In a thread in wordplay I gave KHC 5 big ones for getting a quiz right. My Dad always said that in poker. There were lots of other words and phrases that he would use, and I thought them so funny. E.G., "split-whiskered kings; "one-eyed jacks;" "down and dirty."

What are some others?

I thought that I had brought up the phrase "splashing the pot" somewhere along the line but nothing came up when I searched for it. "Splashing the pot" is when someone tosses coins or chips into the pot in the center of the table in such a way that the exact amount he or she threw in can't be counted. It's one of the simplest and most common ways to cheat not to mention a sure ticket to Boot Hill if you were to pull this stunt back in the Wild West.

Another favorite phrase is "short stack" as in "He's playing with a short stack," meaning he's not overly bright. In Poker, a "short stack" means you don't have many chips left on the table to bet with. (In breakfast, of course, it means you're having pancackes but that's another matter entirely.)


While not precisely what you asked for, my favorite bit of Poker advice is something that often has applications outside the Poker table as well:

"At every Poker table there will always be one dummy who thinks he knows the game but who will only end up filling the pockets of the other players. Whenever you sit down to play Poker, look around the table and detect the dummy. If you can't pick out the dummy, chances are it's you."

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there will always be one dummy who thinks he knows the game but who will only end up filling the pockets of the other players.

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Often known as a fish, according to http://www.pokertips.org/glossarydefs/48.php

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Originally posted by Chris J. Strolin:
I thought that I had brought up the phrase "splashing the pot" somewhere along the line

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I'm sure you're right. I remember it being discussed here before too.

Kalleh: poker ... words and phrases ... What are some others?

H.L. Mencken (1880–1956), The American Language (1921):
The Englishman is naturally unfamiliar with baseball, and in consequence his language is bare of the countless phrases and metaphors that it has supplied to American. ... The national game of draw-poker has also greatly enriched American with terms that are either quite unknown to the Englishman, or known to him only as somewhat dubious Americanisms, among them, cold-deck, kitty, full-house, jack-pot, four-flusher, ace-high, pot, penny-ante, divvy, a card up his sleeve, three-of-a-kind, to ante up, to stand pat, to call (a bluff), to pony up, to hold out, to cash in, to go it one better, to chip in and for keeps.

These (except for 'cold-deck') are familiar to me in the US. What about you on the other side of the pond? Are the still unfamiliar or, if familiar, dubious?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: wordnerd,

We're getting poker on the Telly now, and it is fantastic entertainment, with loads of slang.

Why is the last card in the flop for Texas Hold-'em called the river card?
Why are straights called the nuts?

Wordnerd,

I'd say that most of them are known here. Unlike baseball, poker is quite commonly played over here. Whilst it might have been true eighty-odd years ago that few Englishmen knew the meaning of the words HL Mencken lists, the game is much more popular now.

speaking of Texas Hold 'em,

You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em..

Kenny Rogers ... The Gambler