Three of a kind in poker is three cards of the same rank plus two unrelated cards, like 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ K♣ 2♠. It ranks seventh of the ten poker hands, beating two pair and everything below it, and losing to a straight or better.
In Texas Hold’em you’ll make three of a kind about once every 21 times you see all seven cards. But not all three of a kinds are equal, and the difference between a set and trips changes how you should play it.
When I coach players on this hand, that’s the first thing I want them to understand. The same hand rank can be a disguised monster or a kicker problem, depending on how you made it.
Poker hand rankings
What Beats Three of a Kind?
6 hands beat three of a kind (a royal flush, a straight flush, four of a kind, a full house, a flush and a straight). It ranks #7 of 10 and beats the 3 below it.
- #7 of 10Hand ranking
- 3Hand types it beats
- 1 in 21Texas Hold’em hands
- 1 in 47Five-card deals
- 1Royal FlushA, K, Q, J and 10 of one suitA♥K♥Q♥J♥10♥Beats three of a kind
- 2Straight FlushFive cards in a row, all one suit9♠8♠7♠6♠5♠Beats three of a kind
- 3Four of a KindFour cards of the same rankQ♣Q♦Q♥Q♠7♦Beats three of a kind
- 4Full HouseThree of a kind plus a pairK♠K♦K♣4♥4♠Beats three of a kind
- 5FlushAny five cards of one suitA♦J♦8♦6♦3♦Beats three of a kindDoes a flush beat three of a kind?
- 6StraightFive cards in a row, mixed suits10♣9♦8♠7♥6♣Beats three of a kindDoes a straight beat three of a kind?
- 7Three of a KindThree cards of the same rank7♠7♥7♦K♣2♠You’re here
- 8Two PairTwo different pairsJ♥J♣5♦5♠A♣Loses to three of a kindDoes three of a kind beat two pair?
- 9One PairTwo cards of the same rank9♣9♥A♠Q♦4♣Loses to three of a kind
- 10High CardNo pair or better, highest card playsA♠J♦8♣5♥3♠Loses to three of a kind
Good to knowWith a pocket pair it’s called a set, with one hole card it’s called trips. Same hand rank, very different strength at the table.
Three of a Kind Examples (What It Looks Like)
Any three cards of the same rank make three of a kind, as long as the other two cards don’t pair. In Texas Hold’em there are three ways to get there.
- A set is a pocket pair plus one matching card on the board, like 7♠ 7♥ on a 7♦ K♣ 2♠ flop
- Trips is one hole card plus a pair on the board, like 7♠ K♦ on a 7♥ 7♦ 2♣ flop
- Board trips is all three cards on the board, like a 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ flop, which everyone shares
If your other two cards also make a pair, you don’t have three of a kind anymore. K♠ K♦ K♣ 4♥ 4♠ is a full house, which ranks three places higher.
Players also call three of a kind “trips” in general conversation, so don’t be confused if you hear both terms used for the same hand rank. The distinction only really matters when you’re deciding how to play it.
Sets vs Trips (and Which One Wins)
Sets and trips are the same hand rank. The difference is how hidden they are and how often you have to worry about kickers.
Why a Set Is Stronger
A set uses a pocket pair, so the board only shows one of your three cards. On a 7♦ K♣ 2♠ flop, your opponent sees a harmless-looking board and has no reason to put you on sevens.
Only one player can hold that pocket pair, so a set almost never ties. You either win outright or lose to a bigger hand.
Why Trips Need a Good Kicker
Trips use a paired board, which everyone can see. On a 7♥ 7♦ 2♣ flop, any opponent holding a seven has the same trips you do.
When that happens, the kicker decides the pot. That’s why trips with a weak kicker are a much more fragile hand than they look.
Which Three of a Kind Wins
The higher three of a kind always wins first. Three aces beat three kings, and three kings beat three queens.
