There is a fairly good chance that you will land a three-of-a-kind in poker at some point. Our guide unpacks this hand, what it is, what beats it, and also reveals some probabilities so you can play confidently. Sounds good? Let’s first examine what this poker hand looks like.
3 of a kind cards are exactly what the name implies: three cards of the same rank plus two unrelated cards. There are 242 possible 3-of-a-kind hands in a 52-card deck.
In basic terms, odds are the chance of something happening, while probability represents its likelihood. The probability of getting a poker three-of-a-kind hand is 2.11% or 1 in 47.
Good knowledge of poker hand hierarchy helps you know when to hold or fold. The 3-of-a-kind poker hand ranks seventh on the poker hand rankings chart.
Ranking seventh, the 3-of-a-kind poker hand is lower in the pecking order of poker hands when playing Texas Hold’em and Omaha Poker.
| This hand does not beat a Royal Flush | ❌ |
| This hand does not beat a Straight Flush | ❌ |
| This hand does not beat Four Of A Kind | ❌ |
| This hand does not beat a Full House | ❌ |
| This hand does not beat a Flush | ❌ |
| This hand does not beat a Straight | ❌ |
| This hand beats Two Pairs | ✔️ |
| This hand beats One Pair | ✔️ |
| This hand beats a High Card | ✔️ |
Of course not. A royal flush is the unbeatable hand, with odds of 649,739 to 1. Compare this with 47 to 1 for three-of-a-kind in poker.
Again, no. A three-of-a-kind cannot beat a straight flush in poker. Just consider the odds. You can expect to get a straight flush once in 72,193 hands.
No, Four of a Kind is a much stronger poker hand. Just look at the 3 of a kind examples and odds and probabilities, and you will see why. As mentioned earlier, the odds of getting three of a-kind in a 52-card deck are 1 in 47 hands, compared to 1 in 4,164 for four of a kind.
Not a chance. Three-of-a-kind poker hands cannot beat a full house, which is made up of 3 of a kind and a pair. With odds of one in 695 hands, a full house is a higher-ranking poker hand.
No. Three-of-a-kind does not beat a flush in poker. Again, considering 3-of-a-kind probability, it’s easy to see that at 1in 509 hands, a flush is rarer than three-of-a-kind.
What beats three-of-a-kind in poker? A straight with odds of 1 in 254 hands. While 3 of a kind is a good hand, it cannot beat a straight in poker.
You have learned what is a three-of-a-kind in poker and what beats it. Let’s now look at what falls to this hand. Here, we refer to two pairs, one pair, and the high card.
In this situation, the player with the highest-ranking three related cards wins. Let’s consider an example where one player has AAA84 and another KKKQJ. Aces trump kings, so the first hand wins.
Trips and sets are both 3 of a kind examples but differ in how the hands are constructed. A set is a pocket pair plus one same-ranking community card, while trips can be constructed with one card from your hand and two same-rank community cards.
The odds of hitting trips in poker with any pocket pair is 0%. Trips can only be constructed when you are not starting with a pocket pair.
However, you can hit a set on the flop when you start with a pocket pair, and the odds of that scenario playing out are 11.8%
| 3 Of A Kind Probability | Pocket Aces | Pocket Aces, Kings, Queens, or Jacks | Any other pocket pair |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre Flop Odds | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Post Flop Odds | 11.8% | 11.8% | 11.8% |
| After The Turn Odds | 15.64% | 15.64% | 15.64% |
| After The River Odds | 19.31% | 19.31% | 19.31% |
CoinPoker is an excellent choice for new players learning poker. It includes various guides and learning material on poker topics, such as card ranking and playing strategies. These guides make learning easy because they are prepared by experts with beginners in mind.
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This guide is a fantastic starting point for new players learning about this hand in poker and the intricacies of the 3 of a kind poker hand. We have covered what the three-of-a-kind hand is and how to identify them. We have also looked at the different hands that beat 3-of-a-kind and their probabilities.
In addition, you will now have learned information like:
But this is just the beginning. We have guides covering more advanced poker topics below.
One of the best ways to protect yourself when playing online is to educate yourself about responsible gambling. Several resources are available, but we have listed some of the most popular ones here to help you get started.
National Council on Problem Gambling
Responsible Gambling Council
American Gaming Association Responsible Gambling
The post What is Three Of A Kind in Poker and How Does This Hand Rank? appeared first on ReadWrite.
