Free Poker Guide - How To Read Set Hands

Regardless of if you merely play free poker online or play for the highest stakes imaginable a Set is probably the most unreadable hands in Texas Hold'em.

A Set consists of a pocket pair plus one of several Community cards that has the identical rank since your pocket pair.

For example, if you have 4-4 and the Community cards are 5-4-10-J-K, there is a Set of Fours.

Sets are unreadable since most players are accustomed to reading (a) two different hole cards, (b) high cards or overpairs, (c) draws that complete the Board, or (d) cards anyway associated with the Board cards.

Our hand reading habits generally a mix of limiting possible hands to the given characteristics of the board/community. How would you put someone on 5-5 or 4-4 if it is much simpler to put him on A-K (for top level pair, best kicker), A-Q (for any made Straight), or K-10 or 5-4 (for Two-Pair), or even A-A (an increased pair)?

Sometimes maybe you might even put him using one Five, say, 6-5. But on two Fives or two Fours? This is why Sets are very potent in Boards with no Straight or Flush potential.

However, suppose inside a Flop of Q-7-2 without having Straight or Flush possibilities, you've 2-2. You check (looking to trap him), the other player bets. You raise all in create immediately calls and reveals Q-Q. You thought your attacker had A-Q or K-Q. How is this possible? It's possible. Even in this spot you're more susceptible.

Because there won't be any Straight or Flush potentials your opponent will fold cards that didn't go with the Board cards. If you read hands according to the criteria above, you may put the opponent on A-Q, K-Q, and even Q-7 (is it possible to go as much as 7-2?!).

Here because you might be the one that moved all-in, the results in the hand is not fully on the control; it's as much as whether the opponent calls you aren't.

But imagine that the situation is reversed. The player with the Q-Q checks, you bet, then the solution is a raise all-in. How would you act?

When you're slammed in a situation like this (which often occurs around the Flop) over a cash game, go on it since it is. Pay him off. Some other time you should have the Q-Q, a few other player will have the 2-2, and you will be paid off.

But in a very tournament, you've got many givens to think about (and you might want to think about these during a regular cash game). Compare your stack sizes compared to one another. If the difference is excellent, expect considered one of you to put his chips in the middle.

A Set could be the best hand you both will surely have to obtain a double-up. If you possess the smaller Set get eliminated, attribute it to bad luck. However, assuming both of you might have stacks above chip average, and you happen to be put to a selection costing you all or the majority of your chips. You have 2-2. You're not apt to be blinded out in the few hands.

You may choose to reason out:

I possess a Set.


He raised me enough to place me all-in, or almost.


He may take action with Q-7.


And whether your attacker had Q-7 or otherwise not is dependent upon what went down preflop.


If no raise occurred it can be with Q-7, so you can safely call.


Whether your opponent had 7-7 or otherwise not could also come under similar scrutiny


Or if there's a raise, it could be with A-Q.

Now, top pair, top kicker is a weak hand to risk an above-average stack.

And there isn't any Straight and Flush incoming, so the all-in could possibly be made simply with a very strong hand. It might also be with A-A or with K-K (most likely it is) nevertheless it might be also just with Q-Q.

If I put him on those three hands, there's a 2/3 chance I'm right, but a 1/3 probability of wrong, when I'm wrong I will be busted. So I'll fold.

If you possess the center Set (Set of Sevens), the identical analysis can also apply.

But you will be much safer because there is only one Set to kill you instead in the two possible Sets a little while ago. If you possess the Set of Queens, enjoy!

The above analysis is agonizing and painstaking, specially when it all comes down to letting go of among the most valued hands in Hold'Em.

Reading Sets In summary

It takes some time to learn how to read hands, it isn't something the unthinking donk "chip flingers" seen on many free domino poker tables even consider.

Most players it seems can't or won't put the amount of time in, they promise to experience for entertainment which misses out around the key fact that winning big money is really a lot more fun!

I think it's crazy that many people play with so little skill and almost experience the actual fact! But this can be nice thing in your case as among the few who is learning to try out well.

That's because once you learn to play poker with above average skill and therefore are able to combat the "all-in-all the time" donk maniacs you'll be able to drive them apart in coldly calculated massacres whenever you like.