Free Online Poker Guide To Card, Pocket And Hand Names
In this free online poker how to play poker for for beginners guide we are going to unravel many of the code names used in poker to name the different cards hand combinations. By the end you will no longer be totally lost when playing poker and words such as Fishhooks, Little Slicks and Maverick (to name but a few) get thrown about!
First lets look at individual card names. Then the ranked order of 'pocket cards' (what you get dealt at the start of a poker game). Here we'll define pocket pairs and the better meaning playable) unpaired starting hands. Finally you'll learn some of more popular and famous hands.
The 13 cards used in poker are often nicknamed. A letter or number symbol is also often used to identify the cards.
Ace - Bullet, Rocket (A)King - Cowboy, Monarch (K)Queen - Lady, Dame, Dyke (Q)Jack - Knave, Hook, Fishhook, (J)10 - Dime (T)9 - Niner (9)8 - Snowman, Fat Lady, Ocho (8)7 - Hockey Stick (7)6 - Boot (6)5 - Spot (5)|Jesse James4 - Sailboat, Sharp Top, Four spot (4)3 - Trey, Crab (3)2 - Deuce, Duck (2)
At the beginning of any poker game you get dealt 2 cards, these are called the pocket cards or pockets, they'e the ones only you get to see. About once every 16 times you will get a pair of the same, known as a pocket pair.
In order of "power" they are:
AA - Pocket Rockets, Rockets, Bullets, or American AirlinesKK - Cowboys, King Kong, Gorillas, Kangaroos, Monarchs, or Krispy KremeQQ - Ladies, Hookers, or Siegfried & RoyJJ - Fishhooks, Hooks, Jokers, or Jay BirdsTT - Dimes or Tension99 - Gretzky, Popeye's, or Phil Hellmuth88 - Snowmen, Fat Ladies, Dog Balls, or Race Tracks77 - HockeySticks, SunsetStrip, or Mullets66 - Route 66, Kicks, or Cherries55 - Presto, Speed Limit, or Nickels44 - Magnum, Sail Boats, or Middle Age33 - Crabs or Treys22 - Ducks, Pocket Swans, or Deuces.
You'll always at least want to go onto the flop with pocket pairs but of course once every 16 isn't often. The following unpaired pockets though, are ones you may play depending on the risk and cost in the game and what you're reading from other players, in order of potential, they are:
AK - Big Slick or Walking back to HoustonAQ - Little Slick, Big Chick, or Doyle BrunsonAJ - Blackjack, Ajax, or JackassAT - Bookend or Johnny MossA5 - High FiveA4 - Topped FourA3 - Ashtray or Baskin and RobbinsA2 - Hunting Season or Acey-DeucyKQ - Marriage (if suited) or Mixed Marriage (if not suited)KJ - Kojak, King John, or Tucson MonsterKT - Kate or KatieQJ - Maverick or OedipusQT - Quentin TarantinoJT - Days of OldT9 - Paint Plus Connector98 - Oldsmobile87 - RPM76 - Union Oil65 - Medicare54 - Jesse James or Colt.
There are loads of names for larger hand combinations and finishing hands, here are a few of the better known ones.
KKK - Alabama Night Riders or Three Wise MenTTT - Thirty Miles of Bad Road222 - Huey, Dewey and Louie.AA88Q - Dead Man's HandAKQJT - BroadwayA5432 - Wheel3 of a Kind - Set (if you hold a pocket pair matched by a 'community card')3 of a kind - Trips (if one is in your pocket and two are 'board cards')Full House - Boat or All The In-Laws4 of a Kind - Quads or Quad Set.
I hope this gives you a good insight into the weird and wonderful world of poker words and nicknames!