KEY TAKEAWAYS
Poker has its own language, and most of it describes betting. This glossary defines 24 poker betting terms that show up at every table, from the basic actions of check, bet, call, raise and fold to bet types such as the continuation bet and the semi-bluff, plus the forced bets and betting structures that shape each hand. Every entry gives a plain definition, an example sentence that a player might actually say, and a note on where usage varies by room, format or region. The terms are grouped into four themes so related actions sit together, and a quick-reference table near the end summarizes each term in a line. Definitions here describe how words are used. They do not recommend any strategy, and nothing here changes how the cards fall.
Basic Betting Actions
Every hand of poker comes down to a handful of actions. These six terms cover what a player can do when it is their turn.
Check
Definition: To pass the action to the next player without betting, when no bet has been made in the current round.
Example: “Nobody had bet yet, so he said check.”
A check keeps a player in the hand without adding chips. It is only possible when there is no bet to call.
Bet
Definition: To put chips into the pot first in a betting round, opening the wagering for that round.
Example: “She bet $40 into a pot of $100.”
After a bet has been made, further increases are called raises, not bets.
Call
Definition: To match the amount of the current bet or raise so as to stay in the hand.
Example: “He called the $40 bet and the dealer burned a card for the next street.”
Calling adds chips equal to the outstanding bet. It is different from raising, which increases the amount others must match.
Raise
Definition: To increase the size of the current bet, so other players must put in more chips to continue.
Example: “The first player bet $20, and the next player raised to $60.”
Raise amounts are limited by the game’s betting structure, so what is allowed varies by room and format.
Fold
Definition: To give up a hand and discard the cards, forfeiting any chips already put in the pot.
Example: “Facing a large raise, she folded and waited for the next deal.”
A folded player takes no further part in that hand and cannot win its pot.
All-in
Definition: To bet all of one’s remaining chips in a single action.
Example: “With 800 chips left, he pushed everything in and went all-in.”
A player who is all-in can only win the part of the pot they have matched, which is where side pots come from.
Raises and Re-Raises
Betting rounds can escalate. These terms name the common ways a bet is raised and re-raised, and the tactics built around them.
Min-raise
Definition: A raise of the smallest amount the rules allow.
Example: “The bet was $10, so he made a min-raise to $20.”
The smallest allowed raise is set by the room’s rules and the game format, so the exact amount varies.
3-bet
Definition: The third bet in a betting sequence before the flop, usually the first re-raise.
Example: “She opened with a raise, and the player behind her 3-bet.”
Before the flop the big blind counts as the first bet, so the first raise is the 2-bet and the re-raise is the 3-bet. Counting conventions can differ for other games.
4-bet
Definition: A re-raise of a 3-bet, making the fourth bet in the sequence.
Example: “He raised, she 3-bet, and he 4-bet with the table watching.”
Players also use the term 5-bet for the next re-raise, continuing the same counting pattern.
Check-raise
Definition: To check first, then raise after another player bets in the same round.
Example: “She checked, her opponent bet $30, and she check-raised to $90.”
A check-raise is allowed in most poker games, but a few rooms or home games ban it.
Limp
Definition: To enter the pot before the flop by just calling the big blind instead of raising.
Example: “Three players limped in, and the big blind checked.”
Limping is a descriptive term, not a judgment; the word is neutral.
Bet Types and Purposes
Poker players describe a bet by what it is trying to do. These terms name the most common bet types.
Continuation bet
Definition: A bet on the flop by the player who raised before the flop, made whether or not the flop helped them.
Example: “He raised before the flop, and when it came down he made a continuation bet of half the pot.”
Often shortened to c-bet. The term describes who is betting, not whether the hand is strong.
Value bet
Definition: A bet made with a hand strong enough that the bettor expects to be called by weaker hands.
Example: “With a full house on the river, she made a value bet and hoped for a call.”
The opposite purpose is a bluff. A bet is named a value bet by its intent, not by its size.
Bluff
Definition: A bet or raise made with a hand unlikely to be best, intended to make better hands fold.
Example: “He had nothing but bet big on the river, a pure bluff.”
