Commonly Used Poker Abbreviations and Terms

[tenbob]

Here is a list of commonly used abbreviations and terms used in poker discussions and hand analysis threads. For a complete list of poker terms, abbreviations, and acronyms, please see our more extensive Poker Glossary.

Game Types
HE = Holdem
O = Usually Omaha Hi
O8 = Omaha Hi/Low
Stud = 7 card stud
Stud8 = 7 Card stud Hi/Low.
HORSE = Holdem, Omaha/8, Razz, Stud, Eight or better H/L stud. Typically fixed limit games. Game changes with the blinds/antes online, and at predetermined intervals live
FR = A full ring game, usually 9/10 players. (Some sites 8)
6MAX= A ring game, max number of players is 6. (Occasionally we will see 4MAX)
HU= Heads up. (2 players max)
S&G=Sit and go, once the game has reached a specified number of players the game starts.
STT= Single table Sit and Go.
MTT= Multi-Table Tournament, usually no limit on the amount of players.
NL$25 (or $25NL)= The $25 refering to the MAX buyin for the specified game. The blinds are defined as being 1/100th of the max buyin. So nl$600 has a big blind of $6.

Limits
NL = No Limit
PL = Pot Limit
FL = Fixed Limit

So if you see a thread starting PL08- It refers to pot limit Omaha hi/low hand.

Table position abbreviations
SB = Small Blind
BB = Big Blind
UTG = The first person to act pre-flop (first person after the BB)
UTG+1 = Person to the left of UTG
EP = Early Position
MP = Middle Position
LP = Late Position
CO = Cut off seat, the seat directly to the right of the button.
Button = Dealer (aka OTB = On the Button)
OOP = Out of position, generally meaning UTG, first to act on the flop, or calling a LP raise from EP, etc.

Betting Abbreviations.
Limp = Call the big blind (no raise)
Open Limp/Raise = Be the first non-folding player to act.
3-Bet = A re-raise.
4-Bet = A re-raise of a re-raise.
Light (ie 3-bet light) = Raising a hand you would'nt usually raise for value.
Steal = An attempt to steal the blinds/limps.

Player Types
LAG = Loose Aggressive Player
TAG = Tight Aggressive Player
LAP = Loose-Passive Player

Hand Identifiers
ATC = Any Two Cards
BDSD = Backdoor Straight Draw
BDFD = Backdoor Flush Draw
FD = Flush Draw
Gutshot = Inside Straight Draw
OESD = Open End Straight Draw
OESFD = Open Ended Straight Flush Draw
o / os = Off Suit
PP = Pocket Pair
SC = Suited Connectors, hands like 67 suited, 89suited, 34suited
s = Suited
TPTK = Top Pair Top Kicker
TPGK = Top Pair Good Kicker
TPBK = Top Pair Bad Kicker
WA = Way Ahead
WB = Way Behind

Poker Tracker Statistics
AF = Aggression Factor
BB/100 Hands = big bets won per 100 hands played
EV = expected value
HEM = http://www.holdemmanager.net/ A software program used by players to analyze things
HR = Hourly Rate
PFR% = Preflop Raise Percent
ROI = Return on Investment
VP$IP or VPIP = Voluntarily Put Money Into Pot
WR = Win Rate
W$SD = Won $ at Showdown
WSD = Went to Showdown

Tournament Info
ITM = in the money
Bubble = busting out of a tournament in the last spot before the payouts begin.
MTT = Multi Table Tournament
STT = Single Table Tournament
SNG = Sit and Go

Others
AI = All in
B&M = Brick and Mortar (a live card room or casino)
CR = check-raise
HU = Heads Up
PF = Pre-flop.
PFR = Pre-flop raise/pre-flop raiser.
HH = Hand history
PSB = Pot-sized bet
PSR = Pot-Sized Raise
PT = Poker Tracker
FE = Fold equity - The chance of a bet/raise taking down the pot.
OP = Original Post

Less Common (yet all too true) Ones
WTF: I doubt that was a sound play.
OMG: I am rather surprised.
ESAD: Eat sh*t and die
NH = Thanks for donking all my chips
TY = Totally blind to the sarcasm of the above NH
OMFG = Did you really just call all in with 84os?
GG = "I beat you!"
GG = "I know."
LOL WOW = I wish I could stab people through my monitor.[/SIZE]

 

[Humps]

could u explain C-bet or C-betting?

 

[stormswa]

could u explain C-bet or C-betting?

a c-bet means continuation bet.

what this means is when you bet or raise preflop and follow it up with a lead bet on the flop.

 

[DaveE]

Could someone please define "nit" play?

 

[stormswa]

Could someone please define "nit" play?

A nit is a very very very tight player, they usually have a vp$ip of under 10% and their aggression preflop and postflop is very low. Usually when a nit raises they have it and you can fold some of your quality hands preflop.

so if you are holding something like AQs in the big blind and a nit raises you preflop from the cutoff it is very easy to fold this. But usually nits dont raise preflop and just limp.

a Nit is a Tag without the aggression.

