Nut Flush

A nut flush is the highest possible flush a player can hold, made with the ace of the flush suit, meaning no other flush can beat it. In games with community cards like Texas Hold'em, the "nut" flush is relative to the board and the suit in question: if you hold the ace of a suit and complete a flush in that suit, no opponent's flush can outrank yours. The ace guarantees you top of the flush pecking order, which is why the ace-suited holding is so prized. It is worth stressing that the nut flush is only "the nuts" when no stronger category is possible. If the board pairs, a full house or quads become available, and a flush, even the nut flush, can lose. A true nut flush is unbeatable only when the board rules out anything higher than a flush. Worked example: you hold A of hearts and 7 of hearts. The board comes K of hearts, 9 of hearts, 2 of hearts, 4 of spades, J of clubs. You hold the ace-high flush, the nut flush, and no opponent can hold a better one. Because the board is unpaired, no full house is possible, so your hand is genuinely the nuts. In this spot you should bet for maximum value, since you can never be outdrawn. The common mistake is over-valuing a non-nut flush. Holding, say, the queen of the flush suit still loses to anyone with the ace or king. Playing a small flush as if it were the nuts is a classic way to lose a large pot. Compare with the nuts, blocker and draw hand.