Hold'em Hand Slang

7 years ago
Hold'em Hand Nick-names
16:11
11 Apr

First off, you're probably wondering about that strange feature picture. Look at the hand he's holding. Do you know what that is? 2 black aces and 2 black eights is the dead man's hand, named after the hand that Wild Bill Hickock was supposedly holding when he was shot dead.

Following from my previous look at poker hand nick-names, I thought Iā€™d bring you a new selection and also a test; we want to see how well you know your hold'em hand names!

But before we kick off, here are some of the readerā€™s versions which were posted in the comments section last time ā€“ minus (some of the) less printable ones! They're pretty hilarious.


Skip Napier, a poker dealer at Rivers Casino, gives us ā€œ6-4 = Big Shirley, cause she's 6'4" and ugly as hell!ā€

Michael Warrington added to our list, reminding us that although AK is ā€˜Big Slickā€™, AQ is often referred to as ā€˜Big Chickā€™! Charley Rouse then got in on the act trying to claim 69 is ā€˜Big Lickā€! Canā€™t quite get my head (or tongue) around his reasoning though ;)

Charles Mitch Semon took us away from the female theme with 3-8, which is known as the ā€œ38 specialā€, though if you can blast through the opposition with those cards youā€™re a better poker player than me!

Mitchell Marx hit the target with his 4-7, "I call it A K (AK47)" and speaking of hits, when J5 (Jackson 5) wins, then according to Robert Crake from Lincoln in England the game has gone ā€œMotownā€.

OK, time to test you out on some of the others ā€“ check your answers at the bottom and see if youā€™re a poker hand nickname ā€˜Kingā€™ or just a ā€˜seven-deuce offsuitā€™ in disguise!


A7 is known as a ā€˜SlapShotā€™ becauseā€¦

  1. It is a hockey reference as sevens are sometimes called hockey sticks and aces are bullets?
  2. It came from the movie SlapShot, when Paul Newman won a poker game against the Hanson brothers, Jack and Steve, with this hand?
  3. If you win with this hand you have to slap your opponent then buy him a shot of bourbon?


Q7 is known as the ā€˜computer handā€™ becauseā€¦

  1. The first time a computer beat a human at poker heads-up, Q7 was the winning hand?
  2. Computer calculations have told us that this is the average hand in poker?
  3. In C++, a computer programming language, typing in Q7 brings up a hidden poker game on your screen?


J3 is known as J-Lo becauseā€¦

  1. In Deuces Wild poker, the 3 is the lowest card to go with the Jack?
  2. It is named after the pop star J-Lo, the 3 because of its similarity to her big butt?
  3. Texan poker pro Jay Lowe won the 1976 Main Event with this hand?


97 is often referred to as the ā€˜Persian Carpet Rideā€™ becauseā€¦

  1. It appears in a card game in ā€˜1001 Arabian Nightsā€™ featuring Ali Baba and the 40 thieves?
  2. It is Antonio ā€˜the Magicianā€™ Esfandiari's favorite hand?
  3. The famous rollercoaster it is named after opened in 1997?


32 is called the ā€˜Mississippi Slickā€™ becauseā€¦

  1. As the worst non-pair starting hand it is the opposite of AK (Big Slick, the best non-pair starting hand)?
  2. It was named after the oil slick which trapped several Mississippi River boats in 1932?
  3. It refers to the counting method, ā€œ3 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 1 Mississippiā€¦here I come!ā€ in childrenā€™s games?


The hand 44 is known as ā€˜Diana Dorsā€™ in the UK becauseā€¦

  1. The English actressā€™ name rhymes with "All the Fours" as in the game of Bingo?
  2. She won her first tournament by playing this hand four times at the final table?
  3. Her bust was an incredible 44 inches?


A2 is often called ā€˜Hunting Seasonā€™ becauseā€¦

  1. It begins officially on August 2nd?
  2. It is a bullet with a duck?
  3. It sounds similar to the Latin ā€˜Et tu..?ā€™ which Julius Caesar said as he was stabbed to death?


AQ is referred to as ā€˜Doyle Brunsonā€™ becauseā€¦

  1. He won his Main Event bracelets in 1976 and 1977 with this hand?
  2. It is an ironic reference because he doesnā€™t actually like to play these two cards?
  3. His wifeā€™s name is ā€˜Queenieā€™ and he is the ā€˜Aceā€™ part of the hand?


The cards 66 are often called ā€˜Cherriesā€™ becauseā€¦

  1. They resemble the fruit hanging from the cherry tree?
  2. Red ā€˜Cherryā€™ Longhorne took down the Main Event with this hand in 1966?
  3. There are 66 different varieties of cherry in the world?


The hand 99 is named after ā€˜Barbara Feldonā€™ becauseā€¦

  1. She reportedly had 99 lovers during her acting career?
  2. She continued to play poker until she was 99 years old?
  3. She starred as ā€˜Agent 99ā€™ in the ā€˜Get Smartā€™ TV show?


OK, letā€™s see how well you got on with these, some of which may have been very tough unless you know your poker nicknames inside out.

1-a / 2-b / 3-b / 4-b / 5-a / 6-a / 7-b / 8-b / 9-a / 10-c

9+ Excellent ā€“ you obviously know your way around poker history!

6-8 Good ā€“ but you need to work on those unusual handles!

3-5 Decent ā€“ but thereā€™s something lacking in your poker knowledge!

0-2 Really? Come on people! Even guessing should get you a higher score!


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Andrew from Edinburgh, Scotland, is a professional journalist, international-titled chess master, and avid poker player.Read more

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