poker face

American  

noun

1. an expressionless face.

   He can tell a funny story with a poker face.

2. a person who has or deliberately assumes a poker face.

   It is impossible to tell what that poker face is really thinking.

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poker face British  

noun

1. informal a face without expression, as that of a poker player attempting to conceal the value of his cards

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poker face Idioms  

1. A visage lacking any expression that can be interpreted, as in Whenever Betty attended one of her children's performances, she managed to keep a poker face. This term alludes to the facial expression of a poker player who is expert at concealing his feelings about his hand. [c. 1880]

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Other Word Forms

• poker-faced
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of poker face

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

Cahillane, a 6-foot-tall marathoner who sports a shock of white hair and a practiced poker face, was a seasoned food executive, fresh off the successful breakup of another food company: Kellogg.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Videos and memes of Stephen's somewhat unconvincing poker face have gone viral, with clips of his dramatic facial expressions also being widely shared.

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2026

Then, her room-commanding gaze as politician Shirley Chisholm in “Mrs. America,” followed by her nuanced poker face as therapist Dr. Brooke Taylor on the fourth season of “In Treatment.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2025

In what appears to be a homage to Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock," she strides into her cell with a commanding presence and a possibly suspicious agenda—despite her impeccable poker face.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2025

“I have a good poker face, unlike someone else I know,” I say, and nudge him with my shoulder.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon