Hole Card
word type: noun
- Card dealt to a player face down, hidden to everyone at the table except for the player to which it was dealt.
Popular Uses
Being able to see everybody's hole cards is fun. -POTRIPPER
I know. -NioNio
You Should Also Know...
Hole cards are what make poker a game of skill. If everyone was just dealt a poker hand face up, there would be nothing to do except compare the hands and see who wins. With down cards, however, an element of incomplete information is introduced into the game. When you are only able to see part of an opponent's hand, you must attempt to deduce what that person might be holding face down, based on the cards that are face up and the opponent’s betting patterns.
The term "hole card" gave rise to the phrase "ace in hole," which means to have something of value hidden from view. In poker the Ace is the highest value card one can have, so naturally, having an Ace as a hole card, or "ace in the hole," can give a player an advantage.
