In spite of if you just play free playing poker online (Read the Full Report) online or play for the highest stakes imaginable a Set is just one of the most unreadable hands in Texas Hold’em.
For instance, if you have 4-4 as well as the Community cards are 5-4-10-J-K, you’ve got a Set of Fours.
Sets are unreadable since most players are comfortable with reading (a) two different hole cards, (b) high cards or overpairs, (c) draws that complete the Board, or (d) cards anyway linked to the Board cards.
Our hand reading habits generally a mix of limiting possible hands to the given characteristics of the board/community. How will you put someone on 5-5 or 4-4 when it really is much simpler to put him on A-K (for top pair, best kicker), A-Q (for a made Straight), or K-10 or 5-4 (for Two-Pair), or maybe A-A (a high pair)?
Sometimes you might even put him on one Five, say, 6-5. But on two Fives or two Fours? This really is why Sets are extremely potent in Boards that have no Straight or Flush potential.
In contrast, suppose in a Flop of Q-7-2 with no Straight or Flush possibilities, you’ve got 2-2. You check (hoping to trap him), the other player bets. You raise all in then he immediately calls and reveals Q-Q. You thought your opponent had A-Q or K-Q. How is this possible? It’s possible. Even within this spot you are more susceptible.
Because there are no Straight or Flush potentials your opponent will fold cards that didn’t fit in to the Board cards. If you read hands in accordance with the criteria above, you could put your opponent on A-Q, K-Q, or perhaps Q-7 (can you go as far as 7-2?!).
Here because you are the one who moved all-in, the outcome of the hand just isn’t fully on your control; it’s up to whether your opponent calls or not.
But suppose the situation is reversed. The player with the Q-Q checks, you bet, then the response is a raise all-in. How will you act?
When you find yourself slammed in a situation like this (which usually occurs on the Flop) on a cash game, take it as it is. Pay him off. Some other time you will have the Q-Q, some other player will have the 2-2, and also you will be paid off.
But in a tournament, you have many givens to consider (and you might want to consider these even within an ordinary cash game). Compare your stack sizes relative to each other. Should the difference is great, expect one of you to put his chips in the middle.
A Set may be the best hand both of you may have to get a double-up. If you have the smaller Set get eliminated, attribute it to bad luck. On the contrary, assuming both of you’ve got stacks above chip average, and also you are put to a choice costing you all or practically all your chips. You’ve got 2-2. You’re not likely to be blinded out in a couple of hands.