Glossary

30 poker terms explained clearly. The jargon, without assuming you already know it.

100bb: A 100-big-blind stack: the standard depth in cash.
3-bet: The third bet: re-raising over another player's raise.; The big blind counts as the 1st bet; the opener's raise is the 2nd; your re-raise is the 3rd (hence '3-bet'). Used with strong hands (for value) or as a selected bluff.
4-bet: The fourth bet: re-raising over a 3-bet.; If you opened (2nd bet) and got 3-bet, your new raise is the 4-bet. It signals a lot of strength (AA, KK, AK) or a selected big bluff.
6-max: A table of up to 6 players (vs. 9-handed full ring).
BB: Big Blind: you post the mandatory big blind.; You already have a forced bet in, so you get a 'discount' on continuing. That's why you defend (call or re-raise) far more hands than from other positions.
blinds: Mandatory bets (small and big blind) two players post before the deal.; They guarantee there's always something to fight for in the pot. The small blind (SB) and big blind (BB) rotate each hand.
bluff: Betting with a weak hand looking to make the opponent fold a better one.
BTN: Button: the best position at the table.; You act last on every postflop street. That informational edge is huge, which is why you open a ton of hands.
C-bet: Continuation bet: the preflop raiser bets again on the flop.; You continue the story of strength you started before the flop. It works because both players usually miss the flop and you have the initiative.
call: Match the opponent's bet without raising, to see the flop.
CO: Cutoff: the position right before the button.; A great spot to steal the blinds. You open fairly wide because only the button and the blinds can interfere.
equity: Your percentage to win the pot against the opponent's hand or range.
fold: Throw the hand away and give up the pot.
GTO: Game Theory Optimal: the unexploitable equilibrium strategy.; It's the 'mathematically correct' baseline solvers produce. It's not always the most profitable against weak opponents, but it's the solid base to start from.
HJ: Hijack: a middle position, two seats before the button.; The earliest players have already folded, so you can open a bit wider than in UTG.
ICM: Independent Chip Model: in tournaments your chips aren't worth linear money.; Surviving has value in itself (payouts climb by finish), so some hands that are profitable 'in chips' get folded to avoid risking your tournament. It changes the whole strategy near the money.
MTT: Multi-Table Tournament: a multi-table tournament with payouts by finish.; The strategy differs from cash: varying stacks, rising blinds, and ICM. Mastering short-stack push/fold is key.
OOP: Out of position: you act BEFORE your opponent on every street.; You decide without seeing what the opponent does — an informational disadvantage. The opposite is being 'in position' (IP), where you act last.
open: Being the first to raise into the pot.
PFR: PreFlop Raise: % of hands you raise with preflop.; It measures your preflop aggression. Ideally it's close to your VPIP (e.g. 24/20): it means when you play, you usually enter raising rather than just calling.
push (all-in): Betting all your chips at once.; With short stacks in tournaments, raising small commits you anyway: better to shove directly to maximize fold equity and avoid tough postflop decisions.
range: The set of all hands you take a given action with.; Good players don't think about 'my hand' but about 'all the hands I'd play this way'. Training ranges is training to think like them.
RFI: Raise First In: being the first to open the pot with a raise.; It means no one has entered before you, and you choose to raise to take the initiative. It's the most frequent preflop decision and the foundation of everything.
SB: Small Blind: you post the mandatory small blind.; You act second-to-last preflop but FIRST on every postflop street (bad position). You already have money invested, which shifts your decisions.
Showdown: The moment of showing cards to decide who wins the pot.; It happens when two or more players remain after the last river bet. A hand with 'showdown value' prefers to get there cheaply and show down rather than bet.
suited / offsuit: Suited (s) = same suit; offsuit (o) = different suits. E.g. AKs vs AKo.; Same-suit hands are worth more because they can make a flush. Notation: AA=pair, AKs=same suit, AKo=different suits.
UTG: Under the Gun: the first position to act, the earliest.; You decide first, with 5 players still to act behind you. That's why you open few hands (a tight range): anyone could have something strong.
value: Betting with a strong hand looking to get called by worse.
Variance: The short-term swing in results due to luck.; You can play perfectly and lose a session, or play badly and win it. Long-term, skill rules; short-term, variance. That's why you judge decisions, not results.
VPIP: Voluntarily Put money In Pot: % of hands you play voluntarily.; It measures how loose or tight you play preflop. In 6-max, a healthy range is around 22–28%. Too high (40%+) is the most common beginner leak.