Poker Glossary: Essential Terms

Understanding the vocabulary used at the table is key to following the action and communicating your intentions clearly. Below are the most important Texas Hold'em terms every player should know, listed alphabetically for quick reference.

All-In: Betting all your remaining chips on a single hand. If opponents have more chips, a side pot is created.
Ante: A forced bet all players must make before cards are dealt.
Big Blind: The larger of two forced bets posted before cards are dealt, typically double the small blind.
Bluff: Betting or raising with a weak hand to make opponents fold better hands.
Board: The five community cards dealt face-up in the center of the table.
Button: A marker indicating the dealer position; acts last in betting rounds after the flop.
Call: Matching the current bet to stay in the hand.
Check: Passing the action without betting when no bet has been made.
Check-Raise: Checking initially and then raising after an opponent bets. A deceptive line that represents strength.
Community Cards: The shared cards on the board that all players can use.
Continuation Bet (C-Bet): A bet made on the flop by the preflop raiser, regardless of whether the flop improved their hand.
Cutoff: Second-best position — one seat before the button.
Equity: Your expected share of the pot. An outright win gives you the whole pot, while a two-way chop gives you half and a three-way chop gives you one-third. Equity is usually close to win percentage, but can differ when pots are split.
Flop: The first three community cards dealt face-up after the first betting round.
Fold: Surrendering your cards and exiting the current hand.
Heads-Up: A poker game or hand with only two players remaining.
Hijack: Third-best position — two seats before the button.
Hole Cards: The two private cards dealt to each player that only they can see.
Implied Odds: The ratio of expected future winnings to the current cost of a call. Accounts for chips you may win on later streets.
Kicker: An unpaired card used to break ties between hands of the same rank.
Nuts: The best possible hand given the current board cards.
Out: A card that will improve your hand, often counted to calculate odds.
Open-Ended Straight Draw: A straight draw that can be completed by one of four cards at either end, usually giving you eight outs.
Pocket Pair: When your two hole cards are a matching pair (like two Kings).
Position: Your seat relative to the dealer, affecting when you act in betting rounds.
Pot: The total chips bet by all players in the current hand.
Pot Odds: The ratio of the current pot size to the cost of calling a bet.
Preflop: The first betting round before any community cards are dealt.
Raise: Increasing the current bet, forcing others to match or fold.
River: The fifth and final community card dealt.
Showdown: When remaining players reveal their cards to determine who wins the pot.
Small Blind: The smaller of two forced bets, typically half the big blind.
Turn: The fourth community card dealt after the flop.
Under the Gun (UTG): First to act preflop — the most difficult position.
Value Bet: A bet made with a strong hand, sized to extract maximum chips from an opponent who is likely behind.
Win Percentage: Your chance of winning the pot outright, estimated by Monte Carlo simulation. Tied pots do not count as wins, so this can differ from equity when a hand is chopped.
Win Probability: Your chance of winning the pot outright, estimated by Monte Carlo simulation. Tied pots do not count as wins, so this can differ from equity when a hand is chopped.

For a complete overview of the game, read How to Play Texas Hold'em, study why table position matters, or learn about counting outs and equity calculations. Ready to practice? Start a free hand or begin the beginner course.