The nuts
The best hand possible on the current board, given the cards any opponent could hold.
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- What it means
- The nuts is the strongest hand anyone can hold on the board as it stands. It can change on every street, and on some boards several combos tie for it.
- How it is calculated
- Go through the hand rankings from the top: is a straight flush possible, then quads, then a full house, and so on. The first one the board allows is the nuts, and the highest version of it wins.
- Worked example
- On A♠K♠Q♠2♦3♣ only J♠T♠ makes the nuts, a royal flush, while on K♦7♣2♥ the nuts is a set of kings, which 3 combos of KK make.
- Why it matters
- Knowing the nuts tells you how strong your hand is relative to what is possible, and which hands an opponent could be representing.
See also: Hand reading, Board texture, Combo