What does poker mean?
Poker is a card game in which players bet on the strength of their hands, combining chance with decisions about when to wager, raise, fold, or bluff. Its central appeal is not simply the cards themselves but the social contest: players must infer what others may believe while managing how their own actions and expressions are interpreted. The phrase “poker face” has passed into general use for an expression that reveals nothing. Although poker is now the word’s dominant meaning, it can also refer more narrowly to a stiff, upturned-brim hat or to a rod used for stirring a fire. The term is familiar throughout Britain and the United States and is frequently associated with casual games at home, competitive card rooms, and online play, although it remains a game of chance whose skill lies largely in strategy and probability.
A card game in which players wager on the value of their hands, using strategic betting and partly concealed cards.
"A group of friends gathered for a game of poker."
This is the standard modern meaning.
A stiff hat with a brim turned up all around.
"The portrait shows the banker wearing a dark poker."
This sense is uncommon and chiefly historical or literary.
A long rod or similar implement used to poke or stir burning fuel.
"He lifted the poker from beside the hearth."
This sense is uncommon in contemporary English.
The plural is uncommon in the card-game sense and is more readily associated with multiple games or with the rarer hat and fire-tool meanings.
"They played several rounds of poker during the evening."
Poker is as much about reading people as playing cards: the biggest wager may be hiding behind an unreadable expression.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does poker come from?
The card-game sense dates from the 19th century, but the precise origin of the name is uncertain. It is often associated with German, where the game became known as Pokerspiel, and with French usage, although etymological accounts differ. The older senses for a stiff hat and a fire-stirring implement developed within ordinary English usage rather than being borrowed forms.
How poker is actually used
In its most common sense, “poker” is used for the card game and in phrases such as “play poker” and “poker night.” “Poker face” refers to an intentionally expressionless or unreadable expression. The hat and fire-stirring-tool senses are uncommon and literary or historical.