Poker basics

Poker Terms and Slang: A Glossary from the Button to EV

Poker has its own language: you limp, 3-bet, c-bet and get coolered, the fish calls and the reg folds. Without the vocabulary, strategy articles, hand discussions and even the buttons in a poker app are hard to follow. This glossary groups the terms the way the game itself is built — seats, streets, actions, bets, hands, maths, players and money — with a short explanation and an example for each.

Updated: 20 October 2026

Key takeaways

Terms are grouped by topic: positions → dealer → streets → actions → bets → hands → maths → players → money → slang.
The dealer button decides who posts the blinds and who acts first — and it moves one seat clockwise every hand.
There are forced bets (blinds, ante, straddle) and voluntary bets (open-raise, 3-bet, c-bet, donk bet, all-in); size them in fractions of the pot.
Four numbers to know: outs, equity, pot odds and EV. Pot odds = call ÷ (pot + call).

6seats at a 6-max table, each with its own name

4betting rounds: preflop, flop, turn, river

5community cards on the board

25%equity you need to call a half-pot bet

Poker words: why the vocabulary matters

Most poker terms come from English — check, call, raise, nuts — and many are abbreviations: UTG, CO, BTN, EV, SPR. Knowing them is not about sounding like a pro. It’s about reading a hand history, understanding a strategy article, following the chat at a club table and pressing the right button in the app.

Step 1Seatspositions and blinds

Step 2Streetspreflop to river

Step 3Actionscheck, bet, call, raise

Step 4Handsmade hands and draws

Step 5Mathsouts, equity, EV

Step 6Moneyrake, rakeback, bankroll

How this glossary is organised

If you are completely new, start with the poker rules and hand rankings, then come back here. A step-by-step learning plan is in how to learn poker from scratch.

Poker positions: the table, the button and the blinds

Your position is your seat relative to the dealer button. It decides when you act — and acting later, with more information, is one of the biggest edges in poker. In a 6-max game every seat has its own name:

Action goes clockwisePreflop: UTG → HJ → CO → BTN → SB → BBAfter the flop: SB first, BTN lastD

4BTNButton — acts last after the flop1UTGFirst to act preflop2HJHijack3COCutoff

earlymiddlelate — the best seats6-max table: the button (D) acts last after the flop; the small and big blind sit to its left.

Term	What it means	Example
Button (BTN, dealer)	The seat with the dealer button. Acts last on the flop, turn and river — the best seat at the table	“Raise from the button with K-9 suited is standard”
Small blind (SB)	First seat left of the button; posts a forced half-bet before the cards. Acts first after the flop	Blinds 1/2: the SB posts 1
Big blind (BB)	Second seat left of the button; posts a full forced bet. Acts last preflop	Blinds 1/2: the BB posts 2 — the stake is named by it (“2 big blinds”)
UTG (under the gun)	First to act preflop, left of the big blind. Plays the tightest range	“UTG opened, so I folded A-J offsuit”
MP / HJ (middle, hijack)	Seats between UTG and the cutoff; at 6-max the seat before the CO is the hijack	At a 9-max table there are UTG, UTG+1, UTG+2, MP, HJ
CO (cutoff)	The seat right of the button; the second-best position	“The CO opens wide to steal the blinds”
In position / out of position (IP/OOP)	IP — you act after your opponent on every post-flop street; OOP — before	BTN vs BB: the button is in position
Early / late position	Early — UTG and nearby; late — CO and BTN	“Play speculative hands from late position”

The blinds are why position rotates: the button moves every hand, so everyone pays the blinds and plays the button in turn. Ranges by seat are covered in our Texas Hold’em guide.

The dealer in poker: who deals and what the button means

The word dealer has two meanings in poker, and beginners often mix them up.

The dealer as a personIn a casino a croupier shuffles, deals, collects bets, counts the pot and pushes it to the winner. Online and in club apps the software does all of this with a random number generator.

The dealer buttonA disc marked “D” in front of one player. It shows who is the nominal dealer this hand: the blinds are posted to its left and its owner acts last after the flop.

1
Before the hand, the small blind (first seat left of the button) and the big blind (next seat) post their forced bets.
2
Cards are dealt one at a time clockwise, starting with the small blind; the button gets its cards last.
3
Preflop the first player to act is UTG, left of the big blind; the big blind acts last.
4
On the flop, turn and river the first active player left of the button acts first; the button acts last.
5
After the hand the button moves one seat clockwise — and with it the blinds.

Heads-up (two players) is the exception: the button posts the small blind, acts first preflop and last after the flop. In live games you may also hear about a “dead button” — when a player leaves, the button can stay in an empty seat for a hand so nobody skips the blinds.

Related terms: dealer’s choice — the player on the button picks the game for the round; misdeal — an error in dealing that cancels the hand; burn card — the top card discarded face down before the flop, turn and river in live games.

