hole card
Facedown in poker
In poker games like Texas Hold'em, a hole card is a card dealt face down to a player, visible only to them.
The term extends figuratively to mean a hidden advantage or secret resource: She kept her real expertise as a hole card until negotiations stalled.
To play your hole card is to reveal a concealed strength.
Boundary or sharpness
- leverageBorrowed capital for amplified returns
- trumpSuit outranking all others
- ace up sleeveSecret resource held back
- upper handPosition of control
surprise · inside information · secret weapon · tactical advantage · reserve · fallback · insurance
Distributed cards to players
- facedownWith front downward
- flopComplete commercial failure
- showdownDecisive final confrontation
- handGrasping body part
kicker · pocket · pair · outs · equity · range · Texas Hold'em · Omaha
Kept out of sight
- concealedMade invisible deliberately
- facedownWith front downward
- unrevealedNot made public
- privateRestricted to certain parties
undisclosed · unknown · secret · mystery · guarded · protected · close to the vest · withheld
edge
Boundary or sharpness
- leverageBorrowed capital for amplified returns
- trumpSuit outranking all others
- ace up sleeveSecret resource held back
upper hand · surprise · inside information · secret weapon · tactical advantage · reserve · fallback · insurance
dealt
Distributed cards to players
hand · kicker · pocket · pair · outs · equity · range · Texas Hold'em · Omaha · stud
hidden
Kept out of sight
- concealedMade invisible deliberately
- facedownWith front downward
- unrevealedNot made public
private · undisclosed · unknown · secret · mystery · guarded · protected · close to the vest · withheld · masked
bluff
Calculated false front
call · bet · trap · read · tell · variance · tight · loose · aggressive · value bet
betting
Staking money on outcomes
pot · casino · chip · dealer · ante · high-roller · house · table · cardroom · buy-in
hole cardopen book
One easily understood
known quantity · cards on the table · public knowledge · open secret · Achilles heel