A Set, aka Three-of-a-Kind or Trips, is a tricky poker hand to play. You can only get maximum value from this hand if you know how to limit your losses. I’ll explain what this means and more in my guide to Three-of-a-Kind.
What is a Set in Poker?
A Set, otherwise known as Three-of-a-Kind, is a poker hand consisting of three cards of equal value. As it is with all poker hands, you have five cards in total.
Therefore, when you make a Set, the hand consists of three cards of equal value and two cards that don’t match. For example, A♠ A♣ A♥ 4♦ 8♥ is classed as a Set
It’s possible for two or more players to have a Set in poker. In these situations, the highest value Set wins, i.e., the three highest value cards.
Let’s look at an example:
Player 1 has A♣ A♦
Player 2 has 8♠ 8♥
The board is: A♥ 8♣ 9♠ J♥ 3♠
Player 1’s hand = A♣ A♦ A♥ J♥ 9♠
Player 2’s hand = 8♠ 8♥ 8♣ A♥ J♥
Result: Player 1 wins with a Set of Aces
Player 1 wins in this scenario because Aces are worth more than Eights. Therefore, a Set of Aces is better than a Set of Eights.
Set vs. Three-of-a-Kind
In most cases, it doesn’t matter if you call this poker hand a “Set” or “Three-of-a-Kind.” However, it’s more common to call it a Set when you’ve got a pocket pair and hit a third matching card.
When you’ve got unpaired hole cards (e.g., A♣ K♥) and two matching cards appear on the board, it’s commonly called Three-of-a-Kind.
As I’ve said, it doesn’t really matter what you call this hand. In fact, some people call this type of hand Trips. The only time it really matters is when you’re thinking about odds, as I’ll explain in a moment.
Poker Hand Rankings
The hand rankings below show that a Set is the seventh-best hand you can make in poker. That means a Set beats Two Pair and One Pair but loses to a Straight and all higher-ranked hands.
Rank
Hand
Example
01
Royal Flush
02
Straight Flush
03
Four-of-a-Kind (Quads)
04
Full House (Full Boat)
05
Flush
06
Straight
07
Three-of-a-Kind (Set/Trips)
08
Two Pair
09
One Pair
10
High Card
What Are the Odds of Making Three-of-a-Kind?
The chances of making Three-of-a-Kind vary depending on the cards you start with, but the numbers range from 1.35% to 10.85%.
Let’s look at this in more detail:
The odds of hitting Three-of-a-Kind when you have an unpaired starting hand are 1.35%. That’s approximately one in every 75 hands, aka 74-to-1 against.
The odds of making Three-of-a-Kind with any starting hand (i.e., all possible starting hands) is 1.9%. That’s approximately one in every 53 hands, aka 52-to-1 against.
The odds of hitting a Set when you have a paired starting hand are 10.8%. That’s approximately one in every 9 hands, aka 8-to-1 against.
As you can see, the chances of making a Set (Three-of-a-Kind) are much better when you’ve got a paired starting hand.
How to Play a Set: 3 Basic Strategy Tips
There are some advantages and disadvantages to making a Set in poker. I’ve won countless pots with this hand, but I’ve also lost a fair few simply because I overvalued my hand. Here are three tips to help you win more and lose less:
1. Use Your Set to Read Hands
Card removal is a concept that helps you to narrow down an opponent’s possible range of hands. Put simply, if cards have been removed from the deck, there’s less chance your opponent has certain hands.
With a set, you know the chances of someone having a Pair or Two Pair are slightly lower. For example, if you’ve got K♣ K♥ and the board is K♠ Q♠ 9♥ 7♠ 3♦, it’s very unlikely your opponent has hands such as A♣ K♦, K♦Q♥, and K♦ J♣.
We know this because three Kings have been removed from the deck. We also know people like to play hands such as A-K. Therefore, based on these two facts, the chances that someone has a Pair or Two Pair in this scenario are lower than they normally would be.
Watch Out for Full Houses
You don’t need a pocket pair to make Sets in poker. One of your hole cards might match with a pair on the board to give you Three-of-a-Kind. This could be enough to win a showdown, but you need to be wary of Full Houses on paired boards.
3. Use Position to Your Advantage
I say it all the time, but position is power. The advantage of playing in a late position is information. It’s better to react than be the first person to make a move.
Let’s say you’re the last player to act, and you’ve got a Set. The player in front of you tends to call big bets on the river after checking. You can exploit this by placing a big bet after they check.
Now, let’s assume the roles are reversed. You have a set, but you’re first to act. Leading out with a bet in this position looks incredibly strong and could cause your opponent to fold. However, checking gives them the opportunity to have a cheap showdown.
This tricky spot demonstrates the power of position. There will be times when you have to play hands in an early position. The point I’m making is that, in general, you should play more hands in late positions than early positions.
Mistakes to Avoid with a Set
A lot of novices overvalue Sets and call too often on the river when the board is scary. For example, let’s say you’ve got J♥ J♦ in Hold’em, and the board is J♠ Q♠ K♥ 9♦ A♠. You’ve got three Jacks, which is a decent hand.
But when you look at the board, a lot of hands could beat you. Someone only needs a 10 in their hand to make a straight. You could also be losing to someone with a spade flush or a better set.
If you’re facing big bets from one or more opponents in this scenario, it’s probably best to fold. Knowing when it’s best to fold is the key to playing Sets correctly. I’m not saying you have to fold all the time, but the aim here is to limit your losses on dangerous boards.
Conclusion: How to Play Three-of-a-kind in Poker
There’s an art to playing Sets in poker. I see it as a balancing act. On the one hand, a Set is strong enough to win a lot of showdowns. On the other hand, it can get you into trouble on dangerous boards.
Therefore, my advice is to be cautious and think carefully about every hand you play. Piece together your opponent’s actions so you’ve got a better read on whether you’re ahead or behind. Then, if a call makes sense, do it. If not, fold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make a Set with any of the four suits in poker. In fact, because you need three cards of the same value, it’s necessary to have different suits. The strength of a Set depends on the value of your three matching cards, not their suits.
Yes, it’s possible for two or more players to have Three-of-a-Kind in poker. The winner of a Set vs. Set showdown is the one who has the three highest-value cards. For example, Q♥ Q♦ Q♠ 7♦ 6♠ beats 9♠ 9♦ 9♥ 4♥ 10♠.
The only things that limit the amount you can win with a Set are the chips stacks in play and the betting format. If you’re playing a Limit game, the most you can win depends on the value of the Big Blind. In Pot Limit games, the value of the pot limits the amount you can win. In No Limit games, you can win all the chips in your opponent’s stack.
