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

See Examples For:

poker

The prosecution of Thomas Goldstein, co-founder of SCOTUSblog, delved into his double-life as high-stakes poker player.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

Franklin’s expansive property was designed with entertainment in mind as it comes with spacious bedrooms, a poker room, a large aquarium, and sweeping views of the ocean and mountains.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

Under coach Sergej Barbarez, a former professional poker player, the gritty Bosnians rarely gamble, instead playing a disciplined and physical style that emphasizes compactness and swift counterattacks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

The most captivating sidebar introduces Nellie Williams, the young upstate New Yorker whose disabled father won a printing press in a poker game.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

Then he decided he was going to teach me poker, which I sort of liked.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff