Explanation of Cowboys
It's a common practice in poker for players to create nicknames for various hands. One of the most widely recognized nicknames for pocket Kings in Hold'em is 'Cowboys'.
Some alternative names for pocket Kings in Hold'em include -
Ace Magnets
Gorillas
Kangaroos
Kevin Keegan
King Kong
The nickname 'Ace Magnets' highlights the somewhat ironic situation where it often feels like your opponent has pocket Aces whenever you hold pocket Kings, despite this being statistically inaccurate.
Example of using Cowboys in conversation -> During our first hand at the table, I was dealt Cowboys while in the big blind position.
Incorporating Cowboys into Your Poker Strategy
Pocket Kings rank as the second most favorable starting hand in No Limit Hold'em, making it almost always a solid choice for playing for all your chips before the flop. However, certain situations arise -
1. If the chip stacks exceed 100 big blinds significantly.
2. If your opponent is extremely conservative and unlikely to act with weaker cards.
These situations are indeed exceptions, but typically, we should feel confident about risking it all with Cowboys, even if there’s a chance our opponent may reveal pocket Aces.
While knowing the names of various hands might not seem critical, you may occasionally feel out of the loop in a poker conversation if you're unaware of these terms.
See Also
Pocket Rockets , Hold’em , Fish Hooks , Ducks , Dead Man’s Hand