Nuts
The nuts is the best possible hand at that moment, given the board. A player who has the nuts cannot be beaten, unless a new card changes the board. The word is also used for the best hand of a type, such as the nut flush.
The simple explanation
If you have the nuts, no other hand can beat you on that board. For example, on a flop of A♥ 7♣ 5♠, pocket aces are the nuts, since they make the best possible hand, a set of aces. Your task is to win as many chips as possible with it.
A closer look
The nuts may change from one street to another. A hand that is the nuts on the flop may not be the nuts on the river, so players keep checking. Being the nuts is also important when planning draws: a draw to the nuts is stronger than a draw to a weaker hand. Related terms are nut flush, nut straight and nut low. Knowing the nuts is a basic skill: you should check on every street which hand is the best possible.
A practical example
You hold A♥ K♥ and the flop is Q♥ J♥ 10♥. You have a royal flush, the nuts.
Full explanation
The nuts is the best possible hand at that moment, given the board. A player who has the nuts cannot be beaten, unless a new card changes the board. The word is also used for the best hand of a type, such as the nut flush.
The nuts is the best possible hand on the current board.
It can change on later streets.
Terms include nut flush, nut straight and nut low.
A hand that cannot lose is also called a cinch.
The nuts
No-limit Hold’em · Blinds 1/2 chips · No rake
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
Read the example transcript
Player A has the button (BTN) and posts the 1-chip small blind (SB). Player B posts the 2-chip big blind (BB).
- Preflop · Pot: 3 chips
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of clubs (Ac)AAce of diamonds (Ad) · Stack 199 · In this round 1
- Player B BB AAce of hearts (Ah)KKing of hearts (Kh) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 8 chips
Player A raises to 6 before the flop.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of clubs (Ac)AAce of diamonds (Ad) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB AAce of hearts (Ah)KKing of hearts (Kh) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 12 chips
Player B calls. Each player has put in 6 chips.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of clubs (Ac)AAce of diamonds (Ad) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB AAce of hearts (Ah)KKing of hearts (Kh) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Flop · Pot: 12 chips
Player B holds ace-king of hearts and the flop is queen, jack and ten of hearts. This is a royal flush, which nobody can beat. A hand that cannot be beaten is the nuts.
Board: QQueen of hearts (Qh)JJack of hearts (Jh)1010 of hearts (Th)
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of clubs (Ac)AAce of diamonds (Ad) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
- Player B BB AAce of hearts (Ah)KKing of hearts (Kh) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
Cards are shown for learning; totals are displayed before pot collection.