Eldest Hand
Eldest hand is the first player to the dealer's left.
The simple explanation
The eldest hand is the player sitting immediately to the left of the dealer. In many old games, this player acts first. The term is used in older books and in some card games.
A closer look
The name suggests seniority: the player next to the dealer is the 'eldest'. In poker, it is another way to refer to the player in the small blind seat in hold'em, though the term itself is mostly historical.
A practical example
In a home game, the player to the left of the dealer is the eldest hand and starts the betting.
Full explanation
Eldest hand is the first player to the dealer’s left.
Eldest hand means the first player to the dealer’s left. It is an old term from card games.
In poker, the same player is often called age, able or edge in older glossaries.
The term is rarely used today, since hold’em positions are described relative to the button.