"The nuts" in Texas Holdem

The Nuts Poker

In Texas Holdem if you have been dealt the Nuts, you shouldn’t be afraid!

It sounds very painful. But don’t worry. If you are holding the nuts in Texas Holdem, you should be celebrating not wincing. In poker games, a nut hand means that you have an unbeatable hand. And just as importantly one that you know to be unbeatable. This can refer to any point after the flop (it is impossible to know you have the best hand pre flop, as two players can have a pair of aces). So it can mean the best hand at a given moment in the round during a poker game, but also the best hand after the river has been dealt, so at its conclusion too.

Two examples.

The river has been dealt during a poker night, and the community cards are 5 of hearts, 3 of clubs, Ace of spades, Ace of hearts and 4 of diamonds. Any player who holds the other two aces cannot be beaten. However, you don’t have to hold both aces to know you can’t be beaten. If you only hold one of the aces, but also have one of the other 5s, you also know you can’t be beaten, because there is only one other Ace that could possibly be in circulation. You might be matched (with another player also having Ace 5), but you can’t be beaten. Two nuts, as it were.