Trips
Trips is three of a kind made with one hole card and a pair on the board. Because the board pair is visible, your kicker often decides the hand.
Trips is three of a kind made by combining one of your hole cards with a pair on the board. For example, you hold A♥ 9♣ and the flop is 9♠ 9♦ 4♣. Many players use the word trips for any three of a kind, but strictly it is distinguished from a set, which uses a pocket pair plus one board card. Both rank the same: above two pair and below a straight.
Why trips play differently from a set
- Visibility. The pair on the board is there for everyone to see, so opponents know three of a kind is possible.
- Fewer combinations. With two nines on the board, only two nines remain in the deck. That makes it less likely that an opponent also has trips, but it also means your opponents will often doubt that you do.
- Kicker problems. When two players both hold trips, the kicker usually decides the winner.
Example: the kicker battle
The board runs 9♠ 9♦ 4♣ J♥ 2♠. You hold A♥ 9♣; your opponent holds 9♥ 6♦. You both have three nines. Your best five cards are 9-9-9-A-J; theirs are 9-9-9-J-6. Your ace kicker wins. If your opponent had held K♣ 9♥ instead, your ace would still win, but K-9 would beat any weaker nine.
Now imagine the river paired the jack: 9♠ 9♦ 4♣ J♥ J♠. Both of you now have a full house, nines full of jacks, and the pot is split because kickers no longer play. Even a weak nine got there.
Strategy tips
- Trips with a strong kicker is a value hand. A hand like A-9 on 9-9-4 can usually bet several streets.
- Trips with a weak kicker wants smaller pots. 9-3 on the same board beats many hands but loses to every better nine, and the players who call big bets are more likely to hold one.
- Watch for full houses. Every card that pairs the other board cards gives pocket pairs and two-pair hands a full house. On 9-9-4, a player holding 4-4 already has fours full of nines.
- Bluffing on paired boards. Because only two cards of the paired rank remain, it is hard for anyone to have trips. Paired boards can be good places for a well-chosen bluff, but opponents know this too.
Common mistake
The most frequent error with trips is treating them like a set. A set is hidden and rarely has kicker issues; trips are visible and often do. Before putting in a lot of chips, ask which better nines or full houses your opponent could reasonably hold.
Frequently asked questions
Is trips the same as three of a kind?
Trips is a type of three of a kind, made with one hole card and a board pair. Many players use the words interchangeably.
Who wins if two players have trips?
The player with the higher three of a kind wins. If the trips are the same rank, the kickers decide, and identical kickers split the pot.
Is a set better than trips?
They rank the same, but a set is usually more valuable because it is better hidden and less vulnerable to kicker problems.
Related poker terms
- Set — A set is three of a kind made with a pocket pair plus one matching card on the board. It is stronger and better disguised than trips.
- Kicker — A kicker is a side card that does not form part of a pair or set but still counts in your five-card hand, used to break ties between similar hands.
- Full House — A full house is three cards of one rank plus two of another, such as 8-8-8-K-K. It beats a flush and loses to four of a kind.
- Two Pair — Two pair is a hand with two cards of one rank, two of another rank and a fifth unrelated card, such as J-J-4-4-A. It beats one pair and loses to trips.
- Hand Rankings — Poker hand rankings list the ten five-card hands from royal flush down to high card. A rarer hand always beats a more common one.