can anyone answer me about sets vs trips ?

#1 12th August 2010, 8:22 AM

hi all

can someone confirm this for me

i thought a set and trips were the same thing and the highest card rank would win....

i loaded my showdown calculator with

hole cards 4 4 and K 5

and a flop of 4 K 8 K 6

expecting the trip kings to beat the set of 4's but the 4'S beat it 100% ?

no book or definition of the two terms ive read so far make it clear that

the hole pair of lower rank is stronger ?

thanks for any advice

#2 12th August 2010, 8:26 AM

A set is when you have a pair and hit your third card for a set. Trips are when you have a hole card that is the same as a pair on the flop. ( This is my understanding on this, I have not seen this described anywhere) And the 4s above do not flop a set, but a full house with the 2 Ks and 4 on the flop.

#3 12th August 2010, 8:29 AM

The K 5 has trips (and yes trips and a set are the same thing). The pocket 4's have a full house (or boat) so that is why they win.

444KK vs KKK86

#4 12th August 2010, 8:31 AM

Originally Posted by fletchdad

A set is when you have a pair and hit your third card for a set. Trips are when you have a hole card that is the same as a pair on the flop. ( This is my understanding on this, I have not seen this described anywhere) And the 4s above do not flop a set, but a full house with the 2 Ks and 4 on the flop.

I've never heard this description before about the term set vs trips. Could I be wrong?

#5 12th August 2010, 8:36 AM

Set - A specific type of three of a kind, where a player has a pocket pair with a single card of the same value on the board.

Trips - Three of a kind with two of them on the board.

#6 12th August 2010, 8:39 AM

^^^what effexor said

#7 12th August 2010, 8:42 AM

As previous posters have clarified

SET - 2 hole cards + one on the board
TRIPS - Hole card + 2 on the board

In your example the set is stronger as it makes the full house and is more difficult to "see"

#8 12th August 2010, 8:48 AM

There is NO situation in holdem where suit ranking decides a win or loss. Hands of exactly equal face value are always split pots.

Suit rankings are only used in games like stud where a board card decides who must bet first or 'bring in' to open the betting round.

#9 12th August 2010, 9:18 AM

Originally Posted by bhood1776

The K 5 has trips (and yes trips and a set are the same thing). The pocket 4's have a full house (or boat) so that is why they win.

444KK vs KKK86

Not to nit pic but set is called a set for a reason....(44 hole cards), and on the flop came a 457 (That's a set)...Now lets say your hole cards are (K4), and the flop came 44A (That's Trips)...

Yes there the same thing but different wording

#10 12th August 2010, 9:34 AM

A 3-of-a-kind is a 3-of-a-kind no matter how you get it, I have never heard of a difference between trips and a set.

#11 12th August 2010, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by mosseyAJ

A 3-of-a-kind is a 3-of-a-kind no matter how you get it, I have never heard of a difference between trips and a set.

There is one major difference.
If you have a set of, say 4s, no one else can have a set of 4s (you have 2). If you have trip 4s (you have one and 2 are showing) someone else can actually have trip 4s as well.

Also the chance of a full house against your trips is also present, since with trips there must be a pair on board.

#12 12th August 2010, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by fletchdad

There is one major difference.
If you have a set of, say 4s, no one else can have a set of 4s (you have 2). If you have trip 4s (you have one and 2 are showing) someone else can actually have trip 4s as well.

Also the chance of a full house against your trips is also present, since with trips there must be a pair on board.

I understand that having a 'set' is more powerful due to this, and not only that but because you have a naturally disguised hand. I am just saying that I dont think it matters what it is called.

Thinking back into my 5 year poker-career however, i think that I have subconsiously followed the same guidelines for announcing my hand. Weird.

So I will say I am wrong.

#13 12th August 2010, 3:48 PM

Almost all poker literature distinguishes sets from trips, even if not all poker players do. It's been that way for as long as I've played poker. Frankly I'm always surprised when poker players don't know the distinction.

The distinction is important when talking about hands and strategy because as already pointed out, a set is stronger than trips. Trips are far more vulnerable -- you hitting trips when someone hits a set means they now have a full house -- and should usually not be played the same way as a set unless you have a really good read on your opponent that puts them on a non-pocket-pair hand.

So yes I do think it matters what they're called. Even if they have the same face value of 3-of-a-kind, they are actually quite different hands in terms of how they should typically be valued and played.

#14 12th August 2010, 5:40 PM

thanks to everyone who answered,,,,,what a great site,,,so much great advice....cheers !!

#15 12th August 2010, 7:56 PM

It is probably too rare to worry about but it has happened to me so I'll mention it.

When the board pairs something higher than your set your full house could be drawing dead against a higher full house.

In your example if your opponent had K8 k6 or k4 you would be far behind as their full house beats yours.

First time I encountered this was with my KK against AK and a flop of KAx. The turn was another A and I was dead in the water.

Again it's rare but it does happen.

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can anyone answer me about sets vs trips ?

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