[Guest]

If you were playing a game of Texas Hold 'Em, what is the lowest ranked hand that you could have that could guarantee that you have won after the river card is down?

For example:

Your hand: K♥ A♥

Community Cards: A♣ K♣ 10♥ J♥ Q♥

You know that you have "the nuts" or the highest possible hand given the community cards since you have a Royal Flush.

Another Example:

Your hand: 2♥ A♥

Community Cards: K♣ A♠ A♣ A♦ K♠

You know that you have "the nuts" because the highest anyone else could have is a Four of A Kind (Kings) and you have Four of A Kind (Aces).

So what is the lowest ranking hand that could guarantee that you have "the nuts"?

[Guest]

Questions requiring knowledge of specific game rules belong in "Others".

Off to "Others".

Any hand could give you the nuts. I guess you consider the lowest ranking hand 2, 3?

[Guest]

Lowest ranking is 2,7 off suit.

[Brandonb]

3 of a kind queens would be the lowest nuts possible.

A good place to start would be to first concoct the lowest community cards possible with mismatching suits and leaving no pairs or possibilities for straight-connectors.

So start with a 2h, 3d, 7s,8c, Qc

This is the worst possible deal because the pocket cards cannot create a straight in any way, and there is also no way for a flush. So the only possibilities are a pair, two pair, or three of a kind.

Considering three of a kind is the best hand from the options given, then obviously the nut hand would be pocket queens making it three of a kind queens.

Edited June 26, 2008 by Brandonb

[Guest]

Lowest ranking is 2,7 off suit.

That's the most undesirable hand to be dealt, but it's not the lowest ranking hand. 2,7 beats 2,3.

3 of a kind queens would be the lowest nuts possible.

Ah, I though the OP was asking for the lowest possible dealt hand, not five card hand. Yup, a set of queens is it.

[Guest]

Okay, since that's been asked and answered, I'm sure the OP won't mind me asking another Texas Hold 'em question.

What's the best hand to go heads up against A, A with (besides another A, A)?

[Brandonb]

Okay, since that's been asked and answered, I'm sure the OP won't mind me asking another Texas Hold 'em question.

What's the best hand to go heads up against A, A with (besides another A, A)?

I've always heard J-10 suited, though it never works out for me.

Edited June 26, 2008 by Brandonb

[Guest]

I've always heard J-10 suited, though it never works out for me.

Nope, you can do a little better.

[Brandonb]

Nope, you can do a little better.

Then I'm stumped. The dealt cards must beat the basic hands of the A-A. Considering A-A has the best odds of either going two pair (if a couple community cards paired) or three of a kind (an ace hits), then the best suit to go up against A-A would have to have the best odds of hitting a straight or a flush (preferably the highest possible). So, J-10 suited has both the best ability for a flush (the cards are suited), and it has the best ability to hit the best 5-card straight (3 cards over, and/or 3 cards under).

Oh wait, I think I get it. Considering the opponent has the A-A, then that means the 3 cars over is cut back on the odds for hitting the straight with ace high. So the best hand against the A-A must be 9-10 suited right?

[Guest]

Oh wait, I think I get it. Considering the opponent has the A-A, then that means the 3 cars over is cut back on the odds for hitting the straight with ace high. So the best hand against the A-A must be 9-10 suited right?

9-10 suited is better, but there is still a slightly better hand.

[Guest]

it seems that if you're holding an ace, there's less of seeing one on the table

Jack, Ace suited?

[Guest]

it seems that if you're holding an ace, there's less of seeing one on the table

Jack, Ace suited?

Nah, having an Ace is horrible because two are taken and the one left showing up on the board won't help you. Brandonb is on the right track.

[Guest]

What about 9 and Jack suited? That might not be as good though, because they aren't next to each other. Just taking a stab at it.

[Guest]

6 7 suited, the two are in the middle of the spectrum, wether the comunity cards are low or high, there will always be a good chance at a possible straight, and with them being suited...flush draw as well.

[Guest]

6 7 suited, the two are in the middle of the spectrum, wether the comunity cards are low or high, there will always be a good chance at a possible straight, and with them being suited...flush draw as well.

You just named the second best hand (assuming by "suited" you expect me to take it for granted that it's a suit other than either of the known aces ). There's one more that beats it.

[Brandonb]

Considering cards are dealt random, the community cards are not going to be high OR low, they will be random. So 9-10 suited should trump a 6-7 suited, simply because they are higher cards. Sure, sometimes all the cards are low, and sometimes all the cards are high, but that doesn't happen often.

So aside from the 9-10 suited, I can't think of any reasons for anything better.

[Guest]

Considering cards are dealt random, the community cards are not going to be high OR low, they will be random. So 9-10 suited should trump a 6-7 suited, simply because they are higher cards.

10-9 suited trumps a 7-6 suited when compared to one another. But that's not what we're doing here. We're comparing having 10-9 suited up against A-A vs. 7-6 suited up against A-A (heads-up). By your logic, the worst hand to have go heads-up against A-A is 7-2 unsuited. But there are many more that are worse. Which begs the question:

What's the worst hand to go heads up against A-A?

Still waiting for the correct answer to my first question, though. You guys are so close.

[Guest]

3 of a kind queens would be the lowest nuts possible.

A good place to start would be to first concoct the lowest community cards possible with mismatching suits and leaving no pairs or possibilities for straight-connectors.

So start with a 2h, 3d, 7s,8c, Qc

This is the worst possible deal because the pocket cards cannot create a straight in any way, and there is also no way for a flush. So the only possibilities are a pair, two pair, or three of a kind.

Considering three of a kind is the best hand from the options given, then obviously the nut hand would be pocket queens making it three of a kind queens.

(I realize it's a little late, but...) Very good, my friend. I guess it wasn't very difficult, but it occurred to me one day to ask.

Edited June 30, 2008 by toddpeak

[Guest]

Okay, since that's been asked and answered, I'm sure the OP won't mind me asking another Texas Hold 'em question.

What's the best hand to go heads up against A, A with (besides another A, A)?

6,7 suited of a suit not represented in the two given Aces. This gives you a better chance for a flush as he still needs four cards. A better chance for a straight as he still needs four cards. The reason this particular hand is better than the rest lies in that this takes away one of the straight opportunities of your opponent. If 2,3,4,5 (and possibly even a 6) come in the community cards, you both have a straight, but yours is 7 high. I see now that you have said this is the second best hand. Oh, well, I dunno.

Edited July 17, 2008 by toddpeak

[Guest]

Stealing some of todd's logic: 7,8 suited (other than ace suits). For the double ace player to get a low straight, they'd need 2,3,4,5 and 6, if this happens you'll have a 4-8 straight. At the same time it links up to the high card straights up to a 8-Q. The only straight they could get without you having one is 10-A, and if this came up your likely to lose regardless (ignoring the very small chance of a straight flush on your part).

Edited July 17, 2008 by Wreath

[Guest]

Stealing some of todd's logic: 7,8 suited (other than ace suits). For the double ace player to get a low straight, they'd need 2,3,4,5 and 6, if this happens you'll have a 4-8 straight. At the same time it links up to the high card straights up to a 8-Q. The only straight they could get without you having one is 10-A, and if this came up your likely to lose regardless (ignoring the very small chance of a straight flush on your part).

That's not true. For the player with pocket Aces, they only need a 2,3,4, and 5 to get a straight. The lowest straight in poker is A,2,3,4,5 (Aces can be applied in both directions, high and low). You forgot about the fact that they have an Ace in their hand, so I believe that todd's answer is actually the correct one.

Edited July 17, 2008 by Frost

[Brandonb]

Actually, Todd has very good reasoning that the 6,7. But the 9-10 suited steals a card from the deck that is needed for the high end straight, rather than the low.

[Guest]

That's not true. For the player with pocket Aces, they only need a 2,3,4, and 5 to get a straight. The lowest straight in poker is A,2,3,4,5 (Aces can be applied in both directions, high and low). You forgot about the fact that they have an Ace in their hand, so I believe that todd's answer is actually the correct one.

Forgot about that... in that case I'm stumped too

[Guest]

Actually, Todd has very good reasoning that the 6,7. But the 9-10 suited steals a card from the deck that is needed for the high end straight, rather than the low.

Maybe if you combine the two ideas? I'm not sure if it works to increase your chance of winning or not, but what about 6, 10 suited? This still gives you the possibility of the straight from 6-10, takes a card away from the 10-A straight, and wins if the 2,3,4,5 end up in the community cards, but again, I dunno.

[Brandonb]

Maybe if you combine the two ideas? I'm not sure if it works to increase your chance of winning or not, but what about 6, 10 suited? This still gives you the possibility of the straight from 6-10, takes a card away from the 10-A straight, and wins if the 2,3,4,5 end up in the community cards, but again, I dunno.

That's a good idea, but then the only way to hit the straight is to get the 7,8,9. Instead of connectors (ex 9,10) which could have 6,7,8 : 7,8,J : 8,J,Q : or J,Q,K. Your idea cuts the straight possibility for the A's down a little bit (by 1/4), but it weakens your own hand's straight possibilities by 3/4.

[Guest]

Okay, the best hand to go heads up against A, A (besides another A, A) is:

6, 5 suited (with the suit being different than either of the Aces) wins as much as 7, 6 does, but ties a bit more of the time making it a better hand. Can anyone tell me why it ties more?