psychology
A‑Game
Your A-Game is the best level of poker you can currently play, with your skills and attention working together.
Advantage Player
An advantage player is someone who looks for an edge in a game.
Advertise
To advertise is to bluff or show a hand on purpose so opponents form a false impression of how you play.
Aggression
Aggression is a tendency to bet and raise rather than check or just call.
Aggressive
Aggressive describes a style of play with a lot of betting and raising instead of checking and calling.
Angle
An angle is a legal but unethical play that tries to gain an advantage.
Angle Shooting
Angle shooting is using unethical or misleading tactics, short of cheating, to gain an advantage.
Apologizer
An apologizer is the same as an apology card.
Apology Card
An apology card is a card that would have completed your previous lowball hand, but appears in the next one.
Artist
An artist is a cheat who manipulates the deck.
Bad Beat
A bad beat happens when a strong hand loses to a stronger one that was far behind.
Balance
Balance is playing different hands in the same way so opponents cannot learn much about your cards.
Balanced Style
A balanced style avoids predictable patterns by using different actions in similar situations.
Balancing
Balancing means arranging your bets, raises and folds so they do not reveal your hand.
Behind a Log
Behind a log describes a player who is far ahead in a game and plays only premium hands.
Bet Blind
To bet blind is to bet without looking at your cards.
Bet in the Dark
A bet in the dark is a bet made before the cards of the next round have been seen.
Betting Pattern
A betting pattern is the sequence, timing and size of a player's bets.
Bleed
Bleed means to win or lose money steadily in small amounts.
Blind Robber
A blind robber is a player who steals the blinds by raising with a weak hand.
Blistering
Blistering is a cheating technique of marking cards with a fingernail or another device.
Blow Back
To blow back is to lose most or all of the money you have won.
Bluff
A bluff is a bet or raise made with a hand you expect to be weaker, to make better hands fold.
Broomcorn’s Uncle
Broomcorn's uncle is a player who antes himself broke.
Bubble
The bubble is the point in a tournament where the next player to be eliminated gets nothing.
Bubble Pressure
Bubble pressure is the pressure a player, especially a short stack, feels when close to the money in a tournament.
Bubbled
Bubbled means eliminated just short of the money in a tournament.
Bull The Game
To bull the game is to bluff frequently.
Bum Hunting
Bum hunting is seeking out weaker players to play against.
Caller
A caller is a player who matches the current bet.
Calling Station
A calling station is a player who calls too much and rarely raises or folds.
Card Sharp
A card sharp is a skilled card player, historically often a cheat.