Poker Terminology
Poker can feel intimidating the first time you sit at the table. The dealer slides two cards to you, chips click on the felt, and within seconds, you hear “check,” “call,” “raise,” and “fold.”
If you don’t know what those words mean, you can’t follow the hand or play it well. This guide explains the essential terms and the rhythm of a hand from the first deal to the showdown, so the action makes sense.
Terms for Poker Actions & Concepts
Below is a clear explanation of the main terms commonly used during a poker hand:
Hand
A hand is the set of cards a player holds in a round of poker. The term can also mean the best five-card combination a player can make, either from their private cards alone or together with community cards. It may also refer to a single round of play, from the initial deal to showdown.
Pot
The pot is the total amount of money or chips that accumulates in the centre of the table during a poker hand. It starts with mandatory bets such as the blinds and/or antes, and grows as players bet, call, or raise during each betting round. At the end of the hand, the pot goes to the last player remaining or to the best hand at showdown. In all-in situations, there can be a main pot and one or more side pots, which may be won by different players; identical hands split the relevant pot.
Bet
To bet is to place chips or money into the pot when no one has yet wagered in that betting round. A bet commits that amount and can be made for value or as a bluff. After a bet, the remaining players must either call, raise, or fold to continue.
Call
To call is to match the highest bet on the table to stay in the hand. If someone bets 20 chips, calling means you also put in 20. When there has been a raise, you add enough to match the new highest amount. Calling lets you continue without increasing the wager.
Raise
To raise is to increase the current bet. If the wager is 20 chips and you raise to 40, the new price to continue is 40 for everyone. In no-limit and pot-limit games, the minimum raise must be at least the size of the last bet or raise; in fixed-limit formats, the raise size is set by the stakes. A raise can build the pot, apply pressure, or protect a strong hand, and a further increase is called a re-raise.
Fold
To fold is to give up your hand and any claim to the current pot. You place your cards face down and push them to the dealer, ending your participation in that hand. A fold is final and cannot be retracted.
Check
To check is to decline to bet while staying in the hand. It is only available when no wager is pending. Checking passes action to the next player. If everyone checks in a betting round, that round ends and the next card is dealt, or the hand proceeds to showdown. If you check and an opponent later bets, when the action returns to you, your options are to call, raise, or fold.
Dealer
The dealer is responsible for distributing the cards. In home games, this role often rotates among participants. In casinos, a professional dealer handles the cards for every hand, but a round disc called the dealer button marks the notional dealer position.
Ante
An ante is a small, mandatory amount of chips placed into the pot by all participants before a hand begins. This guarantees there is always something at stake and helps maintain the pace of play. Antes are more common in certain poker formats, including stud and many tournament structures.
Community Cards
Placed face up in the center of the table, community cards are shared by all participants when forming their hands. In Texas Hold’em, there are five community cards, which are combined with private cards to create the best five-card combination.
Flop
The flop is the first set of three shared cards (community cards) placed face up on the table after the opening round of betting. At this stage, private cards are revealed in context with shared cards, and hand strength can shift dramatically.
Turn
The Turn is the fourth community card, dealt after the Flop betting round has finished. Also called Fourth Street, it is followed by another betting round. In Texas Hold’em and Omaha, six cards are now in play for each player: two private cards and four community cards, giving a clearer picture of hand strength and draws.
River
The river is the last community card placed on the table, revealed after the turn and followed by another betting round. This represents the last opportunity to improve a hand with shared cards, after which the final betting round takes place before the showdown.
Showdown
The showdown occurs when the remaining participants place their hands face up to establish who takes the pot. The best five-card hand claims the pot, while identical hand rankings result in a split.
Understanding the Terms For Different Types of Hands
Poker hand rankings establish which combinations are stronger than others and are fundamental to how the game is played. The following guide outlines each type of hand, listed in order of their relative strength.
Royal Flush
A royal flush is the rarest and strongest hand. It is made up of the five highest cards (Ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace), all belonging to a single suit. No other hand can beat it, and the odds of being dealt one are so small that many never encounter it in years of play.
Straight Flush
A straight flush is five cards in sequence, all from a single suit. For instance, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of diamonds form a straight flush. This hand is extremely strong and will win almost any pot, though it can be beaten by a higher straight flush or a royal flush. It is also very rare, with a probability of about 0.0015%.
Four of a Kind
Four of a kind is a hand with four cards of the same rank, such as four Aces or four Tens. The fifth card, called the kicker, does not change the rank but can decide the winner in community-card games when the board shows all four of that rank and multiple players share the quads. In games with only private cards, two players cannot hold the same four of a kind; with a shared board, equal kickers result in a split pot.
Full House
A full house is a five-card hand made up of three cards of one rank and a separate pair of another. Often nicknamed a “boat,” this hand combines three of a kind with a pair. Examples include three Kings with two Eights, or three Fours with two Jacks. When full houses are compared, the rank of the three of a kind decides first; if those are equal, the paired rank breaks the tie.
