This list of playing card nicknames has the common nicknames for the playing cards in a 52-card deck, as used in some common card games, such as poker.
The following is a list of nicknames used for playing cards used in most card games which use the standard 52-card pack. Such games usually require the revealing or announcement of held cards, at which point the nicknames may be used.
| Card Name | Initial | Alternative Names | Collective Names | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King | K | Cowboy, K-Boy, Knight, Monarch, Sergeant, Alexander (K♣), Charlemagne (K♥), Charles (K♥), David (K♠), Julius Caesar (K♦), One-Eyed King (K♦), the Man with the Ax (K♦), Suicide King (K♥), The Butcher of Baghdad (K♦) | Coat Card, Court Card, Face Card, Figure, Liner, Paint, Paintskin, Picture, Picture Card, Redskin, Rembrandt, Royal Cards, Picasso, Monkey | Broadway Cards, Honor Card | ||
| Queen | Q | Cowgirl, Dame, Lady, Girl, Hen, Joy Girl, Painted Lady, mop-squeezer, Bedpost Queen (Q♠), Argine (Q♣), Black Maria (Q♠), Calamity Jane (Q♠), Helen of Troy (Q♥), Judith (Q♥), Molly Hogan (Q♠), Dirty Gertie (Q♠), Pallas Athena (Q♠),Fanny Kaplan (Q♠), Stenographer | ||||
| Jack | J | Boy, Bower, Fishhook, Hook, J-Bird, J-Boy, Jackal, Jackson, Jacksonville, Jake, John, Johnny, Johnson, Knave, Valet, Fish Hook, Eunuch (J♠), Hector (J♦), Laughing Boy (J♦), Ogier (J♠), La Hire (J♥), Lancelot (J♣), Pam (J♣), Roland (J♦) | ||||
| 10 | T | Big Cassino (10♦), Dime, Sawbuck, Bo Derek | Spotter | Whiteskin | N/A | |
| 9 | 9 | Neener, Nina Ross, Niner, Curse of Scotland (9♦), Pothook, Scourge of Scotland (9♦) | Pusher, Spot | |||
| 8 | 8 | Fat Lady, Ocho, Snowman, 8 Land, Race track, Time travel, Hog Nads | ||||
| 7 | 7 | Beer Card (7♦), Candy Cane, Hockey Stick, Mullet, Salmon, Walking Stick | ||||
| 6 | 6 | A Boot, Grace's Card (6♥), Loyalty at the Risk of Death (6♥), Sax, Sex | N/A | |||
| 5 | 5 | Five Spot, Nickel, Pedro, Fever | Wheelcard | |||
| 4 | 4 | Boat, Four Spot, One Legged Ace, Broken Ace, Sailboat, Sharp Top, The Devil's Bedpost (4♣) | ||||
| 3 | 3 | Crab, Butts, Trey | No-Spotter | |||
| 2 | 2 | Deuce, Dewey, Duck, Little Cassino (2♠), Swan, The Curse of Mexico (2♠) | ||||
| Ace | A | Alas, As-Nas, Clover (A♣) Blackberry (A♣),The Crispin(A♥), Bull, Bullet, Death Card (A♠), Eyes, MasterCard, One Spot, Pig's Eye (A♦), Puppy Foot (A♣), Rocket, Seed, Sharp Top, Spadille (A♠), Spike, Spot, Tax Card (A♠) | Broadway Cards, Honor Card | |||
| Joker | ★ | Wildcard, Pagliacci, Old Maid, Trump Card, Imperial Bower, The Fool, The Fly, The Bird | ||||
The phrase one-eyed royals is jargon referring to the three face cards showing only one eye: the Jack of Spades (J♠), Jack of Hearts (J♥) and King of Diamonds (K♦). The terminology results from the depiction of the face on the card as being shown in profile, so only one eye is visible (all other face cards show two eyes). The jacks are also referred to, separately, as one-eyed jacks: Jack of Spades (J♠), Jack of Hearts (J♥).
They are frequently used in home games of draw poker as wildcards. Because the King of Diamonds is the only king card bearing an axe (the others show swords), a common phrase for the one-eyed royals is "One-eyed Jacks, the Man with the Axe". Another common phrase is "One-eyed Jacks and Suicide King" denoting the King of Hearts (K♥) bearing a sword through his head. These four cards are the only cards of differing rank and suit in a common deck that share an identifying trait.
The following is a list of nicknames for pairs of two playing cards, usually hole cards, used in poker derivatives such as Texas hold 'em and Omaha hold 'em poker. These nicknames are usually used by the player when announcing their hand or by spectators or commentators who are watching the game.
