Set - Three of a kind specifically composed of two hole cards and one card from the board.

Home Strategy Poker Terms Set. Get the latest poker news, poker strategies, and special offers sent directly to your inbox. + Get the Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Texas Hold’em - FREE! Hand in poker is a term used to refer five sets of cards which has to be formed by the players using the given 2 pocket cards and 3 community cards. There are nine different hand rankings according to the standard poker rules. And the player with the best hand wins the round and gets all the money or poker chips on the table.

In a Hold’em game, when a player holds a pocket pair and matches it with one of the community cards on the board, he holds a specific type of three-of-a-kind hand, known as a “set.” Another way a player can make three-of-a-kind in a Hold’em game is when they hold two unpaired hole cards, and they match one of them to a pair on the board. This type of three-of-a-kind holding is commonly referred to as “trips.”
Hold’em players differentiate between these two different ways to make three-of-a-kind, because the hands typically play out quite differently, and it is appropriate to think about them as separate categories of hands. One important area where a set and trips differ is in value to the holder. While it is possible to win or lose large pots with either hand, a set is regarded as generally being more valuable than trips, especially trips with a weak kicker.
Trips with a weak kicker can be a real problem hand, because it will lose much more frequently than trips with top kicker or a set. Often when you lose you will be heavily to moderately invested into the pot, making it frequently expensive to lose. Trips with no kicker may or may not have value depending upon the situation. If you hold trips with no kicker against a pair or two pairs, you are a substantial favorite to win the hand. If you are up against a flush or a straight draw, you will often be a small favorite to win the hand. If your opponent holds trips with a better kicker, or a set, you are usually a big underdog.
Trips with a good kicker, especially the top kicker, is a far more valuable hand than trips with a bad kicker, especially in games with unstructured betting (no limit and pot-limit). The main advantage that trips with a good kicker has over trips with a bad kicker is its heads up dominance. When two different players make three of a kind at the same time, by each matching one of their hole cards to a pair on the board, a big pot often ensues. In this heads up match, the hand with the higher kicker dominates, as it is often the difference between the two hands at showdown.
But all trip hands, even trips with top kicker have a major disadvantage over a set. This is the fact that it is fairly easy to read an opponent for a set, because a pair is on the board, and a set can easily be completed with one card. In this environment, trips are frequently in play, and a large bet is a pretty good indicator of it. This can make it difficult to get paid off or win a big pot when you have trips. Their presence is just too obvious.
This is one reason a set is more valuable than trips. A set is concealed, because two of the three cards are coming from a pocket pair, and only one card is used from the board. This can make it hard to read an opponent for a set, because a when an opponent holds a set, his large bet is not related to the texture of the board. Often, you are able to get some idea about what a bettor likely holds, based on the assumption that what he is betting is similar in texture to the texture of the board. This is not the case when your opponent holds a set, since he completes it with only one card from the board, there are no textural clues.
Since you frequently will not receive any clues from the board that your opponent has a set, you will have to rely on physical tell and logic. When your opponent bets or raises a large amount, they will often have a very strong hand. A set is a very strong hand you should always consider as a possibility. It is especially dangerous when there is a large bet or raise against a raiser who has previously shown strength or a large bet or raise in the face of an unrelated, incongruous board.
Another reason a set is more valuable than trips is once again, its heads up dominance. In order for one or more players to make trips, the board must be paired. If another player had a set, they would now have a full house, and a full house beats trips. In a heads up match between trips and a set which has filled, the full house dominates. Depending upon how large the set is, the trips can have as few as one out. As you can see, the set has the advantage of both stealth and power, which makes it in general, a more valuable holding than trips.
The terminology “set” is also used in stud games and draw games. In these games, you will sometimes hear a set referred to as a “wire.” In a stud game, if a player receives a set on his first three cards (third street), it is referred to as being “rolled up.”
Usage: Flopped A Set, Spiked A Set
Previous Poker Term: Semi-Bluff
Next Poker Term: SharkPoker slang lingo, part 4 continues this gamerisms glossary dedicated to all passionate poker players.
This section includes poker slang lingo and terms that are unique to this popular casino strategy game. For example, Overpair, Play on Your Belly, Rock, Rush and Scoot.
Understanding poker terms is critical to your game play, and this applies whether playing poker offline or online. Many of the terms below also apply to video poker, one of the most popular games at online casinos sites.

Poker Slang Lingo: N - O

• No-limit: poker lingo for wide open betting based on each players chips in hand.
• Nuts: the best of hands in the game thus far.
• Odds: calculated probability of winning a specific hand.
• Off-suit: cards that are not of the same suit.
• On the Finger: monies received on credit.
• On Tilt: going into wild play mode after a bad hand.
• Open: player who makes the first bet in a round.
• Outdraw: refers to receiving a better hand by drawing more cards.
• Outs: refers to unseen cards left in the deck that could result in a better hand.
• Overpair: refers to a higher pair than the best card on the board in flop games. Example: You hold KK and the flop is J94.
  

