Question of the Day - 31 October 2023

As you say, "the nuts" or "the nut hand" refers to having the best possible hand in poker, which means it's unbeatable.

While the concept is straightforward enough, the origin of the term is one of those typically nebulous areas that's lost in the mists of history.

Still, it almost certainly originated in the historical poker games of the Wild West days and the most common theories we've read revolve around versions of an explanation that if a player had bet everything he possessed, his last move would be to place the nuts that held his wagon wheels to their axles on the table to ensure that, should he lose, he'd be unable to flee and would have to make good on the bet. Since he'd be unlikely to bet what probably amounted to his most valuable possession unless he thought he was onto a sure thing, the folklore says that this is how the best possible hand -- the only one he'd risk his wagon on -- came to be known as "the nuts."

We can imagine scenarios where it might not be the owner of the wagon who volunteered to remove the nuts, but rather one or more opponents who were doubting that his pockets were as deep as he might be trying to indicate and wanted to get some collateral up front.

It reminds us, albeit tangentially, of a story that legendary poker player and notorious hustler Puggy Pearson used to relate, about how he'd deliberately stash his bankroll under one of the wheels of his car when arriving to play an illegal poker game somewhere, just as a precaution, should some unscrupulous opponent try to rob him of his money (or take back what he'd fleeced them for).

And on a side note, your faithful member-services staff at the Las Vegas Advisor wracked our brains to put together a list of 100 FREE things to do in Las Vegas. It's a comprehensive reminder that Bargain City hasn't completely been subsumed by Gouge City. It's downloadable, so you can print it out and check off the free attractions, entertainment, and experiences as you go. Access it here or find it via the link in the Visit drop down and slider.