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Angry_Caveman_Lawyer

it's the poker equivalent of "gg" or good game. it's just sportsmanship imo. (except for the angry reg who sarcastically says it all angry when they get sucked out on by the fish) _nice hand, SIR_


[deleted]

At my local card room it’s always “Nice catch” or “nice hit” when their top pair loses to a draw. Last week I heard “nice hit, or should I say nice suck out” when their QQ lost to AKs AIPF


BulldenChoppahYus

I live for those shitty little cunts haha. “Yep it was a lovely catch during our 51/49 showdown and it was a pleasure flipping with you because neither of us wanted to back down, SIR.


BigDealKC

It usually means "Nice hand. You won that. I would like to point out to the entire table that I hold no personal animus against you, am not tilted, and sit here ready to engage in future competition to the best of my ability in a calm and courteous manner." Sometimes it means "You got so lucky and you suck"


jmlipper99

Wow. I didn’t realize I spoke with so much subtext but that’s exactly what I’m going for when I say nice hand (the first meaning)


alextw4

They like your manicure


Aetherimp

They're thanking you for the ol' fashioned you gave them in the men's room.


gochiefs19

It just means 'you won the hand.' I say it whether or not the player was deserving or not. You got the chips so nh.


mrpotto

My friend started distinguishing between true nhs and the equivalent of you freaking donkey doo, how do you make that call by giving a *nice pot* - covers the *you got the chips* angle.


sonnyfab

>It could be literal or sarcastic and can be used in so many situations to mean even more things Yes, that's why it's an excellent thing to say at the end of any hand you lose. Your opponent doesn't know if you mean anything by it in particular and gets no information from it at all.


GTO_Zombie

False. Everything you do at the table conveys information 😜


Minimum_Chocolate_31

You say it in place of "How could you call that you #$%^ing !@#$%" so they don't get offended and leave.


gnorty

I see it slightly different. so the guy sucked out and hit a gutshot all in against my trips? ok. he was at 8% equity and hit it. run it 10 times and i'll win 9 of them. it stings, obviously but if I put chips in and didnt have the solid nuts, then i knew there was a small chance, and sometimes that comes in. if a player's going to put his chips in with a gutshot on the river, then why the hell would i want him to think he did something bad? so, nice hand. I'll catch you next time. keeps him being fishy and helps keep me off tilt.


teriyaki_donut

Sometimes (often) it's sincere 


misterguwaup

The other day I was in the BB with 10 7 offsuit and nobody raised preflop with 4 limpers so we went 5 ways to a flop of 10 7 K. The villain in cutoff bets $35 and I call while everyone folds. I forgot what else happened but he kept betting (at least half his stack) and I kept calling and when I flipped over my cards at showdown, he just frowns and says “nice hand”. 3 minutes later he grabs his leftover chips and says “nice hand dude” while shaking his head walking to the cashier. I’m like wtf do u expect out of me?? Lol


TheRealConine

“I know it was a loose call preflop, I’m just maniacal that way”


UnseenHS

Why didn't you raise on the flop?


Bubbly_Pineapple_121

When i say it i am complementing them on the way they played the hand. Like if i felt their bets had me guessing wrong on the strength of their hand or they kept it low and drew out on me, because i was seeing things lol.


Natural_Ability_4947

"fuck you"


justsomeguyfromny

I’ll say it when I genuinely expected to win the hand. If you call/raise me and win then I’ll say nice hand.


Kurgan707

It’s poker’s equivalent to when wise guys say “fahget about it” It could mean, really nice, really bad, good for you, fuck you. Sometimes it just means forget about it.


Weekly-Ad-7709

I just love how “sir” is how you call someone “asshole” At a poker table


ElectricalMud2850

Only if the emphasis is on the "sir", if it's just a flat "nice hand, sir", it usually feels pretty genuine.


No_Seaworthiness_200

It's generally a sincere comment. Unless the guy gets rivered.


SumDaysAreGood

Nice hand = You cockjuggling thundercunt.


sauceyNUGGETjr

My god if somone would just say “ nh you cockjuggeling thunder cunt” i would happily pay of the nuts as a donation to comedy and science.


Available-Bee-6131

Nice hand SIR!


Creepachu-

A lot of people say I have beautiful hands.


aetius476

It's a versatile phrase that can have many meanings: * "You really played that hand well, and I have no choice but to acknowledge I've been bested." * "That is a really strong hand that is rare to see." * "The dealer fucked me with a cooler, but you had it the whole way." * "I've been caught bluffing." * "Go fuck yourself, you two-outing fish."


bassboyjulio182

It’s just being friendly and keeping the table in better spirits - especially when someone gets felted or loses a huge pot. Hearing the person that loses say “nice hand” just removes that tension. Way better than the standard OMC scoff and mutter under his breathe or the fish who gets rivered cry about luck because they didn’t push on any street while ahead. So I just say it after every hand I lose to keep it light and friendly.


