|
|
October 7th, 2008 |
|
|
|
October 7th, 2008 |
Any three of a kind is very strong hand. Three aces is the best possible starting hand, which you will receive about once every 5500 rounds – any three of a kind every 425 rounds. Against six opponents who all hang around to the showdown, three aces as a starting hand will win roughly 70% of the time. This might not seem like a good share for the best starting hand. Of course six opponents will rarely see the seventh card, and if they do be happy for other reasons. A three-of-a-kind is the only starting hand that has a generous chance at winning unimproved, especially three tens and higher.
A three-of-a-kind has a 32% chance of improving to a full house, there is an 8% chance of improving to a four-of-a-kind, and a 2% chance of improvement to something else (straight, flush or straight flush). This means there is a 58% risk of not improving. As already stated though: a three-of-a-kind is a decent holding itself and 2:1 odds to make a full house or better is powerful. Trips are good versus small and large fields.
Playing a three-of-a-kind is not always easy. The hand only comes around once every 425 deals and you want to get something out of it. When you have such a strong three-of-a-kind that you have the highest upcard, a raise from up front could knock everyone out.
The most common misplay of trips is to slow play. Trying to get too much out of it and not only ending up with nothing but ending up with a sizeable loss. This is the danger of slow play. To always slow play strong hands, regardless of the situation, is a mistake in almost all forms of poker. Seven-card stud is not an exception.
Trips should generally only be slowplayed if they are large – (T
) (T
) T
and higher – furthermore the opponents need to be conservative. Tend to sandbag more often from up front or when a reraise would give your hand away.
If you do slow play, you can usually wait until fifth street to reveal your true strength. On fifth street the bets are doubled and the reward for the risk can be reaped. Ideally a raise or reraise can drive a draw and punish someone who has caught a little, too little something. Fifth street is also a good spot to reevaluate the situation. Suppose you have slowplayed a small three-of-a-kind from early position and an opponent has paired a higher door card.
Your:
versus your opponents:
If your opponent has raised or called raises before fifth street you need to seriously consider if your slow play has backfired. You are likely up against a set of jacks. Yet you do not know if you are up against someone who is pushing two pair against an opponent (you) who has not showed any strength. In this scenario your good starting hand has turned into an uncomfortable situation because of the slowplaying.
If several players have called already, a raise is mandatory with rolled up trips. By raising from up front or after a few callers you are building a pot. Opponents can get stuck in the pot, and keep paying you off with what they too late realize are long shots.
Small trips should be played fast. With only a few opponents, you can vary your game. If it is a full ring game, eliminate as many as possible. Raise and reraise. This strong play will build a large pot where you have the best of it. Anyone with a big pair will be more than happy to help you with your goal. If an opponent has a higher door card than you, they will often eventually put you on a hidden pair larger than his. He will then continue to try to draw out. Consequently he will pay you off with two or three bets on fifth or sixth street if he makes two pair while you do not seem to have improved. A hidden two pair is more dangerous (harder to read for the both of you) but also more probable to get three-bet than an open pair not including his door card. If the door card is included the likelihood that you are beat becomes more pressing. If the opponents door card is an ace this strategy becomes less effective as you no longer can have a higher hidden pair than his upcard, your strength is not as easy to conceal while at the same time playing strong.
A large three-of-a-kind can be played slowly (call) if someone has already completed the bet or raised in early position. Against several liberal opponents it is hard to go wrong by going full steam ahead. As a rule any wired three-of-a-kind should be played to seventh street, unless you are obviously beaten. If someone continues to play back at you with an open pair, with none of the other two reaming cards visible, against your unimproved three-of-a-kind you should be prepared to lay the hand down.