Hand Rankings
Three of a kind
Three cards of one rank.
Also known as: trips, set
Where three of a kind ranks
A five-card three-of-a-kind hand contains three cards of the same rank and two kickers of different ranks. It beats two pair, one pair and high card. A straight beats it, as do a flush, full house, four of a kind and straight flush.
The rank of the three matching cards is compared first. Three queens beat three tens regardless of the kickers. When two players have the same three matching cards, compare the highest kicker and then the second kicker. Suits do not break a tie in Texas Hold’em.
Set versus trips
A set usually means your pocket pair matches one board card. With eight of spades and eight of diamonds on an eight of clubs, king of hearts, two of spades flop, you have a set of eights.
Trips usually means one of your hole cards matches a pair on the board. With eight of spades and ace of diamonds on an eight of clubs, eight of hearts, two of spades flop, you have trip eights. A set and trips belong to the same hand-ranking family. The distinction describes how the hand is made, and what matching hands opponents can hold.
Worked example: the kicker decides
The board is eight of clubs, eight of hearts, king of diamonds, five of spades and two of clubs. You hold eight of spades and ace of diamonds. Your opponent holds eight of diamonds and queen of clubs.
You both have three eights. Your five-card hand is eight-eight-eight-ace-king; your opponent has eight-eight-eight-king-queen. Your ace is the higher first kicker, so you win. If your best five-card hands were identical, you would split the pot.
Common mistakes and a quick check
Do not stop at the words “three of a kind.” If the board itself contains three matching cards, everyone still in the hand can use them. A pocket pair may make a full house, and a fourth matching card makes four of a kind. Always build the strongest five-card hand available.
Practice question: with two sevens in your hand and a king-seven-seven flop, is your hand a set? No: you have all four sevens, so it is four of a kind. Counting the cards is more reliable than using a label from memory.