Ultimate List of Poker Hand Nicknames

Poker Hand Nicknames for Pocket Pairs

Pocket pairs are starting hands made up of two cards with the same rank, such as pocket aces (AA), kings (KK), or queens (QQ). Below are some of the most popular nicknames used for pocket pairs in poker.

Ace-Ace (AA)

Pocket aces are the strongest starting hand you can get before the flop in Texas Hold’em. Against one opponent holding two random cards, AA has roughly an 85% chance of winning before the flop. These are some of the most common nicknames for pocket aces.

American Airlines: The initials “AA” match the abbreviation for American Airlines, which is where this nickname comes from.
Apollo 11: Aces can represent the number one, so two aces can be read as “11,” a reference to the Apollo 11 moon mission.
Bullets: The shape of an ace can resemble a bullet, making a pair of aces “bullets.”
Batteries: This nickname comes from the familiar “AA” battery size.
Pocket Rockets: The pointed shape of an ace can resemble a rocket, while “pocket” refers to the two hole cards you’re dealt.
Snake Eyes: Borrowed from craps, where rolling a one on both dice is known as snake eyes.
Teepees: The pointed top of the letter “A” resembles the shape of a teepee, giving pocket aces another visual nickname.

King-King (KK)

Pocket kings are the second-best starting hand you can get in Texas Hold’em. Like pocket aces, this powerful pair has picked up several nicknames over the years, with many playing off kings or the letter “K.”

Ace Magnets: Pocket kings are strong until an ace appears, which can put you behind an opponent holding one. The nickname jokes about how kings seem to attract an unwanted ace on the board.
Cowboys: The exact origin is unclear, but the nickname is commonly linked to the “K” sound in kings and poker’s association with the American Old West.
Elvis Presley: Elvis Presley was famously known as the “King of Rock and Roll,” making his name a natural nickname for a pair of kings.
King Kong (or Gorillas): “King Kong” plays off the two K’s in KK and the famous fictional giant ape. “Gorillas” is a related nickname sometimes used for the same hand.

Queen-Queen (QQ)

Pocket queens are the third-strongest starting hand in Texas Hold’em, behind only pocket aces and kings. The pair has several nicknames, although some older terms have fallen out of favor because they can be considered derogatory.

Calamity Jane: This nickname refers to Calamity Jane, the famous American frontierswoman associated with Wild Bill Hickok and the Old West.
Ladies: Queens are the only female face cards in a standard deck, making “Ladies” one of the most straightforward nicknames for QQ.

Jack-Jack (JJ)

Pocket jacks are the fourth-strongest pocket pair in Texas Hold’em, but they can be tricky to play when higher cards appear on the board. Their nicknames tend to draw from the shape of the letter “J,” famous poker players, and the matching face cards.

Brothers: The two matching male face cards inspired the “Brothers” nickname for pocket jacks.
Fishhooks: The curved shape of the letter “J” resembles a fishhook, so two jacks are commonly called “Fishhooks.”
John Juanda: This nickname refers to professional poker player John Juanda, a Poker Hall of Fame member whose initials are JJ.

Ten-Ten (TT)

Pocket tens are a strong starting pair that sits just below jacks in the pocket-pair rankings. Most of the hand’s popular nicknames come from the number 10, the two T’s, or simple wordplay.

Binary: Written together, the two tens can be represented as “1010,” resembling a string of binary digits.
Dimes: A US dime is worth 10 cents, making “Dimes” a natural nickname for a pair of tens.
Dynamite: The two T’s in TT bring TNT to mind, giving pocket tens their explosive “Dynamite” nickname.
Train Tracks: This nickname uses the matching T’s to create an alliterative reference to train tracks.

Nine-Nine (99)

Pocket nines are a solid middle pocket pair that can be played aggressively in the right spots without being treated like a premium hand. Their nicknames draw from famous athletes, poker history, and the shape of the number nine.

Phil Helmuth: Helmuth won the 1989 WSOP Main Event with pocket nines in the final hand, making his name a popular nickname for 99.
Popeyes: The rounded shape of the nines can resemble Popeye’s oversized forearms.
Pothooks: The shape of the number nine resembles a traditional pothook, a curved metal hook once used to lift or hang cooking pots over a fire.
Wayne Gretzky: Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky famously wore No. 99, making his name an easy reference for pocket nines.

Eight-Eight (88)

Pocket eights sit in the middle of the pocket-pair rankings and have several easy-to-recognize nicknames. Most come from the shape of the number eight or its connection to familiar objects.

Infinity: Turn an eight on its side, and it closely resembles the infinity symbol.
Piano Keys: A standard piano has 88 keys, giving pocket eights this music-inspired nickname.
Pretzels: The loops in the number eight can resemble the twisted shape of a pretzel.
Snowmen: The two stacked circles in an eight look like the body and head of a snowman.

