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The origins of the phrase "poker nuts" are unclear although it really is thought to have come from old jargon which means "delightful point, practice or experience". It is actually a "delightful thing" naturally, because in Texas hold’em the poker nuts will be the best possible hand that you are able to have at any point in the game.

If you’ve the nuts, you can’t be defeated…at that level in the hand. This will be the crucial factor that a great deal of unskilled players fail to take account of, the nuts can move from 1 gambler to an additional along with your hands which was the nuts previous on can end up being smashed!

The subsequent example should show the fickle nature of the cards in Hold’em poker and how your nuts can rapidly turn to pulp!

You are betting a side of Hold em poker and there are three players even now in the game at the flop. You acquire dealt seven of clubs, eight of diamonds; Amy has five of spades, five of clubs and Mike’s palm is King, 9 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 have got the poker nuts! At this level you’ve a directly – five, 6, 7, eight, 9 – which cannot be beaten by any other combination of cards.

Now you decide to "slow play" your hands and attempt to draw a wager from somebody having a high pair who will like this flop, so you merely check. Amy likes the look of her hands now as she has flopped three five spades so she makes a bet which is called by Mike as he now has a pair of 9s having 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 make the poker nuts using a flush, his two hearts in his side plus the three around the table with Ace King high now give him an unequalled hand. Mike bets 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 enough to have called. You nevertheless assume you’re winning with the straight, in fact the Ace has heightened that belief as you now reckon Mike probably has an Ace in his hands and perhaps even 2 pairs.

He’s dropped into your trap! Or so you think.

The river is dealt and it is the 5 of hearts. It is a blow to you as you will find now 4 hearts on view, so anyone that has a heart is beating you with a flush. Mike is happy with all the five as he still feels he’s succeeding with the top flush, whilst his opponents may well also have made a flush and feel they are winning. Amy naturally will be the real winner as she has just created the nuts with 4 5s, her 4 of a kind can only be defeated by a directly flush or a better 4 of the kind. There aren’t enough connected hearts displaying on the table to generate a directly flush and there isn’t one more pair showing so it is not possible to produce 4 of the kind.

Amy wins the pot though you and Mike reflect on what really should have been.

Both of you held the poker nuts at 1 point in the casino game except failed to realise that the poker nuts – and your fortunes – in Holdem can change entirely with 1 turn of a card.