How to Play the Nuts in Poker
Whether through strategy, luck or a combination of both, getting the nuts in Poker, or the monster hand, is something that you always give a thought to and seek. However, when you do get it, you cannot just go all in; to make the most of what you have, planning is needed.
First off, by nuts in Poker we refer to the big hands, like four of a kind, straight, flush, the straight flush, full house and the Royal Flush. While all can be considered monster hands, their value is of course not equal. While getting the Royal Flush (about 1 in 650,000, but it can happen), four of a kind and straight flush are virtually locks, the same cannot be said of the straight or the flush.
Your Poker strategy must take into account that while you may have gotten a straight, it could be a low one, and overcome by a higher straight. The same scenario is possible with a flush, as it can be overwhelmed by a stronger one. The last thing that you want to do is go all in with a low straight and have it beat by a similar yet superior hand.
If the board is showing higher potential straights or flush, then you have to do whatever it takes to drive them out. Once that happens, you play the nuts in Poker the way the pros do it: slow playing. There is no sense going all in with a miniscule pot. Be content with checking and calling, and watch the pot grow.
Of course, the most important thing about holding the monster hand in Poker is making sure that no one senses it until you are about to make the raise. Here it is as important to read your opponents as it is not to show any tells. The last thing that you want to do, and what some new players commit, is dropping hints that they have something.
If you are playing experienced Poker players, then the slightest hint or suggestion that you have a big one will cause them to fold.
The nuts in Poker are exactly what you want, and on the times that you get them, it is important that you have the correct strategies in place. By not getting too excited and giving away what you have, you will be able to extract a lot of money and win.