Less jargon.
More understanding.

55 terms

Hole cards

Your two private cards. Only you can see them and use them. Example: You hold A♠ K♥ face up at your seat; nobody else sees them. Learn in context →

Community cards

Cards dealt face up in the middle. Every player can use them with their own hole cards. Example: The flop 7♦ 2♣ J♥ belongs to both players. Learn in context →

Board

The community cards in the middle of the table, up to five of them. Example: On the river the board shows 7♦ 2♣ J♥ Q♠ 4♥. Learn in context →

Suit

One of the four card symbols: spades ♠, hearts ♥, diamonds ♦ and clubs ♣. No suit ranks above another. Example: A♠ and A♥ are both aces, in different suits. Learn in context →

Rank

A card’s value: 2 up to 10, then jack (J), queen (Q), king (K) and ace (A). Example: K outranks Q; an A is the highest rank. Learn in context →

Button

The D marker for the dealer’s seat. It moves one seat after each hand and acts last after the flop. Example: You have the D, so after the flop you act last. Learn in context →

Blinds

Forced bets posted before the cards are dealt, so every hand starts with chips in the pot. Example: Blinds 1 / 2: one player posts 1 chip, the next posts 2. Learn in context →

Small blind

The smaller forced bet. With two players, the button posts it. Example: At blinds 1 / 2, the small blind is 1 chip. Learn in context →

Big blind

The larger forced bet, usually twice the small blind. Stacks are often measured in big blinds. Example: At blinds 1 / 2, a 200-chip stack is 100 big blinds. Learn in context →

Ante

A small forced bet from every player, added to the pot before the hand begins. Example: Six players each put in a 1-chip ante: the pot starts at 6.

Stack

The chips you have in front of you that are not yet in the pot. Example: You started with 100, posted 2, so your stack is 98. Learn in context →

Effective stack

The smaller of two stacks: the most either player can win from, or lose to, the other. Example: You have 200, they have 80: the effective stack is 80.

Position

Where you sit compared with the button. Acting later lets you see what others do first. Example: On the button you act last after the flop: good position. Learn in context →

Heads-up

A hand between just two players. The button posts the small blind and acts first before the flop. Example: Only you and Finn are left: you are heads-up. Learn in context →

Preflop

The first betting round, after the hole cards are dealt and before any community cards. Example: You raise to 6 before the flop: a preflop raise. Learn in context →

Flop

The first three community cards, dealt together after the preflop betting ends. Example: The flop comes 7♦ 2♣ J♥. Learn in context →

Turn

The fourth community card, dealt after the flop betting round. Example: The turn is Q♠: four cards in the middle now. Learn in context →

River

The fifth and last community card. One final betting round follows it. Example: The river 4♥ completes a five-card board. Learn in context →

Street

A stage of the hand and its betting: preflop, flop, turn or river. Example: You checked on two streets: the flop and the turn. Learn in context →

Betting round

Each player in turn checks, bets, calls, raises or folds. It ends when all bets are matched. Example: Both players check: the flop betting round is over. Learn in context →

Showdown

After the last bet, the remaining players show their cards. The best five-card hand wins the pot. Example: At showdown your pair of aces beats a pair of kings. Learn in context →

Pot

All the chips put in during this hand. The winner of the hand takes them. Example: You and Finn each put in 2 chips: the pot is 4. Learn in context →

Side pot

An extra pot for chips a short all-in player can’t match. Only players who put chips in it can win it. Example: Ana is all-in for 20. Two others put in 50 each: their extra 30s form a 60-chip side pot. Learn in context →

Split pot

When the best hands tie exactly, the pot is shared equally between them. Example: Both players use the same straight on the board: a 40-chip pot splits 20 / 20. Learn in context →

Rake

A share of each pot that some card rooms keep. Fish2Shark’s practice table takes none. Example: With no rake, a 60-chip pot pays the winner all 60.

