Nicknames for Poker Hands in Texas Holdem

I was playing in a home tournament with several new players. During the game one player laid down his hand after getting checked raised when an Ace hit the board. As he mucked his hand he told the other player he had put him on Big Slick. The newbie inquired as to what he meant by Big Slick. When he was told that it was the name for Ace-King he asked if there were names for other starting hands.

Below is a listing of some of the more common and some not so common names for starting poker hands. Some of the younger players probably will not understand the reference to terms like Broderick Crawford (The star of the 60’s show Highway Patrol who used 10-4) or Woolworths (which was a big chain of 5 and 10 cent stores in days past.) Depending upon where you live there might be other local terminology used for the starting hands but here are some that I have compiled.

AA: Pocket Rockets; Bullets; American Airlines
KK: Cowboys; King Kong
QQ: Ladies, Whores, Siegfried & Roy
JJ: Fishhooks; hooks
TT: Dimes
99: German Virgin; Barbara Feldon (Get Smart Agent 99)
88: Snowmen; Doggie Balls; Piano Keys
77: Sunset Strip
66: Route 66
55: Speed Limit
44: Magnum; Sailboats
33: Crabs
22: Ducks

AK: Big Slick; Santa Barbara
AQ: Big Chick; Walking Back to Houston
AJ: Ajax
A8: Dead Man’s hand
KQ suited Marriage
KQ offsuit Mixed Marriage
KJ: Kojak
K9: Fido Canine What a Dog
K3: Commander Crab; King Crab
QJ: Maverick
QT: Quint; Varkony
Q7: Computer hand
Q3: Gay Waiter; San Francisco Busboy (queen with a tray)
J5: Motown; Jackson Five
J4: Flat ties (what’s a jack for?)
T5: Woolworth's; Five and Dime
T4: Broderick Crawford; Convoy; Good Buddy
T2: Texas Dolly
98: Oldsmobile
69: Big Lick; Dinner for Two
95: Dolly Parton
92: Montana Banana
76: Union Oil
57: Heinz
45: Jessie James; Jane Russell
39: Jack Benny
38: Raquel Welch
29: Twiggy

Until next time, remember:
"Luck comes and goes...Knowledge Stays Forever."