Glossary

A positive Expected Value play. Wins money on average over the long run.

The first re-raise preflop after an open. Counts the BB post as the 'first bet'.

A 3-bet is the first re-raise made preflop. The big blind is counted as the first 'bet', so the initial open is the 2nd bet (2-bet), and re-raising is the 3-bet. Used for value (premium hands) and as a bluff.

Re-raising a 3-bet. Usually narrow and value-heavy unless balanced with bluffs.

The next raise on top of a 3-bet. 4-betting tightens ranges dramatically — typically QQ+, AK at the value end with selective bluffs (often blocker hands like A5s) to stay balanced.

Re-raising a 4-bet. Almost always all-in at 100bb — pure value or pure bluff.

Aggression Factor — (bets + raises) / calls postflop. 1.5-3 is healthy; <1 = passive; >4 = maniacal.

The bluff frequency needed to make villain indifferent to calling = bet / (pot + bet).

A draw that needs both the turn AND river to complete (e.g., backdoor flush draw).

Losing despite being a big mathematical favorite.

Mixing value bets with the right ratio of bluffs so opponents can't profitably exploit you.

Big Blind — posts the larger forced bet. Defends the widest range vs steals.

The standard unit of measurement for stack size and winrate (e.g., 100bb deep, +5bb/100).

A small bet (10-30% pot) to set the price and prevent a larger bet by villain.

Cards in your hand that reduce the number of villain's value combos. Use as bluff selectors.

A hand that only beats bluffs (e.g., a weak pair on a scary river). Call if villain is unbalanced toward bluffs.

Full house — three of a kind plus a pair.

The Button — best seat in poker; you act last on every postflop street.

Continuation bet — when the preflop raiser bets the flop. Often 33-50% pot on dry boards.

A c-bet is a bet made on the flop by the player who was the preflop aggressor. It's one of the most common postflop moves. Sizing: small on dry boards (1/3 pot), bigger on wet/connected boards.

Passive player who calls too much and folds too rarely. Don't bluff — value bet thin.

A range that's missing the strongest hands (e.g., 4-bet caller can't have AA/KK).

Checking with the intention of raising if your opponent bets. Strong value or polarized bluff.

Cutoff — the seat to the right of the button. Wide opening range.

Calling a raise without having any chips already invested in the pot.

A draw with both straight and flush outs — 15+ outs. Often a favorite vs made hands.

Unique two-card combinations of a hand. Pair = 6 combos, suited = 4, offsuit = 12.

Combo counting is essential for hand reading. There are 1326 possible starting hand combos. Knowing how many specific hand combos remain after dead cards helps with bluff catching and value betting decisions.

A hand where you and villain both have strong holdings but you lose (e.g., AA vs KK all-in).

Bad player; or a 'donk bet' (betting into the prior aggressor).

Betting into the previous street's aggressor when you were the caller. Often considered weak; sometimes correct on certain turn cards.

Continuing to bet on the turn after c-betting the flop. Pressure on weak holdings.

A flop with no draws — disconnected, rainbow, low cards. Favors the aggressor's range.

Your percentage chance of winning the pot at showdown if all cards are dealt.

Equity is the share of the pot that statistically belongs to a hand given current information. AA has ~85% equity vs a random hand preflop. Equity changes as cards come and ranges narrow.

Expected Value — the long-term average result of a decision in chips/BBs.

Deviating from GTO to maximize EV against opponents' specific leaks.

Weak player, usually a synonym for whale or recreational.

Calling a flop bet with a weak hand, planning to take the pot away later if villain shows weakness.

The extra EV gained from the chance villain folds. Bluffs and semi-bluffs need fold equity.

Game Theory Optimal — a balanced strategy that can't be exploited; the equilibrium solution.

GTO play uses mixed strategies that are unexploitable in the long run. It doesn't always maximize EV against weak players (that's exploitative play). Real solvers compute approximations of GTO for given spots.

An inside straight draw — only 4 outs (e.g., 9-8 on a board of T-7-2 needs a 6).

Future bets you might win if you hit your hand. Boosts the effective pot odds for drawing hands.

In Position — you act after your opponent on the current street. Big advantage.

Raising a limper to play a heads-up pot against them.

Loose-Aggressive — wide ranges, constant pressure. Dangerous when balanced.

Just calling the big blind preflop instead of raising. Generally considered weak in 6-max.

Limping is rare in modern 6-max NLHE — most spots favor either raising or folding. It's more acceptable in deep-stacked spots or live games. Limping with strong hands (limp-trap) is generally a strategic mistake.

Hyper-aggressive player who raises and bluffs constantly. Tighten up and call light.

Minimum Defense Frequency — how often you must continue to make villain's bluffs break even.

