Poker Glossary

The Nuts

The best possible hand available given the current board — no holding can beat it at that moment. The nuts can change street by street: the nut flush on the turn becomes second-best if the river pairs the board and makes full houses possible. Identifying the current nuts is a core reading skill, because it defines the ceiling of what you can be facing — and whether your own hand has any business raising.

At the table

Board Q♠ J♠ 7♦ 2♠: the nuts is A♠K♠, the ace-high flush. If the river pairs the board, full houses become possible and that flush is no longer the nuts.

House note

Folding the nuts is impossible by definition. Folding what used to be the nuts is called Tuesday.

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