Poker Vocabulary

“A poker player takes a peek at his hole cards. Do you think he should gamble some of his poker chips with this hand?”

More Poker Vocabulary and Poker Facts:

• Poker’s exact origins are debated, but many historians trace it back to card games like the 16th-century Persian game As Nas and the French game Poque.
• A standard poker hand uses 5 cards, and the rarest possible hand is a royal flush: the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10, all of the same suit.
• The World Series of Poker, the sport’s biggest tournament, has been held annually since 1970.
• A player’s “hole cards” are the cards dealt face-down that only they can see.
• Keeping a “poker face”, showing no emotion so opponents can’t read your hand, is one of the most important skills in the game.

Talking About Composure:

• Composed (Adjective): Calm and in control of one’s emotions.
• Unflinching (Adjective): Not showing fear or hesitation.
• Calm (Adjective): Not showing or feeling nervousness or anger.
• Guarded (Adjective): Cautious and not revealing one’s thoughts.
• Confident (Adjective): Feeling sure of oneself and one’s abilities.
• Cool-headed (Adjective): Not easily excited or angered; level-headed.

Poker has given English loads of expressions! If you hide your true feelings so no one can guess what you’re thinking, you have a great ‘poker face‘. If you challenge someone you suspect is lying or exaggerating, you ‘call their bluff‘. And if someone has a secret advantage they’re saving for the right moment, they have ‘an ace up their sleeve‘. Even ‘pass the buck‘ (to avoid responsibility by blaming someone else) started at the poker table!

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