Sets and Trips
A set is three of a kind when you hold a pocket pair that matches one of the board
cards. The odds of flopping a set are 7.5 to 1. Trips are three of a kind when one of
your pocket cards matches a pair on the board. You will only flop trips about 1.4%
of the time. Sets generally win larger pots than trips. Any time there is a pair on the
board, especially when it is a high pair; it is difficult to get a lot of action since your
opponents generally will play cautiously.
Although sets are very strong hands, there still are dangers. Your first concern with
a set is the possibility of flushes and straights; therefore, three-suit-ed or three-
connected flops are your biggest worry us it is possible that you are currently beat
and must draw to a full house to win. If the flop is two-suited, two-connected, or
contains two cards with one or two gaps, sets and trips are vulnerable to flush and
straight draws.
Although flushes and straights are your main concern, sometimes you can lose to
other hands. For example, you can lose to a higher set, or your trips can lose to an
opponent who also has trips but with a better kicker. Another possibility is that an
opponent holding two pair could hit a better full house if the board pairs on either
the turn or the river. These secondary concerns usually will not dictate your strategy
on the flop, although possibly on later rounds, since they are not very common;
however, the possibilities of flushes, straights, or strong draws have a big impact on
how you decide to play your hand.
Even with these potential dangers, you have at least a 33% chance of drawing out
to beat any flush or straight; therefore, at the very least you have a good drawing
hand. You are going to play your hand to the river. So you must determine the best
strategy to maximize its value. Sometimes you should play your hand strongly on
the flop, while other times you might slowplay until the more expensive betting
round on the turn. Let's look first at dangerous and strong flops for sets and then
we'll discuss strategies for trips.
NEXT...Dangerous Flops
