The origins of the phrase "poker nuts" are unclear although it can be thought to have come from old slang which means "delightful factor, practice or experience". It is really a "delightful thing" of course, because in Hold em the poker nuts will be the very best achievable side that you’ll be able to have at any point in the game.
If you may have the nuts, you cannot be outdone…at that level in the hand. This could be the essential factor that a lot of unskilled players fail to take account of, the nuts can move from 1 player to an additional and your side which was the nuts earlier on can end up being smashed!
The following example ought to show the fickle nature of the cards in Holdem poker and how your nuts can speedily turn to pulp!
You’re wagering a hands of Texas holdem poker and there are 3 players nevertheless in the game at the flop. You have dealt 7 of clubs, 8 of diamonds; Amy has five of spades, five of clubs and Mike’s side is King, nine of hearts.
The flop is dealt and the cards are 9 of hearts, six of hearts and 5 of diamonds. This is a wonderful flop for you – you’ve got the poker nuts! At this stage you’ve a directly – 5, 6, seven, eight, 9 – which can not be beaten by any other mixture of cards.
Now you determine to "slow play" your hands and attempt to draw a wager from somebody having a high pair who will like this flop, so you simply check. Amy likes the look of her hands now as she has flopped 3 five-s so she makes a bet 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 been able to produce the poker nuts which has a flush, his 2 hearts in his side plus the three on the table with Ace King high now give him an unequalled hand. Mike wagers as he knows he has got the nuts except he wants to extract the max cash from the table so he keeps his wager low adequate to receive called. You nevertheless assume you are winning with all the directly, in fact the Ace has increased that perception as you now think Mike possibly has an Ace in his hands and perhaps even two pairs.
He’s fallen into your trap! Or so you think.
The river is dealt and it’s the five of hearts. It is a blow to you as you’ll find now four hearts on view, so anyone having a heart is beating you that has a flush. Mike is happy using the five as he still feels he is succeeding with all the top flush, even though his competitors may perhaps also have made a flush and think they’re winning. Amy obviously may be the real winner as she has just manufactured the nuts with four five-s, her 4 of a sort can only be defeated by a straight flush or a better 4 of the kind. There are not enough connected hearts displaying on the table to produce a straight flush and there is not a different pair showing so it truly is not possible to generate 4 of a kind.
Amy captures the pot although you and Mike reflect on what ought to have been.
Both of you held the poker nuts at 1 stage in the game but failed to realise that the poker nuts – and your fortunes – in Hold’em can change completely with 1 turn of a card.