Glossary

The terms of Texas hold'em poker and home tournaments, sorted into three families. The English words are the ones you hear at the table.

Contents

1. The tournament

Add-on

A single extra purchase of chips, usually at the end of the rebuy period, often at a better rate than the initial buy-in.

Ante

A small forced bet from every player (or only from the big blind in the “big blind ante” format). It builds the pot and encourages players to play more hands.

Blinds

Forced bets (small and big blind) posted before the cards are dealt. They go up at every level to force eliminations.

Bounty

A share of the buy-in paid as a reward to the player who knocks out an opponent (“knockout” tournament).

Break

A scheduled interruption of the game, often after a set number of levels or at the add-on. The clock is stopped.

Bubble

The stage just before the paid places: one more player remains than there are prizes. The player who goes out wins nothing, so play gets very cautious.

Buy-in

The entry fee paid to take part in the tournament. It feeds the prize pool.

Chip Chop

Splitting the remaining prizes in proportion to each player's chips. Simple, but less accurate than ICM for short stacks.

Color up

Exchanging small chips for higher-value ones once the small denominations are no longer needed. It depends on the smallest chip in use.

Deal

An agreement between the players still in the game to share the remaining prizes and stop playing, instead of playing to the end.

Freezeout

A tournament with no rebuys or add-ons: every player gets only one life.

ICM

Independent Chip Model: a method that converts chips into money value. It shows that near the paid places a chip won is worth less than a chip lost.

Level

The period during which the blinds stay fixed before moving to the next level. Its length is chosen in advance (for example 15 or 20 minutes).

Prize pool

The total amount shared among the players who finish in the paid places: buy-ins, rebuys and add-ons combined.

Rebuy

Buying a new starting stack, allowed for a limited period (often the first levels), usually after losing all your chips.

Satellite

A tournament whose prize is not cash but a seat in a more expensive tournament.

Stack

All the chips a player has. It is best measured in big blinds rather than in chips.

2. The table and the actions

All-in

To commit all of your chips. A player who is all-in can no longer bet, but stays in the hand until the showdown.

Bet

To be the first to put chips in during a betting round.

Big blind (BB)

The forced bet of the next player. It is the reference blind of the level and the minimum bet in the round.

Board

The community cards dealt face up in the middle of the table: flop (3 cards), turn (1) and river (1).

Button

The marker that shows the nominal dealer. It moves one seat to the left after every hand and decides who posts the blinds.

Call

To match the current bet in order to stay in the hand.

Check

To pass the action without betting. Only possible if nobody has bet before you in the round.

Fold

To give up the hand and everything already bet.

Heads-up

A game with only two players, for example the end of a tournament. The button is also the small blind.

Kicker

The side card that breaks a tie between two players with the same combination. With A-K against A-Q on an A-7-4-9-2 board, the king beats the queen.

Nuts

The best possible hand on a given board at a given moment.

Raise

To increase a bet that has already been made. The minimum raise is at least the size of the previous bet or raise.

Showdown

The moment when the remaining players reveal their cards after the last betting round. The best hand wins the pot.

Side pot

A separate pot created when one player is all-in for less than the others. That player can only win the main pot.

Small blind (SB)

The forced bet of the first player to the left of the button, usually half of the big blind.

UTG (under the gun)

The first player to act preflop: the one seated to the left of the big blind. It is the most difficult position.

3. Strategy and maths

3-bet

A re-raise preflop. The blind counts as the first bet, the raise is the 2-bet and the re-raise is the 3-bet.

Bluff

Betting or raising with a weak hand to make a better hand fold.

C-bet

Continuation bet: betting the flop after raising preflop, whether or not you hit the flop.

Equity

The share of the pot a hand wins on average if the hand were played out a very large number of times.

Implied odds

Pot odds increased by what you expect to win on later streets if you hit. It requires deep stacks.

Limp

To enter the pot preflop by simply calling the big blind instead of raising.

Outs

Cards left in the deck that improve your hand to a winner. A flush draw on the flop has 9 outs.

Position

Your seat at the table relative to the button. Acting last gives you extra information, which is a major advantage.

Pot odds

The ratio between the bet you must call and the total pot. Calling 25 into a pot of 100 requires at least 20% winning chances.

Push/fold

A short-stack strategy (below about 15 big blinds): you either shove all-in or fold, with no intermediate raise.

Range

The set of hands a player might hold in a given situation. We think in ranges rather than trying to guess one exact hand.

Semi-bluff

A bluff made with a draw (flush, straight): you win if the opponent folds, and you still have outs if he calls.

Squeeze

A re-raise after an open raise followed by one or more callers. The players already in often fold.

Tilt

Playing worse because of emotion, often after a lost pot. The only reliable cure is to take a break.

Value bet

Betting a strong hand to be called by a weaker one.

Variance

The gap between actual results and what the odds predict. Over a small number of hands, luck dominates.

For the full rules and hand rankings, see the rules of the game; to organise your own game, read the tournament guide.