Need some clarification on nut hands

[Jaraim]

At my last home tournament, this situation came up:

I'm holding AKo. The flop comes AAK rainbow. The turn and river are both blanks (4 and 7 I think).

Needless to say, I tripled up on this hand (most of the folks I play with aren't very skilled players). After the hand, I made a comment about how I "flopped the nuts." One of my friends - not involved in the last hand - told me that the nut hole cards were AA for quad aces.

My understanding of the nuts is that it is the best possible hand, to your knowledge. This means that AA in the hole is not the nuts because it is impossible for anyone to hold this hand, barring fixed mafia decks. Thus, what would normally be the near-nuts - aces full of quenns - is now the nuts.

What do you think?

[cnfuzzd]

semantic quibble, but you are correct. Your hand was the nuts, at the time, altough you could be splitting with another AK or lose to the draw to the stone cold, or absolute nuts, being KK. Tell your friends to worry less about poker terms and more about how you got their chips.

peace

john nickle

[sin808]

Everything I've ever heard on it says the nut hand is the best possible hand based upon the board. In the hand you noted it would be quad A's.

[mistrpug]

Since you know nobody can have AA, I personally would consider AK in the situation the nuts.

[jedi]

[ QUOTE ]
Everything I've ever heard on it says the nut hand is the best possible hand based upon the board. In the hand you noted it would be quad A's.

[/ QUOTE ]

Can anyone 2 hole cards beat him? If not, he's got the nuts. If you were just a mindless spectator looking at the board, AA would be the nuts, but you have more information here.

[Louie Landale]

Yup, nuts is "cannot be beat at this time" and doesn't mean "highest ranking hand possible". With a flop of AKK then AA and AK are both the nuts. If the flop is 875 hearts, the nuts are A6h, 96h, and 64h.

This definition is a lot more useful than the kabitzer's.

The "stone nuts" cannot be beat at all. Flop AAK has no stone nuts since someone can make a straight flush. Flop 875h gives only the 96h has the stone nuts, since even 64h can be beat.

- Louie

[pokeryogi]

How can AA and AK both be the nuts with a flop of AKK. If you hold AA, KK can beat you. If you have AK, AA beats you. I'm I missing something here?
Still learning,
PY

[Nottom]

[ QUOTE ]
How can AA and AK both be the nuts with a flop of AKK.

[/ QUOTE ]

it was an AAK flop.

[Big Country]

I'm pretty sure he meant to type AAK as per the original post. But, you are correct that on a flop of AKK, then KK or AK would be the nuts, while AA or any 10-J-Q suited combo that matched one of the flop suits would have draws t othe stone cold nuts (the AA drawing to quad A's, the suited cards drawing ot str8 flushes)

I think the best definitiion, at least the definition I use, for "nuts" is the best possible hand at that moment given all the information available to you. As in the orignal post, the poster has an A, so he knew AA was not possible, so he had the nuts with AK, as no one could have him beat, only another AK could tie him, at that point in the hand.

[Kaz The Original]

You had the nuts. And that's all there is to it!