poker face
/ˈpoʊkər feɪs/
Very CommonA blank, unreadable expression that gives nothing away about what someone is thinking or feeling.
Can be admired (impressive composure) or criticized (cold, evasive). Online it often describes someone who is unexpectedly hard to read or who successfully hid a reaction.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | She found out she got the promotion and kept a full poker face. Didn't react at all. | Despite receiving very good news, she showed no visible emotional response. | reddit, 2023 |
| 02 | His poker face during that interrogation scene is actually terrifying. | A character's total blankness in a high-stakes moment read as cold and unsettling. | tiktok, 2023 |
| 03 | I have zero poker face. The second I got the text my whole face did something. | The speaker acknowledges they cannot hide their emotional reactions. | x, 2024 |
| 04 | He walked into that meeting with full poker face. You'd never know they fired half his team. | Despite being in a difficult situation, the person showed no signs of distress. | reddit, 2024 |
Use it when
- Someone shows no visible emotional reaction when they would be expected to.
- Admiring someone's ability to stay composed in a high-pressure situation.
- Describing someone who is hard to read during a negotiation, confrontation, or reveal.
Do not use it when
- Someone is just not very expressive normally.
- You mean someone is lying.
Poker face vs stone-face
poker face
Poker face is about hiding what you're thinking to avoid being read.
VS
stone-face
Stone-face implies a harder, more deliberate blankness, often with an element of coldness or refusal to engage.
Origin and context
From poker, where hiding your reaction to your cards is critical strategy. In widespread everyday use long before social media. Reached a new generation through Lady Gaga's 2008 song 'Poker Face'.
- First seen
- early 20th century
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/poker-faceUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0