Big Slick

1. A-K in the hole

Origin

A-K is a "slick" looking starting hand. The attraction is justified, too, as both the suited and offsuit versions of A-K rank in the top ten starting hands in Texas Hold'em. But the "slick" also means it is a "slippery" hand, one that is easy to misplay and cost one a lot of money.

Anna Kournikova

A popular nickname for A-K is "Anna Kournikova," not just because her initials are A.K., but because of the perceived similarities between the tennis player and the hole cards. Kournikova was a good tennis player, and while she won two Grand Slam doubles titles when teamed up with Martina Hingis, she never won any tournaments in singles. Her stunning good looks, however, made a her a celebrity, and for a while she perhaps was considered a better tennis player than she really was. Likewise, many poker players feel that A-K is a good looking starting hand, but not really deserving of all the hype. It is not a made hand, and is easy to overplay.

Other Nicknames for A-K

* Exxon Valdez - if both are spades
* Walking Back to Houston - mixed stories on this one. Some say that "old time" players played A1K so well that they'd leave their foes "walking back to Houston." Others say that players have overplayed this hand so often that they leave themselves with no money for a cab home.
* Salt Lake Pair - wat
* Kalashnikovs - from AK-47

Related Terms

Hole Card