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Poker Glossary: Poker Terminology and Terms Every Player Should Know

Updated 30 October 2026 · 8 min read

Poker has its own language. Use this poker glossary as a cheat sheet while you learn; the terms are grouped by topic so you can find them quickly.

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Table and betting terms

Term	Meaning
Ante	A small forced bet from every player before the hand (used in some formats).
Blinds	Forced bets by the two players left of the dealer button.
Button	The dealer position, which acts last after the flop.
Call	Match the current bet.
Check	Pass the action without betting.
Raise	Increase the bet.
Fold	Give up the hand.
All in	Bet all of your chips.
Pot	The total chips bet in a hand.
Rake	A small fee the poker room takes from pots.
Showdown	Players show their cards after the last betting round.
Stack	The chips a player has.
Buy-in	The amount you bring to the table or pay to enter a tournament.

Board and card terms

Term	Meaning
Hole cards	Your private cards.
Flop	The first three community cards.
Turn	The fourth community card.
River	The fifth community card.
Board	All the community cards.
Kicker	The side card that breaks ties.
Nuts	The best possible hand at that moment.
Outs	Cards that improve your hand.
Draw	A hand that needs one more card to improve (flush draw, straight draw).
Set	Three of a kind using a pocket pair and one board card.
Suited connectors	Two cards of the same suit in sequence, like 8♠7♠.

Position terms

Term	Meaning
UTG	Under the gun: the first player to act preflop.
MP	Middle position.
HJ / CO	Hijack and cutoff: the two seats before the button.
BTN	The button, the best position.
SB / BB	Small blind and big blind.
In position (IP)	Acting after your opponent.
Out of position (OOP)	Acting before your opponent.

See the position chart for how to use each seat.

Strategy terms

Term	Meaning
3-bet	The third bet in a round, a re-raise of a raise (the blind is the first bet).
C-bet	Continuation bet: a bet on the flop by the preflop raiser.
Check-raise	Check, then raise after someone bets.
Value bet	A bet made because you think you have the best hand.
Bluff	A bet made with a weak hand to make better hands fold.
Semi-bluff	A bluff with a draw that can still improve.
Equity	Your share of the pot, based on the chance of winning.
Pot odds	The price you are getting to call, compared with the chance of winning.
ICM	Independent chip model: converts tournament chip stacks into prize value.
GTO	Game theory optimal: an unexploitable, balanced strategy.
Range	All the hands a player could have in a spot.
Tilt	Playing badly because of emotion.
Bad beat	Losing a hand that was a big favourite.
Bankroll	The money you set aside for poker.

Game and tournament terms

Term	Meaning
Cash game	A game where chips are real value at any time and you can join and leave freely.
Sit & Go (SNG)	A small tournament that starts when enough players sit.
Freezeout	A tournament where you cannot rebuy.
Rebuy	Buying more chips after you lose yours.
Bounty	A prize for knocking out a player.
Satellite	A tournament that awards entries to bigger events.
Freeroll	A tournament with no entry fee.
Turbo	A tournament with fast-rising blinds.
Heads up	A game between two players.
6-max / 9-max	Tables with 6 or 9 seats.

Frequently asked questions

What does the term "nuts" mean in poker?

The nuts is the best possible hand on the current board. The "nut flush" is the highest possible flush.

What is the difference between cash game and tournament?

In a cash game each chip has a fixed value and you can leave anytime; in a tournament you pay once, play until your chips are gone and prizes are paid to the top finishers.