Common Internet Lingo

You can’t be an efficient and hip online poker player unless you understand the basics of internet lingo. If your peers are spouting off acronyms like “lol” and “rofl,” you’d better know exactly what they mean. Being aware of the common internet speak will make playing online poker a pleasurable experience. More importantly, you’ll be using the same language as your opponents at the table.

LOL – Short for “Laugh out Loud.” In online poker, lol is commonly used when something extremely unfortunate happens at the tables. For example, if you’re all-in with pocket jacks pre-flop expecting a big-time double up and your opponent also shows jacks, typing “lol” into the chat box is an absolute must. When you’re all-in with sixes against threes and the flop comes 3-6-3, that’s a great time to belt out “lol” in virtual speak. Sucking out or getting sucked out on automatically warrants an lol blast, so the next time you one-out another player, be sure to rub it in by typing “lol.” Can you imagine their reaction? LOL.

OKG – Short for “OK, Great.” You’re saving a total of six keystrokes in this acronym, making it extremely efficient. You can use OKG in several different contexts. For example, when a friend tells you they’re about to head to the nearest bridge to jump off after getting sucked out on for the 37th time, you could just respond “OKG.” Alternately, when your hated rival challenges you to a heads-up match for $5 out of pure spite on PokerStars, “OKG” should be your top-of-mind response. Sure, you could just type “OK,” but what would be the fun in that?

GL – Short for “Good Luck.” Think of gl as an important sportsmanship term. When you’re all-in during the late stages of a tournament with your entire chip stack hanging in the balance, imagine the comfort you’ll feel when your opponent punches “gl” into the chat box. Sure, it might not be genuine, but there’s really no way to tell online. I’ve only heard very few people spout off “gl” in traditional speak (away from the computer), but its use is quite rampant online.

ROFL – Short for “Rolling on the Floor Laughing.” There are probably very few people who have literally rolled on the floor while laughing, but in the internet world, people do it 10 to 12 times per hour. ROFL is a prime acronym to use when something extremely funny happens. Did your aces just get cracked again? Start rolling on the floor laughing. Did Full Tilt disconnect for the third time this week? That’s cause for a hearty “rofl” as well. The term is often used in conjunction with LMAO, or laughing my ass off.

LMAO – Short for “Laughing My Ass Off.” If your parents did not approve of swearing when you were growing up, you can silently fight back using lmao. Although it’s highly unlikely that your backside will actually separate from your body due to laughing, lmao is one of the most common acronyms used in internet speak. It can be employed in many of the same instances as its cousin, rofl. In fact, the two are often combined to form “roflmao,” a fun phrase that’s short for “Rolling on the Floor Laughing My Ass Off.” Now that’s funny!

TTYL – Short for “Talk to You Later.” This is a pretty self-explanatory term that ends nearly every single conversation between online poker players. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen someone type “ttyl,” I’d be a multi-billionaire in a week. The first time I can remember hearing a similar phrase was “TTFN,” which was short for “Ta Ta for Now” and popularized by Tigger in the Winnie the Pooh series. In the modern-day internet era, poker players have diversified the phrase with “TTYS” (Talk to You Soon) and “TTYT” (Talk to You Then). Don’t be afraid to give this age-old acronym your own personal twist.

BRB – Short for “Be Right Back.” This is another oft-used acronym that rolls right off the tongue. Don’t confuse brb with R&B, which is a musical term that means “Rhythm and Blues.” If you have to hop off the tables for a few minutes to make a phone call or grab a snack, just sit yourself out, type “brb” in the chat box, and you’re absolved from any anger your sitting out may bring. After all, you alerted your competitors ahead of time.