Three of a Kind

Set: A Set is when you have a pocket pair in your hand (88) and another 8 hit the flop. Sets are some of the most profitable hands in poker. They are well disguised and if you hold 88 on an AJ8 flop you will often win a big pot. This is why all pocket pairs have great value. It is not easy to flop a Set and then get paid.

1: You have to be dealt a pocket pair.

2: You have to flop a Set.

3: Your opponent has to hit the flop for you to get paid

Because of this small and medium pocket pairs should be played from late position only and as cheap as possible. Sets lose to Royal flush, Straight Flush, 4 of a kind, Full house, Flush, Straight and higher Sets.

More examples

Sets beat lower Sets, Two pair, one pair and all High card hands. Set over Set is when someone holds a higher set than his opponent. Flopping a set is extremely strong and it is virtually impossible to get away from the hand. It is long term a bad strategy to be afraid of your Sets not being the best hand. Play Sets very strong and aggressive to get most money out of them.

When flopping a set it is a good strategy to bet the hand and not do any fancy check raises. Trips: Trips is when you hold one card in your hand (87) and two other cards of the same rank hit the board (885). Trips are not nearly as strong as Sets because you are in risk of your opponent holding the same trips with a better kicker. You should always bet your trips and proceed carefully (with a bad kicker card) if someone stays in the pot.

Trips will seldom win you a big pot as the pair on the flop are scary for all other players. Be careful with trips as they are not disguised the same was as Sets and any action you get has to be looked upon carefully. Folding trips happens a lot more often than folding a set. Trips lose and win against the same hands as Sets but can lose to trips with higher kicker and those situations are extremely costly.