Poker Hand Names

Previously I’ve done two columns of poker player nicknames, but with the recent influx of new players into the game, the time is right to assemble a list of nicknames for poker hands. With this list newbies will both be able to sound like they fit right in at a casino when they play, and also know what the heck is going on by being able to decipher some of the code talk being spoken.

One problem with poker hand nicknames though is they sometimes become obsolete. Take the case of three tens, TTT. One nickname for this three of a kind is “thirty miles of bad road”, which is often shortened to “thirty miles.” Many years ago this thirty miles notion led to the hand getting its most famous nickname: “Gilroy to San Jose.” Unfortunately, these days San Jose has sprawled all the way up to the Gilroy city limits! Even if it means we can apparently travel thirty miles in one step, I guess we have to keep the nickname. More puzzling though is another, more obscure nickname for TTT: “Woodbine to Corbin.” One would assume the genesis of this nickname is the same as Gilroy to San Jose, but take a look at a map. Woodbine is about five miles from Corbin! I guess that’s why the nickname hasn’t caught on.

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While a few full poker hands have nicknames like “the dead man’s hand” of Aces and Eights, two card Texas Hold’em hands tends to lend itself more to nicknames. I suppose this is because there are fewer card combinations than in Omaha for example, where only rare birds like AK47 (A-kay-forty-seven) can get nicknamed. However, in Omaha an entire branch of hands are classified as “double-scheckies” due to the incomparable Bob Scheckman’s penchant for falling in love with any bit of double-suited shit that came his way. In any case, here are a few Texas Holdem starting hand nicknames that have stood the test of time.

AA Rockets; Bullets; American Airlines
KK Cowboys
QQ Canadian Rockets; Canadian Aces; Siegfried & Roy
JJ Fishhooks; hooks
88 Snowmen; Doggie Balls
77 Sunset Strip
66 Route 66
55 Presto; Speed Limit
44 Canadian Presto
33 Crabs
22 Ducks

Poker Hand NicknamesAK Big Slick
AQ Big Chick; Walking Back to Houston
KQsuited Marriage
KQoffsuit Mixed Marriage
KJ Kojak
K9 Fido; What a Dog
K3 Commander Crab; King Crab
Q7 Computer hand
Q3 Gay Waiter (queen with a tray)
J5 Motown; Jackson Five
T8 Golden Dan
T5 F&W Woolworth’s; Five and Dime
T4 Broderick Crawford; Convoy; Good Buddy
T2 Texas Dolly
98 Oldsmobile
96 Big Lick; Dinner for Two
95 Dolly Parton
92 Montana Banana
83 Most feared hand in Holdem
7T Split
76 Union Oil

Then there is the case of J4. First named after John “Austin Squatty” Jenkins due to his penchant for raising and reraising with this hand of “hidden value”, the hand later also became known as “Kid Grenade” after a poker dealer who when he played was “liable to go off at any moment”. He once told me the hand’s true nickname should be “Full Employment” because “If you play J4, you’ll always have a day job.”

Playing Middle Pairs

The pocket pair is always a very attractive starting hand in Texas Hold’em. Unfortunately however, they can throw you into some pretty sticky situations after the flop if you do not know how to play them properly. It all seems like fun and games before the flop, but when those overcards come all hell seems to break loose, and you are left wondering whether or not to play on with the hand.

Use these 4 tips to help you sort out that fuzzy strategy on how to play mid-pocket pairs in Texas Hold’em.
1) Realize that pocket pairs are not indestructible

In my opinion, the problem with playing mid pocket pairs stems from the fact that they are far too overvalued preflop. It’s easy to get excited when you look down and see your pocket pair and start raising like a mad man preflop but when the flop cards comes down you are a little lost, as your hand is not nearly as strong as you thought it was.

Mid pocket pairs are solid hands, but they are not worth reraising another player with before the flop. Remember that there is more to a Texas Hold em hand than the preflop betting round, so prepare for whatever might happen on the flop with your preflop actions.
2) Hitting a set is the ultimate goal

When you see a flop with a mid pocket pair you need to look at it in one of two ways; you either hit a set or you didn’t.

The true value of a pocket pair is its ability to hit a set and extract a lot of money from the unsuspecting opponent. Pocket pairs have huge implied odds because the possibility of a set is often overlooked by your opponents, which means that you are likely to get paid off if they also catch a piece of the flop.

If you are unfortunate and do not hit your set, you mid pocket pair is not going to be worth fighting with. This is not to say that you should completely give up on the hand, but to simply be aware that you may well be beat, and the fact that you are not sure of where you stand means that you should lean toward folding if there is a lot of action.

Even though it’s disappointing that you did not hit your set, you should be happy to fold and avoid digging yourself into a deeper hole. Your bankroll will thank you for it.
3) It is worth calling relatively large bets to see a flop

Even though the odds of actually hitting a set are 7:1, it is still worth calling a 4 or 5 big blind bet to see a flop. This is due to the fact that for the one time you do hit that set, you can expect to be paid off handsomely, which makes up for the times that you called the bet to see the flop but missed.

As I already mentioned, your opponent is unlikely to suspect that you have a set, and so if they hit a hand like top pair, you can expect to see a large portion of their stack coming your way. So at the end of the day, you will lose a little bit of money from the times you call and miss, but you will easily make up for this when you hit your set.
4) When you hit your set, play it fast

The last thing you want to do when you hit your set is to slow down and start checking and calling. You want to make sure that you get the most from the hand, so don’t be afraid the build the pot by betting and raising. If you are checking and calling, you are missing out on a prime opportunity to force your opponent to put more money into the pot, as they will not usually suspect that you have such a strong hand.

There will be times where your opponent folds when you bet and raise with your set, but try not to let this get you down. Remember that if your opponent was not willing to call your bets or raises on early betting rounds, then you were unlikely to have ever extracted much money from the hand anyway. At least you gave yourself the opportunity to win the biggest pot possible.
Overview

The key point to remember is that your main goal is to hit a set with your mid pocket pair. A pocket pair will still retain some value after the flop, but the problem is that it is difficult to know where you stand. Therefore the best plan of action is to be careful and avoid getting involved in a big pot.

The more you play pocket pairs, the more adept you will become at playing them. Hopefully this article helped you to find your footing a little when it comes to mid pocket pairs, but there is no replacement for practice, so get out there and play!

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