Poker face
Meaning
An expressionless facial appearance that reveals no thoughts or emotions, often used to conceal one's true feelings or intentions.
Origin
The phrase "poker face" emerged directly from the card game of poker, which gained widespread popularity in the American West during the 19th century. In poker, players place bets based on the strength of their hand, but a crucial element of the game is bluffing—pretending to have a better hand than one actually possesses, or vice versa. To successfully bluff, or to prevent opponents from reading your hand, players learned to cultivate an impassive, unreadable expression. This deliberate suppression of emotional cues on one's face became known as a "poker face," a vital strategic tool to conceal intentions and mislead rivals, ensuring no telltale twitch or glance betrayed a winning or losing hand.
Examples
- Despite the terrible news, she maintained a perfect poker face, allowing no one to see her distress.
- The seasoned negotiator kept a poker face throughout the tense meeting, never letting his opponents guess his next move.