poker-face

A player maintains a poker-face while holding his cards.

Definition

Noun: A "poker-face" is an expressionless, impassive facial expression that reveals no emotion or intention, especially one used to conceal one’s thoughts or feelings during a game of poker or in any situation requiring deception or neutrality.

Usage Examples

• (He showed no emotion on his face, hiding his disappointment.)
• (She maintained a blank expression to avoid revealing her strategy.)

Advanced Usage

• "to keep a poker-face": to maintain a blank or neutral expression intentionally.
  • The detective kept a poker-face while questioning the suspect. (He showed no reaction to the suspect’s answers.)
• "to have a poker-face": to possess the natural or practiced ability to hide emotions.
  • Professional card players have a poker-face that can fool even the most observant opponents. (They are skilled at concealing their feelings.)

Variants and Related Words

• Poker-faced (adjective): having or showing a poker-face.
  • He gave a poker-faced reply, his expression betraying nothing. (His reply was delivered with a blank face.)
• Poker (noun): the card game from which the term originates.
  • Poker requires a good poker-face to bluff effectively. (The game demands emotional control.)

Synonyms

• Blank expression: a face showing no emotion or reaction.
• Deadpan: deliberately emotionless or expressionless, often for humorous effect.
• Stone-faced: a face that is as unyielding as stone, showing no feeling.

Related Idioms

• "Keep a straight face": to refrain from smiling or laughing, similar to a poker-face.
  • She tried to keep a straight face during the comedian’s joke, but eventually burst out laughing. (She attempted to hide her amusement.)
• "Play one’s cards close to the chest": to be secretive or cautious about one’s intentions, akin to using a poker-face.
  • He played his cards close to the chest, never revealing his true plans. (He kept his intentions hidden.)

Cultural Note

The term "poker-face" originates from the card game poker, where players often try to bluff opponents by hiding their emotional reactions to the cards they hold. It has since expanded to general use, describing any situation where emotional concealment is advantageous.