Starting cards or what are these people talking about

So let’s imagine you are a beginner and go to the casino for the first time or one of the first times. The players at your table discuss the game and periodically use strange terms that seem to have nothing to do with poker, but definitely mean something.

The fact is that a lot of starting hands have their own name and players often use these names in dialogues, but you, as a beginner, may not understand what they are talking about.

The same thing can happen when playing online poker. Someone may ask to show the cards, and another will answer: Tarantino.

And you think… WTF…:speak_no_evil: What does Tarantino have to do with it!?:see_no_evil::flushed:

Perhaps you won’t describe them that way, but at least you will understand what the players are talking about at the table.

Let’s run through the pocket pairs:

AA - American Airlines or Rockets or Bullets

KK - Cowboys or King Kong or Ace Magnets

QQ - Ladies or Sisters or 4 Tits🙈

JJ - Hooks or Jay Birds or Jokers

TT - Dimes or Audi

99 - Meat hooks or Wayne Gretzk or Balloons

88 - Snowmen or Octopuses or Fat Ladies or Piano

77 - Hockey Sticks or Walking Sticks or Saturn or Sunset or Hatchets

66 - Route 66 or Cherries

55 - Nickels or Presto or Speed Limit

44 - Sailboats or Magnum

33 - Crabs

22 - Ducks

As you can see, most of the names are associated with similarities with certain things. But there are other names, many of which you will never be able to guess if you don’t know for sure. Let’s look at some.

Starting hands named after famous people:

AK - there are other names, but sometimes this starting hand is called Anna Kournikova

AQ - Doyle Brunson’s Unloved Hand, named after Him (RIP)

AT - in honor of the legendary player Johnny Moss (RIP)

A8 - Dead Man’s Hand. Named after James Butler Hickok (Wild Bill Hickok), shot during a poker game (RIP)

KK (again🙂) - Sometimes this hand is called Elvis Presley (RIP)

KJ - Sometimes this hand is called Jacqueline Kennedy, after her initials (RIP)

QJ - the hand was named “Maverick”, thanks to a line from a song in the TV series of the same name in the late 50s, where the main character was called Bart Maverick

QT - the hand is named after the American director, screenwriter, producer and actor Quentin Tarantino (by initials)

JT - the hand is named after the initials of the legendary player T. J. Cloutier

J9 - the hand is named after the legendary player T. J. Cloutier, because he managed to collect flush-straight three times in one year with this starting hand.

J7 - Despite the fact that the hand is named after whiskey Jack Daniels Old No. 7, let’s not forget that the name belonged to an American businessman who is the founder of this brand (RIP)

J5 - the hand is named “Jacksons Five” in honor of the American family pop group of the XX century, which existed for half a century.

T2 - “Doyle Brunson’s hand”, so named because 2 years in a row he won the Main Event WSOP with it (RIP)

99 (again😜) - this hand has many names, but it is also called the Phil Hellmuth hand, because it was with this hand that he played the Main Event WSOP for the first time. This starting hand is rich in names and it is also sometimes called “Wayne Gretzk” - in honor of the legendary American hockey player of the XX century, who played under this number.

95 - this hand is often called Dolly Parton - in honor of the American country singer, thanks to her song “9 to 5”.

32 - the hand was named after the legendary basketball player, Michael Jordan, who played under this number.

22 (again😜) - Sometimes this hand is called Nixon because of the photo where the president shows a victory sign with both hands (RIP)

Well, there are a huge number of starting hands in poker, depending on the value of the cards and their suit, and almost every starting hand has its own name. I tried to find the most popular and interesting ones for you.

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I enjoyed your thread.
I’ve a few more to add to the list.

72 - this is called a whip for worst hand in poker, since it’s the considered the worst starting hand.

KJ - Kojak for the well known tv show character.

K9 suited - Dog in a suit

K9 offsuit - I call that one dog off

AK - Big slick

10 5 - Dimes and nickels

JJ - also known as fishhooks

One slang I’m not sure of the meaning of is Broadway, I think it means ace high straight, or perhaps it’s having two face cards? If anybody can clear me up on that one, that’d be great.

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Nice thread! I think J5 is also known as Motown; A2 is Acey-Deucey; AQ is the “parking lot hand” since you will often lose with it.

Broadway is the T, J, Q, K, A straight and any two of those cards are called “Broadway cards”.

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As 22 is known as Ducks, some call 33 Geese
also
AJ - Foyt, or Almond Joy
66 - Boxcars

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Yes, if we consider classical names that are not tied to the names of famous personalities, then

AK is BIG Slick
AQ is Little Slick
AJ is Ajax or Blackjack
A2 is Arizona

I especially like KQ - this pocket hand is often called a Mariage, especially if these are cards of the same suit. I’m used to it, because in other card games you can find such a name.

well i play online so i dent think i will be in such a situation ever to hear otehr poker players talking about hands and using such terms , i have seen this in the past , i read about the different names that poker players use to call some hands . yeah , some of them i remember them , as they are very easy to remember , the other i do not care , i wont have any problem by not knowing these alter names so no reason to memorise them .

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10 2 Brunson
10 4 Trucker
Q 3 , Waitress aka queen with a tray

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Hi Maxogon15

Great topic

l have heard of many of these term but some i didn’t thanks for the info.

My addition would be as Bert Stevens would say the sexiest hand in poker 69

looking forward to learning more.

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32o is the dirty diaper, see Nicholas Rigby
JJ are jiggities according to Brad Owen

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I know a lot of these starting hand names.

-I think that for AK, there is the “Big Slick” for AKs and the “Anna Kournikova” for the offsuit version.

-For the AQ I know the “Big Chick” name, but I don’t know if it is for the suited version of the hand or the offsuit version or for both.

-For the KQs is the “Royal Couple” name.

-The 32o is called “the dirty diaper”.

-Pocket 44 are called “ntortia” in my country.

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Hi pokerfriends,

this is a very nice thread because i didnt know them at all and it is very interesting to compare the meanings of starting hands on different countries!
In europe A-K is always Anna Kournikova or Rockets but for example K-J is only named Kojak, people never say Jaqueline Kennedy.

I like cherries for 66s thats really smart :wink: and J-7 named after the man behind the famous drink from tennessee - never heard before i have to say!!!

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Personally, I am very bad at this type of things and everything that terms refer to, I prefer to focus in my game on my cards and what I should do within the game

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Hmm… :thinking: I see potential for misleading players with the starting hands’ nicknames. Once terms are learn and are used commonly, what prevents them from being used as a bluff or make it seem like a bluff. :man_shrugging:
I’m not advanced enough to apply in real-time anyway. :joy: I did, however, enjoy reading this thread. Can’t be all that bad to know.
Thanks for the information! :ok_hand:

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Some Starting cards names you may not have heard from my 40+ years

2,3- The spoiler or Skidoo
Q,7- Computer hand
J,10D- Shimsky rice
10,10 -Burlington Northern
K,7-King Salmon
7,6 - Union oil
10,5 -Woolworth
J,7- Jack Salmon
4,5- Smith and Wesson
6,9 -French Connection
8,6 -Kicked out
8,8 - Delta or Oldsmobile
7,8 - The Record
J,5 - Motown
5,4 - Calling all Cars
K,9 - Canine
6,4 - Impala
K, 5 - The Home Team

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10-4 was called CB
Radio slang

That’s a big 10-4

When I used to play with some truckers from all states

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What should they call AK? I know - Plan B

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You made my day, nice open the forum and have a laugh, thanks Peek!

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DUCK THE BULLETS

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AK is also known as Anna Kournikova. … …Looks Good. Never Wins!!

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AK is commonly called Big slick.

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