| Card Initials | Alternative Name | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| AA | ||
| Alan Alda | An alliteration, Alan Alda was the star of the TV version of M*A*S*H | |
| Albert Anastasia | An alliteration, first mob boss killed gangland style in 1957 | |
| American Airlines (A♥ A♦) | So called due to the commercial airline's acronym, AA | |
| Banditerna (A♠ A♣) | Swedish for "the Bandits" | |
| Batteries | AA like a AA battery commonly used in portable electronic devices | |
| Bullets | Looks like bullets, possibly a reference to the Dead Man's Hand, two pair of aces and eights, suggesting that Wild Bill drew a third bullet in the back, which filled his hand in death | |
| Eyes | Probably from snake eyes in dice | |
| Eyes of Texas | From the song, probably an elaboration on dice | |
| Flying Nazis | Probably because an A looks like a plane, and the Nazis had the most successful flying "aces" in their air force | |
| Joe Louis (A♠ A♣) | Two black eyes, what you will get in the ring if you fight Joe Louis | |
| Pocket Rockets | Looks like rockets | |
| Needles | Looks like needles | |
| Rocky Mountains | Looks like mountains, from Mat Rampson | |
| Sharp Tops | Sharp on top, see also A4 | |
| Snake Eyes | From dice snake eyes is the outcome of rolling the dice in a game of craps and getting only one pip on each die | |
| Squirrel | Probably named because the hand is "the nuts". Possibly also a reference to the phrase "Even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while" | |
| Sticks | Looks like sticks | |
| Teepees | Looks like teepees | |
| Two Pips | A pip is a mark indicating the suit or numerical value of a playing card | |
| Visine (A♥ A♦) | Two red eyes, it gets the red out | |
| AK | Anna Kournikova | Initials; also looks good, but never wins. |
| Barry Greenstein(A♦ K♦) | From 5th annual Jack Binion World Poker Open in Tunica MS, as per Hooter Huon | |
| Big Slick | It is a slippery hand that one can easily lose a fortune over | |
| Kalashnikov | Due to the name of a gun designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov, AK-47. | |
| Big Ugly (offsuit) | Imitating Big Slick, but "Ugly" if offsuit | |
| Exxon Valdez (A♠ K♠) | Since it has a lot of black in it. | |
| King Arthur | Named after the legendary British leader. | |
| Korean Airlines | Named after the South Korean Airline | |
| Mike Haven (A♦ K♦) | Mike played two pre-flops all-in in a row with these cards to win the final table, coming from behind | |
| Salt Lake Pair | No explanation found. The "pair" refers to the cards being well matched, rather than of equal value. | |
| Santa Barbara | Due to a big oil spill off Santa Barbara | |
| Walking Back to Houston | Gamblers who played this hand too strongly were often left with no getaway money. Although other sources state its name was derived because the old time poker players would play this hand so well that they'd leave their opponents walking back to Houston | |
| AQ | Antony & Cleopatra | A for Antony and Cleopatra his queen. Named after the famous lovers and Shakespearian works |
| Big Chick | Imitating Big Slick(AK) | |
| Big Slut | Imitating Big Slick (AK). Hands involving Queens are often derogatory, especially if they don't win. | |
| Doyle Brunson | In his book, Doyle said he would never play AQ, and busted out of the 2008 WSOP Main Event holding AQ offsuit. | |
| Little Slick | Imitating Big Slick (AK) | |
| Mrs Slick | Imitating Big Slick (AK) | |
| Rocket Queen | A song made popular from Guns N'Roses | |
| AJ | Armani Jeans | AJ is the acronym used by the brand Armani Jeans |
| The Unrare | n/a | |
| Apple Jacks | Backronym of AJ | |
| Ajax | Named after the foam cleaner due to the phonetic similarity between "Ajax" and "Ace-Jack", or "A-Jacks" | |
| Blackjack | Named after the card game in which AJ (Or an Ace with a picture card or 10) is the highest possible hand | |
| Foamy Cleanser | Ajax | |
| Hijack | As in "High-Jack" | |
| Jackass | Imitative of "Jack-Ace" | |
| Trapasso | Likely to be named after the American Football player A.J.Trapasso | |
| AT | Bookends | 2 ends of the highest straight |
| Johnny Moss | It's speculated that Johnny Moss is associated with this hand because he began playing poker at the age of 10 | |
| A9 | Rounders Hand | From the movie |
| McDerment (A♣ 9♣) | A corruption of the last name of Mike McDermott, the character played by Matt Damon in the movie Rounders, whose fortune rode heavily on this hand. | |
| Jesus (Chris Ferguson) | Chris Ferguson beat TJ Cloutier at the final hand of the 2000 WSOP Championship event holding A9 against TJ's AQ | |
| Gimp Hand | Because it's so much weaker than Ace-Ten. | |
| A8 | Dead Man's Hand | See Dead man's hand |
| Asterix and Obelix | Inspired by characters from René Goscinny's The Adventures of Asterix. Asterix represents the Ace due to the matching initial with Obelix representing the 8 due to their similar shape. | |
| A7 | ||
| Slapshot | Nicknamed Slapshot as a hockey reference as sevens are sometimes called hockey sticks and aces are bullets | |
| The Sonnert | Named after poker player Bengt Sonnert for his success with it in the World Series of Poker Europe 2008 | |
| A6 | Mile High Club | Airplane and sex (Aces are often nicknamed after planes due to their shape, "six" in German is pronounced as sechs similar to "sex") |
| Tennessee Ernie Ford | Singer famous for the song Sixteen Tons | |
| A5 | High Five | An Ace is high, combined with a five gives us a high five |
| A4 | Plane Crash | Aces are synonymous with flying (e.g., 'Flying Nazis', 'Pocket Rockets' and 'American Airlines') probably due to the shape of the 'A', a '4' is like an 'A', but with a missing 'wing', hence Plane Crash |
| Stu Ungar | Ungar won the last of his three World Series of Poker Main Event titles in 1997 with this hand, making a straight. | |
| Transvestite | The disappointment inherent in seeing an Ace, then seeing the top half of the four and assuming it is another Ace. The unhappy surprise occurs when the player realizes he does not have two Aces. | |
| A3 | Ashtray | Imitates Ace-trey |
| Baskin-Robbins | Nicknamed Baskin-Robbins because of their 31 different flavors of ice cream. | |
