Activities Hobbies Nicknames for Poker Hands in Texas Holdem Print Hold'em Starting Hands. Photo Courtesy (Nevada Casino History) Hobbies Card Games & Gambling Poker Casinos Sports Gambling Blackjack Contests Couponing Freebies Frugal Living Fine Arts & Crafts Astrology Cars & Motorcycles Playing Music Learn More By Bill Burton Bill Burton Bill Burton has written about casinos and gambling since 2008. He is the author of two books about gambling and a monthly columnist for several national gambling publications. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 03/08/17 If you've ever played poker, you know that each hand has a name, such as a flush, for five cards of the same suit. A royal flush is the best hand in regular poker: making a straight-flush with the royal family (Ace-King-Queen-Jack-Ten) of one suit. Those names have been around for centuries. Texas Hold'em hasn't been around that long, although it sometimes seems those old Texas Boys like Salior Roberts, Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim and the like had been playing the game for centuries, the way they dominated the early years of the WSOP! And, they seemed to have a particular way of talking, which included plenty of colorful names for the individual two-card Hold'em starting hands. Over the years, some of the names like Broderick Crawford, for 10-4, have come and gone out of fashion. When it was first used, Broderick Crawford was the star of a TV show called Highway Patrol, and, you guessed it, he used a CB-like transmitter to talk to the other officers and headquarters. At the end of a transmission, he said "10-4." A number of other hands got their names from 1960's TV shows, like 77 (77 Sunset Strip) and 99 (Agent 99, played by Barbara Feldman in Get Smart). Another one, 95, is called Dolly Parton. Not because of her bust size, but because of the Movie 9 to 5 and the hit song she sang Workin' 9 to 5.Jus to help you out, the hands 29 and 38 do have to do with the moniker's bust size, but that's another preoccupation with poker players: women and sex, so there are several references (like bitches) that you'll probably hear, and be able to figure out for yourself. As for other names, who knows. Where did "old blocky" come from with regard to 6-3? Was that a fellow player called Blocky who won a big pot with the hand? How about "Big Slick" for A-K? Some people say that you've got to be real slick to win with Ace-King, and others say the name comes from the "A" looking like an oil derrick, and oil is slick and the hand comes with a King. Well, your guess is as good as ours. Enjoy! AA: Pocket Rockets; Bullets; American AirlinesKK: Cowboys; King KongQQ: Ladies, Whores, Siegfried & RoyJJ: Fishhooks; hooksTT: Dimes99: German Virgin; Barbara Feldon (Get Smart Agent 99)88: Snowmen; Dog Balls; Piano Keys77: Sunset Strip66: Route 6655: Speed Limit44: Magnum; Sailboats33: Crabs22: Ducks AK: Big Slick; Santa BarbaraAQ: Big Chick; Walking Back to HoustonAJ: AjaxA8: Dead Man’s handKQ suited MarriageKQ offsuit Mixed MarriageKJ: KojakK9: Fido Canine What a DogK3: Commander Crab; King CrabQJ: MaverickQT: Quint; VarkonyQ7: Computer handQ3: Gay Waiter; San Francisco Busboy (queen with a tray)J5: Motown; Jackson FiveJ4: Flat ties (what’s a jack for?)T5: Woolworth's; Five and DimeT4: Broderick Crawford; Convoy; Good BuddyT2: Texas Dolly98: Oldsmobile69: Big Lick; Dinner for Two95: Dolly Parton92: Montana Banana76: Union Oil57: Heinz45: Jessie James; Jane Russell39: Jack Benny38: Raquel Welch29: Twiggy Until next time, remember:"Luck comes and goes...Knowledge Stays Forever."