GG and WP Meaning in Poker: Is It Really a Compliment?

Images from Unsplash

If you’ve been playing online poker even just casually, you’ve probably seen someone type in a chat GG WP after someone busts a tournament or gets felted in a cash game and stands up.

There isn’t a secret behind the literal WP meaning – it’s just an abbreviation for “well played,” but is it always a compliment?

The same goes for the first part of this poker expression. If you ask anyone what does GG means, they’ll tell you it stands for “good game.”

Basically, both phrases mean the same thing, and on the surface, they’re meant to show respect for the opponent. But, like almost everything else on the internet, they can often have a secret, sarcastic message hidden behind the words.

What Does WP Means, Really?

If you were to play poker with a group of perfect ladies and gentlemen who are there to have fun, compete, and take everything in strides, there’d be no confusion about the WP meaning. You’d get that when someone is impressed by the way you’ve played your poker hand.

However, there isn’t much dignity in online poker.

More often than not, you’ll get the “WP” message from someone who is fuming about the fact you’ve just knocked them out of a tournament or won a massive pot off of them.

What they’re sometimes saying by WP is that you got fortunate, and your play in that hand was horrible – at least from their point of view.

Of course, there are still times when some will type “WP” and actually mean “well played.” Some people take losing better than others, so you shouldn’t assume everyone is trying to be sarcastic.

Either way, the best response to this is to simply type “thank you” or ignore it for that matter. Those who genuinely meant it usually won’t take it any further than that.

But those who were having a go at your play might go ballistic in the chat, explaining to you (in a lot of detail) what their “WP” actually meant.

GG Meaning

The original “GG” meaning of “good game” is quite clear, just like with the phrase “well played.” However, it is usually uttered by the one dealing the deadly blow.

Sometimes, it can be used as a polite answer to “WP,” and sometimes you’ll find them in the same expression (GG WP), where your opponent is trying to tell you: “you played it well, but you got unlucky.”

GG isn’t used in a sarcastic way as much, simply because the person typing it is usually on the receiving end of a nice pot.

Thus, they have nothing to be mad about, which means their comment will often be more genuine.

That said, you’ll often have many people typing “GG” after someone busts a tournament even there was nothing good about their game. This is usually the scenario where the player hitting the rail is someone who’s been annoying the whole table in one way or another.

If you’re wondering what does “GG” means in this case, the translation would be somewhere between these lines: we’re happy to see you go, please don’t comment on anything, just go. Yes, you were so unlucky, just please don’t talk about it.

When “GG WP” Has No Hidden Meaning

Reading this article so far, you might think that every time someone types “GG” or “WP” in the chat, they’re trying to make fun of you or someone else.

That would be a wrong conclusion. I just wanted to focus on the funnier side of these expressions first, on top of the natural way of using it to hone your Texas Holdem strategy skills.

Experienced online players who meet each other at the virtual tables all the time will routinely type this when they see someone they know leaving the table. They might do it even when they’re not involved in a hand.

GG WP is a poker way of saying “goodbye, see you around.”

There are also those people who just like being polite. They don’t even know about the hidden meaning behind these expressions. They’re just trying to have fun and make some friends, and they see this as a nice way to show their intentions.

The bottom line is, you’ll usually know the real meaning of the phrase depending on who wrote it.

If someone who’s been going on and on about how everyone’s such bad types “WP” in the chatbox after someone finally sends him to the rail, yeah, they don’t really mean it.

NH: Another Common Poker Saying

Another quite common phrase you’ll see time and time again at the tables is NH. Like the rest, the “NH” meaning is quite clear.

NH is an abbreviation for “nice hand” or another way of saying “well played.”

Thus, everything that’s been said about the phrase “WP” also applies here.

Frequently, it’s just a code for “I think you’re a donkey who got lucky against me.” Of course, this can be completely wrong, but everyone has the right to their opinion.

Among more experienced players, this can actually be a compliment. A good player will have no problems admitting when they were outplayed.

It happens to everyone from time to time, and it’s not something to be ashamed of. In fact, treating your opponents this way can earn you a lot of respect in the poker world, and that respect can be quite valuable.

Summary: GG and WP In Poker

If you had any doubts about these three common poker phrases, this article should shed some light on the topic and could be a valuable tip for beginners.

The next time you see someone typing “GG WP,” you can take it with a grain of salt. They don’t always mean it.

On your side of the table, don’t be afraid to use it when you want to show respect for your opponent.

Some people may take it the wrong way because of the reasons described earlier, but that’s not your problem. If they actually think there is a reason you’d sarcastically use “WP,” then it probably wasn’t “well played” to begin with.