• Texas Holdem Ace
• Aces In Texas Hold Em
• Texas Hold'em Aces

Texas Hold'em (or just 'hold'em' for short) is currently the most popular variation of poker, thanks mainly to televised coverage of the World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour, and various celebrity-based events. The no-limit version is often described as the 'Cadillac of poker, taking only a minute to learn but a lifetime to master.' An ace is the highest ranking card in Texas Hold'em and can be played either high or low. This means that if you are dealt an ace preflop, there is a fair chance that you hold one of the strongest hands at the table. If you are all-in with an opponent and they do not have a pocket pair or a better ace, you are the favorite to win the hand.

Under deuce-to-seven low rules, an ace always ranks high (so 5 ♠ 4 ♠ 3 ♠ 2 ♠ A ♠ is an ace-high flush). Under ace-to-six low rules, an ace always rank low (so A ♥ K ♥ Q ♥ J ♥ 10 ♥ is a king-high flush). Under ace-to-five low rules, straight flushes are not possible (so 9 ♣ 8 ♣ 7 ♣ 6 ♣ 5 ♣ is a nine-high hand).

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.'

Texas Holdem Ace

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 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

Aces In Texas Hold Em

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

Texas Hold'em Aces

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