Why is AK called Big Slick?

Old American slang from the 70s. Pretty hand, looks great, but has "slipped" many players — it's only a Draw ~50% of the time.

What actually is a Cooler?

A spot where two very strong hands meet and one has to lose. Like AA vs KK with all chips in. Unavoidable — hence "Cooler".

A too-tight, scared player who refuses to risk chips without the Nuts. Ideal opponent to steal blinds from.

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).

20 classic poker hand nicknames
15 player style and type terms
15 moves and actions
10 game situations (Cooler, Bad Beat, Suckout...)

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Subject to Terms of Use and Responsible Gaming Policy · 21+

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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Poker Slang — Unofficial Glossary

20 classic poker hand nicknames

15 player style and type terms

15 moves and actions

10 game situations (Cooler, Bad Beat, Suckout...)

Subject to Terms of Use and Responsible Gaming Policy · 21+

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.

Poker Slang — Unofficial Glossary

20 Hand Nicknames

Player Types

Moves & Actions

Game Situations

Ready to join the club?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is AK called Big Slick?

What actually is a Cooler?

What is a Nit?

Poker Slang — Unofficial Glossary

20 Hand Nicknames

Player Types

Moves & Actions

Game Situations

Ready to join the club?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is AK called Big Slick?

What actually is a Cooler?

What is a Nit?