Seven-Seven (77)

Pocket sevens have a handful of nicknames based largely on the distinctive shape of the number seven. These are some of the terms you may hear around a poker table.

Candy Canes: The curved or angled shape of a seven can resemble a candy cane.
Hockey Sticks: Sevens look similar to hockey sticks, especially when two appear side by side.
Mullets: With a little imagination, the shape of a seven can resemble the profile of a mullet hairstyle.

Six-Six (66)

Pocket sixes come with several visual nicknames, along with one that references one of America’s most famous highways.

Boots: The curved bottom of a six can resemble a boot, so two sixes become a pair of “Boots.”
Cherries: The rounded shape of the number six can look like a cherry hanging from a stem.
Route 66: This nickname references the historic US highway that originally stretched from Chicago to Southern California.

Five-Five (55)

Pocket fives have several nicknames tied to the number five and the appearance of the cards. Some of the terms come from familiar parts of American culture.

Nickels:A US nickel is worth five cents, making “Nickels” a natural nickname for pocket fives.
Snakes: The curved shape of the number five can resemble a snake, particularly when two appear together.
Speed Limit: This nickname refers to the former 55 mph national maximum speed limit used across the US.

Four-Four (44)

Pocket fours have a small collection of nicknames based on their shape, the number 44, and pop culture references.

Darth Vader: This nickname is sometimes used specifically for the four of spades and four of clubs because both cards are black.
Magnum: “Magnum” references the .44 Magnum cartridge and the firearms associated with it.
Sailboats: The angled lines in the number four can resemble the mast and sail of a small boat.

Three-Three (33)

Pocket threes do not have as many widely used nicknames as premium pocket pairs, but a few terms have stuck around. Most play off the shape or value of the cards.

Crabs: The curved shape of the number three can resemble a crab’s pincers.
Lucky Dragon: This nickname is sometimes associated with pocket threes and references the number three’s positive symbolism in Chinese culture.
Treys: “Trey” is a traditional term for a playing card or die showing three points, making “Treys” a common nickname for pocket threes.

Two-Two (22)

Pocket twos are the lowest pocket pair in Texas Hold’em, but they can become a strong hand when the board gives you a third two. Their nicknames mainly come from the number two, visual similarities, and wordplay.

Deuces: “Deuce” is a long-standing term for the number two in cards and dice.
Desmond: This nickname is a play on the name of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with “Tutu” sounding like “two-two.”
Ducks: The curved shape of the number two can resemble the neck and body of a duck.
Richard Nixon: This nickname references famous images of Richard Nixon holding up two V-signs with his hands.

Poker Hand Nicknames for Ace Hands

If you don’t pick up a premium pocket pair like aces, kings, or queens, a strong ace-high starting hand can still put you in a good position. Here are some of the most common poker hand nicknames for starting combinations that pair an ace with another card.

Ace-King (AK)

Ace-king is one of the strongest unpaired starting hands in Texas Hold’em and has picked up several well-known nicknames. Most of them play off the hand’s initials, its reputation for producing big swings, or famous names connected to “AK.”

Big Slick: One of poker’s most famous nicknames, “Big Slick” refers to the hand’s strength and the trouble it can cause when overplayed.
Kalashnikov: This nickname refers to Mikhail Kalashnikov, the designer of the AK-47, and plays off the hand’s AK initials.
King Arthur: A reference to the legendary King Arthur, with the nickname built around the king and ace combination.
Korean Airlines: This nickname plays off the initials “KA” and the name of the South Korean airline.
Walking Back to Houston: This old Texas poker term suggests that overplaying ace-king could leave you broke enough to walk home.

Ace-Queen (AQ)

Ace-queen is another strong unpaired starting hand with several nicknames tied to history, literature, poker, and music.

Anthony & Cleopatra: A reference to Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, with the ace representing Antony and the queen representing Cleopatra.
Big Chick: This nickname is a playful variation of “Big Slick,” the more famous nickname for ace-king.
Doyle Brunson: Brunson was famously cautious about ace-queen and wrote that he disliked playing it. He was later eliminated from the 2008 WSOP Main Event while holding an off-suit AQ.
Rocket Queen: This nickname references “Rocket Queen,” a song by Guns N’ Roses.

Ace-Jack (AJ)

Ace-jack has several nicknames drawn from fashion, casino games, and poker table terminology. Most use the initials AJ or combine the names of the two cards.