| Thrace | A portmanteau of "Three" and "Ace", also named after the historical and geographic area in southeast Europe Thrace | |
| A2 | Acey-Deucey | From the game Acey Deucy |
| Riewoldt | Playing number of St. Kilda Captain, Nick Riewoldt (12) | |
| Hunting Season | Aces are known as bullets and twos are known as ducks, hence hunting season | |
| Little Slick | Imitation of 'Big Slick' (AK) |
| Card Initials | Alternative Name | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| KK | Ace Magnets | Ace Magnets because the ace is the only card you don't want to see |
| Brokeback | Named after the film that depicts the complex romantic and sexual relationship between two cowboys (KK also being called "Cowboys") | |
| Butchers of Baghdad | Reference to 2003 invasion of Iraq and the most-wanted Iraqi playing cards | |
| Cowboys | No explanation found. The nickname is probably given for a number of reasons, including the association between cowboys and playing poker, the similarity between the "K" of "King" and the "C" of "Cowboys" and both characters are male. | |
| Elvis Presley | Named after the "King" of Rock and Roll | |
| Gorillas | From King Kong | |
| Gorillas in the Mist | From the movie starring Sigourney Weaver, a nickname taken from "King Kong" (Also KK) | |
| Kangaroos | Kangaroos are used on children's alphabet cards to illustrate a K | |
| Kevin Keegan | An alliteration | |
| King Kenny | An alliteration; the nickname of former Liverpool player Kenny Dalglish, who would soon be manager of Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United | |
| Knights | An association with the feudal king images on the cards | |
| King Kong | An alliteration | |
| Kinkerbells | Courtesy of Vince Van Patten on Celebrity Poker | |
| Krispy Kreme | An alliteration | |
| KQ | Divorce (suited) | If it loses |
| Ferdinand and Isabella | A Spanish King and Queen | |
| Lucy and Ricky | The King and Queen of TV | |
| Marriage (suited) | If it wins, comes from the game Pinochle | |
| Mixed Marriage (offsuit) | Comes from the game Pinochle | |
| Othello (offsuit) | This is reference to Othello and Desdemona, the fated couple from William Shakespeare's play Othello. Possibly also a reference to 'Mixed Marriage' | |
| Royal Couple | A King and Queen! | |
| King of Queens | Popular American Sitcom starring Kevin James and Leah Remini. | |
| Valentine's Day (K♥ Q♥) | A matched couple, both showing their hearts | |
| KJ | Bachelor's Hand (offsuit) | "Jack-King-Off" |
| Bill Fillmaff (offsuit) | The "signature hand" of "Bill Fillmaff", a character parodying poker professionals in general and Phil Hellmuth in particular, portrayed by Internet personality Kevin Bowen | |
| Harry Potter | Written by J.K. Rowling | |
| Just Kidding | Backronym of JK | |
| Jackie Kennedy | Wife of JFK | |
| The Rookie | As said by Daniel Negreanu | |
| Joking | 'Jo' referring to the Jack; also, in textspeak, "j/k" is a pseudo-emoticon meaning "joking" or "just kidding" | |
| Jordy Kooistra | Initials of Dutch poker player | |
| King John | JK | |
| Kojak | Mimics KJack, thanks to the '70s crime drama starring Telly Savalas, who was himself a poker player and occasional participant in WSOP Main Events | |
| Ralph Perry | 2002 WSOP Main Event finalist berated by Antanas Guoga for overplaying the hand | |
| Starsky and Hutch | ||
| Tucson Monster | No explanation found | |
| KT | Big Al | A reference to a Wisconsin poker player named "Big Al" Emerson |
| Katie | Imitation of K-T | |
| Ken | A portmanteau of "King" and "Ten" | |
| Ike Turner | Beats QT (Tina Turner - see below) | |
| Woodcutter (offsuit) | Possibly from the Legend of King Edward and the Woodcutter | |
| K9 | Bow-wow | From canine |
| Canine | "K"-nine | |
| Dogs | From canine | |
| Fido | A derivative of canine | |
| J-Ball | The term "J-Ball" came about in Austin when a player would self-promote that his favorite hand was K9. He would always be sure to point out to people that K9 would have been the nutz for that flop or when he won with it, he made sure everyone knew. Soon people started calling the hand "J-Ball" after the player because they associated the hand with him | |
| Mongrel (offsuit) | From canine | |
| Mutt (offsuit) | From canine | |
| Pedigree (suited) | From canine | |
| Rin Tin Tin | From Rin Tin Tin K9 cop | |
| The Doctor Who | K-9, the Robotic Dog from the British Television Series Doctor Who | |
| Sawmill | Byron 'Cowboy' Wolford says:
|
|
| K8 | Kate | A portmanteau of "King" and "Eight" |
| Feast | What the 'King ate' | |
| Kokomo | Imitative | |
| K7 | Columbia River | The Columbia River is famous for its salmon runs. "King Seven" sounds like "King Salmon" |
| Kevin | Sounds like Kevin | |
| K6 | Kicks | Nicknamed "Kicks" (if Pig Latin is used) for phonetic reasons |
| K5 | Knives | A combination of "King" and "Five" |
| Seattle Special | The nickname refers to Seattle's NBC affiliate, channel 5 with call letters KING Seattle TV channel 5 based in King County, Washington, United States | |
| K4 | Core | A portmanteau of "King" and "Four" |
| Fork | 4K sounds like "Fork" | |
| Fork Off (offsuit) | 4K sounds like "Fork" plus "Off" for offsuit | |
| Forking Idiot | From "Fork". Probably a suggestion that you would have to be an idiot to play the hand | |
| Oppression of the Masses | The answer to the question: "What is a king for?" | |
| K3 | Alaska Hand | From Alaskan King Crab |
| Commander Crab | A derivative of King Crab | |
| Swedish Meatballs | SWEDES | |
| King Crab | 3 looks like a crab | |
| Sizzler | The home of all-you-can-eat King Crab | |
| K2 | Big Fritz (suited) | An unconfirmed reference to German poker player Andreas Fritz |
| Donald | A reference to Donald Duck, the "King" of ducks (since 2s are also known as "ducks") | |
| The Zepik | An unconfirmed reference to Canadian poker player Kevin Zepik. Named for the resemblance K2 has to the initials "KZ". | |
| Hand of the Night | A reference created by Chris Hinst during his weekly poker night. Named because he kept getting this same hand. |
Nickname for the IBM Q7 (AN/FSQ-7) SAGE computer. This type of vacuum tube computer was physically the world's largest computer ever built.
