The roots of the phrase "poker nuts" are unclear although it truly is thought to have come from old jargon which means "delightful issue, practice or experience". It is a "delightful thing" needless to say, because in Texas hold’em the poker nuts may be the best feasible hands that you are able to have at any level in the game.
If you’ve the nuts, you can’t be defeated…at that point in the hand. This will be the critical factor that a lot of inexperienced players fail to take account of, the nuts can move from one player to another as well as your palm which was the nuts earlier on can end up being crushed!
The following example ought to illustrate the unpredictable nature of the cards in Hold em poker and how your nuts can quickly turn to pulp!
You’re playing a palm of Texas hold em poker and there are 3 players nonetheless in the casino game at the flop. You get dealt seven of clubs, eight of diamonds; Amy has five of spades, 5 of clubs and Mike’s palm is King, 9 of hearts.
The flop is dealt and the cards are 9 of hearts, 6 of hearts and five of diamonds. This is a wonderful flop for you – you have got the poker nuts! At this stage you’ve a straight – 5, 6, seven, 8, nine – which cannot be beaten by any other mixture of cards.
Now you decide to "slow play" your side and attempt to draw a bet from somebody which has a superior pair who will like this flop, so you merely check. Amy likes the look of her palm now as she has flopped three 5s so she makes a bet which is known as by Mike as he now has a pair of 9s which has a King kicker. You like the way it is going so you call the wager.
The turn card is Ace of hearts. Mike is now grinning to himself as he has just been able to produce the poker nuts which has a flush, his two hearts in his side plus the 3 on the table with Ace King good now give him an unbeatable hand. Mike bets as he knows he has got the nuts but he wants to extract the max cash from the table so he keeps his wager low adequate to acquire called. You nevertheless feel you’re winning with the straight, in reality the Ace has strengthened that belief as you now think Mike most likely has an Ace in his side and perhaps even 2 pairs.
He has fallen into your trap! Or so you believe.
The river is dealt and it is the 5 of hearts. It is a blow to you as you will find now four hearts on view, so anyone having a heart is beating you that has a flush. Mike is happy with the five as he still feels he’s succeeding using the top flush, even though his opponents may possibly also have created a flush and consider they’re winning. Amy naturally may be the real winner as she has just made the nuts with 4 5s, her 4 of the kind can only be outdone by a straight flush or a greater four of the kind. There aren’t sufficient connected hearts showing around the table to generate a straight flush and there is not yet another pair displaying so it’s impossible to generate 4 of a kind.
Amy wins the pot though you and Mike reflect on what really should have been.
Both of you held the poker nuts at 1 stage in the casino game except failed to realise that the poker nuts – and your fortunes – in Holdem can change entirely with one turn of the card.