The roots of the phrase "poker nuts" are unsure even though it’s thought to have been dirived from old slang meaning "delightful point, practice or experience". It is a "delightful thing" naturally, because in Hold’em the poker nuts may be the ideal achievable palm that you are able to have at any level in the game.
If you’ve the nuts, you cannot be beaten…at that stage in the hand. This is the crucial factor that a lot of inexperienced players fail to take account of, the nuts can move from one gambler to a different and your palm which was the nuts previous on can end up being smashed!
The subsequent example really should demonstrate the unpredictable nature of the cards in Texas holdem poker and how your nuts can speedily turn to pulp!
You might be betting a side of Texas hold’em poker and there are 3 players nevertheless in the casino game at the flop. You have dealt seven 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 nine of hearts, 6 of hearts and 5 of diamonds. This can be a good flop for you – you have got the poker nuts! At this stage you have a straight – 5, six, 7, 8, 9 – which cannot be defeated by any other mixture of cards.
Now you determine to "slow play" your palm and try to draw a bet from somebody with a great pair who will like this flop, so you simply check. Amy likes the look of her palm now as she’s flopped three five spades so she makes a bet which is named by Mike as he now has a pair of nines which has a King kicker. You prefer 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 managed to produce the poker nuts that has a flush, his 2 hearts in his palm plus the 3 around the table with Ace King great now give him an unequalled hand. Mike wagers as he knows he’s got the nuts but he wants to draw out the max cash from the table so he keeps his wager low enough to have called. You still consider you’re winning with the straight, in fact the Ace has strengthened that opinion as you now reckon Mike most likely has an Ace in his hand and perhaps even two pairs.
He has dropped 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 can find now 4 hearts on view, so anyone with a heart is defeating you having a flush. Mike is happy using the 5 as he still feels he’s winning together with the top flush, while his competitors may perhaps also have created a flush and feel they are winning. Amy of course would be the real winner as she has just created the nuts with four five spades, her four of the kind can only be outdone by a straight flush or a far better 4 of the kind. There are not sufficient connected hearts showing on the table to produce a directly flush and there isn’t one more pair displaying so it really is impossible to make 4 of a kind.
Amy captures the pot while you and Mike reflect on what must have been.
Both of you held the poker nuts at 1 stage in the casino game except failed to realise that the poker nuts – along with your fortunes – in Texas holdem can change entirely with 1 turn of a card.