Dead money

Chips in the pot that belong to nobody active in the hand — blinds, antes and bets from players who have folded. Dead money is what makes stealing and squeezing profitable, and the phrase also describes weak players who are unlikely to cash.

Example. With antes and a limper who folded to the raise, there is plenty of dead money to fight over.

Related terms

Full glossary

Squeeze

A re-raise made after an open and one or more callers, exploiting the fact that the callers have shown weaknes…

Ante

A small forced bet every player at the table posts before the deal, on top of the blinds. Common in tournament…

Blind steal

A late-position raise with a weak hand whose main purpose is to win the blinds and antes uncontested. Steals f…

Alpha (bluff break-even)

The percentage of the time a bluff needs to work to break even: bet ÷ (bet + pot). It is the mirror image of m…

Balance

Having a mix of strong hands and bluffs in the same line so that an opponent cannot tell which one you hold an…

Bankroll management

The discipline of only playing stakes your bankroll can survive. Rules of thumb: 20–50 buy-ins for cash games,…

Block bet

A small bet made out of position, often on the river, with a medium-strength hand to set a cheap price and dis…

Blocker

A card in your hand that reduces the number of ways an opponent can hold a specific hand. Holding the ace of s…