Cooler

Cooler Meaning – Losing With Strong Poker Hand to Even Stronger Hand

A cooler is a popular poker term referring to a situation in which you have a very strong hand and are certain that you’ll win, only to lose to an even stronger hand.

Getting “coolered” is a very unpleasant feeling, especially as you can’t do anything about it unless you have a perfect read on the opposing player.

Let’s take a closer look at an example of a cooler. For instance, you have pocket Jacks, and the community board after the flop reads Q, Q, J. As you and your opponent go all-in, they flip their cards to reveal a Q, Q cooler hand.

So, even though you have a very strong full house with your pocket pair, their four-of-a-kind still beats you, and no card on the turn or the river can change this.