Understanding poker often comes down to knowing which hands are strongest at any moment. The term "the nuts" comes up a lot, but it is not always obvious how to spot it at the table.
Recognising the nuts helps separate a strong hand from the best possible hand right now. That difference guides better choices and sharper reads.
This article breaks down what “the nuts” means, how hand rankings shape it, how to identify it on each street, and what to watch for through clear examples and common pitfalls.
Poker Hand Rankings That Determine The Nuts
In poker, hand rankings decide which player holds the best five-card hand. These rankings apply to common formats such as Texas Hold’em.
The hand rankings from highest to lowest are:
- Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten, all of the same suit.
- Straight Flush: Five cards in a row, all of the same suit.
- Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank.
- Full House: Three of a kind plus a pair.
- Flush: Five cards of the same suit, not in order.
- Straight: Five cards in order, but not all the same suit.
- Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank.
- Two Pair: Two sets of pairs.
- One Pair: Two cards of the same rank.
- High Card: The highest card held if there is no other combination.
“The nuts” is simply the highest possible hand for the exact board in play. Because community cards change from street to street, what counts as the nuts changes with them. On a paired board, for example, full houses and quads become possible; on a monotone board, the best flush or straight flush may be in play.
Ready to put the rankings to work? Let’s look at how the nuts evolves as cards are revealed.
How To Identify The Nuts At Each Street?
Identifying the nuts means working out the strongest possible five-card hand given the community cards shown so far. In Hold’em, those streets are the flop, the turn and the river.
Flop: Determining The Nuts On The Flop
The flop puts three community cards face-up. The nuts at this stage is the best five-card hand that could be made using those three cards and any two hole cards.
If the flop is three suited cards in sequence, the nuts can be a straight flush made by holding the two suited cards that complete the run, such as 10 of Spades and Jack of Spades on a 7 of Spades, 8 of Spades and 9 of Spades flop. It is also common for the nuts on the flop to be a set when the board pairs are not yet possible, or a made straight on very connected boards.
Keep in mind there are two more cards to come, so the current nuts may not hold.
Turn: Determining The Nuts On The Turn
With four community cards out, more combinations open up and the nuts often shifts. A board that pairs on the turn can make a full house or even quads possible; a fourth suited card can move the top hand from a straight to the highest possible flush or straight flush.
On many turns, the nuts will be a straight, a flush or a full house, depending on how the board develops. The key is to keep reassessing how the extra card changes the very top of the range.
River: Determining The Nuts On The River
Once the river is dealt, all information is available. The nuts is now the single best five-card combination anyone could hold with that board, whether it is a straight flush, quads, a full house, a flush, a straight or something lower on very dry runouts.
Sometimes the board itself makes the top hand for everyone, leading to a split pot. In other spots, only one exact holding reaches the summit.
Common Board Examples Showing The Nuts
Examples help cement the idea of how the board dictates the best possible hand.
If the board shows 8 of Spades, 9 of Spades, 10 of Spades, Jack of Spades and Queen of Spades, the nuts would be holding Ace of Spades and K of Spades to make a royal flush. Without both of those cards, players share the Q-high straight flush that sits on the board, or can reach a K-high straight flush with K of Spades plus any spade, which is still second-best.
If the board reads 5 of Diamonds, 6 of Diamonds, 7 of Diamonds, 8 of Diamonds and King of Spades, the nuts would be 9 of Diamonds and any other card, creating a straight flush from 5 of Diamonds to 9 of Diamonds using the four suited diamonds on the board.
On a board such as 7 of Clubs, 7 of Spades, 7 of Diamonds, King of Clubs and 2 of Spades, the nuts would be the remaining 7 (7 of Hearts) and any other card, making four of a kind.
If the shared cards are 2 of Hearts, 3 of Clubs, 4 of Spades, 5 of Hearts and 6 of Diamonds, the nuts would be any player holding a 7, which makes the highest possible straight here, the seven-high straight. Without a 7, everyone has the six-high straight from the board and the pot is likely to be split.
Studying boards like these makes it easier to see when the absolute top hand is unique and when it is shared.
Examples Of The Nuts With Popular Hold'em Hands
Seeing how specific hole cards interact with the board brings the idea to life.
If the board shows Ace of Spades, King of Spades, Queen of Spades, Jack of Spades and 10 of Spades, the nuts is already on the table. Every player has a royal flush using the board alone, so the pot is split.
Imagine the community cards are 8 of Diamonds, 9 of Diamonds, 10 of Diamonds, Jack of Diamonds and 2 of Clubs. The nuts here would be a player with Queen of Diamonds and any other card, giving a straight flush from 8 of Diamonds to Queen of Diamonds.
If the board is 5 of Spades, 5 of Hearts, 5 of Diamonds, King of Clubs and 2 of Clubs, the strongest possible hand is four of a kind. Any player with the fourth 5 (5 of Clubs) would have the nuts.
With a board of 4 of Spades, 5 of Spades, 6 of Clubs, 7 of Hearts and 8 of Diamonds, the nuts is a 10-high straight, which requires holding both a 9 and a 10. A single 9 makes only a 9-high straight, which can be beaten.
These snapshots show how small changes in hole cards can make the difference between a strong hand and the very best one available.
What Are Common Misconceptions About The Nuts?
Newer players often mix up “strong” with “unbeatable”. The nuts is not the best starting hand before the flop; it is the best possible five-card hand for the current board at any stage. A pair of Aces pre-flop, for instance, is powerful but can be far from the nuts on coordinated or paired boards.
Another common mix-up is assuming a made hand is automatically the top hand. A king-high flush can be excellent, yet still lose to an ace-high flush. Likewise, a straight can be second-best if a straight flush is possible.
It is also easy to forget that the nuts can change. A hand that is the nuts on the flop may no longer be top by the river if the board pairs or completes a higher draw. Good players keep updating their view of the best possible hand as each street arrives.
If gambling starts to affect your well-being or your finances, seek support early. Independent organisations such as GamCare and GambleAware offer free, confidential help for anyone who needs it. Understanding what the nuts means is part of learning the game, and approaching play with clear information and perspective helps keep decisions measured.
**The information provided in this blog is intended for educational purposes and should not be construed as betting advice or a guarantee of success. Always gamble responsibly.