| Card Initials | Alternative Name | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Bitches | As obviously named as cowboys. | |
| Calamity Jane | No explanation found, but the nickname is likely to come from Cowgirls the female equivalent of Cowboys (KK). Calamity Jane was also a friend of Wild Bill Hickok, a gunfighter who died during a poker game. | |
| P-CO | The last two queens of England | |
| Canadian Aces | Because Canadians revere the Queen of England | |
| Canadian Rockets | Because Canadians revere the Queen of England | |
| Four Tits | Vulgar | |
| Hilton Sisters | Jetset party girls Paris & Nicky Hilton | |
| Jailhouse Rock | Homosexuality in prison | |
| Ladies | Because they're the only female cards. Queens tend to have derogatory names, especially when they lose, so Ladies is more likely to be used when they win. | |
| Pair of Wire Cutters | Dykes | |
| Pocket Tubmans (Q♠ Q♣) | Reference to Harriet Tubman | |
| San Francisco Wedding | A gay reference | |
| Siegfried & Roy | Two Queens | |
| Snowshoes | Probably because they're the shape of a traditional snowshoe | |
| QJ | Quack | Combination of Queen and Jack |
| Maverick | From the Maverick TV show theme song, "Livin' on jacks and queens. Maverick is a legend of the west" | |
| Hawaii | According to the pros if you don't play QJ for a year you'll save enough money to go there. | |
| Oedipus | an allusion to Sophocles' Oedipus the King, the ancient Greek tragedy in which Oedipus (the "J" in this pairing) unwittingly kills his father and marries his mother, Jocasta (the "Q") | |
| Pinochle (Q♠ J♦) | The big hand in the game Pinochle | |
| JQuery | JQuery never loses | |
| QT | Cutie | For phonetic reasons |
| Goolsby | Named for Everett Goolsby, well known Texas gambler. Crony of Doyle Brunson, Cowboy Wolford and Benny Binion | |
| Tarantino | Quentin Tarantino, a famous movie maker | |
| Q-Tip | A backronym of QT. A Q-tip is a cotton swab. | |
| Quint | Imitative | |
| Robert Varkonyi | In the 2002 WSOP, Varkonyi knocked out Phil Hellmuth and eventually won the final event with this hand | |
| Q9 | Quinine | "Queen Nine" sounds like "Quinine", an early anti malarial drug, from lowball |
| Q8 | ||
| Snow and a Ho | 8 is a snowman, Q is a ho | |
| Frigid Bitch | From "Snow and a Ho" | |
| Face Sitter | A vulgar reference to analingus, what the 'queen ate' | |
| Bitch Called Hope | Tempting to try for a straight, but rarely succeeds | |
| Kuwait | Nicknamed "Kuwait" for phonetic reasons | |
| Q7 | Computer Hand (offsuit) | From an apocryphal story that a computer proved that these were the most commonly occurring cards on the Flop.
There is also a story of an early computer simulation in which Q7 was a break-even hand |
| Dike | a lady with a mullet | |
| Q6 | Arnold Palmer's ex-wife | Palmer was nicknamed the King. |
| Nesquik | No explanation found | |
| Sad Ole Bess | A play on Queen Elizabeth I's other nickname, "The Virgin Queen," AKA the Cherry Queen | |
| Q5 | Granny Mae | If both spades, an old-time player, Granny=Queen, Mae=5th Month, some say Q5 spades was her favorite |
| Q4 | Housework | A joking response to the question, "What's a queen for?" |
| Prince Maker | A joking response to the question, "What's a queen for?" | |
| Shuli | Popularized in the notorious underground "Emergency Poker League" or "EPL", frequented by elite players of the Canadian circuit | |
| Q3 | Gay Waiter | 'Queen' with a 'tray' |
| San Francisco Busboy | 'Queen' with a 'tray' | |
| Windsor Waiter | 'Queen' with a 'tray' | |
| Q2 | Daisy | A reference to Daisy Duck, the "Queen" of ducks (since 2s are also known as "ducks"). See also "Donald" - K2 |
| Queen Liz | A reference to Queen Elizabeth II |
| Card Initials | Alternative Name | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| JJ | Brothers | Two similar looking males, e.g., brothers |
| Fishhooks | They look like them, and because fish get beat with overpairs | |
| Jaybirds | Starts with J | |
| Bowers | Named after the Jacks from the card game Euchre where jacks are the highest trumps and are called bowers, in turn from the German Bauer (literally, farmer) | |
| Jonatan Johansson | An alliteration, former Finnish footballer and Charlton Athletic forward, nicknamed 'JJ' by the fans | |
| John Juanda | An alliteration, John Juanda is an American professional poker player | |
| Colostomy Bag | Vulgar, from "Pocket Jacks", 'Jacks' being a UK/Irish slang term for a toilet | |
| Kid Dy-no-mite | Signature expression of the character JJ from the TV show Good Times | |
| One Eyed Jacks (J♠ J♥) | Both side views | |
| Rentboys | Two young men, similar to pocket queen's "Prostitutes" nickname | |
| The Two Jakes | The movie sequel to Chinatown starring Jack Nicholson and Harvey Keitel | |
| JT | Justin Timberlake | Justin Timberlake's initials |
| Greek Passport | A Greek immigrant won with this to buy an Australian Residency | |
| John Terry | Named after the England Football Captain. | |
| T.J. Hooker | After the '80s action drama starring William Shatner | |
| J9 | Braggars | Jacks and nines are wild in the game of braggars |
| T.J. Cloutier (J♣ 9♣) | T.J. flopped three straight flushes with this hand in one year | |
| J8 | Jeffrey Dahmer | He 'ate Jack', serial killer who ate his victims |
| Jacket | Sounds like jacket | |
| J7 | Jack Daniels | Named after Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 Tennessee whiskey |
| J6 | Railroad | Say it rhythmically, jacks and sixes, jacks and sixes |
| J5 | Jackson Five | Michael Jackson's childhood group |
| Motown | Record label for Jackson Five | |
| J4 | The New Motown | Motown was named for the Jackson Five, but now there's only four |
| Austin Squatty | Named after John "Austin Squatty" Jenkins due to his penchant for raising and reraising with this hand | |
| Flat tire | What's a 'jack for'? | |
| Kid Grenade | After a poker dealer who when he played was "liable to go off at any moment" | |
| J3 | J Lo | As in "J-lo", "lo" meaning "low card" or perhaps the resemblance the 3 has to a derrière |
| Lumberjack | A Tree and a Jack | |
