The origins of the phrase "poker nuts" are unsure although it truly is thought to have come from old slang which means "delightful issue, practice or experience". It is actually a "delightful thing" obviously, because in Texas holdem the poker nuts could be the best achievable hands that you can have at any point in the game.
If you might have the nuts, you can not be defeated…at that level in the hand. This may be the crucial factor that a lot of inexperienced gamblers fail to take account of, the nuts can move from 1 player to one more as well as your side which was the nuts previous on can end up being smashed!
The subsequent example must show the unpredictable nature of the cards in Hold em poker and how your nuts can speedily turn to pulp!
You might be wagering a side of Texas hold’em poker and there are three gamblers still in the game at the flop. You get dealt five of clubs, eight 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. It is a wonderful flop for you – you have got the poker nuts! At this stage you’ve a directly – 5, six, seven, eight, nine – which cannot be beaten by any other mixture of cards.
Now you determine to "slow play" your hands and try to draw a wager from somebody which has a high pair who will like this flop, so you merely check. Amy likes the look of her hand now as she’s flopped 3 5 spades so she makes a wager which is known as 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 wager.
The turn card is Ace of hearts. Mike is now smiling to himself as he has just managed to produce the poker nuts using a flush, his two hearts in his hands plus the three around the table with Ace King high now give him an unequalled hand. Mike wagers as he knows he’s got the nuts except he wants to extract the maximum cash from the table so he keeps his wager low sufficient to have called. You even now feel you are succeeding using the directly, in reality the Ace has increased that belief as you now reckon Mike probably has an Ace in his side and maybe even 2 pairs.
He has dropped into your trap! Or so you think.
The river is dealt and it is the 5 of hearts. This can be a blow to you as there are now four hearts on view, so anyone with a heart is beating you having a flush. Mike is happy with the five as he nevertheless feels he’s succeeding together with the top flush, while his competitors may well also have produced a flush and feel they are winning. Amy naturally could be the real winner as she has just made the nuts with four 5s, her four of a form can only be outdone by a directly flush or a far better 4 of a kind. There are not sufficient connected hearts displaying around the table to generate a directly flush and there is not yet another pair displaying so it’s impossible to make four of a kind.
Amy wins the pot whilst you and Mike reflect on what need to have been.
Both of you held the poker nuts at one stage in the game but failed to realise that the poker nuts – and your fortunes – in Texas hold em can change completely with one turn of a card.