Value bet

A bet made with what you believe is the best hand, sized so that worse hands will still call. The opposite of a bluff, and where most winning players make most of their profit.

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…

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…

Blocker

A card in your hand that reduces the number of ways an opponent can hold a specific hand. Holding the ace of s…

Bluff-catcher

A hand that can only win at showdown if the opponent is bluffing — it beats their bluffs but loses to all thei…