Texas Hold 'em Poker Nut Hands I - Sets

The lowest ranking nut hand on the river in Texas Hold 'em Poker is a set of queens.

With a little practice, Texas Hold 'em Poker players learn to read the board and determine the hole cards necessary to make the nut hand. Most of the time no one actually has the nuts, but when someone raises, take time to study the board. It pays to know the difference between a probable winner and the absolute nuts in Texas Hold 'em Poker.

A set is three of a kind with a pair in the hole and the third card of the set on the board. Trips are three of a kind with a pair on the board and the third card in the hole. A set can be the nuts, trips cannot. Trips can become a nut fullhouse, a set cannot.

A nut set is three of a kind with a pair in the hole equal to the highest card on the board (top set) and no possibility of a straight or a flush. The smallest possible nut set on the river is a set of queens. With any top set on the river that is lower than queens, there will always be the possibility of at least a straight.

Scroll down through the examples below to get a better understanding of the nut sets in Texas Hold 'em Poker.