |
Four-Letter Poker Terms
Poker Term | Meaning |
---|---|
Limp | Enter the game by betting an amount equal to the big blind without increasing the bet. For example, you're playing Texas Hold'em and the big blind is ₹500. If you are the first player after the blinds, and instead of making a big bet or raise, you bet ₹500, it's called limping. |
Tilt | State of mind when players lose their cool and start making emotional and reckless moves. For example, take a tournament player who's just lost a big pot with a very strong hand. After this loss, he may become frustrated and even angry. In subsequent hands, the player may start betting aggressively and recklessly, even with weak cards. |
Turn | The fourth community card dealt at the table in poker variations such as Texas Hold'em and Omaha. It is dealt face up, and players can use it to make their hands. |
Fold | Refusing to continue the current hand and losing all bets placed. |
Flop | The first three community cards dealt to the table in games such as Texas Hold'em and Omaha. They are dealt face up, and players can use them make their hands. |
Call | Poker move by which you match the previous bet to stay in the game without raising. For example, if player A bets 5 chips, player B can call by putting the same amount in the pot. That way, he'll stay in the game and see the next card. |
Pass | Refusing to bet and deciding not to participate in the current hand. |
Trap | Poker strategy in which players fake having a weak hand or play passively to trick opponents into making bigger bets. For example, you may hold a solid hand, such as Three of a Kind. But instead of betting aggressively, you call in each round, giving the impression of having a weak hand. |
Five-Letter Poker Terms
Poker Term | Meaning |
---|---|
River | The fifth and final community card in Texas Hold'em and Omaha. It is dealt face up and players can use it to make their hands. |
Rebuy | The ability to buy more chips after you have lost all or part of your starting chips. |
Turbo | A type of fast-paced poker tournament featuring betting levels and where the blinds increase much faster. |
Tight | Poker slang for a more conservative style of play that relies on playing with fewer hands. They may be fewer, but those hands are usually strong. |
Check | Poker slang used for not betting at the moment but staying in the game. Only possible if no one has bet before you. For example, if everyone before you has checked, you can check without betting chips. If someone then bets, you can call, raise or fold. |
Board | The community cards on the table that all players can use. They include the flop, the turn, and the river. |
Bluff | Strategy in which players bet or raise with a weak hand in an attempt to get opponents to fold. For example, if you have 7♠ 2♣ but bet aggressively to eliminate the other players, you bluff. |
All-In | Bet type where players bet all their poker chips at once. This move is best used when you're confident of winning the hand, or when you bluff and want to trick other players into folding. |
Raise | Poker move of increasing the current bet in the round. For example, if player A bets 5 chips, player B can raise by betting, for example, 10 chips. Raising increases the total amount in the pot and puts pressure on other players. |
Blind | Mandatory bet made before the cards are dealt. There are two types of blind bets: the small blind and the big blind. |
Loose | Style of play that involves playing a large number of weaker hands. |
All Other Poker Terms and Jargon You Need to Know
Poker Term | Meaning |
---|---|
Aggressive | Style of play characterised by frequent betting and raising the stakes. It is used for putting pressure on opponents. |
Bankroll | The total amount of money you've set aside for playing poker, including buy-ins, cash for games, etc. |
Backdoor | Slang for the state of play where you count on two last community cards to complete the hand. An example would be a Straight or a Flush completed with the turn and the river. |
Bounty | Type of poker tournament where you can win a portion of the pot by eliminating other players. The prize for doing so is also called the bounty. |
Gutshot | An inside draw that needs a middle card for completing a Straight. For instance, if you hold 5, 6, 8, and 9 and need the community card to be a 7. |
Deep Stack | Poker game with a starting chip count significantly higher than usual. |
Connectors | Cards that are close in value to each other and easily combined. An example would be cards 7, 8, and 9. |
Stack-to-Pot Ratio (SPR) | Ratio that shows the size of your chips relative to the size of the pot. Knowing about it helps when making betting decisions. For example, if you have a stack of 50 chips, and the pot currently sits at 25 chips, your SPR is 2 (50/25). A low SPR usually means it is harder to fold, while a high SPR allows more options in the game. |
Calling Station | Players who rarely fold and often call every bet regardless of the strength of their hand. |
Multi-Table | Tournaments played at many tables simultaneously. |
Preflop | The stage of the game when players at the table make their initial bets, aka, the first betting round. For example, in a game of Texas Hold'em, each player receives two hole cards. After that, the first round of betting, or preflop, can start with players deciding what to do with their cards. |
Side Pot | An extra pot created when one or more players go all-in. |
Satellite | Tournament whose prizes include entry tickets to other, more lucrative tournaments. |
Sit-and-Go | Tournament with no fixed start time, which begins when the required number of players has gathered. |
Freezeout | Tournament where players start with a set number of chips and play until there is only one winner. |
Heads-Up | State of the game with two players left to play against each other. |
High Roller | Tournaments with very high entry fees. |
Short Stack | Player with a small chip count compared to other players. |
Button | The most profitable position on the poker table. The button acts last in every postflop betting round and has the vantage point of seeing what course of action other players have taken. |
Kicker | A decisive card that determines the winner when two or more players have identical hands. |
Final Words
Knowing these 43 poker terms will help you feel more confident and better prepared for your next game of online poker. You'll be able better equipped to understand what's happening in any situation.
We recommend putting what you've learned into practice by testing your knowledge of poker terms at free-to-play or low-stakes tables. This will help you consolidate your knowledge and prepare you for playing for real money.
Remember, though, that no matter how familiar you are with poker terminology, luck plays a huge role in the game. It's important to play wisely and responsibly, enjoying the fun and challenge of this classic card game.
If you want to deepen your knowledge or discover the best platforms for playing online poker in India, check out our detailed poker guide. We wish you good luck and lots of fun at your next poker table!
Author
Miloš is an online gambling expert with over 10 years of experience in the industry. He has a strong passion for the Indian gambling market. It all started as a hobby - a few rounds of blackjack here, a couple of slots there - and before long, Miloš embarked on his professional journey as an online casino reviewer for several casino sites in India.
He has been part of the industry since online casinos first gained traction, recognizing their potential early on. This foresight and deep understanding of the field eventually led Miloš to become the in-house gaming expert at Bestindicasino.
Those who know Miloš describe him as curious, a roulette savant, and a lousy poker bluffer. He is also a meticulous nitpicker, determined to teach Indian players the best practices for enjoying online casinos in the country.
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