Postflop Poker Glossary

Pot odds are the price you’re getting to call: the ratio of the total pot to the amount you must call. They tell you the minimum equity your hand needs to make calling break even.

MDF is the minimum share of your range you must continue with against a bet so the bettor can’t profitably bluff any two cards. It equals pot ÷ (pot + bet).

Implied odds are the extra money you expect to win on later streets when your draw completes. They let you call a bet that immediate pot odds alone don’t justify.

Range advantage means your entire range of possible hands is stronger than your opponent’s on a given board. The player with range advantage can bet more often and at higher frequency.

A continuation bet, or c-bet, is a bet made on the flop by the player who raised before the flop. It continues the preflop aggression and pressures the opponent with both value and bluffs.

Board texture describes how connected and coordinated the community cards are. Dry boards are disconnected and favor the aggressor; wet boards are connected and shift equity toward the caller.

A polarized range is a betting range made up of strong value hands and bluffs, with medium-strength hands checked. Big bets and overbets should be polarized so the bluffs are backed by real value.

A bluff catcher is a hand that beats only your opponent’s bluffs, not their value bets. You call with it to stop the opponent from bluffing profitably, choosing the ones that block their value.

SPR is the effective stack divided by the pot at the start of the flop. It tells you how committed you are: low SPR means top pair can stack off, high SPR rewards implied odds and pot control.

Blockers are cards in your hand that reduce the combinations of hands your opponent can hold. Holding the ace of a suit, for example, makes it less likely your opponent has the nut flush.

A semi-bluff is a bet or raise made with a drawing hand — one that can win now by making the opponent fold, and can also improve to the best hand if called. It combines fold equity with real equity.

An overbet is a bet larger than the size of the pot. It’s used with a polarized range on boards where you hold the nut advantage and the opponent’s range is capped at medium-strength hands.