Three of a Kind Poker Hand Ranking

On the poker hand rankings listing, Three of a Kind sits snugly in seventh position. This hand contains 3 cards of the same rank.

When you see the words, ‘Three of a Kind’ you probably instantly conjure up images of 3 cards of the same denomination. For this reason, Three of a Kind is instantly recognizable. The waters get muddied a little when we try to distinguish between Trips (Three of a Kind), and a Set. Since both these poker hands include 3 of a Kind hands, further clarification is needed.

First let’s look at a Set, then we will turn our attention to Three of a Kind, or Trips:

• A Set is formed with 2 cards of the same rank or denomination in your hand, followed by another card of the same rank or denomination from the board. If you’re holding a pair of eights 8♦8♣, and there is another 8♥ on the board, then you have a set of eights.
• Trips, or Three of a Kind results in the same thing, but it is formed differently. When there is a pair of eights on the board such as 8♦8♣3♠, and you are holding 8♣ as part of your pocket cards, you have formed Trips.

Here are further examples of Three of a Kind Poker Hands that you can form:

When you rank Three of a Kind poker hands against one another, the most important thing to look out for is the rank or denomination of the cards. Clearly, the strongest possible Three of a Kind hand that you can form is Trip Aces, or a Set of Aces. Next in line is Trip Kings, followed by Trip Queens, Trip Jacks, Trip 10s, etc.

How Do Three of a Kind Poker Hands Rank?

In a typical 52-card deck, there are some 54,912 potential combinations of Three of a Kind poker hands. There are also 858 unique ranks of Three of a Kind hands that you can form. Each of these Three of a Kind hands is rated by the 3 cards of the same denomination. This is followed by the rank of the first kicker (the highest card of the remaining 2 cards), and then the second kicker (the lower card).

Consider These Examples of Three of a Kind Poker Hands:

Can you figure out which Three of a Kind hand ranks highest?

Remember that the suits don’t matter when it comes to ranking Three of a Kind hands.

How Do Three of a Kind Hands Compare?

On the poker hand rankings chart, Three of a Kinds are in seventh position. Directly above Three of a Kind is a Straight, and the best possible Straight that you can form is an Ace High Straight otherwise known as Broadway.

The three types of poker hands which are ranked lower than Three of a Kind, include Two Pair, One Pair, and a High Card. The best Two Pair Hand is made up of Aces and Kings, with a Queen kicker (fifth card).

Probabilities of Forming Three of a Kind in Texas Hold’em

Probabilities of Forming Three of a Kind in Pot Limit Omaha (PLO)

That’s everything you need to know about Three of a Kind poker hands in Texas Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha. Let’s move on to the next hand on our list – Two Pair.

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