Poker Slang Lingo: P - Q

• Paint: poker slang lingo for a picture card--Jack, King or Queen.
  
• Pair: refers to two cards that have the same rank with a Pair of Aces topping the list.
  
• Pass: refers to no betting or folding.
• Passive Play: player who is not likely to bet and raise.
• Pat: this hand is it, no further cards required.
• Pineapple: poker version, known as Crazy Pineapple online, is similar to Holdem in that players are dealt 3 cards each and must toss 1 card after the flop is dealt.
  
• Playback: action whereby a player raises an opening bet.
• Playing the Rush: refers to a player who 'is on a roll' of good cards and pots won.
• Play on your Belly: refers to legal play, no cheating.
• Pocket Cards: refers to cards dealt face down.
• Position: poker term for a player's position at the table in reference to betting. Example: early position means that player is the first to bet.
• Post: to bet or wager chips in the pot or a position directly in front of you at the table.
• Pot: winning hand(s) take the spoils, either all the money in the middle of the table or a share of the pot in certain games.
• Pot-limit: refers to the maximum bet/raise that is of no greater value than the total pot.
• Pot Odds: refers to amount of money in the pot versus the amount of money required to call a bet.
• Proposition Player/Shill: refers to the casino/card room hired help whose duties include filling up tables or jump-starting games.
• Protect: poker lingo for increased betting or otherwise attempting to eliminate players who could outdraw your hand.
• Quads: four of a kind—a very sweet hand. Example: 4 queens.
• Qualifier: refers to the minimum standard a hand must meet to qualify for all or part of the pot. Example: with Caribbean stud poker, the dealer must have a minimum hand of ace/king to qualify and continue the round.
  

Poker Slang Lingo: R

Poker Terms Set Up

• Rabbit Hunting: jargon for looking into the future as to what cards would have been if the round had continued. Do you want to see if you would have received that Full House? Some poker rooms forbid this hunting.
  
• Rabbits: poker jargon used for weak or amateur players.
• Rack: poker slang lingo for tray that holds poker chips.
• Rags: term for cards coming your way that do not help your hand.
• Raise: poker term for wagering more than the last bet thereby increasing the bet for other players in the game.
• Railbirds: spectators or lookie-lous watching the action.
• Rake: a percentage and/or flat fee deducted from the pot after each betting round for the casino services. These services include a dealer and equipment
• Rank: value of a set of cards.
• River: poker term for the last cards dealt in a game of Holdem, Omaha or 7-card Stud.
• Read: skillful players use this method to predict cards held by other players.
• Re-buy: purchasing additional chips after initial buy, if tournament rules allow.
• Represent: term for wagering in a specific way that tells you have a specific hand.
• Riffling or Zipping: method used to shuffle cards before dealing.
• Road Gang: poker jargon for a gang of cheating players.
• Rock: player who raises or folds and rarely calls, thus playing few hands.
• Rock Garden: poker lingo for a game consisting of tight players.
• Round: can mean either a betting round or round of poker hands.
• Rounder: skillful player who makes a comfortable living playing poker—a dream job for many poker players.
• Round of Play: a segment of game play that includes dealing, betting and a declared winner.
• Royal Flush: the best of the best, sequence of AKQJ10, all in the same suit.
• Running: you receive the cards you need from the last two cards dealt.
• Rush: poker lingo for a big win quickly—truly a rush.
  

Poker Slang Lingo: S

• Sailboats: poker jargon for a pair of fours starting hand.
• Sandbag: strategy used to check and then raise the opener to increase the pot.
• Scare Card: jargon for a dealt card that may produce a better hand. For example, a third card in an outside straight sequence (Jack, 10 and 9).
• Scarne Cut: refers to cutting the cards by taking a bunch of cards from the center of the deck and putting them on top of the deck.
  
• Schoolboy Draw: amateur draw, not using sound judgment.
• Scoot: poker lingo for sending some pot winning chips to another player.
• Seat Position: refers to the position of a poker player in accordance to other players. When it comes to betting in poker, position can be an advantage if you are the last to bet in a poker round.
  