| Minus Michael and Jermaine | Jackson 5 without two members, preferably clubs to resemble afros. | |
| J2 | The Prince and the Pauper (suited) | After the novel set in 1547, which tells the story of two young boys who are identical in appearance: Tom Canty, a pauper who lives with his abusive father in Offal Court off Pudding Lane in London, and Prince Edward, son of King Henry VIII. They end up changing places. |
| Heckle and Jeckle | Nicknamed Heckle and Jeckle after twin cartoon jaybirds (2 Jays) that first appeared on television in 1946. (Heckle and Jeckle were, in fact, magpies). | |
| Jack Shit | Popular English phrase referring to "nothing", in this context referring to the fact there is a Jack with the worst possible kicker and also something widely regarded among poker players "nothing" hand. |
| Card Initials | Alternative Name | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| TT | Audi | Named after the famous Audi TT car |
| Binary | In Binary, 1010 equal 10 (in decimal notation) | |
| Bo Derek | Actress from movie 10 | |
| Dimes | A dime is a coin worth ten cents or one tenth of a United States dollar | |
| Dynamite | Comes from T and T sounding like the explosive TNT | |
| McDonald's | Named after the ten piece McNugget | |
| Tension | Imitative | |
| TNT | Comes from T and T sounding like the explosive TNT | |
| T9 | Mobile Hand | Named after the "Text on 9 Keys" mode on mobile phones |
| Countdown | Countdowns usually start at ten, nine... | |
| T8 | Tetris | Imitative |
| T7 | Bowling Hand | The difficult Seven-ten split |
| Daniel Negreanu (suited) | His favorite hand | |
| Split | A bowling reference, a seven-ten split | |
| T6 | Sweet Sixteen | Six and Ten. Should be mumbled with sarcasm as you fold it |
| T5 | Dime Store | From 5 & dime |
| Homosexual | A gay reference, as you cannot make a straight with a ten and a five in your hand. | |
| Five and Dime | From nickname "Dimes" as a dime is a United States coin worth 10 cents. A Five and Dime is a type of variety store. | |
| Merfs | A draw poker game where tens and fives are wild | |
| Woolworths | The Five and Dime store chain | |
| T4 | Ex-Girlfriend | Named after a Las Vegas local's highschool girlfriend, because it sounds like the last name "fortin" |
| Broderick Crawford | From 50s "Highway Patrol", who said "10-4" into radio | |
| CB Hand | Ten-four is CB radio language for OK | |
| Convoy | From the old trucker song, ten-four good buddy | |
| Good Buddy | Old trucker radio language, ten-four is CB language for OK | |
| Over and Out | Two-way radio language for end of conversation, ten-four is radio language for OK | |
| Roger That | Two-way radio language for OK, ten-four is also radio language for OK | |
| Truckers' Hand | Following the CB radio craze of the '70s, for the same reasons as "Broderick Crawford" | |
| The Trucker | From CB radio | |
| T3 | Kitchies | The T3 must be offsuit; refer to Dipthrong's kitchen for origin |
| Fast Connection | Refers to the T3 telecommunications connection | |
| Hot Waitress | Ten with a tray (trey) | |
| T2 | Terminator 2 | T2 is abbreviation for Terminator II |
| Whirlygig | Contemporary | |
| Doyle Brunson (aka Texas Dolly) | Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson twice won the WSOP in 1976 and 1977 turning these hole cards into full [houses] |
| Card Initials | Alternative Name | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 99 | Barbara Feldon | Played Agent 99 on Get Smart |
| Hitlers | Nein, nein! | |
| German Virgin | What a German Virgin would say. Nein, nein! | |
| Phil Hellmuth (9♣ 9♠) | He won the 1989 WSOP with this hand | |
| Red Balloons (9♦ 9♥) | From the 80s song 99 Red Balloons by Nena | |
| Popeyes | Look like Popeye's arm muscles | |
| Pothooks | The 9 looks like a traditional pothook | |
| Wayne Gretzky | Hockey player's uniform number | |
| 98 | Oldsmobile | The Olds 98 car |
| 97 | Persian Carpet Ride | A term Antonio Esfandiari coined for his favorite hand, making joking reference to his Persian heritage. He used the term on Poker After Dark, apparently after his friends teased him about the hand, no further explanation given. However, Esfandiari also used the term on the commentary track of the World Poker Tour Season 2 DVD set, so the term dates back to at least 2004. |
| 96 | The Dirty | 69, sexual reference |
| Big Lick | 69, sexual reference to Big Slick | |
| Breakfast of Champions | 69, sexual reference | |
| Dinner For Two | 69, sexual reference | |
| Good Lover | 69, sexual reference | |
| Happy Meal | 69, sexual reference | |
| Mighty Meal | 69, sexual reference, 96 suited, stronger than a Happy Meal (see above) | |
| Big Love | 69, sexual reference | |
| Joe Bernstein | A gambler from the 30s, a sharp road gambler. Joe was known as a dapper dresser at the poker table | |
| Jaka Šubic | Famous Slovenian improv comedian and poker player. | |
| Percy (offsuit) | 69, sexual reference | |
| Prom Night (suited) | If suited because they wear a tux on prom night, 69 sexual reference | |
| 95 | Betty Hutton | From a version of stud with nines & fives wild |
| Dolly Parton | From the movie 9 to 5 | |
| Hard Working Man | Works 9 to 5 | |
| 94 | Joe Montana | 49ers quarterback, borrowed from 92 Montana Banana, when he was benched the joke was 49 unsuited |
| Lost World Series | Refers to the lost baseball World Series of 1994. Could also refer to the fate of a player who plays these cards incorrectly. | |
| San Francisco | 49 refers to San Francisco's Football team, the 49ers, which in turn refers to men of the 1849 gold rush in the Sierra Nevada mountains east of San Francisco | |
| 93 | Jack Benny | For years Jack Benny claimed to be 39 years old |
| The Sandy | Sandy Dunlop became 2013 champion of the Black Cat Poker tournament with these hole cards | |
| 92 | Montana Banana | It is a widely asserted myth that this nickname originates from the legalization of poker in Montana by Proposition 92. However, poker was legalized in Montana by the Card Games Act, 23-5-311. The nickname is referring to how it is more likely that bananas will grow in chilly Montana than this hand making money.
