POKER GLOSSARY

The first player to act before the flop — the seat directly to the left of the big blind. Acts first, so plays tightest.

The seat one to the left of UTG. Second to act before the flop.

The seat two to the left of UTG. Third to act before the flop.

Seats in the middle of the table — between early and late position. Plays a moderately wide range.

Two seats to the right of the button. Named because players here can "hijack" the action from late position.

One seat to the right of the button — the second-best position at the table. Can open wide.

The dealer position — the best seat at the table. Acts last on every post-flop street.

Posts half the minimum bet before cards are dealt. Acts second-to-last pre-flop but first post-flop.

Posts the full minimum bet before cards are dealt. Last to act pre-flop, first post-flop.

A unit for measuring stack size. "15BB" means your stack is 15 times the big blind. Shorter stacks have fewer options.

The smaller of the two stacks in a heads-up pot — the maximum either player can win or lose in that hand.

A player with significantly fewer chips than average. Usually has fewer options and must consider shoving rather than raising.

Moving all-in — pushing your entire stack into the pot. Common with short stacks (under ~15 big blinds).

Moving all-in after another player has already raised. Also called a "4-bet shove" or "squeeze shove."

The third bet in a sequence — a re-raise before the flop. The first bet is the blind, the second is an open-raise, and the third is a 3-bet.

A bet made on the flop by the player who raised before the flop. It "continues" the story of having a strong hand.

Calling a raise instead of re-raising. Also called "calling" or "flatting." Keeps the pot smaller and disguises hand strength.

The smallest legal raise — exactly twice the previous bet. Common in tournaments as an opening raise.

The first raise before the flop when no one else has entered the pot yet.

A mathematically balanced strategy that cannot be exploited over the long run, regardless of what your opponent does.

A method for calculating the real-money value of tournament chips. Because chips near the bubble are worth more, ICM says to play tighter than chip-EV alone would suggest.

A solved strategy where neither player can improve their result by changing their play, assuming the opponent also plays optimally.

The full set of hands a player could hold in a given situation. Good players think in ranges, not individual hands.

The overall character of the community cards — whether they are connected, suited, paired, or scattered. Affects which hands benefit most from the flop.

A flop with few connections or flush draws — e.g. K♠ 7♦ 2♣. Favors the pre-flop raiser.

A flop with many possible draws — e.g. J♥ T♥ 9♦. Many hands can improve, so bet sizing matters more.

The increase in prize money when a player is eliminated and everyone else moves up one payout spot. ICM pressure is highest near pay jumps.

The point in a tournament just before the money. The next elimination means everyone else gets paid. Players tighten up significantly.

The player with the most chips at the table or in the tournament. Has the most leverage to pressure shorter stacks.

Both hole cards are the same suit (e.g. A♥ K♥). Suited hands have extra value from flush potential.

Hole cards of different suits (e.g. A♥ K♦). Slightly weaker than suited equivalents.

Two hole cards of the same rank (e.g. 8♠ 8♦). Pairs are strong pre-flop hands.

The first betting round, before any community cards are dealt. Players act based on their two hole cards only.

Any betting round after the flop is dealt — the flop, turn, and river.

The most popular form of poker. Players are dealt two private cards and share five community cards. You can bet any amount up to your entire stack at any time.

The last table remaining in a tournament, typically 6–9 players. Every elimination is a pay jump.

A table format with a maximum of 6 players. Ranges are wider than at a full 9-handed table.

A full-ring table with up to 9 players. Ranges are tighter because more players can hold strong hands.