If you’re new to online poker, it’s important that you learn the basic poker terms and poker slang terms used by players. This glossary provides definitions of common online poker terms so that you can understand the game better.
The poker terms you should know before start playing:
- 3-bet – a bet that is the third raise in a round of betting.
- 7-card Stud – a poker game in which each player is dealt seven cards, three faces down and four face up.
- All-in – When a player bets all of their chips.
- Bad Beat – a term used to describe a hand in which a player loses despite having the better hand. Bad beats often happen online poker and can be very frustrating for players.
- Bankroll – the total amount of money that a player has available to them for poker.
- Big Blind – the larger of the two blind bets in a round of poker, typically double the small blind.
- Blank – a card that doesn’t appear to help any player’s hand.
- Blinds – two forced bets that must be made by the two players to the left of the dealer button before any cards are dealt.
- Board – the community cards in a flop game that are dealt face up in the middle of the table and shared by all players.
- Button – a marker used to indicate which player is the dealer for the current hand.
- Buy-in – the minimum amount of money required to join a poker game.
- Call – to match the current bet made by another player.
- Check – to pass on betting when it is your turn, with the option to call or raise if another player bets.
- Chip – a token used to represent money in poker. Chips can be bought for cash at the start of a game or cashed in for cash at the end of a game.
- Community cards – cards that are dealt face up in the middle of the table and shared by all players.
- Donk bet – a small bet made by a player who has just won a hand. It is generally considered to be bad poker etiquette to make a donk bet, as it can give away information about your hand strength.
- Fish – a weak player who often makes poor decisions and loses money.
- Flop – the flop is the first three community cards that are dealt face-up in a game of Texas Hold’em. Players use these cards, along with their two-hole cards, to make the best possible five-card hand.
- Fold – to give up your hand and stop playing for that round.
- Freeroll – a tournament with no entry fee. These tournaments are often used by online poker rooms to attract new players.
- Grinder – a poker player who plays a tight, conservative style and aims to make small but consistent profits. Grinders are often considered to be boring players, as they tend to play very few hands and fold often.
- Hand – the five cards (two hole cards and three community cards) that a player uses to make their best poker hand.
- High card – a hand with no pairs, straight or flush consisting of only the highest card.
- Hole cards – the two face-down cards dealt with each player at the start of a hand.
- In-the-money – a term used to describe a player who has made it to the final table or is otherwise in a position to win money in a tournament.
- LAG – stands for “loose aggressive.” It is a playing style characterized by loose preflop play and aggressive betting and raising. LAGs can be very successful in online poker, but they can also be very dangerous, as they tend to play a lot of hands and can get themselves into trouble.
- Limp – to enter the pot by just calling the big blind instead of raising.
- Muck – the pile of cards that are discarded by players during a hand. These cards are not used in the hand and are not shown to any player.
- Omaha – a type of online poker that is similar to Texas Hold’em, but with four-hole cards instead of two. Omaha is a very popular game and is often played for high stakes.
- Outs – the number of cards that will improve a player’s hand. Outs can be used to calculate pot odds and help players make decisions about their hands.
- Pineapple – a type of online poker that is similar to Texas Hold’em, but with three-hole cards instead of two. Pineapple poker is a popular game and is often played for high stakes.
- Pocket pair – a term used to describe a situation where a player has two of the same cards in their hand. Pocket pairs are often considered to be strong hands.
- Poker face – an expressionless face that does not give away any information about the player’s hand. Poker faces are very important in online poker, as players cannot see each other’s faces and must rely on tells to get information about their opponents’ hands.
- Position – the position of a player at the table in relation to the dealer. The position is important in online poker because it can give players an advantage or disadvantage.
- Pot – the money that is bet by all of the players in a hand of online poker. The pot is won by the player who has the best hand at the end of the hand.
- Pot Odds – the ratio of the current size of the pot to the cost of a call. Pot odds are used to help players decide whether or not to call or fold in a particular situation.
- Preflop – the first betting round in online poker, which takes place after all players have been dealt their hole cards.
- Raise – to increase the amount of money that has been bet on a particular hand. Raises can be made pre-flop, on the flop, on the turn, or on the river.
- Rake – the fee that online poker rooms charge for each hand of poker that is played. Rakes typically range from $0.01 to $0.05 per hand.
- River – the fifth and final community card in a game of online poker. The river is dealt with after the flop and turn have been dealt with.
- Satellite – a tournament in which the prize is not money, but rather entering into a larger tournament. Satellites are often used to qualify for big events like the World Series of Poker Main Event.
- Short Stack – a stack of chips that is less than the average stack size in a particular online poker tournament or cash game. Short stacks are often forced to play more aggressively than players with larger stacks.
- Showdown – the point in a game of online poker at which all remaining players reveal their hands. The player with the best hand wins the pot.
- Sit-and-Go – a type of online poker tournament that starts when all the seats are filled. Sit-and-go tournaments can have any number of players, but they are typically small, with around ten players.
- Small Blind – The smaller of two blinds in a game of online poker. The small blind is typically half of the big blind.
- Split Pot – a pot that is shared between two or more players. This can happen if two or more players have the same hand, or if one player has a better hand and the other player has a worse hand.
- Stack – the number of chips that a player has in front of them. Players can only bet or raise by using chips from their own stack.
- Stop and Go – a strategy employed by short stack players in online poker tournaments. Stop and go involves shoving all-in pre-flop with a very strong hand, such as Ace-King or Pocket Aces, in an attempt to double up.
- Table Selection – the process of choosing an online poker table to play at based on factors such as player skill level, table stakes, and table size.
- Texas Hold’em – the most popular form of poker played online. In Texas Hold’em, each player is dealt two cards, and then five community cards are dealt in the middle of the table.
- Tight Aggressive – a style of play characterized by playing few hands and betting aggressively when in position. Tight aggressive players are often successful online poker players.
- Tight player – a player who doesn’t play many hands. Tight players only play when they have a good hand, and they fold when they don’t have a good hand.
- Turn – the fourth community card that is dealt in Texas Hold’em. The turn is also sometimes called Fourth Street.
- Underdog – a player who has a less than 50% chance of winning a hand. Underdogs can still win hands, but they are at a disadvantage.
- Value Bet – a bet that is made when a player has a good hand. Value bets are made to try and get other players to call or raise.
- Whale – a term used to describe a very big spender or high roller. Whales typically deposit large sums of money into online poker sites and play at high-stakes tables.
- Windfall – a term used to describe a large sum of money won. Windfalls can happen online poker when a player wins a big tournament or hits a lucky streak of cards.
- Wrap – a type of straight draw. A wrap is when a player has four cards in a row that can be used to make a straight. For example, if the board shows Ace-King-Queen, and the player has a Jack and a Ten, they have a wrap.
When you’re playing online poker, it’s important to know the lingo. These basic poker terms will help you understand the game and chat with other players. Now that you know some of the most common poker terms, you can sit down at any online poker table with confidence!