Ultimate Texas Hold'em glossary
50 terms, in alphabetical order, most with a link to the lesson that teaches them.
- Ante
The first required bet, placed before the cards are dealt. It wins or loses against the dealer's hand, but pushes if the dealer does not qualify.
See also: Blind. Lesson: Welcome to the table.
- Ante unit
One Ante. EV is measured in Ante units, so "+1.17 antes" scales with your bet: at a $10 Ante it is $11.70.
- Bad Beat
An optional side bet that pays when your hand loses at showdown with a big hand. Tables vary widely.
- Bankroll
The money you set aside for playing. It should cover many bad swings.
Lesson: Swings, sessions and bankroll.
- Basic strategy
A practical strategy with a short chart: the preflop chart, a simple flop rule and a simple river rule. It costs only a little more than perfect play.
- Best five of seven
Your hand is the best five-card poker hand you can make from your two hole cards and the five community cards, using both, one or none of your own cards.
Lesson: Poker hands in five minutes.
- Best play
The badge for the option with the highest EV. Equal options both get it.
- Big mistake
The tier for a choice that costs more than 0.50 antes against the best option. It asks for a second tap before it goes through.
- Blind
The second required bet, always equal to the Ante. It loses whenever you lose, but pays only when you win with a straight or better.
See also: Ante. Lesson: Welcome to the table.
- Board plays
When the best five cards are all on the board, for both players. Neither hole card counts, and the hand is a tie.
Lesson: Poker hands in five minutes.
- Check
Make no Play bet for now. It is free, and it lets you see the next cards. Checking is how you wait for more information.
Lesson: One hand, start to finish.
- Close
The tier for a choice that costs up to 0.02 antes against the best option.
- Community cards
The five shared cards: three on the flop, then the turn and river together. Also called the board.
Lesson: Welcome to the table.
- Cost vs best
The average amount a choice gives up compared with the best option. Also called regret. It is never called a house edge.
- Dealer outs
On the river, the number of unseen cards that would give the dealer a better hand than yours. It decides the close river calls.
Lesson: Counting the dealer's outs.
- Drill
Quick-fire practice that deals one decision at a time and grades it against the exact best option.
- Element of risk
The expected loss divided by the total amount you put on the felt. It is smaller than the house edge per Ante, because it counts every Play bet.
- EV
Short for expected value: the average result of a decision, measured here for the whole hand (Ante, Blind and Play together).
See also: Expected value. Lesson: EV and the house edge, in plain English.
- EV sheet
The list of every option at a decision, with its average result for the whole hand, its cost against the best option and a tier badge.
- Expected value
The average result of a decision if you could face the same spot millions of times. Short form: EV.
- Flop
The first three community cards. If you checked before the flop, you may bet 2× here or check again.
Lesson: One hand, start to finish.
- Fold
Give up your Ante and Blind (exactly 2 Antes), and stop. You can only fold at the river, instead of betting 1×.
Lesson: One hand, start to finish.
- Hand class
One of the 169 distinct starting hands, ignoring exact suits: 13 pairs (77), 78 suited hands (AKs) and 78 offsuit hands (T9o).
Lesson: Preflop: when to bet 4x.
A pair that uses one of your hole cards: a pocket pair, or a hole card matching a board rank. A pair that sits on the board belongs to the dealer just as much as to you.
Lesson: The flop: bet 2x or check.
- Hole cards
The two private cards each player gets. You and the dealer each have two.
Lesson: Welcome to the table.
- House edge
The average share of each Ante the casino keeps in the long run with perfect play. Per hand, it is the expected loss divided by the Ante.
- Kicker
A leftover card used to break a tie between hands of the same kind. A pair of kings with an ace beats a pair of kings with a queen.
Lesson: Poker hands in five minutes.
- Mistake
The tier for a choice that costs up to 0.50 antes against the best option. The EV sheet shows a better alternative.
- Offsuit
Two hole cards of different suits. Written with an o, as in AKo.
Lesson: Preflop: when to bet 4x.
- Paytable
The list of what a bet pays for each hand. The Blind and Trips have their own paytables.
- Perfect strategy
The play that gives the lowest possible house edge: the exact best option at every decision.
- Play bet
The one raise you are allowed per hand: 4× or 3× the Ante before the flop, 2× after the flop, or 1× after the river. It pays 1 to 1 and ignores whether the dealer qualifies.
Lesson: Welcome to the table.
- Pocket pair
Two hole cards of the same rank, such as .
Lesson: Preflop: when to bet 4x.
- Preflop
The first decision, made after seeing only your two cards: Bet 4x, Bet 3x or Check.
Lesson: Preflop: when to bet 4x.
- Progressive
An optional side bet that pays on your two hole cards plus the flop, with top prizes taken from a growing jackpot meter.
- Push
A bet that is returned to you unchanged: no win, no loss. Ties push everything.
- Qualify
The dealer qualifies with a pair or better (best five of seven). If not, the Ante pushes.
- River
The fifth community card. If you checked twice, you must now bet 1× or fold.
Lesson: The river: bet 1x or fold.
- Session
One sitting at the table, a number of hands played in a row.
Lesson: Swings, sessions and bankroll.
- Showdown
The moment both hands are turned over and compared. Your best five of seven cards against the dealer's.
- Simple strategy
The lightest practical strategy, with easier preflop and flop rules at a slightly higher cost.
- Six Card Bonus
An optional side bet that pays on the best five of six cards: your two hole cards plus four community cards. Tables vary.
- Small mistake
The tier for a choice that costs up to 0.10 antes against the best option.
- Standard deviation
A measure of the typical size of the swings in a single hand's result, in Antes.
Lesson: Swings, sessions and bankroll.
- Suited
Two hole cards of the same suit. Written with an s, as in AKs.
Lesson: Preflop: when to bet 4x.
- Tie
Both hands rank exactly the same, five cards for five cards. The Ante, Blind and Play all push. Suits never break ties.
- Trips
An optional side bet on your own best five of seven cards. It pays for three of a kind or better, win or lose against the dealer, and even if you fold.
Lesson: The Trips bet.
- Turn
The fourth community card. In UTH it is dealt together with the river.
- Variance
How far real results swing around the average. A good decision can lose, and a bad one can win, on any single hand.
Lesson: Swings, sessions and bankroll.
- Wheel
The lowest straight, A-2-3-4-5. The ace counts low here. A straight cannot wrap around, so Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight.
Lesson: Poker hands in five minutes.