highball

[Dennis R. Preston]

>Yes, the dates lead David to this conclusion, but markedness laads
>me to another. In the Ur-form, it is the highest hand which wins (no
>label necessary). "Lowball" (surely a newer variant) is introduced,
>and the need for "Highball" is established. Surely this is a good
>clue for word historians to start looking for a much, much older
>"Lowball."

dInIs



>laurence.horn at YALE.EDU,Net writes:
>  >Curiously, there are no canonical poker games called "highball" that
>>I know of, but low poker (in which essentially* the "worst"
>>conventional hand wins) is often called "lo-ball" (i.e. straight low,
>>as distinct from hi-lo split).   I think I've usually seen it with
>>the "lo-ball" spelling, but it's not listed with either spelling in
>>the OED, AHD4, or HDAS.  Sometimes "lo-ball" poker refers
>>specifically to low 5-card draw as opposed to low stud variants.
>>While I've never of "highball" poker (for high-hand-wins), I can
>>imagine it as a sort of nonce retronym.
>
>See Tom Clark's _Dictionary of Gambling & Gaming_ (c. 1987):
>
>highball, n.  A poker game in which the player holding the highest
>ranking hand wins.  Compare lowball.  [1881 DAE, 1894 OED]
>
>lowball, n.  A variation in poker in which the lowest hand wins rather
>than the highest hand.  Compare highball.  [ca. 1961 Hotel Coll]
>
>This would lead me to believe lowball is the "retronym".
>
>David
>
>barnhart at highlands.com