Armani Jeans: A play on the initials “AJ” and the Armani Jeans fashion label.
Blackjack: Ace-jack can total 21 in blackjack when the ace counts as 11, making the casino game an easy nickname for the hand.
Hijack: This nickname plays on the “high” ace and the jack in the hand to form “hijack.” It’s also a poker position, referring to the seat immediately to the right of the cutoff.

Poker Hand Nicknames for Face Card Hands

Face-card combinations can give you some of the strongest unpaired starting hands in Texas Hold’em, particularly when the cards are suited. Kings, queens, and jacks have picked up plenty of nicknames based on royalty, pop culture, famous players, and wordplay.

King-Queen (KQ)

King-queen is a strong starting hand with the potential to make top pair, straights, flushes, and strong draws. Its nicknames mostly play off the royal pairing of a king and queen.

King of Queens: This nickname references The King of Queens, the popular American sitcom starring Kevin James and Leah Remini.
Marriage: A king and queen represent a royal couple, making “Marriage” one of the most straightforward nicknames for KQ.
Divorce: A humorous variation of “Marriage,” this nickname is sometimes used when king-queen loses.
Mixed Marriage: This variation is used when the king and queen are different suits.
Throne: Kings and queens traditionally sit on thrones, giving the royal combination another fitting nickname.
Valentine’s Day: This nickname applies specifically when you’re dealt the king and queen of hearts.

King-Jack (KJ)

King-jack has several nicknames based on famous names and the letters K and J. Most reverse the hand’s initials to create familiar “JK” references.

Harry Potter: This nickname references Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, whose initials match the reversed initials of king-jack.
Jackie Kennedy: A reference to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, whose commonly used name, Jackie Kennedy, gives you the initials JK.
Just Kidding/Joking: “JK” is commonly used as shorthand for “just kidding” or “joking,” making it another nickname for KJ.

Queen-Jack (QJ)

Queen-jack can make strong straights, flushes, and top-pair hands, particularly when the cards are suited. Its nicknames range from poker sayings to television references and simple wordplay.

Hawaii: This nickname comes from an old poker saying that suggests you could save enough money for a trip to Hawaii by refusing to play queen-jack for a year.
Maverick: A reference to the 1950s Western television series Maverick, whose theme song mentions jacks and queens.
Quack: “Quack” blends the words “queen” and “jack” into a single nickname.

Queen-Ten (QT)

Queen-ten has several memorable nicknames that primarily play off its QT abbreviation. Others reference well-known people whose names or initials connect to the cards.

Cutie: Saying the letters “QT” aloud sounds like “cutie,” giving the hand its most straightforward nickname.
Q-Tip: This nickname is another play on the hand’s QT initials and the familiar Q-tips brand name.
Robert Varkonyi: Varkonyi held queen-ten when he eliminated Phil Hellmuth from the 2002 WSOP Main Event, which he eventually won.
Tarantino: The nickname refers to filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, whose initials are QT.

Jack-Ten (JT)

Jack-ten is a connected starting hand that can produce several straight draws, with suited JT providing flush potential as well. Its nicknames come from celebrities, television, and poker folklore.

Justin Timberlake: This nickname references singer and actor Justin Timberlake, whose initials are JT.
Greek Passport: This nickname comes from poker folklore involving a Greek immigrant who supposedly won enough money with jack-ten to secure Australian residency.
TJ Hooker: A reference to the 1980s television series T.J. Hooker, starring William Shatner.

Jack-Nine (J9)

Jack-nine has fewer widely recognized nicknames than most higher face-card combinations. The best-known names come from another card game and a famous professional poker player.

Braggars: This nickname references Brag, a card game in which certain jacks and nines can have special significance.
TJ Cloutier: Named after Poker Hall of Famer T.J. Cloutier, who is associated in poker folklore with making several straight flushes while holding jack-nine.

Poker Hand Nicknames for Other Hands

Not every poker hand nickname involves a pocket pair or face card. Lower starting combinations have picked up plenty of memorable names based on sports, movies, numbers, pop culture, and the way the cards look together.

Ten-Seven (T7)

Ten-seven has a couple of well-known nicknames tied to bowling and one of poker’s biggest stars.

Bowling Hand: This nickname references the difficult 7-10 split in bowling, where the two pins are left standing on opposite sides of the lane.
Daniel Negreanu: Suited ten-seven is often associated with poker player Daniel Negreanu, who has described it as one of his favorite starting hands.

Ten-Four (T4)

Ten-four gets most of its poker slang from CB radio terminology. The phrase “10-4” is commonly used to mean “message received” or “understood.”

CB Hand: 10-4 is CB radio language for the term, “okay”.

You might also hear similar terms like:

Convoy: A nod to truckers and CB radio culture.
Good Buddy: Another expression closely associated with traditional CB radio slang.
Over and Out: A radio phrase sometimes used as another nickname for ten-four.
Roger That: Like “10-4,” this phrase indicates that a message has been received and understood.