 

[AnnoDomino]

if i may borrow rob's shield for a moment and in the name of true pedantry:

these are initialisms not acronyms (except a few; horse, lag, tag)

nice one TB ;-)

on a similar note, what does felted mean?

 

[Jack Daniels]

on a similar note, what does felted mean?

Stacking someone or being stacked. As in taking them all the way down to the felt.

 

[Dr.Mik]

Hi - I did already thank you for that list.
Would you please explain to me the exact meaning of "FTA"?
I know that it's the abbreviation of "First to act".
But what does this actually mean?
Is FTA identical with UTG?
Or is the FTA the first one who raises/bets?
Thx in advance.

 

[Jack Daniels]

Hi - I did already thank you for that list.
Would you please explain to me the exact meaning of "FTA"?
I know that it's the abbreviation of "First to act".
But what does this actually mean?
Is FTA identical with UTG?
Or is the FTA the first one who raises/bets?
Thx in advance.

First to act is actually exactly what it sounds like. It is the first person that will be acting on their hand on a given round. So PF, UTG is always first to act. On all post flop streets, "first to act" will be the first person to the left of the dealer that is still in the hand.

 

[Dr.Mik]

And another one -
I sometimes come across G2G.
What does this mean?
Thx for your answer -
mick aka Dr.Mik

 

[skoldpadda]

I'd add "Highjack" for newbies as well. That is the position 1 right of the cutoff (or 2 right of the button).

 

[DaFrench1]

If someone can tell me what the term '3-bet' refers to I shall be most enlightened.

 

[jaketrevvor]

A 3-bet refers to when in limit games (although it can sometimes also refer to NL games), a player reraises the action on any round of betting i.e. makes a third bet size.

 

[eNTy]

Maybe you could add Stop 'n Go? I read it in Tenbob's blog and he explained to me that it was when he called a PF raise and then shoved on the flop, regardless the outcome of this flop.

 

[dj11]

Define push and shove.

I'm thinking a push is less than a shove, which is all in .

 

[jaketrevvor]

Define push and shove.

I'm thinking a push is less than a shove, which is all in .

Both push and shove mean all-in I'm pretty sure

 

[soccerfreakjj10]

Both push and shove mean all-in I'm pretty sure

I think that "push" has multiple definitions, depending on what you imply afterwards Push can definitely mean "push all in," but I think it can also mean "push the action," and not necessarily going all in.

This thread is great! I do have a question though? What does FTW mean? I am pretty sure it stands for "for the win," but I don't really understand why, for example, railbirds say it to a player at a final table when they are sitting out a hand. It makes sense to me to say it in an all in situation, where if the player wins the hand he will win the tournament. It seems like a big compliment when a railbird says it to a player though, as the player often responds with a tytytytyty

 

[eNTy]

FTW, at least in my experience, comes from playing video games. For instance when some is using a very lame tactic like camping and wins that way (sitting in one spot for a very long time) you could say: Camping FTW. It's usually pretty much sarcastic. But I guess you could say that in this situation it implied that the player in question went deeper in the FT by sitting out. Therefore sitting out getting closer to the win => sitting out FTW.

 

[eNTy]

WTG: Way To Go .. AFAIK(as far as I know)

 

[CfPoker]

When you do the 3 numbers with brackets x/x/x what is it referring to? I'm expecting it to be something obvious

 

[MrMuckets]

EBB anyone?

 

[Connon]

If someone could tell me what "M" means I would appreciate it, I realise its something to do with stack size but what exactly?

 

[kingpeterpan]

how do you play omaha

 

[BillyTheBull]

If someone could tell me what "M" means I would appreciate it, I realise its something to do with stack size but what exactly?

M is Dan Harrington's formula of figuring your tournament stack size in relation to the blinds. M is more accurate than just dividing your stack into the size of the BB -- you often hear people say something like "I had 10 BBs left. . ." -- which can be deceiving. M takes into account not only also the SB, but any antes that may be in play, meaning that it looks at how much it really costs to play each round if you're just folding every hand. This can make a huge difference in the way you should adjust your play; for example, take a game where you have 10k in chips and the blinds are 500/1000 w/ 50 antes; you still have ten BBs, which might not seem THAT short-stacked, but your M here is only 5 (10000 / (10 x 50antes + 500SB + 1000BB)) which would put you in the "red zone". Generally -- if I remember correctly -- an M of 20+ means you're in great shape, 10-20 is ok, 5-10 is pretty short, and with anything below 5 it's high time to try and double up or go home.

Along with M, Harrington uses a measure called Q, which is essentially your stack size in relation to the avg stack at any given time; again, the higher the number, the better, with anything between 1-2 meaning you're in decent shape. Using both M & Q periodically during a tournament, not only on your own stack but also on your opponents', you should be able to gauge how well you are doing and adjust your play accordingly.

This should give you the general idea, but if you really want to learn more about it you should read the "Harrington on Hold'em" series of books. Hope this helps!

 

[Jillychemung]

When you do the 3 numbers with brackets x/x/x what is it referring to? I'm expecting it to be something obvious

VPIP/PF R%/PF A

Voluntarily Put in Pot
Pre Flop Raise %
PF Agression factor or it could be Post Flop Still not very sure on this one.