Poker Jargon in Everyday Life

Online poker players need to understand poker jargon before they get a real feel for the poker community.

There is much terminology these days that is used in the Internet world.  It is important to become familiar with the jargon specific to the subject in which you are interested, otherwise you will simply be left behind.  That is why this article is going to try and explain basic poker jargon that is used in everyday life, through Internet poker chatting.  Having said that, it’s really quite straightforward and anyone who has been IMing, smsing or anything else in the modern world will catch on very quickly.  Some of the poker ones are used in these situations too

Poker jargon A-J

• A9-A2 – an ace that has that number card, such as Ace Nine
• AA – pocket aces
• AJ, AQ, AK, AT – Ace with Jack, Queen, King, Ten
• ATC – any two cards
• Ax – ace with any other card
• BRB – be right back  (used in all internet shorthand situations)
• B&M – Bricks and mortar – referring to a real, live casino or table as opposed to an online version
• G1 – good one (as in good move, good hand, etc.)
• GB – good bet
• GG – good game
• GH – good hand
• GL; GLA – good luck; good luck all
• GP – good play (all these “good” ones are encouraging ways to make friends in social poker too and are always nice to hear)
• GTG – got to Go (player is leaving; also used in regular internet jargon)
• JJ – pocket jacks

Poker jargon K-T

• KK – pocket kings
• LMAO – laughing my ass off
• LOL – laughing out loud
• M8 – mate (again, these three terms are used in regular internet chat jargon)
• MTT – multi table tournament (very commonly used with poker players)
• N1 – nice hand
• NB – nice bet
• NH – nice hand (all these are used to encourage and befriend opponent players at the poker table, making it more of a social game)
• NP – no problem (although it sometimes also means nice play).
• OMG – Oh my god
• PMSL – peeing myself laughing (obviously not exclusive to poker play)
• PP – pocket pair
• QQ – pocket queens
• SNG – sit n go tournament (very much used in poker) or could also mean a single table tournament (equally used a lot in poker).
• STFU – shut up (do the math to work out what the F is for, but it’s a bit obscene so won’t be elucidated in this article).
• STR8 – straight (as in a straight, winning hand)
• STT – single table tournament
• T; Ta; TX; TNX – thanks
• TPTK – top pair, top kicker
• TU; TY – thank you

Poker jargon U-Z

• UL – unlucky (you might say this to a fellow opponent who looked like they were doing well and suddenly at the end got a bad hand; it’s a nice, encouraging, easy thing to say to try to make someone feel better without compromising your own position)
• UW – either you wish (a bit derogatory) or you’re welcome (if someone has given you a compliment)
• VNH – very nice hand (encouraging to your opponent)
• WP – well played
• WSOP – World Series of Poker (the poker event for all top, highly professional poker players; very difficult to get in to – especially the main event – and very prestigious.  This is way the elusive bracelets are won).
• WTF? – what happened (literally what the f** happened? as in you’re surprised at what the outcome was; did they suddenly play badly or were they just unlucky?)
• WTG – way to go (good job)
• YW – (more commonly used way of saying) you’re welcome
• Zzzz – you think the other player is going too slow.