Other sources suggest it is Joe Montana's quarterback rating |
| Twiggy | From the 70's model's top measurement of 29 |
| Card Initials | Alternative Name | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 88 | Dawg Balls/Doggie Balls | Looks like them |
| Piano Keys | There are 88 keys on a piano | |
| Rocket 88 | Big was Olds 98, smaller car called Olds 88 | |
| Racetracks | Goes round and round like a race track | |
| Snowmen | Looks like two snowmen | |
| Lindros | Eric Lindros wore Jersey #88 | |
| Dale Jr | Number 88 Car | |
| Two Fat Ladies | Looks like two fat ladies taken from bingo | |
| Lacey | Looks like shoe laces | |
| Pretzels | Looks like two pretzels | |
| Wurlitzer | The number of keys on the Wurlitzer electric piano | |
| Time Travel | The time travel speed (88 mph) used in the Back to the Future trilogy | |
| Infinity on the side | Looks like two infinity symbols on their side | |
| Ovechkin | A reference to the hockey player, #8 Alexander Ovechkin. | |
| 87 | RPM | The very first record format was a 10 inch disc that spun 78 revolutions per minute |
| Tahoe | From the seven/8 variation of holdem | |
| Crosby | A reference to the hockey player, #87 Sidney Crosby. | |
| 86 | Pooch | Bill Puccio swears these cards win every time |
| Jagr | Named after hockey player Jaromir Jagr, who wore number 68 his entire career. | |
| Rick James | Named after Singer/Celeb Rick James, who died on 8/6. | |
| Eubie | If you play these, you be broke | |
| Henry Bowen | A Texas gambler | |
| Maxwell Smart | From TV show Get Smart, Agent 86, see also 99 | |
| Pacheco Nuts (offsuit) | The California Grand, in Pacheco is right alongside Highway 680. | |
| 85 | The Hamilton | This hand is so named after a well known Scottish player. It is of course not a powerful hand but can on occasion make a well disguised straight. Its main function, though, is to tilt other players. |
| Chad | Football player Chad Ochocinco wears uniform number 85. Ochocinco, translated literally from Spanish, means "Eight Five." | |
| 84 | Big Brother | From George Orwell's book titled 1984 |
| Boris Backhand | From boris89 winning 217,752.13 on this hand | |
| Orwell | Author of the book titled 1984 | |
| 83 | Most Feared Hand in Hold'em | A tongue in cheek reference to it being the third worst hand in poker |
| Raquel Welch | Raquel Welch still claims to be 38 | |
| 82 | Tadpole | An answer to the statement, "What the duck ate." |
| Card Initials | Alternative Name | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 77 | Axes | Looks like them |
| Scythes | Seven look like a Scythe | |
| Len Goodman | Renowned judge from Strictly Come Dancing, known for his famous catchphrase, "Seven!" | |
| Candy Canes | Looks like them | |
| Hockey Sticks | Looks like them | |
| Mullets | Because of the hair style, flat in front, long in back | |
| Saturn | Saturn VII Rocket | |
| Sunset Strip | From 77 Sunset Strip a TV series that aired from '58-'64 starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr | |
| Walking Sticks | Looks like them | |
| 76 | Trombones | From the song 76 Trombones, from the musical The Music Man and its film adaptation |
| Union Oil | Union 76 gas stations | |
| 75 | 007 (7♠ 5♠) | Reference to James Bond's winning hand in the 2006 movie Casino Royale |
| Vietnamese Slick | Year the Vietnam War ended | |
| Heinz | The H. J. Heinz Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has 57 varieties of condiments, the most famous being ketchup | |
| Pickle Man | A reference to Heinz of 57 sauces fame | |
| Pistol | A reference to the famous pistol made by Fabrique Nationale the FN Five-seven | |
| Double Down | A Double Down is a player decision in Blackjack, in which you are betting that your hand can be won with one more card. A player may only double down on his first two cards dealt. When a player doubles down, the original bet is automatically doubled (a second chip appears) and the player receives one more card. Since there are more 10 point cards than any other, doubling down is most worthwhile on an 11-point hand, 7-4 being worth 11 points. | |
| Ghost Dog | Almost undoubtedley from the film Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai starring Forest Whitaker, but no explanation found | |
| Kalashnikov | Most likely refers to the famous AK-47 and AK-74 assault rifles designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov | |
| 73 | Dutch Waiter | Sven with a Tray |
| Joe Hachem | Joseph Hachem won the 2005 World Series main event holding 7♣ 3♠ when the flop came 4♦ 5♦ 6♥ | |
| Swedish Busboy | Sven with a Tray, see also San Francisco Busboy and Dutch Waiter | |
| 72 | Beer Hand (offsuit) | It's called the Beer Hand because it's either time for a beer; or if you win with this you need to get other players a beer; or only a person full of beers would play this hand.
The beer hand has the worst chance of winning of all possible pocket cards in a full table playing Texas Hold'em. It is slightly better in short-handed games because the fact that it is not possible to make a straight or flush without hitting four appropriate community cards is less important in short-handed games. |
| Jeremy Beadle | Bad Hand | |
| Hammer (offsuit) | The Hammer isn't specifically the 72 hand. At least not officially. In poker, the hammer is defined as the last position (the cut-off), particularly when you're heads-up. The 72 offsuit got the nickname as a result of a competition to play "The Hammer" on "The Hammer" and has been adopted into legitimate Oxford Dictionary poker parlance | |
| W.H.I.P. (offsuit) | Worst Hand In Poker |
| Card Initials | Alternative Name | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Boots | Looks like boots |
| Cherries | Nicknamed because of similarity to the shape of the number 6 | |
| Kicks | Get your kicks on route 66 | |
| Route 66 | The road from Chicago to LA | |
| 65 | Bus Pass | UK bus passes are often available to citizens over the age of 65 (although this age varies) |
| Ken Warren | Won with this hand at World Series of Poker | |
| 64 | Billion Dollar Hand | In reference to The $64,000 Question |
| Gilchrist | Named after the Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist for his ability to always hit 6's and 4's | |
| Arlo | Royal Arlo if suited, named after Arlo Payne, a long time regular poster to the usenet newsgroup rec.gambling.poker | |
| 63 | Blocky | Another nickname of Broomcorn from the story in Doyle Brunson's Super/System. He used to play 63 as an ambush hand |
| Jimmy Summerfield (offsuit) | Kevin Larsen says:
|
|
| Spanish Inquisition | Nickname given to this starting hand by Iron Men of Poker. Refers to the fact that "Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition", a reference to the classic Monty Python quote. | |
| 62 | Aimsworth | Byron 'Cowboy' Wolford says:
|
| Card Initials | Alternative Name | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | Sammy Hagar | After Hagar's song, "I Can't Drive 55" |
| Nickels | Five cents per nickel | |
| Presto | There is debate as to where this term originated. The most commonly accepted source of the nickname is that many years ago, before Rec.gambling was split into several groups, followers of the group who were blackjack players were fond of saying "Presto!" as they turned up a 21. This became a sign of recognition of fellow travelers. Around this time (circa 1991), the World Rec Gambling Poker Tournament(WRGPT), of which the first few were played slowly over email, came into being. During WRGPT2(92-93), the attribution of pocket fives as the "Presto Hand" was made by the player Howard Simonson, after using pocket fives to knock out several players from the tournament some number of times. [If a copy of the table-talk from WRGPT2 can be found and cited, this can be absolutely confirmed] Consequently, the term stuck among the rec.gambling minions, and has become a common poker term today. There is also suggestion that the hand won more often than it should due to a computer glitch.
