Three of a Kind in Poker
What is Three of a Kind?
Three of a kind is a poker hand that contains three cards of the same rank and two unrelated cards. Three of a kind is the seventh strongest hand in the poker hand rankings. Two pair sits below three of a kind and a straight sits above it.
Example Hands
There are multiple ways to make three of a kind in Texas Hold'em. A "set" occurs when a pocket pair matches one of the community cards of the same rank.
- Hole cards of 9♥ 9♠ on a flop of 9♦ K♣ 4♠ makes a set of nines
"Trips" is another way to make three of a kind. "Trips" is when a hole card pairs with two of the community cards of the same rank.
- Hole cards of A♣ 7♦ on a flop of 7♠ 7♥ 2♣ makes three sevens
Three of a kind can also be formed when all three matching cards appear on the board. The rank of the three matched cards determines the strength of the hand. Three kings (K♠ K♥ K♦) beat three queens (Q♠ Q♥ Q♦) because kings outrank queens. The two remaining cards are kickers and only matter when two three of a kind hands, of the same rank, clash.
What Three of a Kind Beats and Loses To
Three of a kind beats two pair and everything ranked below it, down to high card. Three of a kind loses to a straight and everything ranked above it, up to a royal flush. The complete order of the hands is available on the poker hand rankings hub.
Ties and Kickers
When two hands of three of a kind face-off, the higher rank of the three matched cards determines the winner. For example, three aces beat three kings regardless of the side cards. The side cards, or kickers, break the tie when two hands of three of a kind hold the same ranked matched cards, with the higher card compared first.
- A♣ K♦ takes on Q♠ J♦ on a board of 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ 5♣ 2♦
- A♣ K♦ wins because an ace outranks a queen
- The complete winning hand is 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ A♣ K♦ whereas the losing hand is 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ Q♠ J♦
The second kicker determines the winner when the higher kickers match. When both hands of three of a card and the two kickers are identical, the pot is split at showdown as the hands are equal.
Three of a Kind Probability
The chance of making three of a kind in Texas Hold’em is 4.83%. Three of a kind is made using the best five cards out of a total of seven cards: two hole cards and five community cards. Three of a kind sits seventh on the poker hand rankings because it is rarer than two pair and more common than a straight.
Three of a Kind Across Variants
The three of a kind ranking is the same in high-hand games like the Texas Hold’em and Omaha. The three of a kind hand ranking also does not change in Short Deck Hold'em even though it uses a 36-card deck with the twos, threes, fours and fives removed. Three of a kind is a weak hand in lowball poker. Lowball poker inverts the normal hand rankings, with the lowest hands being the strongest. Three of a kind counts against a hand in games such as Razz, 2-7 Single Draw and 2-7 Triple Draw.
Frequently Asked Questions
Three of a kind is a 5-card poker hand comprised of three cards of the same rank and two kickers. Three of the cards must be of the same rank. Three of a kind is seventh in the poker hand rankings, sitting above two pair and below a straight. In Texas Hold’em, the hand can be made as a “set”, when one card from the five community cards matches a pocket pair. “Trips” are when one card from the hole cards matches two cards from the five community cards. Three of a kind can also be made completely across the community cards and doesn't need any related hole cards.
Three of a kind beats two pair and every hand that ranks below two pair. That means three of a kind also beats one pair and high card. Three of a kind loses to a straight and every hand that ranks above a straight, up to a royal flush.
The rank of the three matched cards determines the winner when two three of a kind hands clash. For example, three queens beat three 10s. When both three of a kind hands share the same matched cards, the side cards or kickers decide the winner. The highest kicker is compared first and then the second kicker. The hands are equal when the kickers match. Equal three of a kind hands at showdown result in a split pot.
The probability of making three of a kind is approximately 4.83% in Texas Hold’em. The probability counts the chances of making it using hole cards and community cards so this is the 7-card probability. It is more common than a straight and rarer than two pair. Three of a kind is seventh in the poker hands ranking order.