A poker hand and its streets: preflop, flop, turn, river

A hand is one full deal: from the blinds and hole cards to the moment the pot is pushed to the winner. Each hand is split into streets — betting rounds after new cards appear.

Step 1Preflop2 hole cards each, first betting round

Step 2Flop3 community cards

Step 3Turn4th card

Step 4River5th card, last round

Step 5Showdowncards are shown, best hand wins

The streets of a Hold’em hand

Term	What it means	Example
Hole cards	Your private cards: 2 in Hold’em, 4–6 in Omaha	“I was dealt pocket queens”
Board	The community cards everyone uses	Board K♠ 7♦ 2♣ 9♥ 4♠
Pot	All chips bet in the hand	“The pot was 40 big blinds by the river”
Side pot	A separate pot for players with chips left when someone is all-in for less	A short stack can win only the main pot
Showdown	Players still in after the river show their cards	“He mucked at showdown”
Muck	Discarded cards; to muck — throw your hand away without showing	Losing at showdown, you can muck
Heads-up / multiway	A pot with two players / with three or more	“Bluff less in multiway pots”
Run it twice	With everyone all-in, the remaining cards are dealt twice and the pot is split by the results	A club table setting in many apps

Full order of play: poker rules.

Player actions: check, bet, call, raise, fold

Action	What it means	Example (blinds 1/2)
Check	Pass the action without betting — only if nobody has bet on this street	Flop: you and your opponent both check
Bet	The first bet on a street	Flop pot 10: you bet 6
Call	Match the current bet	Opponent bets 6, you put in 6
Raise	Increase the current bet	Opponent bets 6, you raise to 18
Fold	Throw your hand away and give up the pot	Facing a big raise with nothing
Limp	Just call the big blind preflop instead of raising	UTG puts in 2 — usually a weak play
Open-raise	The first raise preflop	Raise to 5 (2.5 BB) from the CO
3-bet / re-raise	A raise over a raise. Preflop the blind is the 1st bet, the open is the 2nd, the re-raise is the 3rd	CO opens to 5, BTN 3-bets to 15
4-bet, 5-bet	The next re-raises	CO 4-bets to 36 against the 3-bet
All-in	Put your whole stack in the pot	“Shove” and “push” mean the same
Check-raise	Check, then raise after the opponent bets	A strong move from out of position
Continuation bet (c-bet)	A bet on the flop by the preflop raiser	You opened preflop and bet the flop K-7-2
Donk bet	A bet into the preflop raiser by a player out of position, without checking to them first	BB calls a raise and leads out on the flop
Straddle	A voluntary blind raise, usually 2 BB from UTG, posted before the cards; the straddler acts last preflop	Blinds 1/2, straddle 4

Say your action — or press the button — once and clearly. In live poker a string bet (adding chips in several motions without announcing a raise) counts only as a call.

Types of bets in poker

Bets in poker are either forced — posted before the cards so there is something to play for — or voluntary — every bet a player chooses to make. Each voluntary bet has a purpose: value, bluff or protection.

Forced bets

Bet	Who posts it	Example
Small and big blind	Two seats left of the button, every hand	Blinds 0.5/1, 1/2, 5/10
Ante	Every player, in addition to or instead of the blinds	Tournaments in later levels; some club tables
Straddle	Usually UTG, voluntarily, if the table allows it	Raises the effective stakes for that hand
Bomb pot ante	Everyone, and there’s no preflop betting	See bomb pots
Post	A new player or one returning after missing blinds	Posting a big blind to get a hand right away

Voluntary bets

Value betYou bet because worse hands will call. The main source of profit at low stakes.

BluffYou bet with a weak hand so that better hands fold.

Semi-bluffA bluff with a draw: you can win now if they fold, or later if you hit.

OverbetA bet bigger than the pot. Polarised: the nuts or a bluff.

Block betA small bet out of position to set a cheap price instead of facing a bigger bet.

Probe betA bet on the turn after the preflop raiser checked behind on the flop.

Betting limits: how much you are allowed to bet

Format	Maximum bet	Example
No-Limit (NL)	Your whole stack at any time	NLHE — No-Limit Hold’em
Pot-Limit (PL)	The size of the pot, counting your call	Pot 10, opponent bets 5: max raise = call 5 (pot becomes 20) + 20 = to 25
Fixed-Limit (FL)	Fixed bet sizes: small on preflop and flop, double on turn and river	Limit 2/4

The minimum raise in No-Limit and Pot-Limit is the size of the previous bet or raise. Blinds 1/2, a player raises to 6 (an increase of 4) — the next re-raise must be at least to 10.

Bet sizing: how much to bet

Post-flop bets are measured in fractions of the pot. The size sets the price for your opponent: the bigger the bet, the more equity they need to call — and the more often a bluff has to work.

