Texas Holdem Definitions - Poker Slang Terms

Draw, being on: Holding a hand that needs help from the cards to come (a drawing hand, or come hand) in order to "develop" to the best hand.

Outs: Cards still unseen by you, which will improve your hand, or ways of improving your hand. Used particularly in reference to a hand that needs to improve in order to become the best hand (a drawing hand).

(Drawing) odds:The number of times an event is expected to occur, vs. the number of times it is expected not to occur. The odds for a drawing hand to develop to the best hand could be 2:1 against the draw succeeding; meaning for every success there will be two failures. The drawing odds are calculated as a function of all outs in relation to all cards unseen by you, and the number of cards still to come.

(Made) odds: The number of times a hand is currently the best hand is expected to remain the best hand, vs. the number of times the same hand is expected to not be the best hand, after the final round of betting.

Pot odds: The ratio of the amount of money in the pot to the bet you must call or the amount of money you otherwise need to contribute to the pot to continue in the hand, to see one more card that will take you from one betting round to the next.

Effective odds: The ratio of the total amount of money you expect to win if you make your hand to the total amount of money you expect to contribute to the pot either by betting or calling to continue from the present round of betting to the end of the hand. It is important to remember that for any opponent to also continue in the hand he will have to contribute the exact same amount as you.

Implied odds: The ratio of the total amount of money you expect to win if you make your hand to the bet you must now call or otherise contribute to the pot to continue in the hand. The difference between effective odds and implied odds is that the implied odds don't consider the amount you might have to contribute to the pot on later betting rounds.

Reverse implied odds: The ratio of the money now in the pot to the amount of money you will have to call or otherwise contribute to the pot to continue from the present round to the end of the hand. The difference between effective odds and reverse implied odds is that the reverse implied odds don't consider the amount contributed by your opponents also remaining in the hand.

Deception: To sometimes play a hand in a suboptimal way to make it more difficult for your opponents to decipher and adjust to your playing style, and thereby force them into making mistakes on future hands, which in turn will increase your long-term ME even further.

Bluffing: A bet or a raise with a hand you don't think is the best hand. Normally you only bluff when all cards are out, and with the intention to make all remaining players to fold, so that you can win the hand uncontested. Usually, when you bluff on the last betting round, you do so after a semi-bluff on a previous betting round and after a missed draw, trying to represent the strong hand you didn't make.

Semi bluffing: To bet with a hand you don't think is the best hand but which has a reasonable chance to improve to the best hand (a drawing hand). Semi bluffing requires cards to come.

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