Check

Stay in without adding chips. You can only check when nobody has bet this round. Example: Nobody has bet on the flop, so you check for 0 chips. Learn in context →

Bet

The first chips put in on a betting round. Everyone else must then call, raise or fold. Example: Nobody has bet yet; you bet 2 chips. Learn in context →

Call

Match the current bet so you stay in the hand. Example: Finn bets 2; you call 2 chips to stay in. Learn in context →

Raise

Increase a bet someone already made. “Raise to 6” means your total for this round becomes 6. Example: Finn bets 2; you raise to 6, so your total this round is 6 chips. Learn in context →

Min-raise

The smallest legal raise: it must add at least as much as the last bet or raise did. Example: Facing a bet of 4, the min-raise is to 8. Learn in context →

Fold

Give up your hand. Chips you already put in stay in the pot. Example: You fold: your 2 chips stay in the pot, your stack is safe. Learn in context →

All-in

Putting all your remaining chips in the pot. Nobody can ask you for more in this hand. Example: You have 5 chips left and put all 5 in: you are all-in. Learn in context →

Opening raise

The first raise before the flop, when nobody else has raised or called yet. Example: Everyone folds to you on the button; you raise to 6 to open.

3-bet

A re-raise: the third bet in a sequence. Before the flop, the big blind counts as the first. Example: Big blind 2, Ana raises to 6, you re-raise to 18: a 3-bet.

Value bet

A bet made hoping that worse hands will call it. Example: You have top pair and bet 4, hoping a weaker pair calls.

Bluff

A bet with a weaker hand, hoping that better hands fold. Example: You missed your draw but bet 6, hoping Finn folds a pair.

Best five

Your strongest five cards from your two hole cards and the five community cards. Example: A A K 9 7 is your best five; the 5 and 2 don’t count. Learn in context →

High card

A hand with no pair or better. It is ranked by its highest card, then the next. Example: A♠ 9♦ on a 2 5 7 J K board: ace-high. Learn in context →

Pair

Two cards of the same rank, like two aces. Example: A♠ in your hand and A♦ on the board make a pair of aces. Learn in context →

Two pair

Two different pairs, plus one more card. Example: A A 5 5 K is two pair, aces and fives. Learn in context →

Three of a kind

Three cards of the same rank. It beats two pair. Example: Q Q Q 9 2 is three of a kind, queens. Learn in context →

Straight

Five cards in a row, in any suits. An ace can be high (10-J-Q-K-A) or low (A-2-3-4-5). Example: 5 6 7 8 9 of mixed suits is a straight. Learn in context →

Flush

Any five cards of one suit. It beats a straight. Example: Five hearts, like A♥ J♥ 8♥ 4♥ 2♥, make a flush. Learn in context →

Full house

Three of a kind plus a pair. It beats a flush. Example: K K K 5 5 is a full house, kings full of fives. Learn in context →

Four of a kind

All four cards of one rank. Only a straight flush beats it. Example: 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ 7♣ with any fifth card. Learn in context →

Straight flush

Five cards in a row, all of one suit. The highest hand; A-K-Q-J-10 of one suit is a royal flush. Example: 6♣ 7♣ 8♣ 9♣ 10♣ is a straight flush. Learn in context →

Kicker

A side card that breaks a tie when two hands share the same pair or rank. Example: Q Q with an A beats Q Q with a K: the ace kicker wins. Learn in context →

Suited

Both hole cards are the same suit. Example: A♥ 9♥ is suited: A9s in a chart.

Offsuit

Your two hole cards are different suits. Example: A♠ 9♦ is offsuit: A9o in a chart.

Draw

A hand that needs another card to become strong, like four cards to a flush. Example: Four hearts after the flop: one more heart makes your flush.

Outs

Unseen cards that would improve your hand. Improving doesn’t always mean winning. Example: Four hearts and nine hearts unseen: you have 9 outs to a flush.

Pot odds

The price of a call: call ÷ (pot + call). It tells you how often the call needs to win. Example: Call 20 to win 60: 20 ÷ 80 = 25%, so you need to win at least 25% of the time.

Equity

Your share of the pot on average if every remaining card were dealt, against the hands you assume. Example: 50% equity in a 40-chip pot is worth about 20 chips on average.

Range

All the hands a player could have in this spot, not one single guess. Example: Finn raised from early position: his range is mostly strong hands.

Variance

The normal ups and downs of results. A good decision can still lose a hand. Example: You called with the best hand and lost on the river: variance.