Bubble

The point in a tournament just before the payouts begin: the next player eliminated leaves with nothing while everyone else is guaranteed money. Play tightens dramatically and short stacks stall.

Related terms

Full glossary

In the money

Having outlasted enough of the field to be guaranteed a payout. In most events roughly the top 12–15% of entra…

ICM

Independent Chip Model: a way of converting tournament chips into their real money value, given the payout str…

Add-on

A one-time option at the end of the rebuy period to buy extra chips regardless of your stack size. Almost alwa…

Big blind ante

A tournament format where, instead of every player posting an ante, the player in the big blind posts one larg…

Bounty

A cash prize paid for knocking a specific player out of a tournament. In a knockout event every player carries…

Bracelet

The gold bracelet awarded to the winner of every World Series of Poker event — the most coveted trophy in the …

Bubble factor

A number that expresses how much more losing a pot costs you than winning it gains you, in tournament equity t…

Buy-in

What it costs to enter a tournament, or the amount you bring to a cash-game table. Tournament buy-ins are usua…