{"id":12670,"date":"2023-07-25T05:26:38","date_gmt":"2023-07-25T09:26:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/casino.borgataonline.com\/en\/blog\/?p=12670"},"modified":"2025-05-07T07:31:29","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T11:31:29","slug":"most-common-and-uncommon-poker-hand-names","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.borgataonline.com\/en\/blog\/most-common-and-uncommon-poker-hand-names\/","title":{"rendered":"Names of Common and Uncommon Poker Hands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"An<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Online poker<\/strong><\/a> is a firm favorite for all types of players thanks to its unique combination of social interaction, strategy, and entertainment. Part of the fun comes from belonging to a gaming culture with its own special language \u2014 for example, the names people give to various poker hands<\/strong>. Even if you\u2019ve played at many poker tables and read plenty of resources about poker hands ranked <\/strong>according to their strength, there will still likely be a few hands you might never have heard of, like \u201cDead Man\u2019s Hand\u201d and \u201cBig Slick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to explore both common and uncommon hands to take your knowledge of the best poker winning hands up a notch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Common Poker Hand Names<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most common poker hand <\/strong>names are \u201ccommon\u201d simply because they\u2019re either the most frequently played or the most powerful. After all, the correct poker mindset<\/strong><\/a> focuses on strength, not weakness. These hand names express players\u2019 attitudes to these cards. Here they are in descending order of hand strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ace-Ace<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A pair of aces is typically called Pocket Rockets (based on the shape of the letter A) or American Airlines because of the airline\u2019s acronym AA. As the names suggest, it\u2019s one of the best poker hands <\/strong>with which to start a round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

King-King<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pocket kings are typically called Cowboys. This nickname is a nod to the royal connection, the image of cowboys in Western movies, and the evident strength of the hand itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Queen-Queen<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pocket queens are known as Ladies because of their feminine appearance and because Lady Luck has dealt you one of the most powerful starting hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jack-Jack<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fish-Hooks or Hockey Sticks are the most common names for this combination, owing to the shape of the letter J.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ace-King<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Players talk about ace-king frequently. It\u2019s often referred to as Big Slick because it\u2019s a notoriously slippery combination. Another name for it is Anna Kournikova because it always looks good but doesn\u2019t always win as expected, as well as Santa Barbara, home of the character Ace Kingston in \u201cThe Big Valley<\/em>\u201d <\/em>television show. Big Alaskan and Big Ugly are also common ways of referring to the ace-king combo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ace-Queen<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The combination of an ace and a queen is called Big Chick, playing off the word \u201cchick\u201d for a queen and emphasizing the dominance of the ace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten-Ten<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pocket 10s are known as Dimes, partly because of their face value and partly because they might make you some money if you play them right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Six-Six<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you start with pocket 6s, you\u2019re holding Route 66, which is named after the famous song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five-Five<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pocket 5s are known as Nickels based on their face value and their mediocre potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five-Four Suited<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This drawing hand gets its name from the conjurer\u2019s phrase \u201cPresto Change-o,\u201d reflecting its potential to improve on the flop, turn, or river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seven-Two Off-Suit<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Widely regarded as the worst hand in poker, 7-2 off-suit comes in for a great deal of abuse. One of its names is Beer Hand because you\u2019re better off grabbing a beer than playing it. Another is Hammer, because it\u2019ll crush your bankroll if you play it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncommon Poker Hand Names<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Grouped in categories, here are some hand names you won\u2019t hear so often when you play in casinos online, either because they\u2019re seldom played (because they\u2019re lousy) or the cultural references behind them have become outdated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gambling and Luck<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Try your luck with these gambling-influenced terms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n