Poker Glossary

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3-Bet A 3-bet is the second re-raise preflop, meaning the third aggressive action in a betting sequence. After an open-raise and a re-raise (the 2-bet being the original raise), the 3-bet puts significant pressure on the initial raiser and forces them to defend a narrower range.

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4-Bet A 4-bet is the third re-raise in a preflop betting sequence. It occurs after an open-raise, a 3-bet, and then a raise on top. 4-bets signal extreme strength or a well-timed bluff, and they often commit a significant portion of the effective stack.

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All-In Going all-in means betting or calling with every chip you have remaining. In no-limit hold'em, any player can go all-in at any time. This is the highest-pressure action in poker and is especially common in tournaments as stacks get shorter.

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Ante An ante is a forced bet that every player at the table must contribute before the hand begins. In modern MTTs, a single 'big blind ante' is often posted by the big blind position, equal to one big blind, simplifying the process.

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Big Blind The big blind (BB) is a mandatory bet posted by the player two seats left of the dealer button. It defines the minimum bet size for the hand and serves as the baseline unit for measuring stack depths and bet sizes in tournament poker.

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Blind Steal A blind steal is an open-raise from late position (typically the Cutoff, Button, or Small Blind) designed to win the blinds and antes without seeing a flop. It exploits the tight folding ranges of the players in the blinds.

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Blocker A blocker is a card in your hand that reduces the likelihood of your opponent holding a specific combination. For example, holding an ace means your opponent is less likely to have pocket aces or ace-king. Blockers are a key concept in advanced preflop and postflop play.

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Broadway Broadway refers to the five highest-ranking cards in the deck: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten. A 'broadway hand' is any starting hand containing two of these cards, such as AK, KQ, QJ, or JT. A 'broadway straight' is the A-K-Q-J-T straight.

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Button The Button (BTN) is the most profitable position at the poker table. The player on the Button acts last postflop on every street, giving them the maximum amount of information before making each decision. It is marked by the dealer button chip.

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Call A call means matching the current bet or raise without increasing it. Calling preflop (also called 'flatting') is an option when facing an open-raise, a 3-bet, or any bet. It keeps you in the hand without escalating the pot.

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Check-Raise A check-raise occurs when a player first checks, then raises after an opponent bets. It is a powerful line that builds the pot, represents strength, and applies maximum pressure. Check-raising can be used both for value and as a bluff.

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Cold Call A cold call means calling a raise (or re-raise) without having previously invested any money in the pot during that round. For example, when the Hijack opens and you call on the Cutoff without having posted a blind, that is a cold call.

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Continuation Bet A continuation bet (c-bet) is a bet made on the flop by the preflop aggressor. Regardless of whether the flop improved their hand, the preflop raiser 'continues' their aggression. C-betting is one of the most common postflop actions in poker.

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Cutoff The Cutoff (CO) is the position directly to the right of the Button. It is the second-best position at the table, offering a wide opening range and frequent stealing opportunities. Only the Button player acts after the Cutoff postflop.

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Effective Stack The effective stack is the smaller of the two stacks in a heads-up confrontation. It represents the maximum amount of chips that can be wagered between two players in a hand. All preflop strategy in MTTs is determined by the effective stack size in big blinds.

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Equity Equity is your share of the pot based on the probability of winning the hand if all remaining cards are dealt. A hand with 60% equity against an opponent's range expects to win the pot 60% of the time at showdown, ignoring future betting decisions.

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Fold Folding means surrendering your hand and forfeiting any chips already invested in the pot. It is the most common action in poker, and knowing when to fold is just as important as knowing when to bet or raise.

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Fold Equity Fold equity is the value gained from the likelihood that your opponent will fold to your bet or raise. It represents the portion of the pot you 'win' through aggression, independent of your hand strength. Fold equity is the reason bluffing is profitable.

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GTO GTO stands for Game Theory Optimal, a strategy that cannot be exploited by any opponent over the long run. A GTO player makes decisions based on balanced frequencies, ensuring their range contains the right mix of value bets and bluffs in every situation.

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Hijack The Hijack (HJ) is the position two seats to the right of the Button in a 6-Max game, or three seats to the right in a full ring game. It is a middle position that opens a moderately wide range, tighter than the Cutoff but wider than UTG.

