Explanation of Nut Flush
Flushes are ranked according to their highest card, then their second highest card and so on. The term nut flush implies we have made the best possible flush.
Although this will be the Ace-high flush it’s useful to remember that the Ace-high flush is not always the absolute nuts in community card games such as Hold’em and Omaha. If the board is paired it means that stronger hands are possible such as full houses. Even in such circumstances, players may continue to refer to the Ace-high flush as the nut flush despite the fact that it is not technically the stone cold nuts.
In games without community cards such as Stud and Five Card Draw, the term “nut flush” loses some of its meaning. This is because no flush can ever be the nuts; it’s always possible that one of our opponents has made an even stronger hand. Even still, players again may continue to refer to the Ace-high flush as the nut flush. The term should be taken to mean, the strongest possible flush, rather than “the stone cold nuts”.
Example of Nut Flush used in a sentence -> We called villain’s turn raise and made the nut flush on the river.
How to Use Nut Flush as Part of Your Poker Strategy
The Ace-high flush is a strong holding in all poker variants. This is not to say that all Ace-high flushes are equal.
- Ace-high flushes are the best when they are also the stone cold nuts.
- Ace-high flushes are weaker in community card games if the board is paired.
- Ace-high flushes are weaker in variants were flushes are more commonplace (such as Omaha).
- Ace-high flushes are weaker in stud games when our opponents’ boards are highly co-ordinated.
- They are more likely to get paid off in Hold’em when they are formulated using two of our hole-cards rather than just one (better implied odds).
Of course, in situations where our nut flush really is the stone cold nuts (such as in a community card game), we should do everything in our power to get all the stacks in postflop.
Is the ‘Nut’ Flush Always the Nuts in Poker?
The term ‘nut flush’ is often used somewhat loosely to describe the ace high flush. The ace high flush is not the nuts in situations where the board is paired or where the straight flush is possible. It’s therefore possible that a poker player uses the term ‘nut flush’ to describe a flush which is not actually the nuts.
How Often Does the Nut Flush Draw Hit in Poker?
Going from flop to turn a flush draw will hit 19.1% of the time or one in 5.24. Going from turn to river a flush draw will hit slightly more often at 19.6% or one in 5.1. With one less card in the deck a larger percentage of the deck is now a flush completing card. Going from flop to river a flush draw will hit 35% of the time or one in 2.86.
How Often Do We Flop the Nut Flush in Hold’em?
Assuming we hold a suited Ax preflop we can expect tp flop the nut flush around 0.84% or one in 119. Assuming any suited starting hand our odds of flopping the nut flush decrease to 0.17% or one in 588.
What is the Difference Between the ‘One Card’ Nut Flush and the ‘Two Card’ Nut Flush?
A one card flush is made by just using one of our hole cards in Hold’em along with four from the board. A two card flush is made by using both of our hole cards along with 3 from the board. Two card flushes are stronger because they are more disguised. When holding a one card flush it means there are four flush cards on the board, so it’s not hard for our opponent to work out we might have a flush and potentially avoid paying us off.
How Often Does the Nut Flush Hold up in Hold’em?
The most likely hand that will outdraw the nut flush is a set. Going from flop to river a set will improve to a full house or quads (and beat a flush) around 34.5% of the time or one in 2.9. Going from turn to river the set will win against the flush around 22.7% of the time or one in 4.4.