However, there is a counter-argument that there used to be a club in London called the Presto Club. The address was 55 Victoria Street, London. Therefore, whenever someone was dealt 55 in hold'em, they'd say they were dealt "Presto", because of the club's street address. When English players played events worldwide, the word spread, and it caught on everywhere. |
|
| Snakes | Looks like two snakes | |
| Speed Limit | 55 MPH, the maximum speed limit in the US in the National Maximum Speed Law era | |
| 54 | Colt 45 | The gun, and the beer |
| Jesse James | Because the outlaw was rumored to have been shot by a .45 | |
| Moneymaker | Winning hand of Chris Moneymaker, 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event champion | |
| 53 | Bully Johnson | A poker player that Doyle Brunson described as being "laid back and quiet". He played this hand after being raised preflop and caught a straight on the flop to beat another guy's trip aces |
| Juggernaut | Well-known Magic: The Gathering artifact card with power of five and toughness of three. | |
| 52 | Bomber | B-52 bomber |
| Pick-up | As in 52 card pick up | |
| Quarter | 25 cents | |
| Two Bits | 25 cents | |
| Ivey | Named for one of the greatest bluffs on High Stakes Poker, when Phil Ivey raised pre-flop with a five-deuce offsuit, was re-raised by Lex Veldhuis with KJ suited, and then went all in causing Lex to fold his hand. |
| Card Initials | Alternative Name | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | ||
| Sailboats | 4's look like sails on a boat. | |
| Obama | Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States | |
| Dark Force (4♠ 4♣) | Dark Side Of The Fours | |
| Darth Vader (4♠ 4♣) | The two black fours are the "Dark Side of the Fours" | |
| Diana Dors | Her top measurement | |
| The Harley (4♠ 4♣) | Favorite hand of BCP pro Harley Quin after flopping quads with these hole cards: "The Fours are strong with this one..." | |
| Luke Skywalker | "May the Fours be with you." Usually referenced with one black four, and one red four. | |
| Princess Leia (4♥ 4♦) | An extension of the Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader reference | |
| Fourtale | n/a | |
| Magnum | The .44 cal gun | |
| Midlife Crisis | Likely to be named after the approximate age of the average midlife crisis (actually given as 46) | |
| 43 | Waltz | In music, waltzes are always in 3/4 meter |
| Books | "What's a tree for ?" | |
| 42 | Jack Bauer | The main character in 24 |
| Lumberman's Hand | A common piece of lumber is a two by four | |
| The Principle | Canadian Politician, Steven Hicks Favorite hand. He always said he played it On Principle | |
| The Answer | In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the computer decided that the answer to everything in the universe was 42 |
| Card Initials | Alternative Name | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | Crabs | Because a 3 looks like it has pincers |
| Treys | "Trey" dates back to the 14th century, and is a name for a card or a die showing three points; originally from Old French treis. | |
| Pere Ghaf | Named after Mahdi Ghafghazi who called his rest with pocket 3 in hand while ace, King and queen and no three were on the table and lost it all in Mafi Tournament, He interestingly claimed that he has played very well | |
| 32 | ||
| Can of Corn | This nickname likely comes from baseball where a "Can of Corn" is an easily caught fly ball. Supposedly comes from a general store clerk reaching up and dropping a can from a high shelf. Likely to be analogized due to the ease in which 32 is caught since it is the lowest possible non-hand (22 being a pair). | |
| Little Pete | No explanation found | |
| Michael Jordan | From his jersey number (23) | |
| Polish Big Slick | A bad Polish joke mimicking AK Big Slick | |
| The Nut Low | In this instance 'nut' meaning 'most' rather than 'best', low hand (i.e., the lowest hand) | |
| Hooter Hand (suited) | Named after famous poker dealer Houth "Hooter" Houn who played this hand as aggressively as AK. | |
| Crubs (if clubs) | From the card game Hearts |
| Card Initials | Alternative Name | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Desmond | Named after Archbishop Desmond Tutu |
| Ducks | From deux, French word for two, also a 2 looks like a duck, also used in bingo | |
| Quack Quack | From two little ducks, also bingo reference to the number 22 | |
| Swans/Swarovskis | Looks like Swarovski Crystal swans | |
| Richard Nixon | From the famous photo of Nixon getting on a helicopter giving two victory signs |
The following sets of playing cards can be referred to by the corresponding names in card games that include sets of three or more cards, particularly 3 and 5 card draw, Texas Hold 'em and Omaha Hold 'em. The nicknames would often be used by players when revealing their hands, or by spectators and commentators watching the game. With TV and web broadcasting of Poker tournaments, nicknames became much more popular all over the world.
