A “Three of a Kind” is a poker hand consisting of three cards of the same rank. For example, three Kings, three Sevens, or three Aces. It is a strong hand that ranks above a Two Pair, a One Pair, and a High Card, but it is weaker than a Straight, a Flush, a Full House, Four of a Kind, and a Straight Flush. The remaining two cards in your five-card hand, known as kickers, are used to break ties if multiple players have Three of a Kind of the same rank (which can only happen if the three of a kind is made by community cards).
Example
Imagine you are playing Texas Hold’em. You are dealt A♠ A♥ (a pocket pair of Aces). The community cards (the board) are revealed as A♦ K♣ 7♠ 2♦ J♥. Your best five-card hand would be A♠ A♥ A♦ K♣ J♥. This is a Three of a Kind (three Aces) with a King and a Jack as your kickers.
Another example: You hold T♣ 7♠. The board runs out K♦ T♠ T♥ 3♣ 9♥. Your best hand is T♣ T♠ T♥ K♦ 9♥, which is Three of a Kind (three Tens) with a King and a Nine as kickers.
Strategy Tip
Three of a Kind is a powerful hand and should generally be played aggressively, especially if it’s a “set” (formed with a pocket pair and one community card, making it less obvious to opponents). You should aim to extract value by betting and raising, but always be mindful of potential straights or flushes that could be completed on the board, as these hands beat Three of a Kind. If the board is paired and you have “trips” (formed with one hole card and two community cards), be cautious, as it’s easier for an opponent to have a higher Three of a Kind or even a Full House. Consider the texture of the board: a dry board (few draw possibilities) makes your Three of a Kind stronger, while a wet board (many draw possibilities) makes it more vulnerable.
FAQ
What’s the difference between a “set” and “trips”?
Both “set” and “trips” refer to Three of a Kind, but the terms distinguish how the hand was formed. A “set” is when you hold a pocket pair (e.g., 7-7) and hit the third card of that rank on the board (e.g., a 7