poker face
Deliberately blank countenance
A poker face is an expressionless face that reveals nothing about what someone is thinking or feeling.
The term comes from card games where showing emotion might tip off opponents to the strength of your hand.
Beyond gambling, it describes any deliberate concealment of reaction: She maintained a poker face throughout the negotiation.
Someone who is poker-faced gives nothing away.
Expressionless, especially for humor
- blankWithout marks or content
- impassiveWithout visible emotion
- maskFace-worn concealment
- straight-facedWithout visible emotion
neutral · wooden · flat affect · unblinking · fixed expression · glazed · emotionless · vacant stare
Deceiving about one's position
- feintDeceptive mock attack
- bluffCalculated false front
- ruseDeliberate act of deception
- gambitRisky opening for advantage
stratagem · ploy · misdirection · tell · betting · ante · high-stakes · showdown
Puzzling and obscure
- unreadableCannot be deciphered
- crypticObscure in meaning
- sphinxlikeMysterious and impassive
- opaqueImpassable to light
mysterious · impenetrable · hidden · veiled · guarded · secretive · closed-off · hard to read
Impossible to disturb
- imperturbableIncapable of being upset
- equanimityUnshakable mental steadiness
- poiseGraceful, unshakable calm
- self-controlAbility to restrain impulses
coolness · collected · steady · unruffled · calm · cool-headed · level-headed · unflinching
deadpan
Expressionless, especially for humor
straight-faced · neutral · wooden · flat affect · unblinking · fixed expression · glazed · emotionless · vacant stare
bluffing
Deceiving about one's position
gambit · stratagem · ploy · misdirection · tell · betting · ante · high-stakes · showdown · all-in
enigmatic
Puzzling and obscure
- unreadableCannot be deciphered
- crypticObscure in meaning
- sphinxlikeMysterious and impassive
opaque · mysterious · impenetrable · hidden · veiled · guarded · secretive · closed-off · hard to read
unflappable
Impossible to disturb
- imperturbableIncapable of being upset
- equanimityUnshakable mental steadiness
- poiseGraceful, unshakable calm
self-control · coolness · collected · steady · unruffled · calm · cool-headed · level-headed · unflinching · nerves of steel
- blank expressionsblank stare, deadpan, expressionless, flat affect
- Poker Facedeadpan, expressionless, unreadable, masklike, inscrutable
- serious expressionsno joke, dead serious, I mean it, seriously, in earnest
- strategic expressionsultimatum, bluff, gambit, leverage, bargaining chip
- emotional armorthick skin, stoicism, detachment, indifference, callousness
- humorlessnesshumorlessness, seriousness, deadpan, straight-faced, unsmiling
poker faceopen book
One easily understood
make a face · grimace · scowl · beaming smile · grin
poker facetell
Convey information verbally
dead giveaway · giveaway · transparent · readable · flinch
face, poke, facet, facial, poker, poker-faced, stone-faced