The poker terms, plainly.

How to use the glossary

These definitions are written for decisions, not trivia. Start with the term that is blocking the next review question: bankroll if you are choosing a stake, standard deviation if a sample feels noisy, BB/hr if you are comparing live cash results, or stop-loss if session discipline is the leak. Each page gives the short answer, a worked example, the common mistakes and a link to the guide or calculator that turns the term into a decision.

Poker terms get misused when they are treated as labels instead of measurements. A downswing is not just losing for a while. It is a drawdown you can compare with your edge and swing rate. ROI is not the same thing as hourly. A-game and C-game are not feelings, they are patterns you can spot in session notes. The glossary keeps those differences plain so the tracking pages, calculators and guides all use the same language.

If a term affects money, read the example before trusting the shortcut. Live poker samples are slow, rake changes the game, and a single number can be technically correct while still too noisy for a stake decision. That is why the definitions point back to logged data rather than table bravado.

The fastest route is to follow the money question first. Bankroll, risk of ruin and shot-taking belong together. Win rate, BB/hr, standard deviation and sample size belong together. Stop-loss, tilt, A-game and C-game belong together. Player notes, leak, study log and coach pack belong together. Reading terms in clusters makes the review loop easier to remember when a real session is asking for a decision.

Definitions also help prevent category mistakes. A HUD term such as VPIP can matter online, but it does not become stable in live cash at the same speed. A tournament term such as ROI should not replace cash hourly. A variance term should not be used as an excuse to ignore poor play. The glossary keeps those boundaries visible.