Glossary
Poker Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the math and concepts behind every winning poker decision. Each term links to the relevant tool and article.
Ante
A small forced bet every player posts before the deal, on top of the blinds.
Bad Beat Jackpot (BBJ)
A casino promotion that pays a big pooled prize when a monster hand loses to an even bigger one.
Bankroll
The money set aside exclusively for poker, separate from rent and bills.
Blinds
Forced bets posted by the two players left of the button before any cards are dealt.
Bomb Pot
A hand where everyone antes in and the flop is dealt immediately, with no preflop betting.
Equity
The share of the pot a hand will win on average if all remaining cards are dealt.
EV (Expected Value)
The average amount you win or lose per identical decision over the long run.
Fold Equity
The portion of an aggressive line's value that comes from your opponent folding.
GTO (Game Theory Optimal)
A strategy that can't be exploited, no matter how your opponents adjust to it.
ICM (Independent Chip Model)
A model for converting tournament chip stacks into real-money equity.
Implied Odds
Extra money you expect to win on later streets when your draw hits.
Insurance
A side deal in an all-in pot where you pay a premium to guarantee getting money back if you lose.
LAG (Loose-Aggressive)
Loose-aggressive: a high-pressure style that plays lots of hands and bets relentlessly.
Marker
An IOU for chips or cash — playing on credit instead of money on the table.
Nit
An extremely tight player who only puts money in with premium hands.
Position
Where you sit relative to the button — which decides when you act on every street.
Pot Odds
The price you're being offered to call, expressed as the equity you need to break even.
Rabbit Hunting
Dealing the remaining board cards after a hand is over, just to see what would have come.
Rake
The fee the house takes from each pot, usually a percentage of the pot up to a fixed cap.
Rakeback
A rebate that returns a slice of the rake you've paid, usually as a loyalty reward.
ROI (Return on Investment)
Return on investment: profit as a percentage of total buy-ins — the standard scorecard for tournaments.
Run It Twice
Dealing the remaining board cards twice in an all-in pot and splitting the pot between the two runouts.
Splash Pot
A pot the house seeds with extra money — free chips added before the deal as a promotion.
SPR (Stack-to-Pot Ratio)
Stack-to-pot ratio: the effective stack divided by the pot — a quick measure of how committed you are.
Straddle
A voluntary blind bet — usually double the big blind — posted before the cards to buy the last preflop action.
Table Stakes
The rule that you can only bet the chips you had on the table when the hand began.
TAG (Tight-Aggressive)
Tight-aggressive: the default winning style — play few hands, but play them hard.
Tilt
Playing worse because of emotion — anger, frustration, or the need to win it back.
Variance
How widely your real results swing around your true win rate.
Win Rate
Your average profit per unit of play — big blinds per 100 hands online, dollars per hour live.