Definition of "hole card" [hole card]

• A card in stud poker that is dealt face-down and that the holder is not obliged to reveal before the showdown. (noun)
• Informal Something held in reserve until it can be used advantageously. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.