| Card Initials | Alternative Names |
|---|---|
| ♣ flush | Golf Bag (set of clubs), Puppy Feet, Puppy Prints (from the design of the club) |
| ♦ flush | Well-Dressed, Decked Out |
| ♥ flush | Valentine's Day, All My Hearts, Heart-breaker (if it loses) |
| ♠ flush | Laborers, Digging Deep, In The Hole (if it loses) |
| AA235, 2358K | Fibonacci |
| A3579, 3579J, 579JK | What Are The Odds |
| 2357J, 357JK | All The Primes |
| 2468T, 468TQ, 68TQA | Even Stevens |
| AAAAK | Knights of the Round Table, Monty Python and the Holy Grail |
| AAAA | Team Rocket, Thunderbirds, Musketeers |
| AAAKK | Windsor Castle, The Penthouse, Updown Court, The Pinnacle, Bran Castle (amongst some of the world's largest and/or most expensive buildings and/or mansions) |
| AAA | Athos, Porthos and Aramis |
| AAKK | Big Slick Did the Trick (a rhyme, if the appropriate two-pair hand is formed from the AK starting hand (aka Big Slick); poker professionals will tend to bet aggressively with this hand) |
| AAQQ | Aqua |
| AAJJ | Jackasses (play on "Jacks and Aces") |
| AA88 | Dead Man's Hand |
| AKQJT | Broadway (off-suit), Royal Flush (suited) |
| A3A6 | Austin 3:16 (after WWE wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin) |
| A23 | ABC |
| AA23 | Princess Leia |
| A6A8T | Golden Hand (from the Golden Mean) |
| AK47 | After the AK-47 assault rifle developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov |
| KKKK | Four Horsemen |
| KKKAA | The Nativity (the famous Biblical story in which the Three Wise Men visit Joseph & Mary to witness Jesus Christ's birth) |
| KKKQQ | Buckingham Palace |
| KKK | Alabama Knight Riders, Three Wise Men, Christmas Special, Ku Klux Klan |
| KKQQ | Mommas and Poppas, ABBA, Double Date, "Aerosmith" (based on the song title, "Kings and Queens"), The Ice Breaker |
| KQJT9 | Off-Broadway (off-suit), Hail to the King (suited) |
| QQQQK | Elvis in Vegas, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy |
| QQQQJ | Bachelor's Dream |
| QQQQ | Village People, Magnolias, Scrabble Player's Dream, The Joy Luck Club |
| QQQ | Six Tits, Daisy Hand |
| QAAAK | The Duck |
| QQ33 | San Francisco waiters (Queens and Treys) |
| QJT98 | Honeymoon in Vegas (if it wins, based off a scene from the movie of the same name) |
| JJJJQ | The Strip Club |
| JJJJ8 | Riewoldt On A Roll (after AFL Richmond full-forward Jack Riewoldt) |
| JJJJ5 | Neverland Ranch |
| JJJ55 | Jackson Five |
| JJJ | "Hart, Schaffner and Marx" |
| JJ55 | Rock 'n' Roll, Motown |
| JJ33 | Hookers With Crabs |
| JT987 | Convenience Store Straight, Honeymoon in Vegas (if it loses, based off a scene from the movie of the same name) |
| TTTT | Larry (after Larry Fortensky, Elizabeth Taylor's eighth husband), Shotgun |
| TTT | Thirty Miles of Bad Road, Elk River, Gilroy, Judge Bean, Judge Duffy, Judge Judy, Judge Wapner, San Jose to Gilroy (approximate distance in miles between the two cities), Dallas to Fort Worth (ditto), Judas (his pay was "thirty pieces of silver") |
| TT | Fingers n' Toes (ten of each), Dubs Dimes, Duff McKagan, Top Titties |
| TJAAT | Golden String |
| TT33 | Hot Waitresses (Tens with treys) |
| TK421 | Star Wars, Stormtrooper (Why aren't you at your post?) |
| T8642 | Rizlo, Scotch Straight |
| 9988 | Oldsmobile |
| 9966 | Dinner For Four, Dubs Sixtyniners |
| 999 | Extra Virgin (99 is "German Virgin") |
| 888 | Television Subtitles |
| 77744 | Sailing Rednecks |
| 777 | 21, 21 Miles of Rough Road, Jackpot, Slot Machine |
| 7733 | Queens of the Stone Age (after their song 3's and 7's) |
| 75432 (off-suit) | Kansas City, Sympathy Hand (it is the worst hand possible) |
| 6667J | Devil's Convenience Store |
| 666 | The Devil, Lucifer, The Beast, Devil's Area Code, Kotch |
| 65432 | Rabbit, The World Trade Center Straight |
| 555 | Washington Monument, Pork Chop Sandwich, Movie Call (All bogus numbers start with "555") |
| 5432A | First Street, Little Minnie, Little Wheel, Pup, Puppy, Spoke, Steel Wheel (suited), Steel Wheel Bike (suited), The Bicycle |
| 4444A | Hole-In-One |
| 4444 | Yacht Club |
| 444 | Grand Jury |
| 49 | Full Cup (Joke from the TV Series Friends, where Chandler and Joey play "Cups") |
| 36TJK | The Royal Sampler (from a joke on The Simpsons) |
| 3333T | Teddy, EJ, Mr Football (after AFL/VFL Footscray/Western Bulldogs legend Ted Whitten), 1961 (if it loses) |
| 3333 | Forest, Four Trees, The Magic Numbers |
| 3322 | Socks and Shoes, Mits and Mites, Mites and Lice, Nits and Lice |
| 3A4A5 | Pi |
| 2222 | Mighty Ducks |
| 222AA | Marksman |
| 22233 | Tent, Mites and Lice, Nits and Lice |
| 222 | Huey, Dewey, and Louie |
The ace card has been called As-Nas, the name of a Persian card game believed to be an ancient ancestor of modern poker
The nine of diamonds playing card is often referred to as the Curse of Scotland or the Scourge of Scotland, there are a number of reasons given for this connection:
The Six of Hearts is known as loyalty at the risk of death or Grace's Card. This is because in 1688 an Irish Jacobite soldier, Colonel Richard Grace of Moynelly House, Athlone, used this card to write a refusal to surrender and sent it to William of Orange. Colonel Grace was loyal to King James II of England, and risked being shot or hanged for his refusal to give up. The words Colonel Grace wrote were, "Tell your master I despise his offer, and that honor and conscience are dearer to a gentleman than all the wealth and titles a prince can bestow"
The origin of The Bicycle, Little Wheel, Spoke, Steel Wheel, Steel Wheeled Bike or simply The Wheel is unknown, but it is believed to have something to do with the popular bicycle-patterned playing cards issued by the United States Playing Card Company.
The Princess Leia is the hand AA23 (more common in Omaha since this version of poker used 4 hole cards). This is because Leia was held prisoner in detention block AA23 before she was rescued by Han, Chewbacca and Luke in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.