On the Nose ( poker )

Playing one's own money, as opposed to playing house chips (playing as a stake player or (rarely) shill). Sometimes used by the management to describe a player who went broke while playing a stake or cow and is now playing on his own money. "On the nose he never blows." When the new shift comes in, you may hear the shift manager of the departing shift tell the new shift manager, "Smiley's on the nose." This presumably refers to a player who ordinarily plays only stake. Also, on his own.