Bet size	Typical use	Equity opponent needs to call	How often a bluff must work
¼ pot	Small c-bets on dry boards, block bets	≈16.7%	20%
⅓ pot	C-bets on dry boards	20%	25%
½ pot	Standard value and c-bets	25%	≈33.3%
⅔ pot	Wet boards, value hands and draws	≈28.6%	40%
¾ pot	Big value, protection	30%	≈42.9%
Pot	Strong polarised bets	≈33.3%	50%
2× pot (overbet)	The nuts or a bluff	40%	≈66.7%

Formulas: equity to call = bet ÷ (pot + 2 × bet); a bluff breaks even when opponents fold bet ÷ (pot + bet) of the time. Preflop the open is measured in big blinds — 2–2.5 BB online, plus about 1 BB for each limper — and a 3-bet is roughly 3× the open in position and 3.5–4× out of position.

Rules of thumb for bet sizing
Bet bigger on wet, connected boards and smaller on dry ones.
Against players who call too much, bet bigger with value hands.
Choose the size for your whole range, not to “disguise” one hand.
Think about stacks: with three bets of the right size you should be all-in by the river when you want to be.

Hands and draws: nuts, kicker, set, gutshot

Term	What it means	Example
Nuts	The best possible hand on this board	On Q-J-8 rainbow T-9 makes the nut straight
Kicker	The side card that decides between equal pairs	A-Q vs K-Q on a Q-8-3 board: the ace kicker wins
Top pair, TPTK	A pair with the highest board card; TPTK — with the best kicker	A-Q on Q-8-3
Overpair	A pocket pair higher than every board card	K-K on J-7-2
Set	Three of a kind with a pocket pair	7-7 on 7-K-2
Trips	Three of a kind with one hole card and a pair on the board	K-7 on 7-7-2
Flush draw	Four cards of a suit, one more needed: 9 outs	Q♦ T♦ on 9♦ 4♦ 2♠
Open-ended straight draw (OESD)	Four in a row open at both ends: 8 outs	9-8 on 7-6-2
Gutshot	An inside straight draw, one rank missing: 4 outs	J-T on 8-7-2 needs a nine
Combo draw	Flush draw plus straight draw: up to 15 outs	J♥ T♥ on 9♥ 8♣ 2♥
Backdoor draw	A draw that needs both the turn and the river	Two suited hole cards and one more card of that suit on the flop
Overcards	Hole cards higher than every board card	A-K on 9-6-2: six outs to a pair
Suited / offsuit (s/o)	Hole cards of one suit / of different suits	AKs, AKo
Connectors, broadway	Cards next to each other in rank; broadway — T, J, Q, K, A	8-7s; K-Q

Your handT9

FlopThe nuts: a straight from queen down to eight. No flush is possible on a rainbow board, and any set is weaker.QJ8

Your hand77

FlopA set of sevens — a well-hidden, very strong hand. With K-7 on a 7-7-2 board it would be trips.7K2

Your handJT

FlopA gutshot: only a nine completes the straight — 4 outs, about 16.5% by the river.872

All ten hand categories with examples: poker hand rankings.

Poker maths: outs, equity, pot odds, EV, SPR, ICM

Term	What it means	Example
Out	A card that improves your hand to the likely winner	Flush draw — 9 outs
Rule of 2 and 4	Outs × 4 on the flop ≈ chance by the river; outs × 2 on the turn ≈ chance on the river	9 outs × 4 ≈ 36% (exactly ≈35%)
Equity	Your share of the pot if all the cards were dealt out	A-A vs K-K preflop ≈ 82%
Pot odds	The price of a call: call ÷ (pot + call)	Pot 100, bet 50: 50 ÷ 200 = 25% (odds 3 to 1)
Implied odds	Money you expect to win later if you hit	Calling with a small pair to hit a set
EV (expected value)	The average result of a decision over many repetitions: Σ probability × outcome	“This call is +5 BB EV”
Fold equity	The extra value of a bet from the chance that opponents fold	A semi-bluff shove with a flush draw
SPR (stack-to-pot ratio)	Effective stack ÷ pot on the flop	Pot 19.5 BB, stacks 91 BB: SPR ≈ 4.7
ICM	Independent Chip Model: converts tournament stacks into money; chips you lose cost more than chips you win	Near the money bubble you call all-ins tighter
Win rate, bb/100	Profit in big blinds per 100 hands	+5 bb/100 — a good result at micro stakes
Variance	The natural swings of results around your expected value	Losing 10 buy-ins while playing well

Pot odds in one example

Your handQT

FlopFlush draw: 9 outs, ≈19% to hit on the turn. Opponent bets 50 into 100: you need 50 ÷ (150 + 50) = 25%. For one card the price is a little too high — implied odds decide.942

More on these ideas: variance, the equity calculator, push/fold charts and the variance calculator. How EV turns into winnings is covered in how to win at poker.

