The "Set-Trap"

I need some help folks, last couple of days i have been playing in a couple of multi-tourneys and been caught holding a set (2 on the flop, one in my hand) but been out kicked.

ie i was holding 9 10 suited against a A10 offsuit, the flop came 8 10 10 rainbow.

I couldnt bring myself to fold and both times i had this i lost a mountain of chips.

Any advice?

In the example given, there isn't much you can do. The odds of that happening are slim. My advice to you is when you hit a set (I think a set is when you have a pocket pair and make your trips on the board) and people are calling bets, raise big. If someone who is chasing a striaght or flsuh draw wants to invest that much, that's their decision. The majority of the time they will fold.

Yes according to hold-em terms.. set is a pair in your hand with a card on the board.. trips is a card in your hand with a pair on board.

That is the danger of playing hands like suited connectors. You really are not praying for trips, you want the straight or flush.

I think most people would have a hard time letting it go. For you to have it happen twice so close together is just the poker gods laughing at you and trying to make you change your game. I Think you played it right, you just got hit by one of the hands that could beat you.

gjshand said:

I need some help folks, last couple of days i have been playing in a couple of multi-tourneys and been caught holding a set (2 on the flop, one in my hand) but been out kicked.

ie i was holding 9 10 suited against a A10 offsuit, the flop came 8 10 10 rainbow.

I couldnt bring myself to fold and both times i had this i lost a mountain of chips.

Any advice?

Click to expand...

Fold preflop.

Suited connectors are hugely overrated hands when it comes to mid/late tourney play. Most pots are heads up, and suited connectors play badly heads up. They're fine for trying steals with from late position, but don't make a habit of calling raises or limping with them, except perhaps in early tourney stages on loose-passive preflop tables where you're getting better implied odds and can afford to see more flops.

That said, it's just a case of bad luck really when someone else in the pot holds the case T with a higher kicker. Unless you're very deepstacked and up against a super-tight player, having entered the pot preflop there's not a lot you can do to get away from it.