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.

Worst Poker Player

Poker names don’t need to be nicknames to be recognized as great. Notable no-nickame poker legends include Phil Ivey, Chip Reese, and T.J. Those are some cool poker names that don’t need alteration. To accompany my list of famous poker hand nicknames, the following list contains most of the well-known poker player nicknames.

• Official Poker Hand Nicknames & Rankings - Your easy overview of nicknames for hands from AA down to 22. Read all the names & explanations for poker hands.
• Crazy poker compilation of terribly played poker hands from top name professionals. You won't believe it! The #1tripz1 (aka 1trips, 1trips 1) rare #poker han.

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.

Poker Hands Worst To Best

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 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; Dog 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.'

Even if you’re not a poker player, you’ve probably noticed the game’s exponential rise in popularity over the last ten years. From a relatively small back-room game to being featured on ESPN, Texas Holdem is a game that requires an incredibly high level of concentration and a deep understanding of strategy. Plus, there’s a lot of money at stake. At first glance, the serious nature of the game may not afford many opportunities for a laugh, but if you look at the nicknames that players throughout the world have given to the hands they play, it’s apparent that even poker players have a sense of humor. Below are some of the most colorful nicknames out there.

For anyone out there who either hates gambling or has lived under a rock for the last ten years, a Texas Holdem starting hand is made up of two cards dealt face down.

A A

Two aces, the best starting hand in poker, is aptly nicknamed “American Airlines” perhaps because this hand lets you fly over the competition. It is also called “Bullets in the Chamber” probably for its dangerous nature.

A 6

Because an ace is a bullet and 6 is the worst kicker (the lower card in any hand) to get with an ace (you can’t make a straight), this hand is known as “Ray Finkle”, the fictional kicker for the Miami Dolphins in the film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. In the film, Finkle missed a field goal, causing his team to lose the Super Bowl.

K Q

King – Queen is known as “Marriage” when it’s dealt. If you don’t win the hand, however, “Divorce” becomes the better fit.

9 2

This one is known as the “Montana Banana” because it’s easier to drive a frozen banana through the state of Montana than win with this hand. Although it’s a terrible starting hand, it’s a good one to bluff with because even if you lose, you still have the joke to fall back on.

Q 2

Queen – Two is sometimes called “MacGyver” because it always seems you can make it work in the end. Nicknamed eponymously for the 80’s television series about a man that always made something from seemingly nothing, it can be a difficult hand to fold before you’ve seen all the community cards.

J 5

Jack – Five is referred to as “Motown” or “The Jackson 5” for purely phonetic reasons. Reminding us of a time when Michael Jackson was still cute, it can also be a good hand to bluff with.

7 2

Statistically the worst starting hand in poker, this is called the “Beer Hand” because you would have to be drunk to play it. Also, if you happen to actually win with it, you should probably buy a beer for everyone else at the table.

Are you a poker player? Do you have any house nicknames for your favorite hands?