Protection in poker is a bet made with a strong but vulnerable hand, such as top pair when straight or flush draws are possible.
With a protection bet, some or all of them may fold, leaving fewer opponents and a better chance of winning.
The term protection is also often heard in the context of an all-in player (see poker table stakes rules).
To deliberately make such a bet solely to protect another player's hand constitutes collusion.
A player may also be said to "protect" his or her cards by placing an object like a specialty chip or miniature figure upon them.