Counterfeit
When a new community card duplicates the rank of one of your hole cards or matches your kicker, weakening a previously strong hand such as two pair.
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What Is Counterfeit?
Counterfeiting most commonly happens in games with two pair or a low hand, where a community card pairs one of your hole cards on the board, meaning your hand no longer improves your five-card holding relative to opponents who can use the new card better. For example, if you hold two pair using both hole cards and a third matching card comes on the board, an opponent with a single higher card in that rank can now make a better two pair using the board card. The term is also used in lowball games like razz, where an opponent's low hand is counterfeited by a card that duplicates one they need to avoid pairing.
Examples
A player holding 8-8 for two pair on an 8-8-K-K board no longer benefits from the pair of eights since the board itself already has two pair.
In razz, a player's low hand gets counterfeited when a duplicate low card is dealt, forcing them to use a higher card instead.
Strategy Tips
Be alert to counterfeit risk whenever you hold two pair using both hole cards on a board that could pair further, since your hand's relative strength may weaken significantly. Reassess your hand strength carefully after each new community card, since a counterfeited hand may look strong at a glance but actually be losing to a hand that improved more using the board. Consider betting for protection earlier in the hand when you hold a counterfeit-vulnerable two pair, to reduce the number of opponents who see a card that could neutralize your edge. In stud and lowball variants, factor counterfeit risk into your calculations of how many outs remain to improve your hand.