Nine-Six (96)

Nine-six has several cheeky nicknames based on reversing the cards to make 69. Most are tongue-in-cheek references that have circulated around poker tables for years.

You’ll want to cover the kids’ eyes for this one, as the nicknames for the hand nine-six refer to a sexual position.

The Dirty: This hand will usually only be referenced with a sexual undertone since it closely resembles the “69” sexual position.

Here are some other nicknames you might see similar to “The Dirty”

Prom Night
Big Lick
Breakfast of Champions
Dinner for Two
Good Lover

Nine-Five (95)

Nine-five has a couple of nicknames based on the familiar phrase “nine to five,” which is closely associated with the traditional workday.

Dolly Parton: This nickname references 9 to 5, the 1980 film starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin.
Hard Working Man: A reference to the traditional 9-to-5 work schedule.

Eight-Seven

Eight-seven has several nicknames inspired by sports and numbers. Both come from familiar associations with the digits 8 and 7.

Crosby: NHL star Sidney Crosby wears No. 87, making his surname a natural nickname for the hand.
RPM: This nickname plays on 78 rpm records by reversing the numbers in 87.

Let’s look at some of the poker slang you can expect to hear when talking about 7-X hole cards.

Seven-Six (76)

Seven-six has nicknames tied to musical theater and a familiar American brand.

Trombones: A reference to “Seventy-Six Trombones,” the well-known song from the musical The Music Man.
Union Oil: This nickname comes from Union 76, the fuel brand known for its distinctive orange-and-blue 76 signs.

Seven-Five (75)

Seven-five has several nicknames drawn from movies, food brands, and historical dates.

007: This nickname references James Bond and his connection to poker through Casino Royale.
Heinz: The name plays on Heinz’s famous “57 Varieties” slogan, with the two card values appearing in reverse order.
Vietnamese Slick: This nickname references 1975, the year the Vietnam War ended, by combining the seven and five.

Six-Five (65)

Six-five has a small group of nicknames tied to age and poker history.

Bus Pass: In parts of the UK, age 65 has traditionally been associated with eligibility for concessionary bus travel, giving the hand this nickname.
Ken Warren: This nickname is associated with poker author and player Ken Warren.

Six-Four (64)

Six-four gets its best-known nicknames from television and cricket.

Billion Dollar Hand: This nickname references The $64,000 Question, the popular 1950s television quiz show.
Gilchrist: Named after Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist, who became known for aggressive batting and regularly hitting sixes and fours.

Five-Four (54)

Five-four suited can be an appealing speculative hand because of its straight and flush potential. Its nicknames come from firearms, the Old West, and one of poker’s most famous tournament wins.

Colt 45: This nickname references the .45 Colt cartridge and the Colt firearms associated with it.
Jesse James: The name references the famous Old West outlaw and continues the firearm theme connected to the hand.
Moneymaker: Chris Moneymaker held five-four during a memorable hand against Sam Farha at the 2003 WSOP Main Event, which Moneymaker went on to win.

Five-Two (52)

Five-two has several nicknames based on the number 52 and what happens when the cards are reversed.

Bomber: A reference to the B-52 bomber, which has served with the US Air Force since the 1950s.
Pickup: This nickname references the card game 52-card pickup.
Quarter: Reverse the cards to make 25, matching the 25-cent value of a US quarter.

Four-Two (42)

Four-two has a surprisingly recognizable set of nicknames drawn from television, construction, and science fiction.

Jack Bauer: A reference to Jack Bauer, the main character in the television series 24, with the cards reversed to make 24.
Lumberman’s Hand: This nickname refers to a 2×4, one of the most familiar dimensions for lumber.
The Answer: In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, 42 is famously revealed as the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything.

Three-Two (32)

Three-two is one of the weakest starting hands in Texas Hold’em, but that hasn’t stopped players from giving it a few nicknames.

Nut Low: This nickname reflects three-two’s status as one of the lowest possible starting combinations in Texas Hold’em.
Michael Jordan: Michael Jordan wore the number 32 during his time playing in the NBA.

Those are all the slang names for poker hands that we could think of or find. Now you can take your expertise to your favorite online poker site and earn some respect from the table.

Evan

Hatfield

Content Editor

Articles

107

Evan Hatfield is an experienced online poker player and Content Management Specialist for GamblingSites.com. His expertise spans esports, poker and casino platforms. As a huge fan of esports and basketball, you’ll usually find Evan researching the best odds for his favorite teams: the Los Angeles Lakers and Faze Clan. Evan lives in Nova Scotia.

See All Evan’s Articles