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

There are some new faces in the Euphoria cast including Poker Face and Russian Doll star Natasha Lyonne, who was on the red carpet with showrunner Levinson.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Poker, chess and more recently videogames like Minecraft also have been used to test AI.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

His last on-screen apperances this year were in the Peacock television show "Poker Face" and "Black Phone 2."

From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025

Poker chip trays that can secretly read cards.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2025

When I sat down to write my account of the experience—Liar’s Poker, it was called—it was in the spirit of a young man who thought he was getting out while the getting was good.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis