Cheese
Cheese is a term used in poker to describe a weak or inferior hand that surprisingly wins against stronger hands. Imagine you’re holding a pair of 2s and somehow manage to take down a player with pocket aces. That’s cheese for you – a bit of a fluky win that leaves everyone scratching their heads.
The origin of Cheese in Poker
The term “cheese” in poker likely stems from its slang usage in other contexts, where it means something of low quality or value. In poker, it started to gain traction in the early 2000s, often used to describe a hand that had no business winning but did so anyway. The exact origin is unclear, but it has been popularized through poker forums and live commentary by pros.
Examples of use:
“I can’t believe his cheese beat my full house!”
Player 1: “What did you win with?”
Player 2: “Just some cheese, a 7-2 offsuit. Can you believe it?”
You can use it in real life too…
- “I showed up late to the exam and still passed with some cheese answers.”
- “We were losing the game, but then we scored some cheese goals in the last minute.”
- “Got that job promotion with some cheese performance reviews.”
When playing, be aware:
Do: Recognize cheese moments
Sometimes recognizing when you’re on the receiving end of a cheese win can help you stay humble. Poker is a game of skill and luck. When you win with cheese, take it as a reminder that luck swings both ways.
Don’t: Over-rely on cheese
While it’s fun to win with cheese, don’t make it a habit to play weak hands expecting to get lucky. Over time, this strategy will drain your chips faster than you can say “cheddar.”
Cheese means the same in other sports?
In video games, especially strategy games, “cheese” refers to a tactic that’s seen as cheap or unfair but effective. For example, in StarCraft, using a rush strategy to quickly overwhelm an opponent is called cheesing.
In contrast, “cheese” in sports like basketball or football doesn’t carry the same connotation. Instead, you might hear terms like “fluke” or “lucky shot” to describe unexpected wins or plays.
Trivia
Did you know that the term “cheese” also appears in chess? In chess, a “cheese” move is an unexpected, often low-probability tactic that catches an opponent off guard. Just like in poker, it’s all about pulling off the unexpected!