Bluffing is a normal part of the game under standard rules, not cheating.
Semi-bluff
Definition: A bet or raise made with a hand that is not yet strong but can improve to a strong hand on a later card.
Example: “With four hearts and one card to come, she semi-bluffed with a raise.”
A semi-bluff can win two ways: opponents fold now, or the hand improves later.
Donk bet
Definition: A bet made by a player who called on the previous betting round, leading into the player who raised instead of checking to them.
Example: “He called a raise before the flop and then made a donk bet into the raiser.”
Informal slang. “Donk” is short for donkey and the term can sound dismissive, so some players prefer “lead bet” or “lead.”
Overbet
Definition: A bet larger than the current size of the pot.
Example: “The pot held $100 and she made a $150 overbet on the river.”
Overbets are only possible in formats that allow bets above the pot, such as no-limit.
Forced Bets and Betting Structures
Some money goes in before any decision, and the format sets how large bets can be. These terms cover both ideas.
Blinds
Definition: Forced bets posted before the cards are dealt by the two players to the left of the dealer button, called the small blind and the big blind.
Example: “The blinds were $1 and $2, so the pot already held $3 before the deal.”
The big blind is usually twice the small blind. Blinds move one seat around the table each hand.
Ante
Definition: A small forced bet that every player puts into the pot before the hand begins.
Example: “Each player paid a 25-chip ante before the cards were dealt.”
Antes are common in later tournament levels and in games such as Stud, and they can be used alongside or instead of blinds.
Straddle
Definition: A voluntary extra blind posted before the cards are dealt, usually twice the big blind, that raises the amount to call.
Example: “The player after the big blind posted a $4 straddle in a $1-$2 game.”
Straddle rules, including who may post one and when it acts, vary by room.
No-limit
Definition: A betting structure in which a player may bet or raise any amount up to the chips in front of them.
Example: “At a no-limit table he can bet his entire stack at any time.”
Often written NL, as in NL Hold’em.
Pot-limit
Definition: A betting structure in which the largest allowed bet or raise equals the current size of the pot.
Example: “In a pot-limit game the biggest bet is capped at the pot size.”
Often written PL. It sits between fixed-limit and no-limit in how large bets can get.
Fixed-limit
Definition: A betting structure in which bet and raise sizes are set in advance for each betting round.
Example: “In a $2-$4 fixed-limit game, bets on the early rounds are $2 and later rounds are $4.”
Fixed-limit games usually allow only a set number of raises per round.
Side pot
Definition: A separate pot formed when a player is all-in and others keep betting, which the all-in player cannot win.
Example: “One player went all-in short, so the others built a side pot among themselves.”
The all-in player competes for the main pot only. More than one side pot can form in a hand.
Quick-Reference Table
| Term | Short definition |
|---|---|
| Check | Pass without betting |
| Bet | First wager in a round |
| Call | Match the current bet |
| Raise | Increase the current bet |
| Fold | Give up the hand |
| All-in | Bet every remaining chip |
| Min-raise | Smallest allowed raise |
| 3-bet | Re-raise of an opening raise |
| 4-bet | Re-raise of a 3-bet |
| Check-raise | Check, then raise after a bet |
| Limp | Call the big blind only |
| Continuation bet | Flop bet by the pre-flop raiser |
| Value bet | Bet expecting a worse hand to call |
| Bluff | Bet to make better hands fold |
| Semi-bluff | Bluff with a drawing hand |
| Donk bet | Lead bet into the prior aggressor |
| Overbet | Bet bigger than the pot |
| Blinds | Forced bets before the deal |
| Ante | Small forced bet from all players |
| Straddle | Optional extra blind bet |
| No-limit | Any amount up to all chips |
| Pot-limit | Maximum bet equals the pot |
| Fixed-limit | Preset bet sizes |
| Side pot | Extra pot after an all-in |
Related Glossaries
Poker betting terms sit on top of general gambling vocabulary. Rake and buy-in, two words players meet before they place a single bet, are defined for all forms of gambling in the gambling money terms glossary. Where a poker word has a narrower meaning than its general sense, the entry above says so, so readers can tell table talk from everyday usage.
