Glossary

The blinds are SB (small blind) and BB (big blind) — forced bets preflop and always OOP postflop. Blind defense is one of the most complex parts of modern preflop play.

A blocker is a card you hold that reduces the number of specific combinations your opponent can have — a key concept for river bluff selection and bluff catching.

A bluff is a bet made with a weak hand to make the opponent fold a stronger hand. Bluffs are necessary tools for balancing value ranges and maximizing EV.

A bluff-catcher is a medium-strength hand that typically beats only the opponent's bluffs. The river calling threshold for a bluff-catcher is determined by the opponent's value:bluff ratio.

The bubble is the tournament phase with exactly the paid-places count + 1 players left. ICM pressure peaks, and decision ranges for short and medium stacks compress dramatically.

The button (BTN) is the last seat to act postflop and the most valuable seat in poker. Widest preflop open range, always IP postflop — long-term winners' profit center.

A continuation bet (cbet) is when the preflop last raiser keeps betting on the flop — the core tool for leveraging range advantage.

A check-raise is when the OOP player checks first and raises after the opponent bets — the core tool for balancing the OOP range.

chipEV is the expected chip change of a decision. In cash games chipEV = $EV, but in tournaments you need ICM to convert it to true dollar expectation.

A combo is one specific suit arrangement of a starting hand. Combos are the basic counting unit of range thinking.

Cutoff (CO) is the seat right before the button — the second-widest preflop open range, usually IP postflop (only BTN acts behind you).

A donk-bet is when the OOP player leads on a new street, breaking the traditional 'raiser bets first' convention. Modern theory shows certain boards have a legitimate donking frequency.

Effective stack is the smaller of the two stacks in a head-to-head matchup. It determines the maximum chips at stake on a hand and is the input to SPR.

Equity is the expected percentage of the pot a hand or range wins against a specific opponent range. Equity is the core input to EV calculations.

Expected value (EV) is the average gain or loss of a decision over infinite repetition — the single objective standard for the quality of a poker decision.

The final table is the tournament's last table (typically 9 or fewer players). Pay jumps are dense, and ICM affects every decision.

A float is calling an opponent's cbet with a relatively weak hand, planning to attack on a later street when the opponent gives up. It exploits the high turn-fold frequency after cbets.

Fold equity is the additional EV gained from making opponents fold to your bet. It is the core +EV source for bluffs and semi-bluffs, and the main value of short-stack shoves.

GTO (Game Theory Optimal) is the equilibrium solution that cannot be exploited even if your opponent also plays optimally — the core reference frame of modern poker theory.

ICM is the math model that converts tournament chips into expected prize-pool value — the foundation of mid-to-late tournament decisions.

Implied odds factor in the additional chips you can win from the opponent after hitting your draw — a key correction to raw pot odds for drawing decisions.

An isolation raise is a slightly wider raise after a weak player limps, designed to peel off a heads-up pot against the limper — the core tool for attacking limpers.

A limp is entering the pot preflop by just calling the big blind without raising. Modern cash games rarely limp, but specific spots in tournament short stacks and SB still call for it.

MDF is the minimum portion of the range a defender must call or raise to avoid being trivially exploited by bluffs. It complements pot odds and is the equilibrium benchmark for defense.

MTT is a multi-table tournament running across many tables simultaneously. Variance is higher than cash and SNG, and late-stage ICM is a core skill.

Nut advantage means your range has more top-end combos than the opponent's. It determines whether overbets and polarized large sizing are available to you.

The nuts is the unbeatable made hand on a given board. The nut concept is the core reference for range analysis, sizing, and river decisions.

An open-raise is the first preflop raise before anyone enters the pot — the most common action for taking preflop initiative.

Outs are the remaining cards that complete your draw to the strongest hand. Out-counting + the 4/2 rule is the basic tool for estimating drawing equity.

An overbet is a bet larger than the current pot, used to polarize the range, maximize value, and create high-pressure decisions.

A polarized range consists of very strong and very weak hands with no middle. It corresponds to large-size betting strategies.

Position is the action order relative to the button. It is the most stable structural advantage in poker, shaping range design, sizing, and decision space.

Pot odds are the ratio of chips needed to call to the total pot after the call — the basic tool for judging whether to call with a draw or bluff-catcher.

A probe is a turn lead by the preflop caller after the raiser checks the flop, exploiting the weak range the check exposed.

Rake is the fixed-percentage fee the card room takes from the pot. Rake directly reduces long-term win rate and must be factored into stake selection and true ROI.

A range is the set of all possible hand combinations a player can hold in a given situation. Range thinking is the foundation of modern poker.

Range advantage is when your overall range has higher equity than the opponent's. It is the core judgment behind cbet frequency and sizing.

Result-oriented thinking is the mistake of judging decision quality from a single outcome. It is the most common and most damaging cognitive trap for beginners.

A semi-bluff is a bet with a hand that has equity (typically a draw), combining fold equity with the value of hitting the nuts later.

A short stack is a player with a relatively shallow stack, typically below 20bb. Decision-making is greatly simplified — mostly shove/fold.

An SNG is a small tournament that starts as soon as enough players are seated, usually 9-10 or 6 players. One of the fastest paths for learning ICM.

SPR is the ratio of effective stack to pot at the start of the flop. It determines how much postflop room you have and the commitment threshold.

A squeeze is a 3bet after an open and at least one flat-caller. It pressures the opener and the caller simultaneously — a sophisticated preflop weapon.

Table image is how opponents perceive your playing style. Different images change the opponent's call/fold frequencies — a core meta-game variable.

Tilt is the state of playing off-optimal because of emotion. It is the main cause of amateur losses long-term, and recognizing and managing tilt is the core of mental training.

UTG (under the gun) is the first seat to act preflop. Tightest range, highest 3bet probability — the position beginners most easily over-play.

A value bet is a bet expecting the opponent to call with a worse hand. It is one of the core +EV sources, paired against bluffs.

Variance is the magnitude of fluctuation of actual results around the expected value. Poker's short-term randomness is variance — bankroll management is fundamentally variance management.

A 3bet is the re-raise after an open-raise preflop, and one of the most important offensive tools in modern poker.

A 4bet is the preflop re-raise of a 3bet — the core tool for countering wide 3bettors and one of the most polarizing preflop actions.