The Nuts

What are "the Nuts" in Poker?
by Chad Holloway of Predictem.com

Poker lingo can be a bit complicated at times, especially for anyone new to the game. One such expression that is commonly referred to in casinos and on television is "the nuts." The nuts is used to describe the absolute best, and therefore unbeatable, hand possible in any given hand of poker. For example, if the board reads 2c 4c 7c Kc 5h in a game of Texas Hold'em the nuts would be the ace high flush, the best hand possible; therefore, whoever held the ace of clubs in their hand would have the nuts.

Players will often refer to the nuts before the completion of a hand which means they hold the best possible hand at that time; however, it is possible for the nuts to change. For instance, if the flop comes 5h 6c 7h the nuts at that moment would be 8-9, but that could change on the turn and river if either another heart appears (giving someone a possible flush), the board pairs (making it possible for someone to have a full-house or four-of-a-kind), or higher straight cards come (giving someone a higher straight). Although it doesn't always happen, the nuts will often change with each new card.

As a player becomes more experienced and comfortable with the game, knowing what the nuts is will become clear and secondhand on each and every hand. By this I mean with experience you will no longer have to think about what the nuts is with each new card, but rather will develop a reaction that automatically lets you know what the nuts is without any thought at all.

There are numerous theories out there on how to play the nuts. On the one hand you want to extract as much value out of the hand as possible, since holding the nuts is a rare occurrence; on the other hand, you don't want to bet so much that you chase your opponents away and make nothing.

Determining when and what amount to bet with the nuts is an art that can be practiced and refined. For instance, in a recent No Limit Texas Hold'em tournament I was dealt the 9c 9s and decided to limp into the pot for 50 chips. Six other players limped as well and the flop came Kc 9h 9d! I had flopped the absolute nuts and my heart began to pound. Many players in this situation will become so excited that they will visibly shake or misplay their hand, but I somehow managed to keep a straight poker face. I decided to check with the hope that another player would bet, although it was not to be and everyone checked behind me. The 2c hit on the turn and I instinctively knew this was not a great card for me as it was highly unlikely to have helped improve my opponents' hands. I decided to check once again to give them another chance to catch up on the river, which was the Ac. This was a great card because it was almost certain that one or more of my opponents held an ace in their hand, and it was also possible that someone had hit a flush.

When it was my turn to act I bet 100 into the 300 pot. I figured a bet a third of the pot would surely get someone with an ace to at least call and would certainly inspire someone with a flush to raise. As it turned out, I had only one caller who sheepishly asked "Are we chopping?" I politely said, "No, I just needed to let you catch up," and proudly turned over my quad nines! Of course my opponent held an ace and I took down a decent pot. Although I would have liked to of gotten more chips out of my opponents, I was pleased that I was able to at least get something; after all, it can be extremely difficult to get value out of a hand when you flop the nuts!

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