Poker has its own lingo, and keeping up with all the terms can feel like learning a new language. Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered with this handy guide to help you through some poker jargon.
3-BET/4-BET/5-BET
A 3-bet is the third bet on any given street. Pre-flop, the big blind is considered the first bet, a raise is the second bet, and a re-raise is the third bet (the 3-bet). Subsequent re-raises are 4/5/6-bets. Post flop, there is no big blind, so a 3-bet is the third aggressive action rather than the second. Example: Johnny Chan bets $100 on the flop, Phil Hellmuth raises to $300, Johnny Chan 3-bets to $1,000.
BACKDOOR
A flopped draw that requires both the turn and river to come in. Example: If a player has A♦K♦ and the flop is 10♠ 4♦ 7♣, that player has both backdoor flush and straight draws. Two diamonds would make them a flush and a Q and a J would make them a straight.
BLOCKER/BLOCK
A significant card that makes it less likely one’s opponent has certain hands. Example: If you have an ace in your hand it makes it less likely that an opponent has pocket aces
BUBBLE
The stage of a tournament when there is one player remaining before eliminated players begin getting paid.
DISTRIBUTION
Refers to how good a player’s hand is in relation to their total range. The most common application is when making a decision to call or fold with a hand that is almost always beat by what one’s opponent is representing. In order to avoid over-folding or over- calling, a player might call with the better of his bluff catchers and fold the worse ones even though they have the same relative value against his opponent’s polarized range.
DONK BET
A post-flop bet from out of position before the aggressor has the chance to act.
DOUBLE GUTTER
A straight draw that consists of two inside straight draws, giving it eight outs to a straight just like an open-ended straight draw. Example: Tony G. holds J-10. The board is 7-9-K. Either a queen or an eight will make him a straight.
ENTITLEMENT TILT
A form of tilt based on the strength of a player’s hand having diminished, manifesting in the player putting too many chips in the pot with what is now a weaker hand. Example: A player re-raises pocket aces pre-flop and gets called by two opponents. The board runs out with four to a straight and three to a flush. One opponent bets big, the other opponent calls, and the player with aces refuses to fold because they feel entitled to the pot due to the previous strength of their hand.
FLOAT
A call on the flop or the turn with a weak hand with the intention of bluffing later in the hand.
FOLD EQUITY
Equity refers to the likelihood that a player wins the hand based on their holding. Fold equity refers to the additional value gained by the possibility of a player getting their opponent to fold. Example: If a player raises a flush draw on the flop she no longer needs to hit her flush to win the hand and has gained additional equity because her opponent will sometimes fold.
GAME THEORY DISASTER
A Poker Guys original term™! Refers to when a player makes a bet that has few potential positive outcomes, i.e. most hands that will call beat the player’s hand and most hands that will fold lose to the player’s hand.
ICM
Independent Chip Model. An equation that attempts to quantify what a player’s tournament stack is fairly worth based on the prize pool. Differs from a direct division of equity based on chip stacks in that it values tournament life and thus short stacks get valued more than their direct equity and big stacks get valued less than theirs.
LEVEL/LEVELING
Making decisions based on the thought process you perceive your opponent to have.
POLARIZED
When a player has played a hand in a way that indicates their hand is either very strong or very weak.
RANGE
The perceived group of hands a player can have based on their previous actions in the hand.
RANGE ADVANTAGE
The range with the most equity based on the community cards and the previous actions in the hand. Example: If Erik Seidel raises under the gun and Joe Cada calls out of the big blind and they see a flop of A-3-9 rainbow, Seidel has a range advantage because a much higher percentage of his under the gun opening range has a good hand on this board than Cada’s big blind calling range.
RANGE NEUTRAL
Used to describe a board that does not favor any player in the hand. In other words, all players’ ranges have similar equity based on the previous actions in the hand.
SHOWDOWN
When there is no further action on the river and players expose their cards to determine the winner.
SHOWDOWNABLE
When a hand has showdown value.
SHOWDOWN VALUE
Refers to when a hand is considered good enough to sometimes win at showdown. Often is used in reference to weaker holdings.
SQUEEZE
After a pre-flop raise and at least one caller, when a player yet to act re-raises, usually with the intention of folding out all opponents.
THIN VALUE
Value betting a weaker than expected hand with the hope that one’s opponent may call with an inferior holding.
UNCAPPED
Refers to when a player has played a hand in such a way that their range includes the nuts.
WET/WET BOARD
A coordinated board (suited, or connected, or both) that allows for many strong made hands and draws.
+chipEV
Refers to a decision that, if made infinite times, would net the player positive chips. Often used when referring to a decision in a tournament that may be +chipEV but, with payouts in mind, is in fact an overall money losing decision.
Example: You are in a $100 buy-in satellite to the $10,000 Main Event. 55 players will win a $10,000 seat. There are 56 players remaining and the average stack is five big blinds. You have 20 big blinds and pocket aces. A 21 big blind stack at your table goes all in from under the gun. It would clearly be +chipEV to call with the current nuts, but it would not be a profitable decision over time because you could easily fold every hand and guarantee yourself the $10,000 seat. (It is key here that the $10,000 seat is both the minimum and maximum that you can win, there is no larger prize.)