• Seconds: lingo about the cheater who deals the second card instead of the top card.
• Semi-bluff: the difference from a bluff is that a semi-bluff has a higher certainty of a win.
• Sequence: refers to cards of consecutive value, example: 56789 straight.
• Session: term for time span for poker games played.
• Set: refers to 3-of-a-kind to include two in the hole or a method of play for paigow poker whereby cards are set into two hands of low-hand=2 cards and high hand=5-card.
• Shiner: cheaters use these mirror-like devices to view unexposed cards.
• Shorthanded: refers to a game where there are only a few players.
• Short Pair: refers to a pair that is lower than the openers.
• Short Stack: situation where a player does not have sufficient chips to cover the betting at the table.
• Short Stud: poker slang lingo for 5 rather than 7-card stud poker.
• Shotgun: game where betting begins once the third card is dealt.
• Shove them Along: version of 5-card stud poker where every player can either play the first upcard or pass to the next player.
• Showdown: poker term to describe the end of betting where a winner is declared by a show of hands by the remaining players.
• Shuffle/Shuffling: mix up those cards before starting another game.
• Side Pot: occurs when a player is unable to match the bet made, but continues play of the game. This pot is for players who have the funds and want to bet more. Winner of the side pot goes to the best hand from the players who participated.
• Slowplay: strategy to under bet an excellent hand.
• Slowroll: don't you just hate those players who ever so slowly, roll out their hand while the other participating players await the result?
• Smooth Call: method of holding back a raise in order to call additional bets with a very good hand.
• Snap Off: you call the bluffer and beat him/her with a not-so-hot-hand—'tis a sweet deal.
• Snarker: player who wins and taunts the loser—bad manners and strategy rolled into one.
• Soft Play: poker lingo for intentionally going easy on a player.
• South: poker slang lingo for player folding as in Going South.
• Spikes: here comes that stunning pair of Aces again.
  
• Splash the Pot: player who tosses chips in rather than putting them in front.
• Spread Limit: poker term for fixed minimum-maximum bets allowed per round.
• Squeeze Bet or Squeeze Raise: poker term for a third player with a weak hand who is in the middle of the squeeze and it's costing him/her because of the larger bets made by other players with better hands.
• Stack: poker term for total of all your chips.
• Steal: winning the pot by bluffing—a card sharp's specialty.
• Stenographers: Four Queens, also know as Administrative Assistants in the pc world.
• Still Pack: term for the deck set aside two card decks are used.
• Stonewall: player who remains to the bitter end holding a weak hand.
• Straddle: refers to doubling the blind wherein the player betting becomes the bigger blind. He/she who bets the straddle then bets last in the pre-flop round.
  As a straddle is designated as a blind, not a bet, the player can then raise if everybody calls his/her straddle.
• Straight: refers to 5-card sequence, example: 78910J.
• Straight Draw: refers to the game of draw poker that does not require openers.
• Straight Flush: beauty of a hand that has 5-cards of consecutive rank and are the same suit, example=78910J of clubs.
• Streak: run of either winning or losing hands—what streak do you prefer :-)
• Stringer: poker slang lingo for a straight.
• Stripping: refers to a method of shuffling/changing the order of the cards in a deck.
• Suicide King: poker lingo for the King of Hearts as the card displays a sword poised to the head.
• Suit: refers to the 4 suits in a deck of cards—clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds.
• Super Stud Poker: another name for Caribbean Stud Poker and Casino Stud Poker, however, with a Progressive Jackpot

Poker Terms Table Stakes

Poker Slang Lingo: T

• Table Stakes: we are talking money here in reference to the amount a player places on the table that cannot be changed during the hand.
• Talon: poker slang lingo for the rest of the deck after the deal.
• Tap or Tap Out: you have bet all your money and if you lose, you are tapped out.
• Tell or Tell play: refers to a player giving out signals or 'telling' about his/her hand.
• Thirty days or Thirty miles: poker jargon for 3 tens.
• Three of a kind: 3 cards of the same rank, AAA.
• Tierce: refers to a three-card straight flush.
• Tiger: poker lingo for a low hand to include 23456 or 7.
• Tight Player: poker term for a cautious player who rarely bets on weak hands.
• Trap: poker lingo for a situation where a player may have to call a big raise to stay in the game.
• Trey: refers to the 3-card with 3 pips.
• Two-card Poker: version where the best 2 cards are winners.
• Two Pair: refers to a 5-card hand that includes two different pairs, QQ773.
  

Poker Definition Terms

Poker Slang Lingo: U - Z

• Underdog: card contest wherein the underdog is usually the loser.
• Under the Gun: refers to the first player's action once the blind bets are completed.
• Unlimited Poker: no bet or raise limits in this game.
• Washing the Cards: the dealer blends the deck of cards in a circular motion with both hands before a shuffle is performed.
• White Meat: poker slang lingo for profit or money made with the game of poker.
• Wild Card: card(s) that can sub for any other card to improve your hand.
• World Series of Poker WSOP: the granddaddy of all poker tournaments played at Binion's Horseshoe Casino in Vegas yearly. A gold bracelet awaits the winner.
  

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