Nut hand
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/192.117.102.23|192.117.102.23]] ([[User talk:192.117.102.23|talk]]) to last version by 71.49.180.110
In [[poker]], the '''nut hand''', or simply '''the nuts''', is the strongest possible hand in a given situation. The '''second-nut hand''' or '''third-nut hand''' (and so on) may refer to the second and third best possible hands. The term applies mostly to [[community card poker|community card]] poker games where the individual holding the strongest possible hand, with the given board of community cards, has the nut hand.
The term can be used more loosely to refer to any very strong hand.
== Usage in context ==
In [[Texas hold 'em]], if the board is '''5♠ 6♠ A♣ 9♠ <font color=red>5♥</font>''', a player holding '''7♠ 8♠''' has the nut hand, a '''9'''-high [[Rank of hands (poker)#Straight flush|straight flush]] of spades, and cannot lose. On the same board, the hand '''5♣ <font color=red>5♦</font>''' would be the second-nut hand, [[Rank of hands (poker)#Four of a kind|four of a kind]] fives; the third-nut hand would be any pair of the remaining three aces, making a [[Rank of hands (poker)#Full house|full house]], aces full of fives.
It is important to note that the ''actual'' nut hand may not be the same as the ''absolute'' nut hand; for example, if the board is '''<font color=red>7♥</font> 2♣ K♠ <font color=red>K♥ 3♦</font>''' a player with '''K♣ <font color=red>K♦</font>''' has the absolute nut hand. However, any player with '''K-7''' knows that he has the nut hand as it is impossible for another player to have two kings.
In [[high-low split]] games one often speaks of "nut-low" and "nut-high" hands separately. In [[Omaha hold 'em]], if the board is, '''5♠ 6♠ A♣ 9♠ <font color=red>5♥</font>''', any player with '''2-3''' makes the nut-low hand, '''6-5-3-2-A''', while a player with '''2-4''' makes the second-nut-low hand, '''6-5-4-2-A''' (the nut-high hands remain the same as in Texas hold 'em, in this case '''7♠ 8♠''' to make a straight flush).
Terms such as "nut [[Rank of hands (poker)#Flush|flush]]" or "nut full house" may be used to refer to the strongest hand possible in a particular category, even though it may not be the nut hand overall. For example, a pair of aces with the above board could be called the "nut full house", even though there are two higher (but very unlikely) hands possible. Terms such as "second-nut flush" and "third-nut [[Rank of hands (poker)#Straight|straight]]" are also applicable.
== Origins ==
A common and certainly apocryphal [[folk etymology]] is that the term originated from the historical poker games in the colonial west of America, where if a player bet everything he possessed, he would place the nuts of his wagon wheels on the table to ensure that, should he lose, he would be unable to flee and would have to make good on the bet. Since it would be expected that a player would only make such a bet when he had the best possible hand, the folk lore says that this is how the best possible hand came to be known as the nuts.<ref>[http://www.ddpoker.com/gamehelp/help/glossary.html DD Poker Glossary]</ref>
A far more likely explanation is that "the nuts" originated from the old English usage of "nuts", meaning "any source of pleasure"<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=nuts&searchmode=none|Online Etymology Dictionary's entry for "nuts"]</ref>.
Another seemingly fitting explanation is that the term was derived from the UK English slang "the dog's bollocks" or "the mutt's nuts", meaning "the absolute best". However, this phrase originated around 1989<ref>[http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/dog's%20bollocks.html The Phrase Finder's entry for "dog's bollocks"]</ref>, and the term "the nuts" pre-dates it.
== See also ==
* [[Poker]]
* [[Poker jargon]]
== References ==
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[[Category:Poker hands]]
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