The roots of the phrase "poker nuts" are uncertain although it can be thought to have been dirived from old slang which means "delightful factor, practice or experience". It is a "delightful thing" needless to say, because in Texas hold em the poker nuts will be the very best achievable palm that it is possible to have at any point in the game.
If you might have the nuts, you can’t be defeated…at that stage in the hand. This is the critical factor that a lot of inexperienced players fail to take account of, the nuts can move from one player to a different and your hands which was the nuts previous on can end up being crushed!
The subsequent example ought to demonstrate the fickle nature of the cards in Hold em poker and how your nuts can rapidly turn to pulp!
You are wagering a side of Hold em poker and there are 3 players nevertheless in the game at the flop. You acquire dealt 5 of clubs, 8 of diamonds; Amy has five of spades, 5 of clubs and Mike’s side is King, 9 of hearts.
The flop is dealt and the cards are 9 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 may have a straight – 5, six, 7, eight, 9 – which can not be beaten by any other mixture of cards.
Now you choose to "slow play" your hands and try to draw a bet from somebody that has a good pair who will like this flop, so you basically check. Amy likes the look of her hand now as she has flopped 3 five-s so she makes a wager which is referred to as 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 been able to generate the poker nuts with a flush, his two hearts in his palm plus the three on the table with Ace King good now give him an unbeatable hand. Mike wagers as he knows he’s got the nuts except he wants to extract the max cash from the table so he maintains his bet low sufficient to have called. You nonetheless think you are succeeding using the straight, in fact the Ace has strengthened that perception as you now think Mike possibly has an Ace in his hands and maybe even two pairs.
He has fallen into your trap! Or so you believe.
The river is dealt and it is the 5 of hearts. This is a blow to you as you will discover now 4 hearts on view, so anyone that has a heart is beating you that has a flush. Mike is happy using the five as he nonetheless feels he is succeeding with all the top flush, though his competitors may also have made a flush and think they are winning. Amy of course is the real winner as she has just created the nuts with 4 five-s, her four of the variety can only be beaten by a straight flush or a greater four of the kind. There are not enough connected hearts displaying around the table to make a directly flush and there is not a different pair showing so it really is impossible to make 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 one stage in the game except failed to realise that the poker nuts – along with your fortunes – in Hold em can change entirely with one turn of a card.