poker as life
Poker is an undeniable part of popular culture, even if at the moment it is regulated, banned and repressed by governments across the world. Little do poker’s prosecutors realize that when they say a country “followed suit” by banning online poker, or that Antigua and the US “went to showdown” on a gambling complaint they are in fact using poker lingo.
If you pay close attention you will find poker slang in political speeches, in sports news, even in pep-talks from your boss. Poker has found its way into our hearts and into the heart of the English language, and it is here to stay.
An ace (or Aces) in the hole
Clearly derived from poker, having pocket rockets has also come to mean having a secret advantage. “The lawyer had an ace in the hole, which he used when he brought up the evidence.”
Ante up
You ante up when playing stud, and whenever you pay for something in advance. “You have to ante up as soon as possible to reserve this house.”
Call someone’s bluff
Being called is a bluffer’s nightmare, and this colorful expression describes this particular situation perfectly. “The owner tried to raise the price saying he had many buyers for the house, but we called his bluff and he accepted our first offer.”
Cash in one’s chips
After the tourney is over, you cash your chips and go home. And when the game of life is over, you also cash your poker chips and go to the great Hereafter. “Did you hear that Joe’s uncle cashed his chips? He was a cool guy.”
Come/turn up trumps
Trumps are more popular in card games other than poker, where some cards or a suit are chosen to have a higher value than the rest. When you come up trumps, you did better than expected. “The project had many setbacks, but we came up trumps and the customer was very pleased.”
Deal someone in
You want to be dealt into the games where the fish are and also into good business opportunities where you can make a killing. “My father in law will deal me in on his new real estate venture.”
Be dealt a bad hand/deal someone a bad hand
Luck does not always smile at you, not at the poker table and not in life. The trick is making the most of the poker cards you’re dealt. “I was dealt a bad hand with this team; I don’t think we’ll meet the deadline.”
Follow suit
Not a poker expression per se, as poker players do not have to follow any suit, but one that has definitely found its way into everyday language. “After Antigua filed a complaint against the US, several other countries followed suit and filed complaints too.”
Force someone’s hand
The hallmark of an aggressive player, forcing someone to call or fold is also an essential part of business life. “The supplier was playing coy, but we forced his hand by threatening to buy from his competitor.”
Have an ace up one’s sleeve
While on a poker game this is entirely unacceptable, in real life you can get away with winning thanks to an ace up your sleeve. “The candidate had an ace up his sleeve and he brought up some dirt on his opponent that nobody knew of.”
Hold all the aces/trumps
When you hold all the Aces, you have a great advantage and are almost certain to win. “We tried to renegotiate our deal with our biggest client, but she held all the Aces and we could not get anything.”
Make a bad call
If you make a bad call in poker you stand to lose a lot of chips, and if you make a bad call in life there will be consequences. “We made a bad call when we bought this car. It is nothing but trouble.”
Not playing with a full deck
This expression is akin to being “one sandwich short of a picnic” – it means someone is not all there or that you consider them to be mentally challenged. “That new assistant is definitely not playing with a full deck – he has already misplaced 4 documents today.”
About the Author:
This article was published courtesy of RakeBreak.com.
Rake Break (www.rakebreak.com) is a newly re-launched rakeback and bonus code hub for online poker players. Players who meet monthly quotas in VIP points also receive invitations to freeroll tournaments and complimentary memberships to other sites like StoxPoker.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – The Hidden Poker in Everyday Language. Part 1
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