2011
01.17

The beginnings of the phrase "poker nuts" are unsure although it is thought to have come from old slang meaning "delightful issue, practice or experience". It is actually a "delightful thing" of course, because in Texas hold’em the poker nuts would be the finest possible hand that you can have at any level in the game.

If you might have the nuts, you cannot be outdone…at that stage in the hand. This could be the crucial factor that a lot of unskilled gamblers fail to take account of, the nuts can move from one player to yet another as well as your hands which was the nuts earlier on can end up being smashed!

The subsequent example should demonstrate the unpredictable nature of the cards in Texas hold’em poker and how your nuts can speedily turn to pulp!

You’re wagering a hand of Texas hold’em poker and there are three players even now in the casino game at the flop. You obtain dealt seven of clubs, eight of diamonds; Amy has five of spades, five of clubs and Mike’s hand is King, 9 of hearts.

The flop is dealt and the cards are nine of hearts, 6 of hearts and five of diamonds. This can be a wonderful flop for you – you’ve got the poker nuts! At this point you’ve a directly – 5, 6, seven, 8, nine – which cannot be defeated by any other mixture of cards.

Now you determine to "slow play" your hands and try to draw a bet from somebody having a good pair who will like this flop, so you merely check. Amy likes the look of her palm now as she’s flopped 3 five-s so she makes a bet which is named by Mike as he now has a pair of 9s with a King kicker. You like the way it is going so you call the bet.

The turn card is Ace of hearts. Mike is now smiling to himself as he has just been able to produce the poker nuts with a flush, his two hearts in his hand plus the three on the table with Ace King great now give him an unequalled hand. Mike wagers as he knows he’s got the nuts except he wants to extract the max cash from the table so he maintains his wager low enough to acquire called. You even now feel you are succeeding with all the directly, in reality the Ace has increased that opinion as you now reckon Mike most likely has an Ace in his hands and maybe even two pairs.

He has fallen into your trap! Or so you think.

The river is dealt and it is the 5 of hearts. This is a blow to you as you will discover now four hearts on view, so anyone which has a heart is defeating you having a flush. Mike is happy using the 5 as he nevertheless feels he is succeeding together with the top flush, while his competitors may perhaps also have created a flush and assume they are winning. Amy naturally could be the real winner as she has just produced the nuts with 4 5s, her four of the sort can only be outdone by a straight flush or a greater 4 of a kind. There are not sufficient connected hearts showing around the table to make a straight flush and there is not another pair showing so it is impossible to make four of a kind.

Amy wins the pot although you and Mike reflect on what need to have been.

Both of you held the poker nuts at 1 point in the game except failed to realise that the poker nuts – as well as your fortunes – in Hold’em can change completely with 1 turn of the card.