poker face

noun

plural poker faces

: an inscrutable face that reveals no hint of a person's thoughts or feelings

Wright has a terrific poker face—I could see how he was able to keep things a secret right up through publication.

—Lawrence Weschler

Work is fun. I can lose myself in it, I laugh a lot, I feel like I'm very much myself here; there's no poker face.

—Jerry Useem

especially : one used strategically during a poker game

… a good "poker face" is considered a prerequisite for a successful gambling career.

—Sarah Ferguson

Fifteen-year-old Matthew Siegel says learning to keep a poker face while playing Texas Hold 'em with his grandfather … has served him well at school.

—The Wall Street Journal

poker-faced

ˈpō-kər-ˌfāst 

adjective

… the jurors, uniformly poker-faced through-out the proceedings, were giving no indication of whether they accepted that characterization.

—Lawrence Weschler

Examples of poker face in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Much like the ancient celebration of Samhain (All Hallows’ Eve), Scorpios are masters of subtlety and their quiet stillness more than often belies what’s actually stirring beneath the surface of their perpetual poker face. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024

Papa, papa-razzi photos from the Joker: Folie à Deux set showed Lady Gaga's poker face locking lips with another woman while filming a key scene from the musical thriller — but the moment didn't make it into the final cut. —Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 7 Oct. 2024

As men we are trained to put on a poker face and hide our emotions. —Marc Berman, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024

For Cumming, maintaining a poker face while knowing exactly who is lying to their peers is the biggest challenge. —Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

poker entry 2; from the poker player's need to conceal emotions during play

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above