Flush
A flush is any five cards of the same suit that are not in sequence. For example, the 2, 7, 9, Jack and King of hearts form a flush. The ranks don’t need to connect; what matters is that all five cards share the same suit. When two players have a flush, the highest card wins; if those are equal, compare the next highest, and so on. If all five cards are of the same rank, the pot is split. Suits have no ranking.
Straight
A straight is five cards in numerical sequence that are not all of the same suit. A sequence like 4-5-6-7-8 in mixed suits qualifies as a straight. The Ace can serve as the high end (10-J-Q-K-A) or the low end (A-2-3-4-5), but it cannot be used to wrap around the middle.
Three of a Kind
A three-of-a-kind hand is formed with three cards of identical rank. This might be three Queens, three Aces, or any other trio. The two remaining cards are unrelated both to each other and to the three of a kind itself.
Two Pair
A two pair hand is made up of one pair combined with a second, along with a fifth card that does not belong to either pair. This could be two Kings with two Fives and a Jack.
One Pair
A one pair hand contains a matched pair of cards, while the other three are all different ranks. Two Nines with a King, Seven, and Three of different ranks would be one example. When comparing one pair hands, the higher pair determines the winner.
High Card
A high card hand occurs when none of the standard combinations are made, meaning no pairs, no straight, and no flush. The hand is ranked by its highest card, then by the next highest if needed. An Ace-King-9-6-3 in mixed suits, for instance, would be considered Ace high.
Player Positions
Seating at the poker table has a major influence on strategy and decision-making. The following are the main positions and why they matter:
Early Position
Seats in early position act first pre-flop and often on later streets. Acting before most of the table makes these seats the most demanding, since you must decide without seeing how others react. With less information, early position carries more risk than middle or late position.
Middle Position
Seats in the middle of the betting order gain an advantage over early position by seeing how the first players act before making a choice. The advantage is limited, though, because several players still act afterward, which keeps the risk level higher than in late position.
Late Position
Seats in late position act last in each betting round, providing the most information and flexibility. From here, a participant can enter more pots and attempt bluffs with greater confidence. Acting last also makes it easier to influence the pace of play, since every other action has already been revealed.
Under the Gun
The seat directly to the left of the big blind (a mandatory bet posted before the cards are dealt) is known as Under the Gun, or UTG. This position is considered the least favourable at the table, since the participant here must act first and does so without any information about how others will play their hands.
Cutoff
The cutoff is the seat directly to the right of the dealer button. Its name comes from the ability to “cut off” the button’s positional advantage by raising, which can force the button to fold and leave the cutoff with the strongest position for the rest of the hand.
On the Button
Being on the button means occupying the dealer position, considered the most advantageous seat at the table. The button acts last in every betting round except pre-flop, providing the maximum amount of information before making a decision.
Common Poker Terms to Hear in a Game
Poker also has a set of expressions that describe strategy and table behaviour. These phrases often explain why a participant bets a certain way or reacts to pressure from opponents. Knowing them makes the flow of the game easier to follow and the decisions at the table easier to understand.
Bluff
A bluff is an attempt to convince opponents that a weak hand is actually strong, prompting them to fold. Holding low cards like a two and a seven, a participant might place a large bet when an Ace appears on the board to suggest a much stronger holding.
Successful bluffs depend on timing and credibility, since opponents will only fold if the story being told by the bet makes sense.
Semi-Bluff
A semi-bluff occurs when a participant bets or raises with a hand that is not yet strong but has the potential to improve. This often happens with high cards or a drawing hand like a flush draw.
Even if the bet gets called, the hand retains a chance to develop on later streets (the betting rounds: flop, turn, and river), making the move less risky than a pure bluff.
Value Bet
When holding a strong hand, a value bet aims to build the pot by enticing opponents with less powerful cards to call. For instance, a participant with a pair of Kings on a flop of eight of hearts, four of spades, and two of spades might bet to encourage a call, building the pot further.
Check-Raise
A check-raise is a move where a participant checks early in a betting round and then raises after another player bets. It can be used both with a strong hand and as a bluff.
With a strong hand, the initial check gives the impression of weakness, encouraging an opponent to bet. The raise that follows then builds a larger pot. As a bluff, the sequence suggests strength and can pressure opponents into folding stronger holdings.
Tilt
Tilt is a loss of emotional control that leads to poor decisions at the table. It often follows a bad beat, a run of losses, or sustained pressure from aggressive opponents.
The term comes from pinball: shake the cabinet too hard and the machine registers “tilt” and freezes the controls. Tilt can be amplified by fatigue, stress, or distractions, making disciplined play harder. Recognizing it quickly and taking steps to reset, such as pausing, standing up, or lowering stakes, is a key poker skill.