11.08
Be Careful or Your Poker Nuts Could Get Squashed!
The origins of the phrase "poker nuts" are unsure although it’s thought to have been dirived from old slang meaning "delightful point, practice or experience". It is often a "delightful thing" obviously, because in Hold’em the poker nuts would be the very best feasible side that you are able to have at any level in the game.
If you might have the nuts, you can’t be beaten…at that level in the hand. This could be the crucial factor that a lot of inexperienced players fail to take account of, the nuts can move from one player to another as well as your hand which was the nuts previous on can end up being crushed!
The following example ought to show the fickle nature of the cards in Hold’em poker and how your nuts can swiftly turn to pulp!
You’re playing a side of Hold em poker and there are 3 gamblers nonetheless in the casino game at the flop. You get dealt 7 of clubs, eight of diamonds; Amy has five of spades, five of clubs and Mike’s hands is King, nine of hearts.
The flop is dealt and the cards are nine of hearts, 6 of hearts and 5 of diamonds. This can be a good flop for you – you’ve got the poker nuts! At this level you have a straight – five, six, seven, 8, 9 – which can’t be defeated by any other mixture of cards.
Now you choose to "slow play" your hand and attempt to draw a bet from somebody with a high pair who will like this flop, so you basically check. Amy likes the look of her side now as she has flopped three five spades so she makes a wager which is named by Mike as he now has a pair of nines 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 grinning to himself as he has just been able to make the poker nuts which has a flush, his 2 hearts in his hands plus the 3 around the table with Ace King good now give him an unbeatable hand. Mike wagers as he knows he’s got the nuts but he wants to draw out the maximum cash from the table so he maintains his wager low enough to have called. You still think you’re winning together with the directly, in fact the Ace has increased that belief as you now reckon Mike probably has an Ace in his hand and maybe even 2 pairs.
He has dropped into your trap! Or so you think.
The river is dealt and it’s the 5 of hearts. This is a blow to you as you will find now four hearts on view, so anyone using a heart is defeating you with a flush. Mike is happy with the five as he still feels he’s succeeding with all the top flush, even though his opponents may also have produced a flush and think they are winning. Amy needless to say will be the real winner as she has just produced the nuts with 4 five-s, her 4 of a form can only be defeated by a straight flush or a better four of the kind. There are not adequate connected hearts showing on the table to produce a straight flush and there isn’t another pair showing so it is impossible to produce 4 of a kind.
Amy captures the pot though you and Mike reflect on what need to have been.
Both of you held the poker nuts at one point in the casino game but failed to realise that the poker nuts – along with your fortunes – in Texas hold’em can change totally with 1 turn of a card.