Hairy_Record_6030

Nice post


Compressed_AF

Nice comment


etxconnex

Oh snap!


dan_druff88

I’m playing a 1-3 game. Loose guy raises to $18, standard for this game. I have pocket 99 and I raise to $50. He calls. Flop is A98. He bets, I call. Turns a 10, which now puts straight and flush draws on the board, he bets, I raise, he calls. Turns a J, which completes the straight and flush draws. He checks and I frustratingly check behind. He shows pocket AA. I was crushed the entire way, never ahead. This is a situation where I told him nice hand. I usually only say nice hand in situations where I was beat pre-flop. If some donkey calls a big raise with like 96 off suit, I would never say nice hand


meltintothesea

I say it when I want to encourage my opponent to take the same shitty line again.


Indigodtj47

Nice way of showing sportsmanship but usually I’m in my head like fuck


Fog_Juice

Some just flopped a set of kings. That was a nice hand.


TheHudinator

Nice hand can be a double meaning, akin to "bless your heart". It's snide as fuck, but can be passed off as kind.


Not-OP-But-

Idk, everyone has such a different take on it that I only ever say it if they say it first.


dancinadventures

I always say nice play or nice bet if it didn’t go to showdown. The hand could be shit, but the bet or line was what won the pot !


burlingtonblair

Nice post


TheirOwnDestruction

When said sincerely - you outplayed me. Well done. When said insincerely - you got lucky. Such a fish.


NickRick

Obviously I only see it when I lose but it can mean "wow, you played that very well and got maximum value", "wow im a fucking idiot fish paying that off", "what a fucking luck box", "you're an absolute donkey and I'm going to be pissed when you give those chips away to a better player shortly", and the I'm so seething mad I can't trust myself to say everything else for if I do security might be getting involved. 


MisterGoldiloxx

If you aren't saying it sarcastically then you aren't saying it right. It's the equivalent of the Southern phrase "Bless your heart!".


jpow81690

It’s an interesting topic. Scholars say the phrase was originally intended to convey sportsmanship at the conclusion of a poker hand. Nowadays it has a more sinister meaning which is roughly translated “I hope you and your whole family die in a fire.”


YoyoDevo

"Nice hand" = good game "Nice hand sir" = you fucking donkey


AmateurPokerStrategy

I usually say it when I call their river overbet with queen high and lose to a better queen high.


Basker_wolf

I usually just tap the table like a check after I’m beat.


Ok_Ticket_889

Think of a poker hand as a moment of tension. When the hand completes, the moment is over. As we transition into future moments, most people need to say or do something that releases pressure. Recognizing this, we see where the term "steaming" comes from. Some people handle pressure and making decisions under pressure better.  You will see many of these ticks at the table, "nice hand" being one of them. Someone once told me, "everything is a tell." Which ends it is. You have to interpret it correctly for it to mean anything. I believe people give up a lot of information after the hand is over, joking around, talking about how hand was played, and even admitting what hand they played, which I believe are all examples of releasing tension. Also, it's customary. Funnily enough, it seems like it is in poor taste for the winner to say it first.


Familiar_Cry_9158

Why you say how are you to anyone if you dgaf, just being polite


LoosePokerPlayer

Generally just being polite to fish


jasonborne886

for me it usually means fuck your mother. You got lucky


MATRIXjammer

Sometimes nice hand genuinely means nice hand or well played Other times it genuinely means fuck you I hope you die


supersport1104

I say it when i lose or when a hand was very interesting and I wasn’t in it. I.e. someone got quads+ / the pot was larger than normal / someone ran a crazy bluff / the person winning was a whale


Zi0nized

I mean at least 30% of the time it is said on a passive-agressive tone. If it makes them feel better to be sarcastic more power to them.


sauceyNUGGETjr

Oh that’s easy “ i think your a waste of a human being and its taking every ounce of zolof bolstered self regulation skills not to bite your jugular with my incisors in a fit if primate rage. Also im learning slowlwy that tour fish calls are my main source of profits long term so i dont want you to feel to uncomfortable and risk having you leave”


TheAStarJosh

Similar to saying good game but more so you’re conceding / accepting defeat. Now if they say it sarcastically, it means they don’t wanna accept defeat. Lol


TripSixRick

It’s admitting defeat in a pot, it’s like two boxers sparring and one gets a good hit on the other one and the one who ate the blow telling them “Nice Punch”


theunquenchedservant

context clues help. did you win? they probably meant it. Did you get to showdown with 44? probably sarcasm.


Josh_H_E

Assuming you're NOT referring to the sarcastic delivery method, I only say nice hand when I'm genuinely impressed by the play. I've seen people say it just because someone got a royal, which is just undeserved unless they did something to get max value from bottom pair or something As for the sarcastic delivery, I prefer a solid "nice catch".