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ICM ICM stands for Independent Chip Model, a mathematical framework that converts tournament chip stacks into estimated prize money equity. ICM reveals that tournament chips have diminishing value: doubling your stack does not double your expected payout.

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Implied Odds Implied odds extend the concept of pot odds by accounting for additional money you expect to win on future streets if you hit your draw. They justify calling bets when the immediate pot odds are insufficient but the potential payout is large enough.

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Linear Range A linear range (also called a 'merged' or 'depolarized' range) contains hands in a continuous spectrum from the strongest to the weakest playable hand, with no gap. Unlike a polarized range, there are no bluffs mixed in at the bottom.

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Merged Range A merged range combines value hands and medium-strength hands into a single betting or raising range, without a clear gap between value and bluff categories. It is essentially synonymous with a linear range and is the opposite of a polarized approach.

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Mixed Strategy A mixed strategy means taking different actions with the same hand at specified frequencies. Instead of always raising ATs from the Cutoff, you might raise it 70% of the time and call 30%. Mixed strategies are a key feature of GTO play.

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Open-Raise An open-raise is the first raise in a preflop betting round when no other player has voluntarily entered the pot. The open-raiser sets the pace by putting in a raise over the blinds, forcing remaining players to fold, call, or re-raise.

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Pocket Pair A pocket pair is a starting hand where both hole cards are the same rank, such as 77, TT, or AA. There are 13 possible pocket pair ranks, and each rank has 6 possible suit combinations. Pocket pairs are among the most valuable starting hands in poker.

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Polarized Range A polarized range contains two distinct groups: very strong value hands and bluffs, with few or no medium-strength hands in between. This 'poles' structure means you either have a premium hand or are bluffing, forcing opponents into difficult decisions.

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Position Position refers to your seat relative to the dealer button, which determines when you act in a betting round. Players who act later have more information and a strategic advantage. Position is the single most important factor in poker hand selection.

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Pot Odds Pot odds are the ratio of the current pot size to the cost of a call. If the pot is 1000 chips and you must call 500, your pot odds are 2:1 (or 33%). Pot odds tell you the minimum equity your hand needs to make calling profitable.

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Push-Fold Push-fold is a simplified preflop strategy used at short stack depths (typically under 15 big blinds) where the only two options are shoving all-in or folding. The standard raise-call framework is replaced because the stack-to-pot ratio does not support postflop play.

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Raise A raise is an increase to the current bet. Preflop, the first raise over the big blind is an open-raise. Subsequent raises are called re-raises (3-bet, 4-bet, etc.). Raising is the primary aggressive action in poker and is used both for value and as a bluff.

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Range A range is the complete set of hands a player could hold in a given situation. Rather than putting an opponent on a single hand, skilled players think in terms of ranges, assigning a spectrum of possible holdings based on the actions taken.

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Semi-Bluff A semi-bluff is a bet or raise made with a hand that is not currently the best hand but has the potential to improve to a strong hand on later streets. Unlike a pure bluff, a semi-bluff has equity even when called, giving you two ways to win.

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Small Blind The Small Blind (SB) is the position directly to the left of the Button. The SB posts a forced bet of half the big blind before the hand begins. It is one of the most strategically complex positions because you are out of position against every opponent except the big blind.

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Squeeze A squeeze play is a large 3-bet made after an open-raise and one or more callers. The 'squeeze' targets the dead money from the callers, who are unlikely to have strong hands since they only called. It is a high-pressure bluff that works best in position.

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Suited Connector A suited connector is a starting hand where both cards are the same suit and consecutive in rank, such as 87s, 65s, or JTs. These hands are valued for their ability to make straights, flushes, and strong draws. They are the backbone of speculative preflop ranges.

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Under the Gun Under the Gun (UTG) is the position directly to the left of the Big Blind and the first player to act preflop. It is the tightest opening position because every other player at the table acts after you, maximizing the chance of running into a strong hand.

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Value Bet A value bet is a bet made with the intention of being called by a worse hand. The goal is to extract maximum chips from opponents who hold second-best hands. Value betting is the primary way winning players accumulate chips over time.

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