Minimum Raise: The smallest amount a player can raise in a betting round. After a bet, the minimum raise must at least equal the previous raise or bet size. For example, if a $10 bet is made, the minimum raise would be to $20, making the total bet $30.
Moneymaker Boom: Refers to the surge in popularity of poker following Chris Moneymaker’s win at the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event. His victory as an amateur, having qualified through an online satellite, inspired a global poker explosion and increased interest in online poker platforms.
The best possible hand in a given situation or round of poker. In Texas Hold’em, the nuts is the strongest hand on the board, unbeatable by any other combination.
The One Chip Rule states that if a player places a single chip in the pot without verbally declaring a raise, it is considered a call, regardless of the chip’s denomination.
Opener: In poker, the player who makes the first voluntary bet in a round, starting the action.
In poker, the ‘option’ refers to the choice given to a player to raise or check when they are in a particular position, usually the big blind, and no one has raised before them in the betting round.
PFR/VPIP Ratio: The ratio of a player’s Pre-Flop Raise (PFR) percentage to their Voluntarily Put Money In Pot (VPIP) percentage. It is used to assess playing style by comparing how often a player raises pre-flop versus how often they participate in pots. A higher ratio suggests a more aggressive approach, while a lower ratio indicates a more passive style.
Queen of Clubs: A playing card in a standard deck, representing a queen in the club suit. It is one of the face cards, usually depicted with a unique design.
The Queen of Diamonds is one of the 52 cards in a standard deck. It belongs to the suit of diamonds, which is one of the four suits in playing cards. The Queen of Diamonds features a depiction of a female royal figure and is ranked above the Jack of Diamonds and below the King of Diamonds in value. In poker, it can play a role in various hands such as a pair, straight, flush, or full house, depending on the combination of cards held.
The Queen of Hearts is a playing card in a standard deck. It belongs to the suit of hearts, which is one of the four suits – hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. The Queen of Hearts is often associated with love and emotion in popular culture. In poker, it holds a value that can form part of various hands, depending on the game’s rules and the other cards in play.
Red line: In poker, the red line refers to a graph line that represents a player’s winnings from non-showdown hands. It indicates the ability to win pots without having to reveal one’s cards, often through aggressive betting or bluffing strategies.
The river is the fifth and final community card dealt in a poker hand, following the flop and turn. It is the last opportunity for players to bet, check, raise, or fold before the showdown.
The Sevens Rule is a guideline in poker that suggests players should generally fold if their hand includes a seven and they are unsure of the hand’s strength. It implies that a hand with a seven is often weaker and less likely to win in most scenarios.
Ace is the highest-ranking card in poker, often representing both high and low in games like Texas Hold’em. In a standard deck, there are four aces, one for each suit: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. Aces play a crucial role in forming strong hands like a pair, a flush, or a straight, where it can be the high card or the starting point of an Ace-low straight.
The Queen of Spades is one of the 52 cards in a standard deck. It is often associated with the character of the ‘Black Maria’ in card games like Hearts, where it carries a penalty. In poker, it is simply a high-ranking card, part of the royal flush combination when with the Ace, King, Jack, and Ten of spades.
The small blind is a mandatory bet placed by the player immediately left of the dealer button before any cards are dealt in a hand of poker. It is typically half the size of the big blind and helps to initiate the betting in a hand.
Tournament Directors Association: An organization that establishes rules and procedures for poker tournaments to ensure fair play and consistency across events.
TOC (Tournament of Champions): A prestigious poker event where top players from various tournaments compete against each other for a championship title.
The ‘Turn’ is the fourth community card dealt in Texas Hold’em or Omaha poker, following the ‘Flop’ and preceding the ‘River’. This round of betting occurs after the Turn is revealed, allowing players to reassess their hands and strategies.
V-Pip Ratio: V-Pip (Voluntarily Put Money In Pot) is a poker statistic that measures the percentage of hands a player voluntarily invests money into the pot before the flop, excluding the blinds. The V-Pip Ratio helps assess a player’s level of aggression and playing style, providing insights into how often they engage in hands compared to their opponents.
World Poker Tour: A series of international poker tournaments featuring professional and amateur players, known for its televised events and high-stakes games.
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the most prestigious series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas. It began in 1970 and has grown to include dozens of events, featuring various poker variants with the Main Event being the most notable. Winners receive a coveted WSOP bracelet and significant cash prizes, attracting professional and amateur players worldwide.
Worst Hand: In poker, the worst hand refers to the lowest possible hand ranking within the rules of the game being played. It typically means a hand that has the least chance of winning against other hands in a showdown.
In poker, the ‘Worst Likely Hand’ refers to the weakest hand an opponent is expected to have in a given situation, based on their betting patterns and the community cards visible.
The X Hand in poker typically refers to a hand in which the player’s cards do not fit into any strong category, such as pairs, straights, or flushes. It’s often a weak hand but can sometimes win if other players fold, or if it improves with community cards.
Youngest Hand: The player who is last to act in a given betting round, typically the dealer or the player to the dealer’s right in home games.
Thinning the field: A strategy in poker where a player makes a bet or raise to reduce the number of opponents in a hand. The goal is to eliminate weaker hands and increase the chances of winning the pot by competing against fewer players.
In Seven-Card Stud, the first betting round where players receive their third card, known as ‘Third Street.’
