Pocket cards,  the first two cards dealt to each player in Texas Hold 'em, have inspired much of poker’s unique lexicon.  Just about everyone who’s played poker knows that aces are called  “pocket rockets”  or  “bullets”  and kings are also known as  “cowboys.”   These days maybe even the Dalai Lama knows which hand is called  “Big Slick.”  But there are a few popular hands that might have escaped the notice of the casual player.  The manner in which these hands got their nicknames is a study of how an inside joke can be transmitted quickly to thousands of people via the internet.

Presto

Pocket 5s had some obvious, but uninspired, nicknames  (the speed limit,  double nickels)  before it was gifted with the magical moniker  “Presto.”  It started with cards/probability expert Abdul Jalib posting some math problems on the newsgroup rec.gambling.  (His excellent essays on Hold 'em are collected here.)  Jalib frequently would skip a few steps that he considered unnecessary to mention when describing a complex calculation.  A fellow poster named Steve Jacobs would write,  “Presto!”  to show where the rigorous logical steps should be,  as if “magic” had occurred instead.

One weekend Jalib and Jacobs happened to be in Vegas at the same time,  along with another newsgroup poster named Frank Irwin.  Irwin pointed out Jalib to Jacobs,  and so Jacobs sat down at the blackjack table where Jalib was playing. Each time someone at the table got blackjack, Jacobs shouted out “Presto!”

Eventually Jalib figured out his tablemate wasn't just a loudmouth tourist.

The story was recounted on the newsgroup,  and suddenly the rec.gambling blackjack players were calling  "Presto!"  when they hit a blackjack  (along with the countersign  "Irwin!"  in honor of the man who served as catalyst).  When the rec.gambling newsgroup split off a poker branch,  the Hold 'em players wanted to carry the Presto name with them.  But there was no consensus about which hand should get the honor:  Pocket aces seemed an obvious choice  (or ace-king thru ace-ten,  each of which make blackjack),  but many of those hands already had well-established nicknames.  There were several threads on the newsgroup detailing big wins with pocket fives,  and there was a groundswell of support that this hand should win the designation.  Jalib himself posted about a big win with 55,  and later Steve Jacobs anointed pocket fives with the nickname,  and the new Presto was born.

The Arlo

Another good way for a hand to gain fame is when it makes its holders a fortune.  Such is the history of the Arlo  (aka 6-4),  named for and by its creator Arlo Payne,  another longtime rec.gambling.poker  (RGP)  poster.

Playing awkward hands like 6-4 offsuit  (6-4 suited is a Royal Arlo)  might seem like a sure way to lose your money, but like everything else about poker, it depends.  Raising with 6-4  (as Arlo recommends under,  of course,  the right game conditions)  indicates to others that you have a big hand,  meaning you may be able to win the pot down the road by intimidating your opponents with further bets and raises.   But the key to playing a hand like 6-4 is understanding that these 2 modest cards can in fact be a powerful drawing hand.  If you hit the flop and beyond you can really put a beating on your opponents,  their premium hands notwithstanding.  It was just such a hand that Payne described in an RGP post last month,  when he was holding 6-4 suited,  flopped a straight flush,  and ended up getting paid off by TWO players who'd made quads.  A hand like that can confirm your belief in a kind and loving God.

The Hammer

The Arlo leads a player to think hard about doing more than just waiting for the nuts.  But aren't there cards you should NEVER play?  If there's a list,  then 2-7 must be at the top;  it's the absolute worst starting hand in poker  (2-7 presenting fewer straight possibilities than the mighty 2-3).  If it's such a bad hand,  then why are so many players turning over deuce-seven and typing  "HAMMER!"  in chat windows the world over?

The internet is to blame.  (Again.)  Or,  specifically,  blogs:  The online journals that cover virtually every subject under the sun.  (It was a group of bloggers who first noticed discrepancies in documents CBS News said proved George W. Bush had received preferential treatment in the Texas Air National Guard;  this and the scandal that followed pushed blogs into the national spotlight.)

Poker's exploding popularity has been reflected in the number of blogs dedicated to the subject.  A mere handful a year ago has expanded into a teeming,  vibrant community,  from rank amateurs to successful pros.  Blogs provide advice from seasoned players,  links to useful or interesting poker articles,  and a forum for would-be rounders to write and get feedback on their game.

One of the first,  and most esteemed,  bloggers was a playwright-turned-professional player who goes by the nickname Grubby.  His blog features illuminating pieces about his new pro life in Las Vegas,  quizzes for readers about interesting hands,  and posts from his poker-playing sister Grubette.  Tired of reading about players suffering bad beats and bemoaning the good fortune that always seems to rain down on maniacs,  Grubby came up with a contest for his readers to spice up the game a bit and maybe turn the karmic tables.

The first Hammer Challenge was issued in January 2004.  Grubby offered a bounty to any blogger who won a hand playing 7-2 offsuit,  a hand nicknamed "The Hammer" in his own home game.  There were ground rules:  You had to be playing at least a $1/$2 ring game with at least 8 players;  you couldn’t play The Hammer from the blinds;  you had to show down the cards regardless if you were called down,  and you had to type “HAMMER!” in the chat window.  Grubby started the bounty at $5,  increased it by that amount every day,  and waited for some lucky soul to forward him a hand history showing the Hammer at work.

Bloggers started lusting for 7-2 as they once lusted for aces.  It’s one thing to win a hand with a huge pocket pair,  but it’s doubly delicious to turn over 7-2,  rake in a big pot,  and watch the chat window explode in X’d-out expletives and sneering,  “You know that’s the worst hand in poker?” That’s the power of the Hammer.  When it hits, it tilts the player it beats, and it also makes everyone else at the table think you're a complete idiot.  You can almost hear the clattering of keys as they type player notes about you saying, “Maniac.  Plays 7-2 and thinks they’re good cards.”

Those who play the Hammer KNOW they aren’t good cards.  You won’t see bloggers playing 7-2 to the showdown in a tough ring game with no chance to win.  But under the right circumstances you can play ANY starting hand in poker and expect a positive return,  either immediately or down the road  —  if there is sound reasoning behind your play.  So if you sit down with a group of bloggers relaxing over a $25NL game,  and one of them raises by $3.72,   well,  it should set off warning bells.  And flashing red lights.