- 9♠ 9♦ on a 9♥ 4♠ 2♦ board beats 4♣ 4♥, because a set of nines beats a set of fours
- On a K♦ K♣ 8♠ 4♥ 2♣ board, K-Q beats K-J, because K-K-K-Q-8 beats K-K-K-J-8
- On a 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ Q♣ 3♠ board, A-5 beats K-J, because 7-7-7-A-Q beats 7-7-7-K-Q
Suits never matter. If both players have the same three cards and the same two kickers, the pot is split.
Three of a Kind Odds (How Often You’ll Make It)
| Situation | Odds | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Five random cards | 1 in 47 | 2.1% |
| Seven cards (Texas Hold’em, seeing the river) | 1 in 21 | 4.8% |
| Being dealt a pocket pair | 1 in 17 | 5.9% |
| Pocket pair, flopping a set or better | 1 in 8.5 | 11.8% |
| Pocket pair, making a set or better by the river | 1 in 5.2 | 19.2% |
| Flopped set, improving to a full house or better by the river | 1 in 3 | 33.4% |
| Flopped set, making four of a kind by the river | 1 in 23.5 | 4.3% |
The number to remember is the flop. A pocket pair hits a set or better about once every eight and a half flops.
That’s the math behind playing small and medium pairs preflop. You’ll miss most flops, so the pairs in our preflop charts are only profitable when the times you hit pay for all the times you don’t.
How to Play Three of a Kind
Play Sets for Big Pots
A set is one of the best hands you can flop, and it’s very well disguised. On most boards you should be looking to get as many chips in as you can.
The stack depth matters here. Set mining with small pairs works best when you and your opponent have deep stacks relative to the pot, which is exactly what SPR measures.
Slow-Play Only on Dry Boards
On a dry board like K-7-2 rainbow, you can sometimes check and let your opponent bet. I once flopped a set of sevens on that exact texture against a player who kept barreling with top pair, and checking and calling until the river got me far more than betting would have.
On wet boards with flush and straight draws, bet. Slow-playing there just gives your opponent free cards to beat you.
Play Trips With Your Kicker in Mind
With trips, your kicker is your whole tiebreaker. A-7 on a 7-7-2 board is strong, while 7-4 on the same board is often in trouble against any opponent who also holds a seven.
Because trips are easy for your opponent to see, they’re also easier to fold against. If you’re betting big with trips, ask which worse hands are actually calling. It helps to count hand combinations of better and worse sevens rather than guessing.
Stop Making These Three of a Kind Mistakes
Slow-Playing on Wet Boards
I see this constantly in hand reviews. A player checks a set on a board full of draws to set a trap, the flush comes in, and they pay off a hand they were crushing on the flop.
Overvaluing Trips With a Weak Kicker
In multiway pots on paired boards, someone else often has the same trips. With a weak kicker, keep the pot smaller and avoid stacking off.
Never Building the Pot
Slow-playing is fine on dry boards, but it isn’t the same as never betting. If neither player bets, a set wins a tiny pot it should have won a big one with. Pick at least one street, usually the turn or river, to start putting chips in.
Forgetting the Board
Three of a kind loses to a straight, a flush, and a full house. When the board brings four to a straight or three of a suit, slow down against big bets. Our cheat sheets are a handy way to drill which boards hurt your hand.
Three of a Kind FAQ
What is three of a kind in poker?
Three of a kind is three cards of the same rank plus two unrelated cards, like 7-7-7-K-2. It ranks seventh in the poker hand rankings.
What's the difference between a set and trips?
A set uses a pocket pair plus one card on the board. Trips use one hole card plus a pair on the board. Both are three of a kind, but sets are better hidden and rarely tie.
Is two pair or trips better?
Trips is better. Three of a kind ranks seventh and two pair ranks eighth, so any three of a kind beats any two pair.
Does three aces beat two pair?
Yes. Three aces, like any three of a kind, beats every two pair, even kings and queens.
Does a straight win over three of a kind?
Yes. A straight ranks sixth and three of a kind ranks seventh, so the straight wins.
What happens when two players have three of a kind?
The higher three of a kind wins. If both have the same rank, which only happens with trips or board trips, the highest kicker decides it, then the second kicker.
How often do you flop a set?
With a pocket pair, you’ll flop a set or better about 11.8% of the time, roughly once every eight and a half flops.
