4 replies to this topic

[holman3rd]

This isn't a strategy question, but I wasn't really sure where to post it. It's one of those questions where knowing the answer really doesn't help you, but...I was playing in a home game a couple of weeks ago when my brother won a showdown, beating me with an ace-high flush. When I called his river bet, he showed his hand and said, "I have the nuts". Since there was a straight flush possibility on the board, I replied, "Actually, you have the nut flush, but not the nuts....but, obviously you still win." It was just some friendly banter between me and my brother. Well, some new guy fresh off the WPT (who wasn't involved in the hand), chimes in with, "A straight flush is the the nut flush. And Ace-high flush is not."Now, I'm thinking "WTF?...who asked you?"I politely disagreed, and said that a straight flush is ranked higher than a flush, and my brother has a flush. Since it is ace-high, it is the "nut flush".When he pressed his point, I went to get another beer.Who cares? Probably no one, but it's one of those stupid arguments that ensues in a home game after people have had a lot to drink. I let it go, as I usually do, but I'm just curious whether anyone can enlighten me on what is the correct statement here. Sorry, I'm a little bored today.Btw...the WPT-wannabe was up big at the time, but ended up donating most of his stack to the rest of the table, including me. I could tell that he had recently read a book, so he was very easy to read. Now, I know we're not supposed to tap on the glass, but I just couldn't help calling out this a-holes hand. Chances are, I will never play with this guy again (he was from out of town), and my ego got in the way of my common sense. Funny hand...again involving my brother against me. Long story short...(too late, thread is already long)...After the turn card, I had an OESD and my brother bet big (after check-check on the flop, and a blank falls on the turn). I say, "I gotta lay down my 8-outer to your flopped set of sevens". The WPT-wannabe (who, again, ain't in the hand). Says, "No, you're wrong, he's got TPTK or he's bluffing."Now, voice inside my head says "STOP TAPPING ON THE GLASS, DORK."But, ego and alcohol cause me to lay it out for him as to why i'm over 90% sure that my brother had a set of 7's. (I won't bore you with the hand details.) ANYWAY, WPT dude tells me how wrong I am.I muck, my brother says, "You're sick, dude." and flips over his set of 7's. WPT dude was like a deer in the headlights. (FYI--this was the last hand of the night, so I might has well have thrown a brick through the glass).Before I get a lecture on glass tapping, let me reiterate that I'll never play with this guy again, this was a home game, he was a major ahole, i was drinking heavily, and sometimes my ego wins.Cheers.

[Emptyeye]

If anyone decides to watch the final table of Stars freerolls, it's amusing how 50 people will immediately type "CALL HE'S BLUFFING" when someone goes all-in, much like Mr. WPT Wannabe did. But back to your question, I would just call it the ace-high flush. I basically agree with Mr. WPT's line of thinking, in that the Ace High Flush CAN'T be the nut flush, mainly because it's not the nuts in that particular instance.

[holman3rd]

Emptyeye said:

If anyone decides to watch the final table of Stars freerolls, it's amusing how 50 people will immediately type "CALL HE'S BLUFFING" when someone goes all-in, much like Mr. WPT Wannabe did.  But back to your question, I would just call it the ace-high flush. I basically agree with Mr. WPT's line of thinking, in that the Ace High Flush CAN'T be the nut flush, mainly because it's not the nuts in that particular instance.

Yeah, that's the way he explained it. I guess it boils down to this...what is the highest flush you can have?Is it an Ace-high flush or is it a straight flush?I guess I'm just used to the table of hand rankings that shows a straight flush as a group above flushes.I realize the answer really doesn't matter, but my ego needs healing.

[Emptyeye]

Well, I would simply call it the Ace-high flush in any circumstance where it's not the nuts (If, say, the board paired for instance; some full house is going to be the absolute nuts in that situation).And I see where you're coming from, but I personally prefer to think of straight flushes as sort of a "subclass" of flushes. There was a post somewhere I made where someone discussed trying to trap with a one-card King-high flush and I replied "You were trying to trap with the fifth-high flush?" as there were multiple combinations that allowed for straight flushes on the board.

[akishore]

i tend to agree with holdman. an ace-high flush is the "nut flush", but a 6-7 of spades on a board of 3s-4s-5s-x-x is the "nut straight flush". you can have the "nut flush" and be beaten by a "baby straight flush". no big deal, though, but i think the OP is correct.aseem