poker

¹ American  

[poh-ker] / ˈpoʊ kər /

noun

1. a person or thing that pokes.

2. a metal rod for poking or stirring a fire.

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poker ² American  

[poh-ker] / ˈpoʊ kər /

noun

1. a card game played by two or more persons, in which the players bet on the value of their hands, the winner taking the pool.

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poker ¹ British  

/ ˈpəʊkə /

noun

1. a metal rod, usually with a handle, for stirring a fire

2. a person or thing that pokes

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poker ² British  

/ ˈpəʊkə /

noun

1. a card game of bluff and skill in which bets are made on the hands dealt, the highest-ranking hand (containing the most valuable combinations of sequences and sets of cards) winning the pool

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poker Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing poker

• stiff as a board (poker)

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Etymology

Origin of poker¹

First recorded in 1525–35; poke ¹ + -er ¹

Origin of poker²

1825–35, perhaps originally braggart, bluffer; compare Middle Low German poken to brag, play, Middle Dutch poken to bluff, brag

Explanation

Poker is a card game that involves betting with chips and keeping a straight face. You can also play poker online and make any kind of face you want. Additionally, a poker is a tool you keep by a fireplace. Two or more people with a deck of cards can play poker, which has many variations. Some poker games involve several rounds of betting, discarding, and being dealt new cards. Having a "poker face" means remaining expressionless, as if you were hiding the fact that you've got a winning hand of cards. A completely different kind of poker is the long metal fireplace tool that you use to stir up the fire, also called a fire iron.

Example Sentences

They let loose in the evenings by exploring the city, rock climbing or playing poker.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026

There’s an old gambler’s aphorism beloved by wise souls from Amarillo Slim to Warren Buffett that warns: “If you look around the poker table and can’t identify the mark, it’s you.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026

Clarke, as if playing poker in Vegas, sent on Ben Gannon-Doak, Dykes and Ross Stewart.

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026

He played poker professionally in Europe for a decade, made at least $143,000, according to Cardplayer.com, and reached two final tables in the World Series of Poker.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

We are too little acquainted with one another to do more than joke a bit and play poker or nap in the evenings.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque