Poker Lore ….The Nuts

Ever wonder why “the nuts” refers to the best possible hand? The phrase comes from the Old West when not only chips and cash were used at the poker table but any other good that could be valued. A player could end up betting his horse and wagon which were represented by the nuts and bolts of the wagon wheels. You wouldn’t want to put the wagon nuts in the pot with the second best hand. The stone cold nuts must have been the nuts taken off the wagon during a cold night or winter game. Walking home on a cold night was probably even more reason not to go all in with the second best hand.