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    Poker Slang — Unofficial Glossary

    Poker slang is rich, funny, and sometimes brutal. Here are the 60 most common terms and nicknames — from hand names (Rockets, Cowboys, Big Slick) to player styles (Nit, LAG, TAG, Whale), situations (Cooler, Bad Beat, Suckout) and moves (Donk, Squeeze, Isolation).

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    20 Hand Nicknames

    • AA — Rockets / American Airlines / Pocket Aces
    • KK — Cowboys / Kings / Ace Magnets
    • QQ — Ladies / Sisters
    • JJ — Fishhooks / Hooks
    • TT — Dimes
    • 99 — German Virgin (nein nein)
    • 88 — Snowmen
    • 77 — Walking Sticks
    • 66 — Route 66
    • 55 — Speed Limit / Presto
    • AK — Big Slick / Anna Kournikova
    • AQ — Big Chick / Anthony and Cleopatra
    • AJ — Ajax / Blackjack
    • KQ — Marriage / Royalty
    • KJ — Kojak
    • Q7 — Computer Hand
    • J5 — Motown / Jackson Five
    • T2 — Doyle Brunson (won 2 WSOP with it)
    • 72o — The Hammer (worst hand)
    • K9 — Canine (K-9)

    Player Types

    • Fish / Whale / Donkey: weak player. Whale = weak with lots of money.
    • Shark: winning pro.
    • Nit: too tight, scared. Plays only premiums.
    • Rock: no action, passive, very tight.
    • TAG (Tight-Aggressive): ideal style — tight but aggressive.
    • LAG (Loose-Aggressive): opens many hands, pressures a lot. High-level pros.
    • Maniac: LAG on steroids. No control.
    • Calling Station: calls everything, never folds.
    • Grinder: hard-working multi-tabler for small profits.
    • Reg (Regular): known player at a stake, usually TAG.
    • Recreational / Rec: hobbyist playing for fun.

    Moves & Actions

    • Donk Bet: Bet OOP into the preflop raiser.
    • Squeeze: 3-Bet after Open + Call.
    • Isolate: raise vs a limper to play Heads-Up.
    • C-Bet: Continuation Bet. See guide.
    • Float: call flop with air — plan to steal turn.
    • Barrel: recurring bet on next street. Double/Triple Barrel.
    • Overbet: Bet larger than pot.
    • Snap-Call / Snap-Fold: instant call/fold.
    • Slowplay: play weak with strong hand to conceal.
    • Check-Raise: Check then Raise after opponent bets.
    • 3-Bet / 4-Bet: reraise. See 3-Bet guide.

    Game Situations

    • Bad Beat: lost with a statistically better hand.
    • Cooler: Set over Set, AA vs KK. Unavoidable.
    • Suckout: won as a statistical underdog.
    • Nuts: best possible hand on this board.
    • Second Nuts: second-best possible hand.
    • Fold Equity: probability opponent folds to your bet.
    • Tilt: bad play from emotions (losses).
    • Run Good / Bad: period the cards run for/against you.
    • Variance: result swings. Poker = high variance.
    • Chop: split pot or split tournament prize.
    Frequently Asked Questions

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