Poker glossary: R
30 poker terms starting with R. Each entry has a clear definition, a worked example, and links to related concepts.
Rainbow Board
A rainbow board is a flop where all three community cards are different suits, like K♠ 7♥ 2♦. With three suits showing, no flush is possible on the flop and no flush draw is liv...
Raise
A raise increases the current bet in No-Limit Texas Hold'em, giving players wide sizing freedom. Raising asserts control, applies pressure, and changes hand dynamics by growing...
Raise First In
Raise First In (RFI) means being the first player to voluntarily raise the pot preflop. Players commonly call that an open raise. In No-Limit Texas Hold'em, where bet sizes are...
Raise-or-Fold
Raise-or-fold is a straightforward preflop philosophy: instead of routinely calling, you usually raise or fold. Flat-calling means calling an open without re-raising; limp means...
Rake
Rake is the fee the cardroom or online platform takes from a cash-game pot for running the game. It is usually charged as a small percentage of the pot with a cap, and sometimes...
Randomization
Randomization means deliberately adding chance to decisions so opponents cannot predict you. In poker, it usually means mixing among viable plays to avoid patterns. For example,...
Range
A hand range is the set of possible hole cards a player could hold. You assign a range from their actions, position, and table dynamics. Thinking in ranges means considering gro...
Range Advantage
Range advantage compares the overall strength distribution of one player's possible hands to an opponent's, not your single holding. A range is every hand a player could reasona...
Range Bet
A range bet is betting with most or all of your range on a board—usually for a small size. Learn when range betting works, when it fails, and see examples.
Range Check
A "range check" is the set of hands you choose to check instead of betting. Your range is the set of possible hands you might hold. Good checking range construction mixes strong...
Range Construction
Range construction is the process of deciding which hands belong in each action bucket: bet, raise, call, check, or fold for a given spot. The range is the finished set; constru...
Range vs Range
Range vs range is the habit of comparing two players' entire hand distributions on a specific board, not your one hand against their one hand. Solvers and modern poker thinking...
Rank
Rank - Poker Hand Rankings in No-Limit Texas Hold'em
Raw Equity
Raw equity is your hand's bare showdown-equity percentage against an opponent's hand or range, calculated as if the cards just run out. It ignores position, future betting, fold...
Realized Equity
Realized equity is the share of the pot a hand actually converts into expected value once position, future betting, folds, and the runout play out. It is the result that equity...
Rebuy
A rebuy is the option to post the buy-in again during an early window of a tournament if your stack falls below the starting amount or you bust. The window typically runs throug...
Regular
Quick review of mechanics shaping regular play:
Removal Effect
The removal effect, or card removal, means your hole cards and board cards reduce opponent hand combinations. A blocker is any card in your hand that removes combinations from t...
Reopen the Betting
"Reopen the betting" happens when a player who already acted gets a new opportunity to act because another player made a full legal raise. If a full raise occurs after you acted...
Reshove
A reshove is moving all-in after another player bets, raises, or shoves. It appears most often preflop in tournaments. The play mixes fold equity - the chance opponents fold and...
Reverse Implied Odds
Reverse implied odds occur when you improve your hand but still lose more chips. The problem isn't failing to improve; it's improving to a hand that's actually second-best. This...
RFI
Raise First In (RFI) means opening the betting round with a raise when no one else has entered the pot. Don't limp or wait for other action; opening raise forces opponents to ca...
Ring Game
A ring game is an ongoing cash poker table with fixed blinds and chips that hold real money value. You buy in for a chosen amount, sit down whenever a seat opens, and leave when...
River
The river is the fifth and final community card dealt face-up in Hold'em. It triggers the last betting round before showdown, when remaining players reveal hands. No more cards...
River Class
The river is the fifth and final community card dealt face-up in No-Limit Texas Hold'em. After it appears, the final betting round happens and hands often go to showdown, where...
Rock
A rock is a very tight, risk-averse player who enters very few pots and usually shows up with strong holdings when they do continue. The label is a table read built from repeate...
Royal Flush
A Royal Flush is the five-card combination Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten, all of one suit (for example A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠). A suit is one of the four categories: spades, hearts, d...
Rule of 2 and 4
Use the Rule of 2 and 4 to estimate draw equity from outs on the flop and turn. Includes a cheat sheet plus worked examples.
Runner-Runner
Runner-runner means both the turn and river had to cooperate to make your hand or change the result. It's a two-card path, not a draw label. Worked examples for runner-runner fl...
Runout
A runout is the sequence of community cards revealed in Hold'em: flop, turn, and river. These five cards form the board everyone uses with their two hole cards to make the best...