Free Poker Guide - How To Read Set Hands

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

A Set is made up of a pocket pair plus one of many Community cards which includes the identical rank as the pocket pair.

For example, for those who have 4-4 along with the Community cards are 5-4-10-J-K, you have a Set of Fours.

Sets are unreadable because 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 combining limiting possible hands on the given characteristics in the board/community. How would you put someone on 5-5 or 4-4 if it's less difficult to place him on A-K (for top pair, best kicker), A-Q (to get a made Straight), or K-10 or 5-4 (for Two-Pair), as well as A-A (an increased pair)?

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

However, suppose in a very Flop of Q-7-2 without having Straight or Flush possibilities, you've got 2-2. You check (looking to trap him), another player bets. You raise all in he then immediately calls and reveals Q-Q. You thought the opponent had A-Q or K-Q. How is this possible? It's possible. Even in this spot you might be more susceptible.

Because there aren't any Straight or Flush potentials your attacker will fold cards that didn't fit into the Board cards. If you read hands according towards the criteria above, you could put your assailant on A-Q, K-Q, as well as Q-7 (is it possible to go so far as 7-2?!).

Here because you are the person who moved all-in, the outcome in the hand is not fully on your control; it's approximately whether your assailant calls you aren't.

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

When you find yourself slammed in a very situation such as this (which usually occurs about the Flop) on a cash game, go as it is. Pay him off. Some other time you will possess the Q-Q, another player could have the 2-2, and will also be repaid.

But in a tournament, you have many givens to think about (and you could want to take into account these even during a typical cash game). Compare your stack sizes compared to one another. If the difference is great, expect certainly one of you to set his chips at the center.

A Set may be the best hand you both can have to secure a double-up. If you possess the smaller Set get eliminated, attribute it to bad luck. However, assuming both of you've stacks above chip average, and you're put to a selection costing you all or almost all your chips. You have 2-2. You're not probably be blinded out in a very few hands.

You may choose to reason out:

I have a very Set.


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


He may do it with Q-7.


And whether your attacker had Q-7 you aren't is determined by so what happened preflop.


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


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


Or if there exists a raise, it may be with A-Q.

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

And there is not any Straight and Flush incoming, so the all-in might be made simply with a particularly strong hand. It might be also with A-A or with K-K (most probably it's) however it might also be 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 possibility of wrong, then when I'm wrong I will be busted. So I'll fold.

If you possess the guts Set (Set of Sevens), the identical analysis might also apply.

But you will end up much safer while there is merely one Set to kill you instead with the two possible Sets in older times. If you possess the Set of Queens, enjoy!

The above analysis is agonizing and painstaking, especially when everything comes from quitting one of many most valued hands in Hold'Em.

Reading Sets In summary

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

Most players it appears can't or won't put the in time, they claim to play to keep things interesting which misses out on the key fact that winning plenty of cash is a lot more fun!

I think it's crazy that many people enjoy so little skill and almost revel in the very fact! But this can be very good news for you personally as one of the few that's learning to play well.

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