MDF = pot / (pot + bet). If villain bets pot (1x), you must defend 50% of your range to prevent profitable bluffs. Helps set continue ranges.

A range that includes medium-strength hands as value bets. Paired with smaller bets.

Taking different actions with the same hand at specified frequencies (e.g., raise 60% / call 40% with KQs).

All three flop cards the same suit. Increases flush combos in both ranges.

Middle Position — between UTG and CO. Slightly wider opening range than UTG.

Extremely tight, passive player. Only plays premium hands. Easy to bluff.

Solver feature: fix villain's strategy in one spot to compute the maximally exploitative response.

The side that holds more of the very best hands (sets, straights, flushes) on a given board.

The best possible hand given the board.

Open-Ended Straight Draw — 8 outs to complete a straight (~32% by river).

Out Of Position — you act before your opponent. Disadvantageous; play tighter.

Voluntarily entering the pot with a raise (same as RFI).

Cards that improve your hand to a likely winner. Use the rule of 2/4: outs x 2 = ~% on next card; x 4 = ~% by river.

Betting more than the size of the pot. Used in polarized spots — nuts or bluffs.

% of hands you raised preflop. Target: 18-24% in 6-max. PFR should be close to VPIP.

PFR measures your preflop aggression. A small gap between VPIP and PFR (say 24/20) indicates an aggressive style — you mostly raise the hands you play. A big gap (24/12) means you cold-call too much.

A range made of only very strong hands and bluffs — no medium hands. Often paired with large bets.

Made up of only nuts or bluffs — no medium hands. Common in large-bet lines.

Where you sit relative to the button. Acting later = more information = better position.

Position is one of the most important concepts in poker. Players who act last (in position, IP) have more information than players who act first (out of position, OOP). 6-max positions: UTG, MP, CO, BTN, SB, BB.

The ratio of the bet you're facing to the total pot. Compare to your equity to decide if calling is +EV.

Pot odds are calculated as (bet size) / (pot after you call). If you face a $50 bet into a $100 pot, you call $50 to win $150 — so 50/200 = 25% pot odds. You need >25% equity to break even on a call.

Betting into a missed c-better to take down the pot — when villain checks back the flop.

Three different suits on the flop — no flush draw possible yet.

All the possible hands a player can hold at a given point. Replace 'what does he have?' with 'what range is he on?'

The side whose overall range has more equity on a given board. Often dictates who bets.

Betting your entire range as a small sizing — common on flops where the aggressor has a range advantage.

Regular — a known winning or breakeven player who's at the tables often.

Same concept as blockers — your cards 'remove' combos from villain's possible range.

Future bets you might lose if you improve but villain has better. Hurts hands like KQ on AK-high.

Raise First In — opening the pot with a raise when nobody has entered before you.

RFI stands for Raise First In. It's the action of opening the pot with a raise when no player has voluntarily put money in before you. The size and frequency of your RFI depends on position — tight from UTG, very wide from the Button.

The 5th and final community card. No more cards to come; equity is realized.

Small Blind — posts a forced bet preflop, acts first postflop. Worst position postflop.

The second-best possible hand. Often a tricky spot vs polarized aggression.

Three of a kind made with a pocket pair (one card on the board matches your pair).

Strong, balanced winning player. Avoid playing big pots without a clear edge.

When remaining players reveal their hands at the end. Best 5-card hand wins.

Software that computes near-GTO strategies for poker spots (e.g., PioSolver, GTO+).

3-betting after an open AND one or more callers. Wider value/bluff range than a normal 3-bet.

SPR — effective stack divided by pot. Low SPR (<4) = play for stacks easier; high SPR = thin value.

Same as bad beat — villain hits a low-probability draw to beat you.

Tight-Aggressive — solid winning style; plays few hands but plays them hard.

Playing emotionally after a bad result. Major leak source. Take a break when tilted.

Betting flop, turn, and river — often as a bluff with a missed draw or pure bluff line.

Three of a kind made with one card in your hand and a pair on the board.

The 4th community card, dealt after flop betting completes.

Under the Gun — the first seat to act preflop. Tightest opening range.

% of hands you voluntarily put money in preflop (calls + raises, excluding blinds). Target: 22-28% in 6-max.

VPIP measures how loose you play preflop. It excludes blinds (forced money). 22-28% is a healthy 6-max range; <20% is nitty, >32% is loose. Always evaluated alongside PFR.

A flop with lots of draws — connected, suited cards. Favors callers more.

Recreational loose-passive player who loses money fast. Most profitable opponent type.

The A-2-3-4-5 straight, the lowest straight.

% of showdowns you won. Target: ~50%.

% of times you reached showdown after seeing the flop. Target: 24-30%.