Payoff

Basic Definition

In poker, a "payoff" refers to calling an opponent's strong hand and losing chips as a result. This term is often used in situations like on the river, where despite the opponent clearly making strong moves, you call with the faint hope that they might be bluffing.

Specific Situation

• When your opponent makes a big bet or goes all-in on the river and you only have a clearly weak one pair, yet you call thinking "maybe there's a chance," only to lose to their strong hand — this is a typical payoff.
• On a board of , holding top pair with , if the opponent bets strongly on the turn and river, you might think, "It could be a flush, but I can't fold," and call, only to find out they indeed have a flush and you lose. This is also considered a payoff.

Important Information

• A payoff is when you call despite the high likelihood that your opponent is clearly strong, unable to fully believe it, and this often leads to losses in the long run.
• If you have the ability to discern whether your opponent's bet is for value or a bluff, you can reduce unnecessary payoffs and prevent wasting chips.
• In some situations, it may be accepted as an "inevitable payoff (crying call)," but if it happens frequently, a review is necessary.

Examples of Term Usage

"It was clearly a completed flush line, but I couldn't give up and called anyway, which was a total payoff."