Holdem Poker has a rich tapestry of character. From the old days on the Mississippi to modern-day internet whiz kids, poker has been played by all types of people in all manners of locations which includes supercuotas. Subsequently, almost every hand in poker has a name and can tell you a story.
The biggest hand before the flop in Holdem Poker is two Aces and subsequently, this hand generates the most exciting and colorful names. Common names for two Aces are Pocket Rockets and Bullets (for obvious reasons due to their shape). They are named after several famous entities with initials starting with the letter “A” including Alan Alda, Albert Anastasia, and American Airlines. They are also known as numerous sharp objects such as the Rocky Mountains, Sticks, Teepees, and Two Pips. More comical and obscure references include Squirrel (the nuts) and Batteries (Double-A). Names for a single Ace include Bull, Bullet, Death Card (spades), Mastercard, One Spot, Puppy Foot (clubs), SEed, Sharp Top, Spike, and Tax Card (spades).
Two kings are another strong hand preflop in Holdem and are commonly known as Cowboys. Another name is Butchers of Baghdad (so named in reference to Saddam Hussein on the Iraqi most wanted playing cards). Alliterations of KK include Krispy Kreme and King Kong (and also Gorillas, Gorillas in the Mist). Ace Magnets is common because an Ace always comes on the flop. A King is also known as David (spades), Julius Caesar or One-eyed king (diamonds), K-Boy, Monarch, Sergeant, Alexander (clubs), Charlemagne, or Charles (hearts). Another fitting term for this hand is The Elvis Presley (The King of Rock n Roll).
Queens are often beaten by Aces and Kings, and as a result, get crude names. Polite terms include Ladies, Love Ladies, Calamity Jane (likely extensive of Cowboys for KK), and Snowshoes (owing to the original shape of snowshoes). Less pleasant nicknames include Four T*ts, Jail-house Rock and Siegfried and Roy
Smaller pairs such as Jacks to Twos all have a few nicknames. Jacks are known as Hooks or Fish-hooks. Less known names include Kid Dyne-o-mite (TV show reference), Brothers, Jay Birds, John Juanda (Poker Player), and finally Colostomy Bag (Jack is slang for toilet). Two Tens are Two Dimes, TNT, Dynamite, and Binary (In Binary 1010 is the equivalent of 10). Nines are known as Barbara Feldon (Get Smart- Agent 99), Phil Helmuth, Popeye, and Wayne Gretzky (Hockey Player). Eights are snowmen, Piano Keys, Little Oldsmobile, Racetracks, Two Fat Ladies, Lacey, Pretzels, and Wurlitzer. A couple of Sevens is known as axes, mullets, hockey sticks, or walking sticks. Two sixes are known as Boots, Cherries, or Kicks (On Route 66). A pair of Fives are Presto, Snakes, or Speed Limit, while a pair of Fours are Canadian Presto, Dark Force, Darth Vader, Magnum, and Sailboats. A Pair of three is either known as crabs (claw shaped like the number 3) or treys and a pair of Twos are usually Deuces, Ducks, or Quack Quack (shaped like a duck).
Other hands with nicknames include the powerful Ace and King combination known as Big Slick. Other names include backronyms such as Korean Airlines and King Arthur, as well as the aptly named Anna Kournikova (looks good but seldom wins). Another common reference is Kalashnikov (who designed the AK47). Ace-Queen is known as Big Chick or Mrs. Slick. Other notable hands include Jack-Four (Flat Tire) and J6 (Rail Road). A Ten and a Deuce is a famous hand known as the Doyle Brunson after he successfully won two World Series of Poker bracelets.
The complete list of starting hand nicknames is by far more extensive than this article. Additionally there are a lot of names not appropriate for everyday reading. If you have an interest in other poker starting hand nicknames I recommended search Wikipedia for an extensive list of common names and some of the stories about how they came about.