Three of a Kind: A poker hand consisting of three cards of the same rank, with the other two cards being unrelated.
Three Pair: A poker hand that consists of three pairs, which is not a valid hand ranking in standard poker games. It is often mentioned humorously or mistakenly.
Tight Aggressive (TAG) is a poker playing style characterized by playing fewer hands but betting and raising aggressively when in a hand. This strategy focuses on playing strong hands and forcing opponents to make difficult decisions.
Tilt: A state of mental or emotional confusion in poker, leading to suboptimal play. Often caused by a bad beat or series of unlucky hands, resulting in frustration and irrational decisions.
Time collection: A fee collected by the house at regular intervals during a poker game, usually every half hour or hour, instead of taking a rake from each pot.
Titan Poker: An online poker room established in 2005, offering a variety of poker games and tournaments. Part of the iPoker network, it is known for its user-friendly software, customer support, and promotions.
TPWK: Top Pair with King kicker, a poker hand where the player pairs the highest community card with a King from their hand.
Top Two refers to the best two pair hand possible on the board. It consists of pairing the two highest-ranking cards on the board with a player’s matching hole cards.
TPFAP: An acronym for “Top Pair, Fairly Aggressive Player.” It describes a player who tends to bet or raise with a top pair hand but is not overly aggressive in general.
TPMK stands for ‘Top Pair Middle Kicker’. This term is used in poker to describe a hand where a player has paired the highest card on the board (the top pair) and holds a middle-ranking card as a kicker, which is used to break ties with other hands holding the same top pair.
TPTK stands for Top Pair Top Kicker, a poker hand description where a player has paired the highest card on the board with one of their hole cards, and the other hole card is the highest possible kicker.
Tricky: A style of play in poker characterized by deceptive actions, such as bluffing, slow-playing, or making unexpected moves to confuse opponents and gain an advantage.
Triple draw: A poker variant typically played with lowball rules, where players aim to make the lowest possible hand. Each round consists of three drawing opportunities, allowing players to exchange any number of cards before the showdown.
Turbo: A poker tournament format with shorter levels and faster blind increases, leading to a quicker game pace.
Two Pair: A poker hand consisting of two different pairs of cards and one unrelated card. Example: two 8s, two 4s, and a 9.
Underplay: In poker, underplay refers to the strategy of playing a strong hand conservatively to trap opponents into thinking the hand is weaker than it is, thereby inducing them to bet more.
Unlimited Poker: A poker game where there is no cap on the maximum bet size a player can make during their turn. Players can bet any amount from the minimum bet to all their chips.
Variance: In poker, variance refers to the statistical measure of the deviation between expected and actual results during play. It accounts for the natural swings of winning and losing, influenced by chance, over a short term. High variance games have bigger swings, while low variance games have smaller, steadier results. Understanding variance helps players manage their bankroll and set realistic expectations.
Vigorish, often abbreviated as ‘vig,’ refers to the fee or commission taken by a bookmaker or casino for accepting a gambler’s wager. In poker, it can also apply to the rake, which is the house’s cut of the pot in cash games.
VPIP (Voluntarily Put Money in Pot): A statistic used in poker to measure the percentage of hands in which a player voluntarily puts money into the pot before the flop. It provides insight into a player’s level of aggression and style of play. High VPIP indicates an aggressive, loose player, while low VPIP suggests a tight, conservative approach.
Wall Street: A nickname for a hand in poker that consists of a 3, 5, 7, 9, and Jack, similar to the unpredictable nature of financial markets.
Wall Street Poker: A poker variant inspired by financial markets, combining elements of traditional poker with stock trading strategies. Players buy and sell ‘shares’ in cards, influencing the hand’s value, simulating a dynamic market environment.
Weary Willie: A poker term used to describe a player who plays in a lethargic or uninspired manner, often folding hands and not taking aggressive action. This style can be detrimental to a player’s success as it lacks the initiative needed in competitive poker.
Webcam Poker: A variant of online poker where players use webcams to interact with each other during the game, providing a more authentic and social experience similar to live poker.
Whipsaw: A poker strategy where a player raises and reraises to trap opponents between two strong hands, often forcing them to make suboptimal decisions.
Whiskey Poker: A casual, low-stakes variation of poker where players often drink whiskey during the game. It focuses more on social interaction than competitive play.
Win Rate: The amount of money a player expects to win over a certain number of hands or hours played. It’s often expressed as big blinds won per 100 hands (bb/100) for cash games or as a percentage for tournaments. A higher win rate indicates better performance.
WSOP stands for World Series of Poker, an annual series of poker tournaments held in Las Vegas. It is considered the most prestigious event in the poker world, attracting players from around the globe. The most coveted prize is the WSOP bracelet, awarded to the winner of each event, with the Main Event winner also receiving a multi-million dollar prize and the title of World Champion.
Doyle Brunson: A legendary poker player known as “Texas Dolly.” He is a two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion and a member of the Poker Hall of Fame. Brunson has authored several poker strategy books, including the seminal “Super/System,” contributing significantly to the game’s popularity and evolution.
John Juanda: A professional poker player known for his calm demeanor and strategic gameplay. With multiple World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, Juanda is recognized for his significant contributions to the poker world and his success in various international tournaments.
Most Common
