Semi-bluff

Betting or raising with a hand that is probably behind now but has outs to become the best — a flush or straight draw. You win either when everyone folds or when the draw comes in.

Related terms

Full glossary

Bluff

A bet or raise made with a hand you believe is not the best, intended to make a better hand fold. A semi-bluff…

Draw

A hand that is not yet made but can become strong if the right card comes: four cards to a flush (a flush draw…

Outs

The cards still in the deck that would turn your hand into a winner. An open-ended straight draw has eight out…

Alpha (bluff break-even)

The percentage of the time a bluff needs to work to break even: bet ÷ (bet + pot). It is the mirror image of m…

Balance

Having a mix of strong hands and bluffs in the same line so that an opponent cannot tell which one you hold an…

Bankroll management

The discipline of only playing stakes your bankroll can survive. Rules of thumb: 20–50 buy-ins for cash games,…

Blind steal

A late-position raise with a weak hand whose main purpose is to win the blinds and antes uncontested. Steals f…

Block bet

A small bet made out of position, often on the river, with a medium-strength hand to set a cheap price and dis…