The origins of the phrase "poker nuts" are unclear although it is thought to have come from old slang which means "delightful point, practice or experience". It can be a "delightful thing" of course, because in Texas holdem the poker nuts would be the very best possible hands that you are able to have at any stage in the game.
If you’ve got the nuts, you can’t be outdone…at that stage in the hand. This may be the critical factor that a lot of unskilled players fail to take account of, the nuts can move from one player to another and your side which was the nuts earlier on can end up being smashed!
The following example should demonstrate the unpredictable nature of the cards in Hold em poker and how your nuts can rapidly turn to pulp!
You might be betting a hand of Hold em poker and there are three players nevertheless in the game at the flop. You acquire dealt five of clubs, 8 of diamonds; Amy has 5 of spades, five of clubs and Mike’s side is King, nine of hearts.
The flop is dealt and the cards are nine of hearts, 6 of hearts and five of diamonds. It is a wonderful flop for you – you’ve got the poker nuts! At this stage you’ve a directly – five, 6, 7, eight, nine – which can’t be beaten by any other mixture of cards.
Now you determine to "slow play" your palm and attempt to draw a wager from somebody using a superior pair who will like this flop, so you merely check. Amy likes the look of her palm now as she’s flopped three 5 spades so she makes a wager which is called by Mike as he now has a pair of 9s that has a King kicker. You prefer the way it’s going so you call the wager.
The turn card is Ace of hearts. Mike is now grinning to himself as he has just managed to make the poker nuts having a flush, his two hearts in his side plus the three on the table with Ace King superior now give him an unbeatable hand. Mike bets as he knows he’s got the nuts except he wants to extract the max cash from the table so he keeps his wager low sufficient to obtain called. You nonetheless think you are succeeding with all the directly, in reality the Ace has heightened that belief as you now reckon Mike most likely has an Ace in his palm and maybe even 2 pairs.
He’s fallen into your trap! Or so you think.
The river is dealt and it’s the five of hearts. This is a blow to you as you’ll find now four hearts on view, so anyone with a heart is beating you having a flush. Mike is happy with all the 5 as he nevertheless feels he’s winning together with the top flush, although his opponents may also have manufactured a flush and believe they are winning. Amy needless to say would be the real winner as she has just created the nuts with four 5 spades, her four of the kind can only be beaten by a directly flush or a far better four of the kind. There aren’t enough connected hearts showing on the table to generate a straight flush and there is not one more pair displaying so it truly is impossible to produce four of a kind.
Amy captures the pot while you and Mike reflect on what need to have been.
Both of you held the poker nuts at one stage in the game except failed to realise that the poker nuts – along with your fortunes – in Texas hold’em can change totally with one turn of the card.