Hero and villain
The conventions used when writing up a hand: 'hero' is the player telling the story, 'villain' any opponent. The words carry no moral judgement — every villain is a hero in his own hand history.
Frequently asked questions
What do hero and villain mean in poker?
They are naming conventions for discussing a hand. Hero is the player whose perspective we have — usually the person asking for advice — and villain is the opponent. Neither word implies anything about either player's conduct.
Why not just use the players' names?
Because a hand history is meant to be read by strangers and judged on the decision, not the people. The labels also keep the analysis anonymous when a hand is posted publicly.
Are there more than one villain?
Yes — multiway hands are written with villain 1, villain 2 and so on, usually identified by position. Good write-ups add what hero knew about each at the time, since that is the information the decision rested on.