Gambling terms, explained straight

Poker

Poker terms list and meanings

A poker terms list explains the specialised language used in the game, covering actions, positions, hand types, and player behaviour. Common terms include pot, pot odds, bluff, tilt, button, and calling station.

Common terms
Pot, pot odds, bluff, tilt, button, calling station
Sources
Glossary of poker terms 1

Key points

  • The button is the dealer position and acts last in betting rounds after the flop 1.
  • Tilt describes a player playing emotionally after a bad beat, often making poor decisions 2.
  • A calling station is a player who calls bets too often and rarely folds or raises 1.

Where this term is used

Poker Poker terms and phrases A broader list of poker expressions and their meanings. Poker Poker terms for winning Terms related to winning hands and strategies. Poker Donk bet (poker) Explains the term 'donk' and its use in poker. Poker Poker hands Ranks and descriptions of all standard poker hands. Poker Omaha poker Rules and terminology specific to Omaha poker. Poker Flush poker Definition and examples of a flush hand in poker.

Sources

  1. Glossary of poker terms en.wikipedia.org Provides the glossary of poker terms used for definitions and examples.
  2. Tilt (poker) en.wikipedia.org Supports the definition of tilt and its emotional cause.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.