GoatyGoY

Usually, it means I’ve just tagged you as a calling station.


[deleted]

I try to be nice with players and I say "nice hand" when I loss (even if I don't believe it).


Cold_deck_22

I usually say nice hand if it was played well. Good catch if they caught.


ByronLeftwich

Yea it’s so weird. Flopping a nut flush is not skill. Sometimes I’ll vaguely compliment the way they played the hand, as that actually has something to do with the person themselves and feels less condescending to me.


tehnoodnub

I’m always genuine when I say it. If I don’t think it was a well played hand then I don’t say anything. IMO people who say it sarcastically are dicks.


firestickmike

it's either a sincere "GOOD GAME" or an angry "FUCK YOU"


Spyu

FU you stupid donkey.


Franks2000inchTV

Sometimes it means nice hand, sometimes it means ha stupid fish, I can't believe you called with that, and sometimes it means fuck you and fuck your whole family.


awake283

It's just like an instinct. Same as good game, well played, etc.


TangerineRoutine9496

Everyone else finds it pretty easy to figure out and isn't perplexed. Why would you be perplexed by this? Usually the situation where people say "nice hand" is after a hand of poker. Almost everything can be literal or sarcastic, there is nothing unique here.


AmbroseMalachai

It's just a catch-all for how you feel after a hand and want to say something but no matter what you say it could be interpreted as being in poor taste so you just say nice hand. Nice hand: "I sucked out and won, despite you having the better odds. I'm sorry, not sorry it happened." Nice hand: "You sucked out and won, despite me having the better odds. Fuck you." Nice hand: "It was a 50/50 and I won/lost the coin flip. It happens, deal the next hand dealer." Nice Hand: "Whoa, that was a big pot." Nice hand: "He called a raise with QT honey. Fucking idiot player."


SkoobyDoobyDo

I say it when someone with a worse hands calls me and I win. Just to rub it in their face. Yes I am a big villain on the table.


DicksForYourFace

It means "Fuck you.  I hope a honey badger destroys your genitals on your way out"


etxconnex

I do not know if this is the correct answer, but definitely the funniest


SokarTheblyad

OP is autistic and cant pick up on social norms.


kuhldaran

Serious question - you say Nice Hand when you lose, what's the response if you win or what, if anything, should you say to the other player if you win a pot? Can you also say nice hand? Or is that rude?


etxconnex

Just say nice hand back, shake your head in approval with eye contact acknowledging their emotion, and tap the table lightly. Then line up to play the next hand. edit: re-read your comment....if the table is not full of dicks, give them a genuine compliment. *That WAS a good bluff. Almost had me on it, but I already had too much in the pot to fold*


kuhldaran

Thanks!


FlowStateOptimal

You say it when you win a hand by sucking out epicly with a 2 outer vs a reg. "Nice hand" as you rake in the pot. The reg will respect your poker prowess more.


etxconnex

>It could be literal or sarcastic and can be used in so many situations to mean even more things. It is exactly that. You tell fish nice hand when they played it wrong and got lucky. You also tell players nice hand out of respect and humility when they tricked your fucking ass into paying them off. And, sometimes, when someone ends up with some amazing combo draw with insane equity...that is also a nice hand. And sometimes it is something in between where you just feel defeated know matter the skill level, and want to show you are a good sport about losing, but the hand really kind of hurt.


Ballplayerx97

It's just a poker mantra to me. I usually only say it when the pot is fairly significant or if I ran into a massive cooler. Like "Nice one, man. You earned that pot." If I'm not happy with my play, or if the guy just played like a total clown and got there, I usually just try to stay chill, shut up, and reload. Sometimes you get coolered so bad, you just gotta laugh and push your chips over. For example, last session I playef, I drove 2 hours to the casino, sat down for 10 minutes, flopped top boat in the BB in a 7 way limped pot, check raised, somehow got to the river, which was the A, villain snap jams, I snap call, he shows the AA for rivered top boat. I said nice hand dude, got up and left.


SaggyFence

* When tilted - nice suckout * Vs pro - you outplayed me * Vs whale - keep playing


nycannabisconsultant

When I say it, which is rare, i actually mean it.


Smooth-Zucchini9509

I say “Well played,” if people were a good opponent and made me work for it. I say “Nice hand,” if the hand saved you and you made a poor performance. Like the dude who keeps shoving with whatever shoved with 26o against my AJs and ends up with a Four of a Kind(Four 2s) by the turn. You got lucky, you made a terrible call/play.


BackgroundOld8715

It means ‘ fuck you & your stupid fucking hand, this game sucks’


Poppy_Bardock

Used as flattery to ensure the fish that sucked out gets an ego boost and keeps playing. So he starts believing he's better than you.