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Welcome to the GGPoker Poker Glossary — your complete reference for poker terms and concepts. Use the jump links below to navigate, or browse the full list alphabetically.

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ICM | Implied Odds | In Position | In the Money | In Turn | Insurance | Isolation | ITM | Jackpot | Jackson Five | Jam | Joker | Kansas City Lowball | Kicker | Kitty | Knock | Kojak | Ladies | LAG | Late Position | Laydown | Lead | Leak | Level | Light | Limit | Limp | Live Blind | Live Cards | Live Game | Live Hand | Live One | Lock | London Lowball | Loose | Lowball

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ICM	Independent Chip Model. A mathematical model used to calculate a player’s equity in a tournament based on the number of chips they have and the tournament prize structure.
Implied Odds	An adjustment to pot odds that accounts for the extra money a player expects to win in later betting rounds if they complete a drawing hand, making a call worthwhile even when the current pot odds alone don’t justify it.
In Position	Having position on your opponent, meaning you act after them on each betting street.
In the Money	Finishing high enough in a tournament to receive a payout. The exact cutoff depends on the structure, typically the top 10–20% of the field.
In Turn	Acting when it’s your turn to do so, in sequence with other players. An action made in turn is binding. An action made out of turn is binding only if the situation facing that player hasn’t changed by the time their actual turn arrives; otherwise, it’s voided and they get to act again.
Insurance	An arrangement in live cash games where an all-in player who is currently ahead in the hand pays a premium to receive a partial payout regardless of the outcome. The insured player accepts less than the full pot if they win but receives something if they lose, reducing variance on the hand. Terms are negotiated between players or facilitated by the house, which may charge a fee for the service. Less common than run-it-twice, and is not permitted in tournaments.
Isolation	A bet or raise made with the intention of singling out a player to play heads up.
ITM	In the Money. See In the Money.
Jackpot	A bonus prize available in some poker games, typically awarded for achieving a rare hand or qualifying situation. Common formats include bad beat jackpots (for losing with a very strong hand to an even stronger one), high hand jackpots (for making the best hand over a set period), and royal flush bonuses. Jackpots are usually funded by a small contribution, commonly one or two dollars, taken from qualifying pots. Rules and qualifying hands vary by cardroom and platform.
Jackson Five	Hole cards consisting of a Jack and a Five. The nickname comes from the musical group of the same name. Also called Motown.
Jam	See All-In.
Joker	An extra card, sometimes added to the deck in draw games, that can act as a wild card. When restricted to acting only as an ace or to complete a straight or flush, it’s specifically called a Bug.
Kansas City Lowball	The second most common form of Lowball. Also called Deuce-to-Seven, this lowball system counts Aces as high cards while straights and flushes count against you. The best possible hand is 2-3-4-5-7, using at least two suits. Also see California Lowball and London Lowball.
Kicker	The cards in a players 5 card hand that are not part of the winning combination (J-J-5-5-A would be 2 pairs with an Ace kicker). When hands are tied, the highest kicker determines the winning hand
Kitty	The home-game equivalent of a rake, often used to buy refreshments and cover other necessary costs.
Knock	To knock on the table is a non-verbal way to Check and pass play on to the next player without betting.
Kojak	A starting hand consisting of a King and a Jack.
Ladies	Slang term for Pocket Queens.
LAG	Loose-Aggressive. A player who enters many pots and plays them aggressively, betting, raising, and applying pressure. A LAG can be hard to read and difficult to play against when their aggression is well-timed.
Late Position	Refers to the two or three seats to the right of the dealer button. It is considered an advantageous position because players in these seats get to act last during the betting rounds.
Laydown	A more general term for a tough or notable fold. Every hero fold is a laydown, but a laydown doesn’t have to involve as strong a hand.
Lead	The player who made the last aggressive action in a betting round is said to have the lead going into the next street.
Leak	A weakness in a player’s game or strategy that causes them to consistently lose money or miss out on potential winnings.
Level	In tournament play, a level refers to the current blind structure. Levels increase at set intervals, forcing players to accumulate chips or face being blinded out.
Light	Taking an aggressive action with less hand strength than is typically required: calling light, raising light, three-betting light. It implies acting on position or momentum rather than card value.
Limit	A cap on how much can be bet or raised and how many bets or raises can be made in a given round, determined by the betting structure. Also shorthand for Fixed Limit poker.
Limp	To enter a pot by simply calling a bet instead of raising.
Live Blind	An out-of-position blind or straddle that preserves the posting player’s right to raise, even if no one else raises before the action returns to them. It stays active until that option is exercised or forfeited. Also known as a Live Bet.
Live Cards	A hand that is behind but still has outs, meaning it has a genuine chance of catching a card to win. The opposite of drawing dead.
Live Game	1) A game with a lot of action. 2) A physical, in-person game, as opposed to an online game
Live Hand	A hand that is still eligible to win the pot – the player hasn’t folded, and their cards haven’t been mucked.
Live One	See Fish.
Lock	A hand that is guaranteed, or nearly guaranteed, to win, given the cards already dealt. It can happen on any street.
London Lowball	The least common form of Lowball. Also called Ace-to-Six, this lowball system counts Aces as low cards while straights and flushes count against you. The best possible hand is A-2-3-4-6, using at least two suits. Also see California Lowball and Kansas City Lowball.
Loose	To play more hands than one’s normal play style or the average player in the game.
Lowball	A type of game where the lowest-ranking hand wins, rather than the highest. Aces count as low in most, but not all, lowball variants.

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About the Author: Shawn Altbaum has been writing and editing in the online gaming industry since 2007, reporting live from the WSOP Main Event and conducting interviews with professional players. An active poker player, he combines industry expertise with firsthand knowledge of the games he covers. He currently serves as Global Head of Copywriting at NSUS Group, overseeing brand voice and content strategy across GGPoker.