Player types: fish, reg, tight, loose

Players are described on two axes: how many hands they play (tight — few, loose — many) and how they play them (aggressive — bets and raises, passive — checks and calls).

TAG (tight-aggressive)Few hands, played with raises. The standard winning style for beginners.

LAG (loose-aggressive)Many hands, lots of pressure. Profitable for strong players, expensive for weak ones.

NitPlays only premium hands and rarely bluffs. When a nit raises big — believe it.

Calling stationLoose-passive: calls with anything, rarely raises. Don’t bluff — value-bet.

ManiacRaises and re-raises with almost anything. Huge swings in both directions.

Fish / regA fish is a weak recreational player; a reg (regular) plays a lot and seriously. A shark is a strong reg.

Two numbers from tracking software describe a style: VPIP — how often a player voluntarily puts money in preflop, and PFR — how often they raise preflop. A typical 6-max TAG plays around 22–26% / 18–22%. Which trackers are allowed in apps: HUDs and trackers.

Money and clubs: rake, rakeback, buy-in, agent, union

Term	What it means	Example
Rake	The fee the room or club takes from each pot or tournament	5% of the pot with a cap — see rake in poker apps
Cap	The maximum rake from one pot	Cap 3 BB: a 200 BB pot pays 3 BB, not 10
Rakeback	Part of the paid rake returned to the player	30% rakeback — see rakeback in clubs
Buy-in	The chips you bring to a cash table, or a tournament entry fee	100 BB buy-in; a $10 tournament
Rebuy / add-on	Buying more chips in a tournament during / after the rebuy period	A rebuy tournament
Stakes, NL10	The size of the blinds; NL10 = No-Limit with $0.05/$0.10 blinds	Moving up from NL10 to NL25
Bankroll	Money set aside only for poker	20–50 buy-ins for cash — see bankroll
Club	A private game inside an app, run by an owner	ClubGG, PPPoker clubs
Agent	The club’s representative who issues and cashes out chips and pays rakeback	Read who poker agents are
Union	An alliance of clubs with shared tables and player pool	Read how unions work
Cash game / MTT / SNG	A ring game with chips = money / a multi-table tournament / a sit-and-go	“I play cash, not MTTs”
Freeroll	A tournament with no entry fee	Free tournaments with prizes

Calculate the stakes your bankroll supports with the bankroll calculator.

Poker slang: tilt, bad beat, cooler and more

Slang	What it means	Example
Tilt	Playing worse because of emotions	After a bad beat he started calling everything
Bad beat	Losing as a big favourite	A-A loses all-in to 7-2
Cooler	A loss with a strong hand against an even stronger one — unavoidable	K-K vs A-A preflop
Suckout	Winning as a big underdog with a lucky card	A gutshot on the river
Slowplay	Playing a strong hand passively to trap	Just calling with a set
Float	Calling with a weak hand to take the pot later	Call the flop, bet when they check the turn
Hero / villain	You and your opponent in a hand discussion	“Hero raises, villain 3-bets”
Short stack / deep	A small stack (often under 40 BB) / a big one (over 100 BB)	Short stacks play push/fold
Chop	Splitting the pot equally	Both players have the same straight
Steal	Raising from late position to win the blinds	BTN open with a weak hand
Donk	A weak player (rude); also short for a donk bet	Avoid it in the table chat
Ship it	Win the pot / go all-in	“Ship it!” in the chat

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FAQ

01What are the basic poker terms a beginner needs?

Blinds, button, preflop/flop/turn/river, check, bet, call, raise, fold, all-in, pot, kicker, outs and pot odds. That set is enough to follow any hand.

02What is the dealer in poker?

Either the person (or software) that deals the cards, or the dealer button — the marker showing the nominal dealer. The blinds are posted to its left and the button acts last after the flop.

03What types of bets are there in poker?

Forced bets — blinds, ante, straddle — and voluntary ones: open-raise, 3-bet, c-bet, donk bet, overbet, block bet, all-in. By purpose they are value bets, bluffs and semi-bluffs.

04What is a hand in poker?

One full deal from the blinds and hole cards to the moment the pot is awarded. It has up to four betting rounds — preflop, flop, turn and river — and may end in a showdown.

05What are the positions in poker?

At 6-max: UTG, HJ, CO, BTN, SB and BB. Early positions act first and play tighter; the button acts last after the flop and plays the widest range.

06What does 3-bet mean?

A re-raise over a raise. Preflop the big blind counts as the first bet and the open-raise as the second, so the re-raise is the third bet.

07What is EV in poker?

Expected value — the average amount a decision wins or loses over many repetitions. Positive EV (+EV) decisions make money in the long run.

08What is the difference between a fish and a reg?

A fish is a weak recreational player; a reg is a regular who plays often and seriously. Most profit at the table comes from fish.