The roots of the phrase "poker nuts" are unclear even though it is thought to have been dirived from old jargon meaning "delightful point, practice or experience". It is a "delightful thing" obviously, because in Hold em the poker nuts is the best feasible hands that you may have at any level in the game.
If you may have the nuts, you can’t be defeated…at that stage in the hand. This could be the critical factor that plenty of unskilled gamblers fail to take account of, the nuts can move from 1 gambler to an additional along with your hands which was the nuts earlier on can end up being smashed!
The following example ought to illustrate the unpredictable nature of the cards in Texas hold em poker and how your nuts can rapidly turn to pulp!
You are playing a palm of Holdem poker and there are three players still in the game at the flop. You get dealt five of clubs, eight of diamonds; Amy has 5 of spades, five of clubs and Mike’s side is King, 9 of hearts.
The flop is dealt and the cards are 9 of hearts, six of hearts and five of diamonds. This can be a excellent flop for you – you’ve got the poker nuts! At this level you’ve got a straight – five, six, seven, eight, 9 – which can’t be beaten by any other combination of cards.
Now you choose to "slow play" your palm and try to draw a bet from somebody using a good pair who will like this flop, so you merely check. Amy likes the look of her palm now as she has flopped three 5 spades so she makes a wager which is named by Mike as he now has a pair of 9s which has a King kicker. You like the way it’s 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 make the poker nuts using a flush, his two hearts in his side plus the three on the table with Ace King high now give him an unbeatable hand. Mike wagers as he knows he’s got the nuts except he wants to draw out the max cash from the table so he maintains his wager low adequate to acquire called. You still consider you’re winning together with the straight, in fact the Ace has heightened that opinion as you now reckon Mike most likely has an Ace in his hands and perhaps even two pairs.
He’s dropped into your trap! Or so you believe.
The river is dealt and it is the five of hearts. It is a blow to you as there are now four hearts on view, so anyone that has a heart is beating you having a flush. Mike is happy using the five as he even now feels he is winning with the top flush, though his opponents may perhaps also have manufactured a flush and assume they’re winning. Amy obviously may be the real winner as she has just made the nuts with four five-s, her 4 of a kind can only be outdone by a straight flush or a better 4 of the kind. There aren’t sufficient connected hearts showing on the table to generate a straight flush and there isn’t one more pair displaying so it is not possible to make 4 of a kind.
Amy wins the pot even though you and Mike reflect on what ought to have been.
Both of you held the poker nuts at one point in the casino game except failed to realise that the poker nuts – as well as your fortunes – in Texas hold em can change entirely with 1 turn of the card.